'10 XC70 vs. '10 A4 Avant Quattro

[Shopping around]

Thanks Patrick! I'm loving it so far! It's certainly a far cry from my Honda Civic. The seating is so comfortable... I feel like I'm on my leather couch at home! Standard sound system is more than adequate too. I'm sure the other drivers on the road were getting a kick out of me singing my heart out on the way to work this morning. Guess I've got something to be happy about! Love my new XC70! It was most certainly the right choice!!

[Forkster]

I'm moving this topic to the current gen-XC70 forum.

[Lotus99]

Congrats. Why was it that you didn't consider the V70?

[budrichard]

With the demise of the ALLROAD in the USA, your XC70 has more ground clearance than the A4 Quattro as well as the previously mentioned interior room. An A4 looks positively small next to an XC70 But if a performance person, the A4 ALLROAD with V8 is a 'smokin ride'!
I would like to see AUDI bring in the A6 ALLROAD with diesel. I have queried them and they have no comment on the future because they want to sell high profile Q5 and Q7.-Dick

[beavenx5]

I know quite a lot about these 2 cars as my father and brother have A4 (avant and Sedan, both with the sport package), my wife has an XC70 T6 and I drive an S4 Cabriolet...

What I can say about these cars is that the Audis are more fun to drive, are more agile and have much better mileage (except for the S4 V8) than the XC70.

The Volvo has a lot more room (almost twice as much in the back) than the Audi avant, and are a lot more confortable because of their softer suspension, bigger tires and added weight compared to the Audi.

As for the interior, the A4 is more plain than the XC70 and the seats of the XC70 are better... My S4 is a different story with the Recaro seats (red), the carbon fiber trims and the Bose radio...

One more thing: my good friend at the cottage changed (at the end of his lease) his 2005 A4 avant sport package for a 2008 XC70 3.2 as he had a newborn. After 12 months he broke his lease with Volvo and got a 328 touring Xdrive instead.... He loved the room and confort of the XC70 but could not get used to the heaviness of the car, to the automatic transmission and to the overall lack of agility compared to the Audi and BMW. He did try my wife's T6 with the 4C suspension and said he would had kept his Volvo if it had been equiped like ours.

Very different cars in the way they drive. To each his own... My father would not trade his A4 with my Volvo because it is too big and vice-versa because his Audi is too small for my family.

Our Volvo is our 3rd Volvo: 1994 850 wagon sold in 2003 at well over 200000KM, 2000 V70XC sold last year at 185000K and the XC70 XC. We never had any serious car problems with these 3 Volvos....
My brother had previous Audis with a few more minor problems than my Volvos but still pretty reliable overall.

Good choice.

[ecbsykes]

An XC70 isn't an XC70 without a turbo!

[Lotus99]

I test drove the A4 Avant, and on paper, while I thought a 200 HP engine (though it was a turbo, so it would have been easy to chip and get even more power out of) would be a joke for that car and had dismissed it before driving it, I was blown away by the quick power delivery and the fun factor of driving it. Plus, you can get the Audi Drive Select (I think that's what it's called) which puts to shame the 4C system, in that it does a lot more than just stiffen up the suspension. Changes the whole character of the car.

I'd say you should decide on how much room you want and the type of drivability you're looking for/willing to compromise on, in terms of more sporty or less sporty.

Don't get the T6 without 4C though...

[PJ810]

I'm generally the kind of driver that finds the limits of cars pretty quickly. In my opinion if you're finding that the V70T6 doesn't offer sufficient handling you're a dangerous driver. Unless you're a track driver.

I haven't driven an S4 or RS4 (yet) but have experimented extensively with two A5s and a couple of current model BMW 3 series coupes. All are very competent cars, each quite different in character, and all able to take corners much quicker than is safe. The V70 is also comfortable and offers space.

Then again, my XC70 with road tyres gets driven dangerously fast at times. Although the car doesn't invite the driver to throw it around corners, if you know what you're doing you can drive it frightfully quickly and with it's very progressive character you feel very secure doing so.

[jmeljr]

I think you made the right choice, congrats! With the dog rescue needs the Volvo will be much more functional and I think be better for your needs. I just sold my 2005 XC70 and got the 2010 T6 and I am really happy I did. I initially looked at it due to the 5 year free maintenance, wear items and the incentives. I have always liked the Audi's and considered for a few moments looking at one but the extra size and the seats of the volvo made it hard to look anywhere else. Not a lot of choices in the US for a wagon and I like the extra ride height for winters and parking blocks. I do not like to have to worry about ruining a spoiler if I pull too close.

Congrats again on your new car, I think you will love it.

[slowflyer]

Take a D5 for a run if they are available.

They don't offer the D5 in this large market

Rumor has it (according to a Volvo sales manager) that they will bring the D5 in a couple of years.

I will believe it when I see it