[slashmatt]

The A4/S4 is a Golf in disguise. If it feels small inside, you now know why.

[Armen52]

Originally Posted by slashmatt

The A4/S4 is a Golf in disguise. If it feels small inside, you now know why.

Actually, its a Passat in disguise

[YYdoodle]

It really is. Expensive and prettier version of the Passat.

[evoq]

The size of the passat is similar to the A6, not the A4

[Eldalo3]

The 330 more luxury than A4 and i my friend told me to get A4 but i order a 325 because i love the interior. Also the name of BMW.

[Robbie!]

Originally Posted by Ewrek

I just don't like the big mouth on the new A4 and S4. I think it looks kinda wierd.

I like the A4's big "mouth" I dont like the new ass

[e90fanatic]

Originally Posted by Terps

Heh yea but the new M3 will blow the doors off the S4 I think the new audis actually look good but they're fat ilke you said... bimmers will always perform better, especially this current new generation.

yea...but wait till the RS4 next year....that's the real M3 competitor. I too looked at an A6 before buying the 330

[ACZakka325i]

the a4's interior is soo cheap. I will never understand audi enthusiasts. The only thing the new a4 got was a couple creases on the body and the a6 steering wheel -> BORING!

as for total package, i think the audi just dosent compare. their clutches and transmissions as a whole are garbage.

[BellasBmw]

Originally Posted by thedocmoz

Honestly the A4 3.2 won't keep up with the 330i handling-wise; I think you'll see this when all the magazines start comparing the two directly. Which styling is better? That's in the eye of the beholder but I personally think the new Audi grill is just way overdone.

..EEEk i think the new audi is BLAH!.. should have left it the way it was. it looks realy gaudy...

[mapezzul]

As a newbie to this forum but not forums in general it is no surprise that everyone bashes on the other makes. I a person of open mind will tend to weight the pros and cons of both then make a decision/ comment. As an owner of an A4 and future owner of an E90 I think i can make some valid statements without prejudice unlike many others here.
Unlike many people stated the Audi is NOT a rebadged VW this is a highly over generalized idea because of early generations of cars when they shared more components. The A4 has much more substantials in technology and componentry that VW does not have. The chassis is its own as well as the drivetrain and suspension. The NEW A4 that is being called a facelift here is not that, it sports new suspension, new engines, and new transmissions. The 2.0t has more torque for a much longer consistant band than the 325i, and offers direct injection, a much more efficient and powerful means of supplying the engine with fuel. As for the interior, the build quality is far superior than the BMW and offers many things that BMW does not, for example matching seat belts to the interior and the seat belts are adjustable in height so shorter people/taller can choose the correct angle the belt crosses the shoulder. The A4 also offers Quattro which is far superior to X-Drive (I am not getting into that arguement but IT IS much better and I have researched it to death in the process of getting the E90). The standard features on the Audi also include the alarm, and folding seats, warning triangle, first aid kit, bag holders etc... it is a better standard package. Audi is the industry leader in interiors and it will stay that way, for the fit and finish quality and the overall package. And Audi has surpassed every manufacturer in crash safety as in tests of the A4 and A6 have indicated, both are best in class best picks for frontal offset and side impact.
The BMW has come a long way since the E46. I never considered purchasing that car. The interior on the E90 is more Audi than BMW in many ways, they have taken a lot of the features the Audi used in Its design (as all the newer BMW's have) like placing the info in front of you between the speedo and tach, built in cupholders and the use of a beltline trim that is consistant in the car. The addition of seat mounted side air bags and full length curtain, first time BMW offerings, long time Audi offerings, are welcomed additions.The materials are not a quality as the audi's (interior lights, switches etc still look and feel cheap) but much better than before. Still can not have a rear fog, which is standard on every other Euro brand in the US. The BMW has far better balance when pushing the car and is more predictable when cornering. The, addition of an aux. input in the center console is a nice addition as well as the heated/cooled compartment. The dual zone climate is finally in the 3 series.The interior dimensions are significantly larger in the rear and now include rear vents for climate. I prefer the new styling of the E90, also admire the use of technology but I am getting a little worried about the technology issues they are having with many features still not active in the US.
The final thing is the Sports package.... the seats and suspension make this car a sure bet and the main reason I made the decision to purchase. It drives amazing, the seats fit like a glove and are very well designed. I also chose to get the iDrive so I would be able to control many of the cars comfort functions and systems as well as use the voice command to use the bluetooth phone etc. The system has its quirtks but it is good none the less. The Aud's MMI in the A6 is a easier to use system with all the same features but is not a available in true to form version in the A4 (big disapointment). I have gone through many cars in the past few years including a VW passat 4motion GLX and anyone that says an Audi is a VW is nuts, there is NO COMPARISION, not at all, the interior quality in the VW is far inferior and the driving characterisitcs SUCK, and just for the record the VW was more money than an A4, because the Passat is comparible to the A6.

In conclusion, I opted for the E90 to go along with the A4 not to have 2 A4's. The sport package was my main reason for getting the E90, I love it! A few other reasons was because of the style, and the added interior room to the BMW. The A4 feels much smaller now compared to the E90. The added safety features that the BMW now has will hopefully make it as safe as the Audi. The "feel" when driving the BMW hard is much better than the A4, but how many people that buy the BMW really drive it like it is meant to, not that the Audi is not good, but it is not as good. I do feel that the Audi should only be bought with Quattro, without it, it looses the advantage of the system in cornering and will more than likely be a much worse driving car. Since we have harsh winters here in NY I hope the BMW will be ok in the snow with snow tires, the Audi has no issues. I drive hard and still feel the Audi to be a great driving car, just the E90 is better, the E46 I did not care for. Drive the 2 cars and then decide what you like, can't be done by anyone but you and be very skeptical of just blanket opinions and car reviews.Keep in mind the features and packages of what you like. Just don't buy the BMW because it says BMW or the Audi because it says Audi, look at them for what they are not the name on the hood, most people buy the BMW so they can say they own a BMW, that is how it is marketed here in the US, and they do a good job selling them on that, sad but true. Hope that helps, and it is from real life experience not created opinion. Both are great in their own right.

[AudiA4]

I too am a previous Audi owner ('98 A4 1.8t manual, sport).

First, I can confirm that the A4 3.2 does NOT come with a manual transmission - which was the sole reason that it immediately came off of my list (manual was a must-have for me).

Second, let me say that the Audi 3.2 felt MUCH more powerful than the 330 - even with the automatic. It has quite a bit more torque than the 330, and it could be felt. I was very impressed with Audi's new 3.2. It would be awesome with a six-speed.

Third, though I've always liked Audi's styling and felt it superior to BMW (and all others) - I think the new E90 is a better looking car. I'm surprised that this occured. I think Audi had it all over the E46 with their prior styling, but things ebb and flow.

Fourth, the new E90 is considerably larger inside than the current B4 - particularly rear legroom.

This all added up to an E90 for me. But the A4 would be (and was) my second choice. Great car.

[eelton]

mapezzul--

I really appreciate your comments. They're a welcome contrast to the knee-jerk negative remarks one often sees. I too am an A4 owner who will likely buy an E90, but it's not an easy decision; I will miss many of Audi's advantages that you mention--especially Quattro and the quality of the interior. In the end, they're both great cars.

[coco]

I love the new S4, but comparing a regular A4, I think the E90 still takes it. There's still just an intangible feeling from driving the E90 compared to the A4. Those who have test driven both or owned both can attest to this.

[CC 330i]

Originally Posted by coco

I love the new S4, but comparing a regular A4, I think the E90 still takes it. There's still just an intangible feeling from driving the E90 compared to the A4. Those who have test driven both or owned both can attest to this.

I hate to say it but the only reason I am not driving an S4 is economics. I couldn't quite afford one (based on what I wanted to spend).

I think that Audi is really driving the performance sedan market these days. When you look at things like the V8 S4 (that prompted the V8 M3 2 years later, and then the upcoming RS4, BMW seems to be playing catch up. And with the rear bias Quattro in the RS4 this year, BMW is going to have a little more on it's hands than it's used to).

One thing that really bothers me about many BMW owners is the superiority complex so many have. Look, the BMW is a great car (I bought one), but lots of people who have no idea what they are talking about, and have never driven an Audi, start popping off about the inherent superiority of BMW and how Audi is just a rebadged Golf, etc, etc. Do yourselves a favor and go and test drive an S4, or a new A3 with DSG transmission, and then go tell me how much better BMW is. What's "better" about it exactly? Is it something that you would be able to utilize? Probably not.

Shared platforms with a VW does not mean that the Audi is a VW, nor that it is inferior. In fact, quite the contrary. The fact that so many thousands of other cars on the road share the platform add to the economy of scale for design, manufacture and testing. It's actually an asset to be a shared platform with other cars on the road from an engineering point of view.

That being said, nearly all of BMWs design emphasis is toward performance, and that is an advantage insofar as there are certain things that might be compromised in favor of economy on some cars that might not on a BMW. For example, the magnesium/aluminum engine block in the new E90 that is certainly expensive to make, but was designed to drop weight. Or the fact that many of the suspension components are aluminum. (weight again).

But an M3 also costs about 10K more than an S4 (real cost) and you get less in terms of standard equipment. And for the most part, all wheel drive will benefit most people more than a few tenths quicker on the slalom course. (especially many people with a BMW superiority complex that in many cases don't even know how to drive a stick shift!).

Just some things to think about:

The FSI fuel injection in the Audi is a technology to watch. I'll bet BMW is going to be using something like it in the future.

The DSG transmission that Audi is using and continuing to develop is leaps and bounds better than the SMG available from BMW, and again I think it is the transmission of the future.

That doesn't mean that you/we should all go out and buy Audis, but it does mean that once in awhile we need to get off our high horse and take notice that BMW isn't just better because it has a BMW badge, or sooner or later it won't be better. (witness the US car industry for example).

[BellasBmw]

To tell you the truth, i really dont know much about audi. My reply on this thread was solely based on the apperance of the new A4.. I think the grill in the front end is tooo much, and i truly liked the old A4. I didnt want to make the wrong impression that my car is the best and boo hoo to the rest. Im a chick, i was looking at it from a "is it a cute or not?" eye.. Hehe.

[ldpantoja]

I actually liked the A4 3.2 (Almost fell for it) but when I drove it I noticed that it was smaller than my 03 Toyota Corolla.

[Spaceman]

Originally Posted by ldpantoja

I actually liked the A4 3.2 (Almost fell for it) but when I drove it I noticed that it was smaller than my 03 Toyota Corolla.

That's why I think BMW went in the right direction by increasing the size of the 3 series from past years.. For me, miniaturization just don't work on cars.. unless its a Mini of course..

[CC 330i]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

That's why I think BMW went in the right direction by increasing the size of the 3 series from past years.. For me, miniaturization just don't work on cars.. unless its a Mini of course..

This is true. At first I didn't think the bigger size of the E90 was that important to me, but the extra room is very nice. It's just right. My E46 loaner car seems too small, and my wife says she doesn't feel as safe in it. (the E46).

[CC 330i]

Originally Posted by Trex

One, an Audi is a Volkswagen. Two, never own a Volkeswagen beyond its warranty - not one day, not one hour.

I just sold my 97 Jetta GLX with about 95K miles on it. I hadn't spent any money on it except for oil changes for the last 45K miles. I had some problems with the power windows, but that's it.

On the other hand, my BMW that I bought on May 27th has 2,800 miles and has spent the last week in the shop due to the foglights not working and several other problems that were not noticed on delivery. No word on when I am getting it back either. BellasBMW's car is in the shop too, and it's newer than mine.

I think that the reliability changes so much that it's too hard to generalize any more. I found this online. Data is from 2004. Certain VW models were very reliable, but a few were not reliable at all, and drove down VW in the rankings. The BMW 5 series and 7 series had terrible reliabilty. Thank goodness the 3 series (E46) was fairly reliable, but the E90 is so new, it is likely to have many problems at first. (like mine).

Please notice that BMW only scored one place higher than VW in reliability for the brand overall, and that AUDI was the MOST RELIABLE European brand in 2004 by far!! It's great to know that we all just bought the 4th least reliable car availble in the US!

Brand Problems per 100 vehicles

Subaru 8
Honda 9
Acura 10
Toyota 10
Hyundai 11
Infiniti 11
Lexus 11
Audi 12
Mini 13
Ford 15
Pontiac 15
Cadillac 16
Chevrolet 16
Chrysler 16
GMC 16
Jeep 16
Mazda 16
Saab 16
Dodge 17
Mercury 17
Volvo 17
Buick 18
Nissan 19
Saturn 19
BMW 21
Volkswagen 23
Mercedes-Benz 25
Lincoln 26

[CC 330i]

Originally Posted by ACZakka325i

as for total package, i think the audi just dosent compare. their clutches and transmissions as a whole are garbage.

Actually, the DSG transmission is awesome (far superior to BMW SMG, and actually faster with DSG tranny 0-60 than the manual 6spd), and I preferred the Audi 6 Speed manual in both the A3 and S4 over the tranny in my E90. Road and Track thought the tranny in the S4 was very nice, and so do I. It has a shorter throws and a better feel than the E90 and E46 for that matter. The A3 6 speed was almost as nice.

Do a search on CDV on this forum and read about the infamous BMW Clutch Delay Valve.

[CC 330i]

Originally Posted by BellasBmw

To tell you the truth, i really dont know much about audi. My reply on this thread was solely based on the apperance of the new A4.. I think the grill in the front end is tooo much, and i truly liked the old A4. I didnt want to make the wrong impression that my car is the best and boo hoo to the rest. Im a chick, i was looking at it from a "is it a cute or not?" eye.. Hehe.

Ok, ONE more reply. To tell you the truth, the fact that my wife liked the looks of the E90 better than the Audi is part of the reason I didn't hold out for the S4 or go for an A3. So you are not alone.

[BellasBmw]

Originally Posted by CC 330i

Ok, ONE more reply. To tell you the truth, the fact that my wife liked the looks of the E90 better than the Audi is part of the reason I didn't hold out for the S4 or go for an A3. So you are not alone.

Haha, well you know what they say... "A happy wife makes for a happy life"..

Your wife has good taste