135 vs A4/S4 - Looks

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by radiantm3

Everyone says Audi interior is nicer, but I don't really see it. I sat in the new S4 and it's busier for sure, but more buttons doesn't = nicer to me. I prefer the clean look of BMW interiors. I love the fact that most of the unimportant controls software-based. The driver can focus on driving and not fiddling with knobs and switches. The only thing I liked more in the S4 is some of the CF pieces that come stock as well as the slightly more inspiring leather stitching.

I'm not from the school of "more is better".
I consider the Audi interiors "better", not because they have MORE buttons, but because what is there is finished nicer. It flows in the overall design. It has function and not just buttons.
An interior that is just "more is better", are the Pontiac interiors of years ago.
At night you could do surgery with all the lighting in those interiors, but the overall look wasn't better than anything really. The finish on the buttons and dash was cheap and felt odd.

A dash that is clean and functional without a lot of buttons was the previous A4 dash. The new one looks great too, as it includes a central color readout for a lot of functions even without a NAV. That gives the car a more "luxury" look, and it's light years more functional than our non NAV 135i where you have to scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll to get to a number.
A 2 line readout on the radio is poor design in a $40K+ automobile.

Simple shouldn't mean less function, or finished in bland materials.
Even the computer data output screen, in between the odo and speedo is simply bland, colorless, and requires way too many button pushes for the all the things that can be adjusted. Why not include a color display like Audi has, above the radio, or include the radio in the color display?
If Audi can do it for the money, than BMW can, as BMW tends to cost more anyway.

More is simply not more. Good simple design isn't just less buttons.
Audi succeeds because they do simple in operation, and give more in terms of greater function, while feeling right and finishing the parts in quality looking and feeling materials.

That's my take on it. Obviously, for me, I will at time pick performance over interior style, as I did choose the 135i, which I don't consider to be as nice as an Audi. But, for the money Audi didn't have anything that could sway me this time. Next time it might be different.

[JHZR2]

I have to say that we were NOT impressed with the A3. My wife originally wanted one. We found the interior to feel cheap, the dash materials to be disappointing, etc.

She got a (German made) rabbit instead, and besides not having the 2.0 (we are neither here nor there with AWD, we dont really need it for the snow that NJ gets), we have zero regrets, and >$10k more in the bank.

I know the higher cars are nicer, but we really were unhappy with the A3.

The BMW is functional, and that is perfect. Seats are IMO a bit more supportive, but the VW/Audi seats are really good too.

I cant say that I really prefer one over the other anyway.

[TreDirtyFive]

Originally Posted by JHZR2

I have to say that we were NOT impressed with the A3. My wife originally wanted one. We found the interior to feel cheap, the dash materials to be disappointing, etc.

She got a (German made) rabbit instead, and besides not having the 2.0 (we are neither here nor there with AWD, we dont really need it for the snow that NJ gets), we have zero regrets, and >$10k more in the bank.

I know the higher cars are nicer, but we really were unhappy with the A3.

The BMW is functional, and that is perfect. Seats are IMO a bit more supportive, but the VW/Audi seats are really good too.

I cant say that I really prefer one over the other anyway.

I will wholeheartedly disagree with this. IMHO, I feel unequivocally, the A3's more utilitarian and sporting interior is, yes, less luxurious than its bigger brothers but very nicely compositioned and very solid relative to other cars in its class. Yes, it is getting long in the tooth now as the design is over 5 years old now. But it holds up well against newer vehicles. And the seats are the most comfortable of all the cars I currently own.

It has also won may "Interior of the Year" awards in various world competitions including Wards.

I wouldn't compare the Rabbit's, dare I say it, econo-style interior to the A3, but like I said before, it's all subjective.

[JHZR2]

Let's first make a point of the fact that you did a comparo with a ridiculous picture set - a nice polished picture of an A3 (S3) interior and a sideways snapshot of the rabbit's.

We were disappointed. We are allowed to be disappointed, and frankly, if you compare the dash materials of the rabbit to the A3, back to back, I think most folks would be.

The dash material in the A3 just plain looks cheap, with a very fine texture and feel that was lousy compared even to the rabbit. Air vents have flimsy action - nothing like the action of my MB's similar round air vents. For the $10k premium that the A3 commands over the rabbit, it was NOT worth it. My wife and I came to the same conclusion as soon as we sat in the A3, and came back to the same conclusion the next time we sat in one (a TDI we were looking at).

I cant say I see anything in the A3 (which is really an S3) picture which is compelling me to go with it over the utilitarian and perfectly fine rabbit interior. The $10k in my pocket is awful happy... hate to think that the Audi and the rabbit will be worth roughly the same in about 5-7 years.

But it is subjective. I don't doubt that the Audi seats are quite comfortable, as the VW seats are quite comfortable.

[TreDirtyFive]

Again, majorly subjective, as I had a 2009 GTI to drive for the weeks on end when i was up north, which is a spec'd out rabbit and even more luxurious. Plus, being a heavy track driver and being in the industry I have driven and experienced plenty of the new VWs. Heck, I even have an older one at home that I still love! And, IMHO, the GTI was no where near the quality of the A3 in texture, in feel, or in rigidness. The plastics were not up to par and the layout design is un-inspiring (to me). However, I don't dislike it in. It's all relative. Now, if you're talking about the 2010 "Golf's" that is a different story, they have actually updated them and it has made a huge diff.

I'm a big VW/Audi enthusiast so I usually am up to the news on models and such. But, of course, you are allowed to completely hate it (A3). I never said you couldn't? I just didn't agree. We're all entitled to our opinions so sense in getting so defensive. These are simply my opinions. And, to be fair, here is a decently lit and balanced picture of the Rabbit Interior vs a typical A3 (non-S3) one. Different strokes for different folks. Take it all with a grain of salt. A footnote: My wife prefers my A3 interior to my 135i one so go figure. Cheers.

Originally Posted by JHZR2

Let's first make a point of the fact that you did a comparo with a ridiculous picture set - a nice polished picture of an A3 (S3) interior and a sideways snapshot of the rabbit's.

We were disappointed. We are allowed to be disappointed, and frankly, if you compare the dash materials of the rabbit to the A3, back to back, I think most folks would be.

The dash material in the A3 just plain looks cheap, with a very fine texture and feel that was lousy compared even to the rabbit. Air vents have flimsy action - nothing like the action of my MB's similar round air vents. For the $10k premium that the A3 commands over the rabbit, it was NOT worth it. My wife and I came to the same conclusion as soon as we sat in the A3, and came back to the same conclusion the next time we sat in one (a TDI we were looking at).

I cant say I see anything in the A3 (which is really an S3) picture which is compelling me to go with it over the utilitarian and perfectly fine rabbit interior. The $10k in my pocket is awful happy... hate to think that the Audi and the rabbit will be worth roughly the same in about 5-7 years.

But it is subjective. I don't doubt that the Audi seats are quite comfortable, as the VW seats are quite comfortable.

[Irishace]

The exterior of the new generation A4/S4 is flat out boring. It looks like another ordinary car on the road, it has absolutely no character.