Perfectly balanced chassis Firm, comfortable, supportive seats The best designed dashboard/console...period Quattro all-wheel drive

Smallish rear seat Engine a touch on the weak side

All around fantastic car! Owned for a year and a half now with zero mechanical problems. Sport package is the best deal on the planet and the ride that it gives is a perfect blend of controlled smoothness and agressiveness. The motor is a little on the weak side (150hp, 150lb/ft) but is more than adequate for everyday driving. Too many tuners exist willing to bump this motor to anywhere from 200hp to 300hp for this to be a real issue though. Rear seat can be a little cramped, but then again, I only sit in the drivers seat. All in all, the best car I''ve ever owned and a high, high recommendation.

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BMW 323i

The power

No power sears

This car is the bomb babbbby.... I love it sooooo much yeahhhh

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None

Sheer quality of the interior appointments, body assembly, paint job, etc. Turbo engine. Good handling. Beautiful looks inside and out.

Patronizing dealership (personal thing though). Slightly cramped in back for taller passengers. With Tiptronic transmission,not very quick without chip. Some niggling issues with programming.

Absolutely gorgeous, inside and out. Quality and attention to detail are staggering. Almost every day I find some neat little thing that I never knew about before. The handling with the sport package is balanced and grips well. There's a bit too much body roll, but nothing that couldn't be firmed up with some aftermarket tuning. I absolutely LOVE the turbo engine due to it's flexibility and tuneability as well. With a chip, this car is a screamer.

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BMW 3-series, Lexus IS300, Mercedes C-class. In my opinion, the A4 provides the perfect balance of luxury and sport at a price that trumps all of the competition.

Overall quality is superb. Beautiful, functional design and ergonomics. The xenon headlights are amazing, my wife still comments on how good they are. Quattro baby!

The car is too heavy for the 190hp and an auto. trans. The tiptronic shifts lazily and seems like just a gimic. When the car was new, there were several problems, they had to replace the radio, the climate control, and there was a phantom squeek coming from what seemed like the dash. No problems anymore and the car has been trouble free ever since.

Even after 18 months, I still don't get tired of looking at this car. It is simply beautiful, inside and out. I am 6'4", and this is a very comfortable car. It really feels underpowered when you have the auto. trans., even with the V6. I would've gotten the 5 speed, but this was for my wife. But the new 2002 with 230HP should be just right! The handling is terrific with the optional sport sspention, I don't have to slow down for exit ramps anymore. My car stickered for 36,500 (almost loaded), 3 to 4 thousand less than a BMW or Mercedes with the same equipment. I have gotten more compliments than I can count.

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I also looked at the BMW 330i but because I'm 6'4", I was sitting so far back that the door pillar blocked my side vision. Was also upset that BMW salesmen don't take younger buyers seriously. Mercedes E320 was more than I wanted to spend.

Just pure pleasure to drive. It is great value and any shortcomings are far outweighed by the pleasure derived from driving this car.
Build quality is excellent and materials inside are beyond reproach.
Ride is quiet smooth and confidence inspiring.
Ambiance inside the cabin is just impeccable.
Exhaust note of the 4 banger is melodious.
The engine is a jewel. The power is great for the displacement which gives great mileage for the power. Full sized mag spare is a bonus.

The design of the celebration sports package rims was a disappointment.
Does not exude the same styling prowess that the body shape does.
Exterior temperature RTD reads 4 degrees C. too high. Dealer still trying to find a solution.
For some reason, cold idle is not as smooth as my old A4.

This is my second A4. My previous being a '97 front trak.
Styling and pricing made this the only choice in '97 with little or no disappointments. The new one is that much better with all the little extras audi has added since 97. There are a few things that bother me with the new car. There is no lock cylinder on the passenger door. The drive by wire technology takes a little getting accustomed to. The sensation of the engine adjusting the rpms while you are feathering the throttle is a bit disconcerting but in time I have gotten used to it. When I look at this car, I have no regrets.
Small details which add to the feel of the car are the red LED's which illuminate the gear shift area, the stainless steel door sills and the materials used inside the cabin. Passengers are always impressed.

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BMW 325 ci
Lexus IS300

Styling, power, solidity, amenities, handling, warranty, sheer go-factor!

Unyeildingly hard flat seats, brake modulation, stereo system, steering elasticity. Not a car to own outside the warranty period.

For the price, it just don't get no better! This car is, without a doubt, the only true performer in its class - even in base form. Below 2600 RPM, torque is the only source of propulsion, but it is ample. Above that hash mark, however, turbo boost provides serious power and those 4 cylinders and 20 valves begin to sing.

The optional sport suspension lowers the center of gravity about one inch and puts more Z-rated rubber on the road - a great look with amazingly flat, stable handling, at the expense of a somewhat harsh ride.

The steering is beefy and incredibly responsive. But, turn-in produces a progressive steering arc that takes some getting use to. Transmission gearing is almost a perfect match for the engine, except that third gear is a little tall - it's a long way from second! Braking is tenacious, but pedal response is somewhat sticky and hard to feather.

Gee-Whiz features are truly impressive: telescoping steering wheel; automatic climate control; cell phone pre-wire; speed-sensitive stereo volume control; one-touch down/up windows; dial-in sunroof positioner; huge cargo capacity; 16-inch wheels; easily modified engine; headlight washers; programable remote entry; front & rear driving/fog lights; impeccable fit/finish; undeniably the stiffest body structure in this price range; great overall look, even into its fifth (sixth?) production year.

It also has characteristic Audi quirks: dismal stereo sytem performance (and no in-dash CD player for '98); unforgiving seat construction (think of those steel folding chairs at high school band practice); no lumbar support adjustment (displaced by the center armrest - silly item for a 5-speed); electrical components that must be Lucas-engineered; marginal climate control yeild; red instrument lighting (what's the most common form of color blindness?); jaw-dropping repair costs outside of warranty - the only self-defense is to buy another new one.

This is not a car for non-spirited drivers who lack the body strength to toss it around, and who shift at 1200 clicks. The A4 welcomes direct driver input and, to be fully appreciated, it has to be pushed and revved.

It's not perfect, but it leaves the competition flat-footed!

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1993 Audi 90CS 2.8. Not even in the same league!

Luscious interior styling, Quattro

Dealer, 2.8 liter engine, manual gearbox, build quality

This car will seduce you. Sit in it at the dealer and you're a gonner. The Quattro will take you through the twisties with a minimum of fuss. The quality of the interior bits is generally very good.

But... the 30 valve V-6 sounds loose at idle and has a torque curve as erratic as a 30-day NASDAQ average. Mate that with the clutch on a 5-speed manual that doesn't want to engage with any regularity and you end up fighting the car every time you shift. It's not a happy combination.

Build quality is also suspect. The Vinyl coating started peeling off the steering wheel air bag cover in the first month I owned it. The computer display in the dash would wash out on one side once the car warmed up. I had it replaced and the new unit repeated the same problem. The right rear window couldn't be rolled up all the way because it was so badly misaligned.

All of these problems were brought to the dealer, who couldn't find their *** with two hands and a funnel. They either couldn't recreate the variety of problems I had (common for a lot of cars, I know), couldn't fix the problems they did find or refused to do what they committed to do to make the car right. I wouldn't trust this dealer to take out the trash.

A Saab 9-3 SE now sits in my garage where the Audi once resided. It has a higher build quality, much happier engine/tranny combo, more power and a much better dealer.

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BMW 3 series, Saab 9-3, MBZ C-class, Volvo, Lincoln LS

I think handling is as good as BMW 3 series. Styling, pricing and image of Audi really hit the spot.

Slow pickup is obvious although high speed acceleration is good. Also, slow response to gas pedal and upshift to quickly.

S4 should be the next car.

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MB 300CE. Better pickup.

Elegant yet understated int/ext styling, not ostentatious like Merc/BMW (this may be a weakness for some). Quattro for both aggressive and weather driving. Muliti-valve V-6 sounds with good mid range power. Variable valve timing is relatively transparent. Solid body structure with good build quality. Short front and rear overhangs don't hang up in driveways. Funk-dilly-icious sound system (big-time subwoofer).

Multi-link front suspension sacrifices steering feel(especially compared to BMW), brake pedal effort way too light, especially when driving aggressively and balancing other inputs. Quattro keeps you from bringing the rear end around and powering about sideways in the classic tough-guy/girl manner that BMW allows. Only adequate bottom end power. Even Sport suspension doesn't have enough roll stiffness. Interior resonance at low speeds with sunroof open and windows up. If the steering wheel isn't centered just right when you shut down, the alarm may not arm.(The spin down noises from under the hood are really cool, though.)

$35,000 on lease. Great alternative to the other German sedans. Beautiful car that is less of a status symbol and just a great vehicle. Quattro will save you in both normal and aggressive driving manuevers. Great feeling of security in rain, even at 80mph highway speeds. Unique sensations when powering through turns as Quattro does its thing. Sure, the BMW can hang the tail out with power oversteer, but sooner or later you'll swap ends in your $30k+ vehicle and hate life. Better try this in something a little less expensive... or earlier in your driving career. Beside, the A4 gets around a race course just as fast as the 3 series.
The interior is a knock out - I never thought I'd appreciate wood trim and the other touches this much. Tres stylish. Always look forward to driving it and get out with a smile on my face - what more can you ask? Had to leave this one with my ex. I'm looking forward to getting the redesigned 2002 model for my self - it looks even better!

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Have owned '85 Porsche 944, '85 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE, '88 Toy MR2 set up for autocross, '88 5.0 Mustang w/ upgrades, '95 Acura Integra GS-R.

Everything. This car is so good for the money I can't belive it. 4 wheel drive. Great Bose stereo, good acceleration, good looking, handles well, attracts attention, ample power in the mountains(Colorado),easy glass sunroof operation, great seats, stylish wheels, I could go on and on. Oh, it has a huge trunk.One more thing, the Xenon head lights are great. I have been in other cars at night and I can only think to myself that their head lights are terrible. I would never say anything negative to somone about their car, but their headlights are just plain bad compared to mine.

The only drawback is the rear seat leg room. Even another inch or two would have been perfect.

I paid $29,500.00. The A4 1.8T Sport is a great car. I would recommend it to anyone who is in the market for a car in this price range. There is even the wagon (Avant) for anyone needing more cargo capacity.

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I used to drive and Audi 4000Q. It was a good car considering it was older and didn't have the airbags, but this new model is just about the best thing out there. I have a friend who drives a new BMW 323i, and it is a nice car, but it is not any faster than mine and it isn't 4 wheel drive.