BMW 3 Series vs Audi A4

[Maschine Pistole-38]

Seems to me, empee, that you are just going to get a load of very subjective rants based on people's experiences of drivers of either model (rather than driving either), and not hard data on the performance of either.

There are a ton of comparison sites out there - you can get data on power, top speed, acceleration, torque etc. While these figures can't really give you a taste of the driving experience they at least let you know what to expect when you take each car out for a test drive, as I assume you are going to do.

Anyway, regarding the purpose of this thread.... congrats on earning enough in the sandbox to be in a position to ask the question.

Like you said, I won't 100% know which car I want until I test drive them. But I still think its useful to get as many opinions as possible. Not too many Marines drive BMWs or Audis, so all I hear is 'Get a Ford/GM' And believe me, where I live currently, douchebags drive Mustangs/Oversized trucks.

 

[SgtH3nry3]

An Audi is a glorified Volkswagen. Remember that. Both cars are slow.

"The superior German driving experience" ?????
I don't know about superior. The new Cadillacs are just as good.
The funnest driving experience you will ever have is in a 4 speed muscle car...

Yeah guys around where I live there are Audis everywhere and they are worse than the BMW drivers. I love playing with them... speeding up slowing down so they can't pass and then at a light destroying them.

Grobut... BRILLIANT!

I wouldn't say that. Everybody seems to be praising the new CTS. But I think it's a rather noisy, gas guzzling (yep, still fits the stereotype) car which remarkably has horribly hard suspension.
Everything from the center console to parts on the steering wheel feel like very cheap plastic.
The seats are nice though.
But "the superior German driving experience" is marketing BS, nowadays typically used by the Japenese and Americans.
I still think they (the Teutonics) make the best overall modern cars, also from a car mechanics perspective.

Audi's are actually just Volkswagens, but Volkswagens aren't bad. I'd rather drive around in a boring Jetta than having to drive around in a plastic, rockhard CTS.
BMW's are fun, but purely for driving and usability (trunk size, drivability, overhang so you don't get stuck as easily) I recommend Audi, Mercedes-Benz or Volvo. Hell even Skoda's these days are awesome!
Though it's a tough decision, a six cilinder BMW or a turbocharged four-banger...

Also, the best driving experience would be to race 125cc shifter karts on the streets when it's wet. Even powersliding a Ferrari isn't half as fun.
Mind you, if you get caught it's not so much fun anymore.

 

[D.a.L-UnteroffizierG]

buy this audi

buy this audi

try to get this audi. it pwns....

 

[Maschine Pistole-38]

Well you're from Camp Lejeune so I'm assuming you're a Marine stationed at MCB Camp Lejeune. My advise to you is to stay the hell away from any dealer in Jacksonville or the surrounding area. Go down to Wilmington or somewhere else. Never buy a car from a dealership in a base town, they salivate when they see any service personnel come walking on the lot. When I was stationed in 29 Palms I had a few friends who bought cars out in town and they got ripped off and got lemons for cars. Ask anyone with a rocker on their collar and they'll agree with me. (If I'm wrong about your location, disregard anything I just said.)

Now, having said that, if you cannot find any AWD Audi's or BMW's go for the BMW. My good friend has a rear-wheel BMW 330 and it works amazing in the Minnesota winter. Better than many AWD sedans. I've heard nothing but good things about rear-wheel BMW's. I'm not super BMW savvy so I don't know why it's so good so you'll have to do a little research on that.

Believe me, i've been warned plenty of times not to buy a vehicle in Jacksonville. But im originally from California and will be purchasing my vehicle in Riverside. But it also seems no Audi dealers are selling A4's with Quattro, which is very dissapointing.

 

[husbert]

http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/

you can build your own car
very funny

33,000 c-Class
its cheaper than in churmany -.-

 

[rambryj]

Believe me, i've been warned plenty of times not to buy a vehicle in Jacksonville. But im originally from California and will be purchasing my vehicle in Riverside. But it also seems no Audi dealers are selling A4's with Quattro, which is very dissapointing.

See if there's any way you could get a Cert Pre-Owned Audi from a Midwest location shipped to the Riverside location. It's almost impossible to not find a Quatro here. Granted we have winters so have it checked for rust but I doubt there would be any on a cert pre-owned, most still have the original manufacture warenty so it probably hasn't seen enough winters.

And you are very right about the Mustangs... I only spent 3 months in Lejeune but I definitely saw enough Mustangs to make me sick of them for life. Every other car was a Mustang.

 

[dogbadger]

bimmer is the ultimate driving machine