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A4 vs. 3 Series
I'm not in the market for one of these cars right now, but I'm looking into
all these various debates and putting my 2 cents worth.
If I have to buy a car now, I will be inclined to get a '95 M3 given my
budget. OTOH, I won't really be serious until next fall. By then, Audi would
be rumored to be introducing the A4 with the 193hp 30-valve V6 (the new V6 is
described as being competent but not overly refined though). There will also
hopefully be a Sports package that I hope will get rid of the A4's fundamental
shortcomings - soft ride, crappy tires, and very light steering. The rumored
S4 with a 240hp engine will probably be beyond my budget even if it's
available. The '95 M3 already has the performance of the S4 (which as yet is
'vaporware'). But it does not have the luggage/passenger space nor the AWD of
the A4. Besides, I'll be getting a 2-year old car.
Personally, I wholeheartedly agree that the E36 3-series is a benchmark for
sports sedan. But my major reservations come from the fact that it has been
more widely regarded as a yuppie-mobile than an enthusiasts' car. There are
just too many of them where I live. Our company garage probably has more of
them than, say the Ford Taurus. So owning an E36 implies anonymity. The A4,
OTOH, actually better satisfies my desire to be a little (but not too much)
different. While it'll take a while for Audi to recover from the sudden
acceleration debacle and the fact that they have sold fairly crappy cars over
the last few years, the A4 and the new breed of Audis would go a long way into
improving the image and resale value of Audis in the long run. Neither Audis
and BMWs are known to be the most trouble-free vehicles around. But the latest
Audis are at least as reliable as the latest Bimmers from as far as what I
have read about.
So in conclusion, if you are just comparing vehicle performance and dynamics
as it stands right now, it's a no brainer. The Bimmer wins hands down. But the
A4 is the ONLY vehicle so far that comes close. With the more powerful and
sporty versions of the A4 coming up, it's going to be a really tough fight.
Having driven the Saab 900SE Turbo and Volvo 850 Turbo (I like the Saab
better), I don't think those come close to Audi and BMW in terms of balance
and refinement. In this class, I think it's strictly a Audi-BMW fight with the
possibility of Mercedes C-class as a third contender.