Bharat Raghunathan

I test drove all 3 cars today, and for those who are interested, here are my thoughts. All three were manual transmission.<p>323i - nice interior, smooth engine, and very quiet overall. Handled well, and somehow felt "special". Negatives were that the clutch felt too springy and heavy - though that is more a case of not being familiar with the car and the floor hinged throttle.<p>A4 1.8T quattro - good interior, rough engine - noisy, and wheezy (turbine sound). Lots of vibration through pedals and gear lever, but handling very secure.<p>A4 2.8 quattro - interior as per 1.8T, engine sound almost equal to 323i, but performance/torque stronger, almost too much for me (a matter of opinion). Nice clutch feel, little vibration through pedals, but "torque reaction" can be felt on gear lever. Secure handling, begging to push hard.<p>Anyone with similar thoughts/experiences. The dealers I tried today were fine, and on the basis of this, it's likely a 323i.<p>

Ali B

I refer you to my post on the E46 3-Series forum about the interior of the 323i. Don't expect to get any recommendations for the 323i from this forum. Despite what some people on this forum might say, the 323i is in a higher league than the 1.8T A4 in terms of engine refinement and quietness (something that is obviously important to you since you mentioned it). You can also add leather and wood to make the interior more luxurious than the 1.8T. <p>The A4 2.8 is a different story. I test drove an E46 328i stick and an A4 2.8QMS back to back. While I think the 328i was slightly superior overall (mostly due to stronger engine), the A4 2.8Q was very close, and its handling was just superb. I can't imagine the 323i being equal or better than the 2.8. Again, I am just going by my own narrow margin of victory for the 328i. <p>Get the A4 2.8Q!<br>

John H.

You can't get cloth seats on the BMW. I don't know about you, but I dislike the feeling/ lack of grip of leather and leatherette. Just a small thing to consider I guess...

T2

Just a note regarding the 1.8T vibration you mentioned. When I first picked up my car (less than 10 miles), I noticed a lot vibration (steering wheel, shifter, gas pedal). Fortunately after a few hundred miles, that cleared up significantly and now it's quite acceptable. Also, there's noticeably more vibration when the car is cold and when the AC is on. Unfortunately it'll never match the smoothness of a 6 however. Good luck with you decision.<p>Tom<br>1.8TQMS Silver/Ecru

Eric H.

but if it snows where you live, consider that my 1.8TQMS's quattro-assisted dunlop Zs (not winter tires by any stretch) got me safely across every surface in a recent storm, while a family member's M3 was fishtailing all over creation, and couldn't negotiate the final incline on his route--his driveway.

the unabimmer

which means you will take a BIGGER HIT...shortly.<br>either wait and see how new version is or go with 323<br>at this time.

Tony

Maybe springy clutch is on purpose... it is after all a BMW sports car