mole7374

Ok I need some help from all you Audi owners!! I am considering getting a new car, and as you can assume from the subject line it is either an A4 1.8T or y2k maximaSE. I have read mostly good things about the A4, but a few points are still holding up my decision. First a quick background on me. I'm 26, soon to be married, no kids and no mortgage payment yet. I'm a consultant so I'm on the road alot. I can afford either car, and my fiance' has a jeep grand cherokee.(relivent for later points) I currently drive a 97 nissan sentra. Ok now for your help. I haven't driven either car yet, but I know most everything else about both. I love everything I hear about the A4 from it's styling and performance. I have enjoyed for 3 1/2 years wonderful reliability from my sentra. 78K miles and still drives like brand new! I have no doubt that a maxima will be equally as reliable, and want (and hope) and investment in an A4 will be equally as reliable. This is my main sticking point. I plan on keeping this next one for a while. So, I not only want a car that will inspire me for years to come, but one that will also let me drive it that long. Any thoughts on this point?? I know the max has a V6 and a few more ponies than the A4, but remember I have a tiny sentra so either one will be an upgrade. Any thoughts on the performance of the A4?? My small car now suites my needs, but a larger max does intrigue me a bit. My wife-to-be though has plenty of room in her jeep if we need it so this point is less of an issue, but it is there. Any thoughts about the space inside of the A4?? These are the options I was considering with the A4: tiptronic trans, quattro, sport package. These do jack up the price, so are any of them a must get when considering the A4?(the tiptronic I must get because of wife, but comment anyway on it!) When all said and done this is how I figure pricing..for a nice Max SE it will probably run under 23K because nissan always has nice rebates and incentives. The A4 will probably go 26-28K. Why is this car worth the extra couple K's over the max SE?? Thanks for your time and comments!
I would love to join the ranks of you fellow Audi owners, but still need some convincing! Please feel free to email me as well!
Dave

TomAvant

I just couldn't live with the way the back of a max looks....it is really bad......other than that, for the $$ I think it is a very good car....

the A4 is a little more unique, and probably a little safer given the safety features that come with it......

also I would have to say that the resale of the A4 will hold up better than the maxima

I would go with the Audi over the Nissan simply because it is an Audi and not a Nissan....you know...it's an image thing<p>'01 1.8T Avant - India Red

Lincoln C.

If you get a 1.8t A4 power wont be an issue, you can get them upwards of 350 and 400 HP with 300 LB/torque. I wouldnt go with the tiptronic though if you plan to modify it too much though..

IronMike

If you need to ask why a German car is worth a few extra grand than a Jap car, go get the Maxima

Tripp

The Max is less expensive, but the resale will not be as good.

The A4 has quattro, is much more fun to drive and is upgradeable in power for very little money.

The Max has more interior room, but its *** looks like a Taurus.

If you plan on adding substantial (230hp+) power upgrades to the A4, don't get the Tip. It can't handle it.

The Audi is more unique, better styling.

The Max is perfect if you're a slightly dull person.

Odd Job

Go drive both & decide for yourself! Some like blnds & some like brntts, it comes down 2 what U like

KiddJoey

We own '99 A4 1.8T and '98 Maxima and after we bought the A4, I have since never driven the Maxima !!

...the Maxima's lease ends march '01 and thinking of getting another Audi...looking at A6 or S4. It's not that the Maxima is a bad car, the Audi is much more fun to drive...if you go with A4 1.8T, get the quattro, it is worth the extra $$ and also get a chip for some extra power.

Hope this helps some <p>KiddJoey
99.5 A4 1.8Tqms

JimV

The interior is 'clean' and the guages are cool. The white metallic guages are only on the SE model. Big 17" tires.

Lots of Torque steer and there isnt much low end power - this was an automatic and I kept having to floor it. It wouldnt let me redline in the Auto either and quickly dipped back to the 2000's. I couldnt keep the revs up so I didnt get to feel the full force of whats considered the best V6 out there next to the BMW 2.8.

The handling was nowhere near my A4 (Quattro) although the leather steering wheel was nice. So if you aren't so into responsive steering, low end power, the maxima is ok. Makes for a "better than Family car" sedan.

Lots of goodies inside. Especially liked the sunglass holder.
Good Bose Stereo but the buttons were strangely HUGE.

Lots of backseat room. The car felt smaller than it was so I suppose that is good.

The back end styling isnt my favorite - bordering butt ugly.

My A4 has better pickup for a 1.8T vs the V6 of the SE I thought. The styling is much better on the A4. The fit and finish is way better on the Audi.

I much prefer my car over it but if you want something slightly bigger and you dont care that the low end power doesnt exist then go for it.

Personally I wouldnt compare the Maxima to the A4. I would more likely compare it to a Taurus, Accord, Passat, Solera....

el jeffe@work

I know exactly what you are going through. My choice was the a4 1.8T and my reasoning follows, but first a little about myself...

I'm a 23 year old consultant who also travels alot. I'm single, no mortgage, just an apartment with very little furniture. I just sold my '98 Maxima to buy a '00 a4 1.8T. The reason for the change was I wanted to get away from the family car idea. I had no desire for 'ample rear passenger leg room.' I looked at the a4, maxima, civic, bmw, everything under the sun and I chose the a4 over the maxima for a few reasons.

Quattro - don't need it in Texas, but useful in Colorado. It even helps in the rain.

Power - the a4 lacks the low-end torque of the Maxima, but the engine is 'peppy'. (As described by the car dealer) There is enough power to drop to 4th or 3rd on the highway to pass someone. Of course, there is the option to chip, which I haven't decided whether to do or not because I want the car for a while. (Unsure of long term effects).

Handling - heads and tails above the maxima. To prove this, on each test drive take a high speed turn. The audi stays firmly in place whereas my maxima tended to drift.

Styling - inside and out the a4 isn't even in the same category as the maxima... it's almost unfair to compare the two in the looks department.

Unless you are planning on tuning your car, the sport package is a must. I'm also a big fan of the xenon lights. Driving at night is much better. This was the toughest option for me to decide on. Then I asked myself, 'how many people with xenon talk about upgrading their lights?'

I decided on a '00 a4 1.8TQ manual, sport, convenience, bose, xenon and I haven't questioned my decision for a minute.

Vladimir

Quattro for $1750, depending on where you live, you might not need it.
Look at FAQ on it.

Defenitely go for A4 1.8T, chip it if desired.