Blatant

Hi:
In the market for a new sedan and have narrowed my choices down to new Y2K Audi A4 1.8T, new Y2K Jetta GLX or used 1997 BMW 328i. This will be a commuter/fun car, I'm not a racer. I want a solid, trouble-free ride that looks good and is fun to drive. I've test-driven all three, like each for different reasons. The BMW is the most expensive despite being used, although it's factory certified with an extended warranty. The VW is solid and nice looking and has, to me, the best value for the money. The Audi is solid, handles the best and has a great cockpit, but I don't like the exterior as much and I don't dig the fake leather. Any thoughts would be appreciated. You can mail me directly at amstaff@extremezone.com

Bobby Kinstle

I looked at several other cars before settling on my A4. I chose it because it gave me the most comfortable ride in it's price class. It wasn't as fast as the beemer, but it was sooooooo smooth and soooooo quiet.

You could splurge and get the real leather. They also have cloth interior options as well.

Rich L.

Have you looked at the new Jetta GLS. They are now putting the 1.8T in it! When I got my A4 last year, I concidered the Jetta GLX with the VR6. I was replacing my Passat GLX with a VR6 that I loved. If the 1.8T was available in the Jetta then my choice would have been harder.

Rich L. 99 1.8TAQMS

Carl

I went through the exact same decision process, and ended up with the A4T-Quattro with cloth interior (I'm not a fan of leather seats in the Texas weather extremes). My thoughts of the A4 over the other cars involved a number of different aspects, but simply felt the BMW wasn't worth the extra cash, and the Audi interior was nicer than the VW. The Audi had everything I was looking for and felt great on the road. My advice.... go for the A4.

golfA4

This is the Audi site, so most people here will recommend the A4. I will say that the cloth sport seats are very high quality and I don't miss the leather. The back support is exceptional but they are firm seats with bolsters. The A4 also has a far superior manual shifter.

parkerpt

Don't forget the basic warranty is higher on the Audi vs the VW unless that has changed in the last year (Audi 3/50, VW 2/24.) Just a thought.

parkerpt
99.5 1.8T qms

nmuva98

Why a 97 328? Why not a 00 323i or Ci? You can't really compare a 1.8T to a 328 (especially when you consider the 323 is as quick as the A4 2.8).

PE

Is resale value and maintenance cost a issue? If it is I would really look at the BMW .

HRP

Just went through the exact same choices as you. Always liked Bimmers, not so familiar with Audis and VWs. Researched and drove them all. It all depends on your personal preferences. For me I ended up choosing the 2000 1.8TQM because of what I thought was a good package of options and features, the drive and handling (Quattro is something I really appreciate), and the design. I find the Audi a real car, not a showpiece. Enjoy driving it on a daily basis plus comforted by the 3 year Audi Advantage warranty. The BMW was nice because of the sporty feel and engine refinement, while the Jetta was loaded but in a different league (maybe you want to look at the Passat).

So take a drive in all, choose what you like and prefer the most, and don't turn back after making a decision! Enjoy.

why

BMW -great car- high insur, low resale, costly parts. That's why I went with Audi - low insur, good resale, reasonable parts.