Satchmo

I'm in the market for one of these two cars.

I know this site will be pro Audi, but what are the key reasons and determining factors of choosing an A4 over a 323 Bimmer.

I've test driven both. I like the power and handling of the 323 but like the price, styling and understated look of the A4

Any objective comments are greatly appreciated.

jay

It's simple... I fyou live in an area that has alot of Snow, Rain, or dangerosly twisting road go with the Audi. I fyou live someplace like CA or FL go with the raw speed everytime. I live in Canada and that logic got me through the same debate

Brian

That's answer's a little too simple. Raw speed can be handled with the addition of a chip (if not familiar with, do a search in the archives under "Chips and Salsa".) Handling can be improved (on both cars) with the addition of spring/shock/sway bar/tire and rim upgrades. This topic could (and has) been debated to death. I would read the recent addition of (I think) Car and Driver (or Road and Track) where they compared these two cars plus the Jetta, Infiniti G20 and one other car that I can't recall the name of. The A4 1.8 T won this comparision but it will give you some pretty unbiased comparisions of these two automobiles.
- Brian A4 97 1.8TQMS

Jay

The article was called "Little Big Fun" I think it's available @ Car and Driver's website and definatly worth a look

GmbH

It depends on what matters most or what is of value for you. I could have gone either way too 3 years ago(A4 & 325i). I decided on the A4 when it wasn't popular then(1995) while the 325i stood supreme in that car category. The A4 on my opinion had the unique identity I was looking for. Aside from that value, design and Quattro made my decision final. I had by the way test drove the newer 323i, 328i and the M3. They're great performance cars however I learned 'power' isn't everything in a car. But if we talk about the S4, well I share no compassion for BMW.

GregL

My wife and I have been through the same thing. We actually ordered the 323i, but came to our senses and decided that $30k was too much money to spend. We waited a while and now we are about to buy a 1.8TQMS. You save 5,000 (if you loaded up the 323 like we did) and get quattro to boot. Besides, IMHO the A4 is more fun to drive and I still don't like the look of the new 3. I would be more inclined to buy a 2 year old 328 that has been taken care of than the newest baby bimmer.

P.S. I drive a '88 535i so I'm definently not a bimmer basher.

Marcus Frost

Well first let's state that you've got a dilemma on your hands, two great german automakes who offer fine cars.

Here are my personal reasons for liking the A4 over the 323.

1.) Quattro. Nothing like it. It not only helps in bad weather, but it was also banned from BTCC for an unfair advantage... that advantage wasn't how well it handled in the rain, it was just because of how well it handled.

2.) With the money you save on the A4, you could do quite a bit of tinkering on it. The $4-5k is enough money to give your audi quite a unique look. You could change the wheels, suspension, add a chip for en extra 50hp, among other options.

3.) The styling behind the A4 is very unique. The 323 still looks a lot like the E36 (which is not bad) but is does still look farily common. I live here in the Chicago suburbs, goto the city often and I see the E36/E46 all the time. At night it's sometimes hard to tell the difference from a distance. The A4 is very uniquely blended with curves and styling cues.

4.) Personally, I see very few modified Audis on a regular basis. I see more M3s than I see A4s with even different wheels(!). I wanted my A4 to be something that people know was mine. BMWs just don't do that for me. I see M3s all the time. If I had bought a used M3 (like I was originally planning) it really wouldn't have been totally unique. My A4 - with the combination of upgrade I am planning will truely be unique. That along with the performance capabilities of the 1.8T engine and quattro were the top reasons for going with audi.

Hope this helps - and good luck in your decision.

Marcus Frost
99.5 1.8TQM (It's out there - somewhere)

BDW

1) Remember a stage 1 chipped 1.8T is faster than a 323i, and more fun to drive (my opinion, of course). Chipped 1.8Ts clock 0-60 times in the high 6 second range. If you don't want to chip, then I would have leaned more toward the BMW. Nice silky straight six, but it just isn't a burner and has very little upgrade potential.

2) An A4 with Quattro is a great handler, but it just doesn't FEEL quite like a Bimmer on a twisty road. BMW steering feedback is better, and optimum weight distribution makes them hard to beat on a bright sunny day. Also, while my chipped 1.8T is a blast to drive hard (boost is fun), the turbo four cylinder just doesn't sound as pretty as the BMW.

3) Now that the first model year bugs have likely been worked out, the 323i is probably a decent reliability bet. My '99 tester, which I had for a whole weekend, had a host of quality problems present themselves in that short time. I was not impressed. But like I said, I bet that is mostly solved with the 2000s. The A4 isn't exactly Honda-like in its reliability, though, either.

4) If you live where winter weather is an issue, don't kid yourself into thinking rear-wheel drive with traction control will give you anything close to the safety and control of Quattro. BMW's cornering brake control thing and traction control are just band-aids for an inherently bad slippery conditions set-up. On dry roads, obviously, BMWs have inherently the best set-up for spritied driving.

5) In most areas, an A4 will be more "exclusive" in that there aren't as many around, if that's important to you. It is to some people (not me).

They are both great cars. Hard to pick a wrong one.

BDW '99 1.8Tqms (Wett, K&N)

phred

Both excellent cars, but designed for different drivers; you drive, you decide

JMorrison

My budget was $30K, so it was either a loaded 1.8Tqms or a barebones 323. Quattro tips the balance!