RickM

My '87 900 had 56 cu.ft. of storage with the back seat down, 6 feet long too. Truly a wagon in disguise. Great car. I looked at the 9-3 before I got the A4. I was disappointed by it.<p>Rick
99.5 A4 1.8TQMS silver/onyx
97 A6Q Wagon black/taupe

Audi2Ody

was that the 9-3 is better than the A4 for cargo.

We used to have a '92 900 before we got the 9-3.<p><a href="http://registry.audiworld.com/audi/registry/details.asp?car=161"</a><img SRC="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/a4registrydl.jpg" BORDER=0></a>

mbh

I don't know of many people looking for a RWD sports sedan in that price range who would go for an IS 300 over a BMW 3-series. What is the competitive advantage of the IS? Even if the IS has a few advantages, will it (they) really be enough to make up for the BMW cachet?

Audi can compete with BMW as the 4WD German alternative, but as for the Lexus....it's hard to get revved up.

Mitch
'99.5 A6Q

Rick C. 2.8 Qtip

I just got my '00 2.8 Q last month, and I miss my '97 Saab 900 SE turbo already. Don't get me wrong, the Audi is nice, really refined and smooth, but the Saab is much more nimble, agile and tossable. The body rolls more in the Saab and grip is maybe a little bit lower than the Audi, but it is easier to control with the throttle and the steering provides more info with regards to drifts. The suspension is tighter and it feels more connected to the road, with much more information being sent to the driver. Plus, it is really really fast-no comparison to the Audi at all, maybe closer if the audi is chipped, but you could chip the Saab too and wind up with 240hp + for about 1100$. and it easily averages over 25 miles per gallon even with often enthusiastic driving. Winter ability is more than OK, superior to any other FWD car out there IMHO, and the car is very communicative with the driver. The seats are much much better than those in the Audi, they have memory and are heated front and rear, the prem. sound is better, the trunk is more than twice the size of the Audi, and mine gave me an almost trouble free 3 years of enjoyment. Check out www.saabnet.com for more info if you're interested, as Saabs aren't for everyone. But nobody can say they are bad cars anymore, with the 9-5 being the 2nd best car in initial quality (behind lexus) by JD Powers. You owe it to yourself to try out the 9-3 Viggen, with standard everything, great sport seats, 17 inch wheels, grooved brakes, TWR racing suspension, 230hp (with chip it's close to 300) for the same price as a fully loaded A4 2.8Q. I wanted something different, as the 9-3 is similar to my 900, so I got the Audi. I also considered the 328Ci but that car was a real rip off, way to much money for a car that felt cheap on the inside and had that BMW pretentiousness. Plus, in Montreal, having rear wheel drive is a scary thought. This is where I expect my Audi to shine. But beyond quattro, I truly miss my Saab. I'll have another one someday, I promise!

The saab is more fun, the audi is more refined. I loved my Saab, I like my Audi. At least I still have a Saab left, my '96 9000 Aero.

E-mail me if you have any questions, feel free!

Rick

golfmd2

A4 2.8QTS silver/onyx

Audi2Ody

Look at what the LS400 did to the 7-series and S-Class back in the early 90's.

There are hardcore German enthusiasts that will consider nothing else, but there are plenty of people looking for equal or even better performance at a lower price along with the japanese reliability that will buy the Lexus.

BMW has cachet, but to most people, Lexus has cachet as well. The IS300 is priced about $3K less than a comparable 328.

I predict that it will be sucessful. We'll have to wait to see a few comparison tests from the car magazines too.<p><a href="http://registry.audiworld.com/audi/registry/details.asp?car=161"</a><img SRC="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/a4registrydl.jpg" BORDER=0></a>

Craigito

I love the back w/clear signals, but front looks like a Camry...NO THANKS!!