bostonasphalt2

what are they THINKING?! stupid move IMHO. BMW has been much smarter in that respect. I jsut wish they offered a stick on my dads X5 4.4i

MB The Body

things like that will earn it undue / unjust bad press.... obviously we all know a 330 beats a 2.0 stock for stock...

but its audi's fault there wasn't a 3.2 stick to give the 330 a run for its money

jsamans

Although I wanted automatic transmission so it wasn't an issue for me, but I agree that the choice should be there.

Also the new 6-speed tiptronic has really pleasantly suprised me now that I have broken it in a little bit. It's really nice for an auto, especially in "s" mode. I hope down the road I can get a hold of an s-line wheel with shift paddles.

bostonasphalt2

he is holding out for it. If that happens, we will do some fun comparisons to see

ZaGerman

to anyone who hasn't seen this...
the stop chris bangle petition.
honestly. what do they do with this guy? put him in a room with padded walls and a liter of absinthe? and then let him "design" cars?

ZaGerman

my dad used to always have audis in germany when we lived there. he said nobody drove bmw's because they are rwd (doesn't help much with the snow) and benzes are way too old man-ish.

stedes

Hi guys. Anyone else think it's a bit unfair to compare a 2 litre Turbo four with a 3 litre straight six developing 60bhp more???

I have been reading reviews for 20 years and it doesn't get worse than this...
The BMW is a good car and that engine must be lovely but personally I could not live with that interior design and quality. I'd like to see the reviewers spend their own money and then we'll see what they'll put it on...! (Awaiting delivery of 2.0Tdi B7)

Delphingrau3003_Rich

most of the points were correct. Audi really needs to get on the stick in some aspects mentioned in the video clip and the article. For example, the seats in the A4 definitely need improving. If Audi is aiming at "spirited" drivers, how can this be done when you're sliding all over the place in the front seats?

And, why in God's name did Audi delay the 6MT in the 3.2? I know there aren't many B6 3.0 manuals running around (compared to the 1.8T), but that doesn't mean NO ONE wants one. I am very pleased with my 3.0 and 6MT. Great combination!

In closing, I think the BMW will outhandle the Audi because of the lighter weight and RWD. But, as a package, the Audi will always win out for me.

Both great cars, though, IMO.

Rich

THE MEROVINGIAN

If they asked audi for their sportiest A3 it would beat the BMW in straight line acceleration. The 330 had a 0-60 of 6.6 seconds and did the quarter mile in 15 flat. Road and Track just tested an A3 non sport pgk and it hit 60mph in 6.4sec and took the quarter mile in 14.9. It's laughable that they would compare the two cars as if ther were natural rivals and it also shows what a value the A4 2.0 is, roughly 90% of the excitement in the 330 for about 7 grand less.

Bada Bing

Edmunds.com's acceleration numbers are typically a good half second slower than C&D, R&T or MT. If they had tested a 6-speed A3, it would have likely been clocked at 7.5 or so. After all, the A3 6MT is only a couple of tenths quicker than the heavier A4 2.0T.

They were choosing the best sport sedan, not necessarily the best value. There are a lot of cars that give you 90% of the excitement at 75 or 80% of the cost, but there's apparently only one ultimate driving machine.

I think Audi made a mistake in not extending the wheelbase of the B7 by an inch to make for more rear seat legroom. They added about 1-1/2 inches to the length of the car, most of it to the front overhang. While they were making such extensive changes to the B6, they should ahve addressed the tight cabin space issue.