| In the ever so popular entry-level luxury car | | | | excellent. Nothing compares to the rear-drive, |
| segment, the BMW 3-series is a huge seller, and | | | | 50-50 weight balance, great steering feel, engine |
| the benchmark. Audi's A4 has been no sitting | | | | sound and fun-to-drive nature of the 3-series for |
| duck either though, selling a crazy number of units | | | | anywhere near its price. If that is the most |
| as well. So which one is really better? | | | | important thing to you, your decision is clear. |
| Well, I wasn't big on Audis previously. I saw them | | | | Not everyone looks at driving dynamics alone |
| as glorified Volkswagens, partly, because most of | | | | though. Let's talk about styling. BMWs look good, |
| them are. No companies can be accused of | | | | but I consider Audis and their Bauhaus style to be |
| platform sharing as much as VW and Audi. They | | | | at the very top of mainstream cars. It's also |
| use the same platform for the Jetta, Golf, GTI, | | | | understood that Audi designs some of the best |
| Passat, Beetle, A4 and A6. They stretch it and | | | | interiors in the business. Fit, finish, colour choice, |
| shrink it as necessary, but it's essentially the same | | | | everything is superb and looks top-notch, better |
| chassis. So you can understand why I would look | | | | than just about every competitor. If the styling |
| at an A6 and say... I wonder if that guy knows | | | | and interior are most important to you, your |
| he's driving an XL Jetta. | | | | decision is clear as well. |
| My opinion on Audis changed quite a bit after | | | | Since both cars are similarly sized, it comes down |
| owning a VW GTI VR6. Even at more than | | | | to value. The A4 is cheaper than the 3-series, |
| 110,000 miles on the odometer, the GTI tracks | | | | especially in front-drive four-cylinder form, but if |
| straight and true, solid as ever. There's a certain | | | | you're looking at the front-drive 4-cylinder A4, |
| solidity that all German cars have that is very | | | | you should probably have a look at the Jetta too, |
| addictive. It's not that they're actually better built - | | | | which offers the same chassis, engine and |
| the reliability is actually shameful, and nothing | | | | transmission for a lot less. On the other hand, you |
| compared to the appliance-like Japanese cars. | | | | can look at it as a cheap way of getting into an |
| However, the perception of the solidity is still | | | | Audi (but you'll miss a lot of the experience). Thing |
| appealing. And so Audis are appealing to drive, as | | | | is, when you look at a Quattro V6 A4, the prices |
| I found. But so are higher-end Volkswagens, and | | | | are right in line with a 3-series, and the value |
| they feel strangely similar. We'll have to look at a | | | | proposition doesn't quite look the same when an |
| lot more to find out whether the Audi A4 is | | | | A4 can go up twenty grand in price. |
| worth it. | | | | I'd say that on the lower end of the scale, the A4 |
| In terms of driving dynamics, while the A4 is | | | | is the better choice, and if you're going to spend |
| very, very good, the 3-series is downright | | | | more, go for the 3-series. |