bostonmausa

Ok - A4 owners. Here is my big gripe! And this really ticks me off. I walked in to an office the other day and found the well known small black square with a silver button. Aha- the switch blade key. So - of course - I picked it up and hit the button and asked the person "How do you like your Audi". Guess what his response was. Oh... I dont drive an Audi - I drive a Passat. How disappointing!! I thought Audi was the only one with the cool key. Why would they offer this to VW's? Very disappointed.

So - I got over that episode and then read a thread on this forum that compared a Contour SVT to the Audi A4. IS THIS A JOKE? Am I nuts OR is the Contour a Ford product a little better than the Escort. Do I have the wrong car here? If not - ppl. were actually conversing on how they thought the A4 was somewhat better. Audi vs. Escort. Wow.!

G0D

here is a car and driver article you might want to check out about Audi vs. 'Escort'.

hector<ul><li><a href="http://www.caranddriver.com/FrameSet/0,1350,_sl_NewArticle_sl_0_cm_1633_cm_1239_1_16_cm _00,00.html">http://www.caranddriver.com/FrameSet/0,1350,_sl_NewArticle_sl_0_cm_1633_cm_1239_1_16_cm _00,00.html</a</li></ul>

larryV

...relax, don't sweat it. VW owns Audi... VAG stands for Volkswagen Audi Geselschaft. Two outstanding sister companies that make great cars and despite sharing platforms and parts, still maintain brand uniqueness and personality. You should be happy for this partnership because were it not for VW owning Audi and part/platform sharing, Audis wouldn't be as affordable as they are today. Be thankful that we get so much car for so "little" money (relatively speaking) Otherwise, Audi could nickel and dime their options list like BMW does and make overpriced cars.<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/larryvsig2.jpg">

Donkihad

<p><A href="http://registry.audiworld.com/audi/registry/details.asp?car=4586">
<img SRC="http://members.bellatlantic.net/~theos2/signature.jpg"BORDER=0></a>

EdP

July 2000 issue has an article called "the Automotive Universe" that describes the rather complex ownership arrangements. It's got a great picture showing the relationships, and the key one I zoomed in on is that Volkswagon is PART owner of Audi, and 100% owner of Bentley, Bugatti, Seat, and VW. It's got Audi as 100% owner of Lamborgini and Cosworth Technology. Anyone else see this article?

larryV

<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/larryvsig2.jpg">

EdP

Just as long as we don't get their crummy instrument clusters.

Guth

If you're out to impress others you can certainly find a more exclusive ride.

If you're simply out to differentiate yourself from others you could buy a beat up monkey-****-brown Buick Special (thank you Tom Waits).

If having a beautifully styled, wonderfully engineered car that is fun to drive doesn't fit the bill for you, I'd suggest finding something else that will accomplish your goals - whatever they may be.

Sorry for your misery,
...Guth<p>

kokujin

A stock A4 1.8T quattro is no faster than a civic. Of course, it looks much better and can be modified to a very nice car but honestly, you're not getting that much for the money.

larryV

I said relatively speaking and who said I was talking about how fast an audi is compared to a civic??? Compared to carmakers in its class like BMW and Mercedes. With Audi, you really are getting a lot of quality in german engineering for the money. I'm not comparing it to a civic for god sakes -- a civic is a great car for what it is: a fuel efficient, practical, reliable econobox. Audis are for enthusiasts who seek more class in a car. Take it in that context. Personally, for what I'm getting out of owning and driving an Audi, it's quite a bargain!<p><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/AudiWorldPics/2000/larryvsig2.jpg">