Bada Bing

OK, I grant you that all-season tires are not as good for performance testing as summer performance tires, but ADS should be as good or better than the sport suspension in all other aspects (transmission mapping, steering, etc.)

Are you saying that for a fair comparison, the A4 has to be equipped with both the $2950 ADS AND $1450 19" sport package? It is Audi of America's job to field the most competitive vehicle for magazine tests, so you can't blame the magazine. Personally, I think AoA should have provided a B8 A4 2.0T quattro 6MT Prestige S-line to the press when it launched the car, so that it would provide the best performance results.

Bargamon

THe BMW is a torque monster! Car and Driver did a nice review of the car and gave it good remarks.

I thought it was like $53k

Maybe you can load up a A4 with options but no amenities are gonna "beat" that kind of torque that thing puts out!

I also think 0-60 is over rated as are "sport" suspensions in SOME cars.

I think the new A4 is almost too heavy to be a true sport machine.

If you love the A4, thats all that counts!

One should visit the Mercedes, BMW and Audi dealer to make the choice that makes sense to them.

Scotty (UK)

I test drove the C Class estate (old fashioned poor gearbox, didn't like suspension), 3 series touring (touring??? the cargo space was smaller than my S4 saloon!! - nice car though and the A4.

I made my choice and frankly I'm not bothered what some journo says. ost journo's feel they have to pick the RWD, quick car otherwise they lose their cred. I simply don't trust them to post even handed reviews.

Do you own test drive and buy what you prefer.

kugasman

Amen! Bring it here please!

Elberoth

You cannot directly compare tq figures for petrol and diesel engines (different redline = different transmissions).

This is why hp ratings are beeing used (hp = tq and RPM).

laserboy

"As you can imagine, this difference had a significant effect on the Audi's handling manners, as this A4 posted slalom, skidpad and braking numbers below both the BMW and the sport suspension-equipped A4 3.2 Quattro we tested in the October 2008 issue."

It's cool to be a fanboy, but why not hang around BMW websites, at least until you stop selectively reading - or comprehending - reviews.

A6contem

If you're going to be brutally honest about selective reading (or comprehension), how can you leave out their conclusion, which clearly says a sport-equipped A4 would have still lost the same comparo?

"Put a sport package on this Audi and the points would be closer, as the A4 would've exhibited the handling characteristics (read: far less understeer) we so enjoyed on the model from our October test. Keep in mind we said "closer." Because handling aside, BMW's diesel engine out-drove the Audi's gasoline V-6 — much the same as BMW's twin-turbo 335i out-drives Audi's V-6 for a similar price. As sweet as Audi's 3.2-liter V-6 is, maybe it's time to bring some more power on board"

Or are you just being an Audi fanboy?




*Obvious disclaimer: the above does not imply anyone buying an A4 is merely being a fanboy - we're just debating the validity of this article and its observations, right?

dstathop

Ah yes the age old Audi versus BMW back and forth bickering. All you need to do is replace BMW and Audi with PC and Mac and you get the same level of discord.

I don't know if folks suffer from an odd sort of buyers remorse, but having to come onto a message board to justify purchasing your A4 based on this Road and Track article is silly. Just sit back and enjoy your car and don't sweat the other stuff. Yes, BMW "won" in this article, but who realy cares other than those that are not convinced, in their own minds, they made the right purchasing decision and those that hate Audi's and want to take every opportunity to say see this other car is better.

You know what I do, I sweat these details before I buy something and after the fact I just don't care. How am I enriched anymore in my buying decision if Audi came out on top? My car won't drive any different. I guess I could go to a BMW board and laugh, but then again my Audi won't drive any different in that case either. I have no vested interest in AoA, so I feel no complusion to defend their honor.

There are cheaper cars than my Audi and there are more expensive cars than my Audi. There are faster cars than my Audi and there are slower cars than my Audi. There are cars with larger engines than my Audi and there are cars with smaller engines than my Audi. There are cars with worse coefficients of drag than my Audi and there are cars with better coefficienst of drag than my Audi. There are cars that get worse gas mileage than my Audi and there are cars that get better gas mileage than my Audi. There are cars that are worse in every category you can imagine than my Audi and there are cars that are better then any category you can imagine than my Audi. But guess what, I still love driving my Audi and I have not for one nanosecond regreted buying my Audi.

Austin A6 3.2

Mobilehavoc,

You are a very wise man. In Autobahn-blessed German, most 3-series, C-class' and A4's are 4 cylinder Turbo Diesels. They do plenty well there, no-one needs the power of a 3.2 V6 or the 335d - and no-one there claims the 4-cylinders are underpowered.

In 70 mph America, the 0-60 times help inflate egos, nothing more. The whole HP thing is ridiculous beyond a certain point. 200 HP is more than enough for most cars.

Mobilehavoc

I'm glad at least ONE other person on here gets it