NickK3

The A4 in its lowest trim level is far less expensive if you just need a manual trans, AWD and not much else. The BMW AWD has too much other stuff - expensive.

Also, the A4 can still accept a dipstick if you want to buy one eventually, not possible with the BMW. A small point, but really bothers me!

The BMW comes with runflats - no choice - and I really don't like or need runflats.

mart242

Oh we do mash the pedal as well.. maybe not to get going though.

av_audi

OK, how exactly did you come up with this??? Just go to zag.com, carsdirect.com, or anywhere else, and you will find that the base 328i has an MSRP of about $34K versus $33K for a Premium A4 with stick. Add the free BMW service, and the price difference is smaller, and maybe even in favor of the BMW.

Agreed.

Agreed as well.

The_professor

A4 vs 3 Series

I suppose there are 3 reasons.

1) A folding rear seat is an option? Give me a break! A fold down rear seat was standard on my 1994 Jetta. Just another method of extorting $$$

2) RWD vs AWD - A 328 at a comparable price point was rwd. I am sure that with 4 snow tires everything would fine, but I was not willing to do that.

3) Snob/Idiot factor - BMW builds a fine automobile, no question about that. Fairly or unfairly, BMW has been categorized as yuppiemobile. Audi on the other hand is a stealth machine. They know it's nice car, but it isn't screaming, "Look at me, I drive a expensive German sports sedan," like a 3-Series or C-Class does.

I did however condsider a used 5 series. But, I couldn't really find what I wanted, AWD and a manual tranny! :-)

av_audi

Unfortunately, as of 2011, it has become an option for the A4 too! You now have to get the P+ package to get the folding rear seat. The same has been true for the trip computer since the introduction of the B8 model. These are features that were both included in my very base 2002 Passat!

Yes, the 328i I used for comparison was RWD. I bet there are more Audis sold in non-snow regions of the U.S than in snow country. And btwy, snow tires are more important than AWD. Having both is ideal, but you have to remember that AWD helps you get going but it doesn't help you stopping or preventing sliding sideways, whereas snow tires do. In any case, the reason why the A4 gets compared so often to the RWD 328, at least in the South and West of the U.S., is that the 2WD version of the A4 is the FWD CVT, a decidedly non-sporty configuration. I think FWD is fine most of the time, but even in my Passat with the much weaker 1.8T engine, I sometimes feel the shortcomings of FWD when accelerating at low speed on tight turns (I typically know how much throttle I can get away with so it doesn't happen often).

I think that is starting to change, especially in places like Los Angeles, but I agree that there is still a substantial gap in the snob factor.