Jas0n

"The Audi is much more expensive. It is like comparing the RS4 to the 997 TT -- from a performance and price standpoint there is no comparison."

but from a performance standpoint, you CAN compare the STi is every audi!! unless your merely buying a car for conspicious consumption, one ought to value the car that exhbits the same performance at a lesser price point. the reason an audi and an sti ought not be compared is because of interior ammenities (but when talking about track cars, for example, this is a unnecessary condition). perhaps this is merely an ideological issue, but looks have never been a more important factor than performance for me. i track my car, i enjoy driving and while i also enjoy the beauty of automobiles, the best view i have ever had of any car has been from the driver's seat!!!

sparkhill

Is it 0-60? 1/4 mile time? Time around the ring?

The objective measure you choose as your most important is subjective. So is someone's subjective opinion about styling less valid than your opinion of what is important?

How about daily, 365 days per year, drive-ability? How about safety? How about build quality? Are those unimportant too?

Why don't we all go out and buy tuned Hondas?

sparkhill

you are evaluating the cars based purely on track performance and others here are not. From a track car standpoint, the STi is a great value. I don't want to drive an ugly, high-performance, track car around town every day. I do see your point. We are just looking at the same issue from two different perspectives.

Jas0n

to the extent that it can be measured. while i might value a car like the s2000 for its track ability, a mustang gt is a better 1/4 mile car. does this mean these performance numbers are subjective: no. that is, within the paradigm positing the axiom that performance is the most important factor in car choice for the enthusiast, what you choose to value as far as performance feel is concerned is up to the consumer.

that is to say, while the original poster decried the 330i as "ugly," he sought to devalue the car's value in responce to a post made by someone extolling its performance. the original poster didnt say the 330i poses an aethetic threat to the b6/b7 s4, but he suggested it poses a performance threat instead. however, there are many people who believe the 330i is a good looking car, though they may be scare on an audi forum; the styling cues and trend of audi v. bmw are most diametrically opposed. if we were on a bmw forum, and someone suggest that the s4 poses a threat to the 330i (opposite situation), and someone wished to detract from the audi in one way or another, they would assert something like the following: (1)yea, but its an vw!! (implying sketchy reliability, and a general lack of prestige within the american market where audi is generally - whether audi owners accept this or not, it is true and easily illustrated in consumer surveys/publications - a second rate german automaker (behind bmw and merc).

Jas0n

my point is that the original poster talked about performance only!! aesthetics came in as a secondary influence so as to attempt to decry the car. why not merely affirm the car as a great performer, and indeed a great value, and suggest that the looks arent your taste (not that it was you who said this)???

Jas0n

ohh, i heard that they kept the boost low percisely because of the AL

sparkhill

Your argument is articulate, but all enthusiasts are necessarily looking for a track car.

Also, my point was that anything you choose as your most important factor is subjective. Yes, performance times are objective. But it is subjective which ones you choose as your most important. There are so many objective measure that we can all say my car is better than that car at (insert objective performance measure). Do 1/4 mile times really matter to most of us? If they do, we should all be buying different cars. I just don't care how my Audi performs against the BMW at the track.

Peace. See my post above - we wasted too much time on this...

sparkhill

We wasted way too much time on this worthless thread. :-)

Jas0n

i actually like, esp when compare to other bangle designs. in person, i think it will look great. that said, i also like the e90 3 series (love the e46 m3), but dont like the new m5/5 series and 7 series.

<img src="http://www.caranddriver.com/assets/image/2006/Q2/042120060756430105.jpg">&lt;/img&gt;

RSfizzy

Look what was done to the RS6, they left tuning ability in that car. You could throw a GT kit on that car and it would make more horsepower than stock. Granted the RS4 engine is different, I am just saying that you could tune this FSI engine if you wanted to void the warranty. I am not sure of the tuning ability of this engine since it is so new, but some people have tuned the engine (MTM is making a S/C right now). I was just making a point that there is always tuning that can be done if the price is right. If I was worried about a depreciating asset, I would most certainly not buy a car!

P.S. I am not a moron, I'm just a little slow!