Hi all.

I am in the process of looking for a new car as the lease on my current car (06 Acura CSX) will be up soon. So far I've checked out the BMW 328i Xdrive, Audi A4 2.0T quattro, Infiniti G37X, Acura TL SH-AWD, and I plan to test drive the Mercedes C300 4MATIC this coming weekend. As you can tell from my list I'm looking for an AWD entry luxury sedan.

Just wondering how the 2009 A4 is in terms of reliability, features, etc. I understand the quattro system is quite good in the snow, so I was also wondering for those of you that have driven the car in the snow, how has it been so far. I'm hoping I will be okay with the stock tires, as I've driven on all-seasons without any problems for many years on my previous cars which were all FWD.

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

You're only going to get biased opinions here after all, it is an Audi forum!
I'm sure you'll get similar responses from bimmer forums or others.
I would say that the AWD that may challenge the quattro system is most likely the Acura AWD. It is pretty good in certain conditions but not in all situations.
If price is not an issue, you’ll quickly discard the Japanese cars, especially after you drive either the Audi or the BMW. The feeling, fit and finish, design, engineering, etc is well above the others.
IMO, maybe because I sell them, Audi is probably in its best time right now, and it’ll get better.
Maybe others can add to this.

Good luck!

 

I fully expect I will get some biased opinions on here, but that is okay. I guess that sort of thing can help sway my decision.

You are right about the Japanese brands, as I've basically narrowed my list down to the three German cars at this point, A4, 328iX, and C300. The Infiniti is a good value, but a little lacking in the luxury/styling area, and even though I've been a loyal Honda/Acura owner for quite a few years, the odd/over the top styling of the new TL and most new Acuras these days just doesn't work for me.

 

I went through a similar buying process recently. About 2-3 weeks ago. Wanted something German, so ended up finalizing on 328xi and A4 2.0 quattro. The G37x was a close third ... having driven a lot of japanese cars, I wanted to try something different.

In the end, of the four or five things I wanted in a good sports sedan, the Audi blew the 328xi out of the water. The only area where I thought the 328xi was better was in its handling ... but even here, I think the margin is pretty slight with the 328xi. However, the RWD 328i felt a lot better --- but the RWD wasn't an option.

If you go the Audi route, give the sports package and drive select a try ... that will make it perform just as well, if not better than the bimmer.

My 2 cents ... and i pick up my shiny new Audi this Saturday!

 

Little bit offtopic.I own 99 A4 1.8TQ. So I decided to go with 09 A4 2.0TQ 6M + B.O. + Audi Drive Select.... I would like to finance it for 72 months and salesman quated me for 844$/mth. Is it only me,or that is too much ?

 

i tested almost all the same cars, except they were all 08s...
i settled on the a4 without even a test drive.

i didnt realize it then, but the A4 is more fun in the snow then in dry conditions. The ETS is pretty strong, but it u turn it off, there nothing more fun than driving around in slippery conditions and realizing that your car has power to all 4 wheels, and can pull out of a slide jus by accelerating...

i tested the 335xi and the 330xi... =>> the 335 is comparable to the s4, but for some reason, just didnt satisfy, ans the 330xi didnt seem like it had enough punch.

My a4 is a 3.2 FSI Quattro... witha a 6 spd manual transmission. Take it thru a tunnel in 2nd gear, windows down, and u get the feeling that it doesnt have a stock exhaust... the low rumble is like adding chocolate to peanut butter....

excited yet!!
go get that Audi!!!

 

I would rule out the BMW. I've owned 3 BMW's and BMW makes a great car, but IMHO the current design is ugly, especially the interior. It just doesn't look "sporty" enough for me. For me, that would boil it down to the Audi and Benz. Again, in my opinion, the new Benz 300 looks hotter than the new Audi A4. My neighbor has one and I look at it almost every day. I love the new body style.

What's the pricing difference (if any). If I were you, I'd see what I can get a better deal on. Audi or Benz, you won't be disappointed. Audi probably has the better AWD system, but I don't think it really matters. Any AWD car will get you through a Toronto winter.

 

I recently bought an A4 2.0 Premium for Pfaff on Jan 28th, 2009 and I test drove all of the cars you mentioned plus one other Lexus IS250 AWD .. It came down to the 328iX and the A4 2.0..I was very lucky to test drive the A4 during a major snow storm on Jan 28th and wow was I blown away at how it handled. I must also say the BMW performed quite well but at the end of the day I went with the Audi because I felt it provided the best bang for the buck (price, performance and aesthetics) . I'm now patiently awaiting my Audi A4 which i'm told will be here second week in May ..Hope this helps