All cars can be a blast to drive.
Some more than others. The RWD just feels right coming out of the apex.
A buddy of mine just bought the new Passat with 280 HP(?)
Pretty snazzy. Very nice. But $50 grand.
Rod

 

Rod is the 2000 A4 the newer body syle with the more rounded back end . I know there was a change over around that time . I actually like the older body style better with the sharper angle on the rear end. I would definitely chose the Bimmer over the A4 newer body style on asthetics alone.

 

Ice. This is like leaving each other voice mails at the same time.
I'm not sure on the A4. I haven't started doing any research.
Just getting frustrated on the prices of used Bimmers.
C'mon it was on 40g new!

 

The A4s aren't that much better .. I currently have a 95 90S and my wife has a Taurus , I want to sell them both and get a 1999 - 2000 A4 2.8 5spd ( old body style ). i just hate to see the government make the tax money on those 3 deals ,

 

E46 325i with factory sport suspension and automatic/steptronic?, its my wifes daily driver. It's ok to drive but I would much rather be in my 3.2 coupe thats 15 years older. Steering is not as road sensitive(in respect to the P-cars), "vague", or delayed and the acceleration pedal lag(e-gas) are my only complaints. Great brakes and sport seats from the factory sport suspension. We ordered it with only those two options( the sales person said very few are ordered like that) and saved a lot of $$ from anything that was on the lot. I definitely did not want the sunroof. Audi in my area were more than BMW's.

 

I've had three A4's (a 96 2.8Q 2 valve, a 97 1.8TQ 20V, and a 99 2.8Q Sport). They are very nice cars. I particularly enjoyed the interiors in those cars...very nicely finished, and stayed looking good throughout the ownership of each car. Each had a variety of little problems, but everything was under warranty. My understanding is that repairs for Audis outside of warranty are punitive, though. They are fairly complicated cars with the Quattro system, and with the 1.8T motor (or even worse yet the 2.7T of the S4). They are great in the snow (obviously), and good oeverall road cars. It was kind of like a German Honda.

I also had an E36 318is coupe (1992), and currently have an E46 M3 Coupe. The 318 had all kinds of problems, but this was kind of a problem limited to the 92 318s and 325s when BMW was experimenting with lighter and more environmentally-friendly materials that didn't last. It drove wonderfully, as I'm sure you think about your 318is. The M3 is an animal, obviously, but the interior fit and finish and exterior bits are still very much like another 3 series, so very comparable. It has been a great car to own with almost zero problems. BMWs are just more engaging to drive than their Audi counterparts.

The '98 is the last of the E36, so therefore a good buy among the E36s. You might want to find a decent E36 M3/4, as 98 was their only year, and they are quite reasonable. They are also a lot more sporting than the 328i of the day. If you get a chance, you should also try an E46 325 or 328 on for size, as they are definitely an evolution of the series. They are a bit less involving than the E36, but they are superior in most other respects.

 

I've take the Audi off my list and continue my quest for an E36 with low (120,000 KM).
I just can't seem to find one in the Greater Toronto Area.
If you know of one, coupe, 5 speed, sport and winter package would be nice and I prefer a 318.
Thanks

 

If I may make one other suggestion, the Saabs have horrendous initial resale value, and you could probably find a 2003 or 2004 9-3 Sport Sedan for US $14,000-16,000. It's a heckova buy at that price, and the 2.0T is a screamer. My wife has one and loves it. Since they are made in Sweeden (land of the cold), they have great winter weather properties (traction, heating, wipers, lights).

 

I am on my 3rd Audi A4...they get better each time! If you need to travel in bad weather they cannot be beat in my opinion...my new A4 with the 3.2 is a stunning car....Alot of people do not realize what a Quattro is capable of until they go through a winter with one.

 

Brant

Do you run snows on your A4s when thw white crap comes?

Rod

That is one thing - driving from Saegrave to Scarbaria in winter - are you sure you want to do that with RWD?

Ian

 

Here's my experience... Audi's interiors look and feel better at first, shortly after warranty is up, you start to get rattles, hums, general electrical problems. The BMW's hold their value better (may be why you can't find one for as low as you thought) and don't have the gremlims after warranty that the Audi's tend to have. But your in Canada, so the AWD may be of consideration. The highway driving you explained could tip the scale back to BMW as I've experienced great mileage when just cruising down the highway. I'm on my 2nd BMW and eventhough it's an E-46 M3, I've averaged 29 MPG going 85 MPH. I'm sure I could get over 30 MPG if I would just slow down a bit.
Good Luck. BTW, love the P-car Forum. Just picked up a 2004 GT3.... loving it!!!!!!!!

 

The other side of the coin . . .

I have been back & forth 3 times to my mech with the E46. Check engine light. Then the airbag light. He has replaced several relays & had to dismantle the pass seat to replace the airbag sensor that is built in. It's starting to suck $s. 140 kms or so on it.

And the check engine light is back on . . .

I work on the pcar myself, but new cars are just bundles of relays with an engine thrown in.

Ian

 

Comparing apples to oranges, my Dad's E36 M3 is a great car to drive (great in a "911" sense of the word). Amazing steering feel and response. Very "alive" if you will. Never driven it in snow to comment there. My '02 A4 1.8T was also a great car to drive, but in a different way. Softer than the M3, but a good overall handler (once you got used to the lean) and with Quattro, amazing stability in ALL weather.

 

having worked on both, (and currently a BMW master tech at the dealer) :

The A4 is problematic with T-belt snaps, water pump issues, turbo issues, auto trans issues, wiring what nots, Bills for it can get real pricey, but, Quattro is Quattro if you need it

E36 is far superior (coming from a dye'd in the wool VW/Audi nut), best to find a 328 sportpackage with a manual, the auto GM tranny can give trouble as is the cooling system if its not maintained. Parts are cheap, and work is easy to DIY. Con is the E36 has a fair amount of sqeaks and rattles, but the radio can fix that.

As far as the Jetta, they can be as troublesome too, not nearly as bad as the Audi (hell the 1.8T is the same in both cars) and when the turbo takes a ****, you can upgrade to a 350 WHP APR kit for a little more than $2K, the VW auto is junk. As a whole the Jetta has little expensive stuff break. VR6 is a tank motor and was originaly designed to be a diesel, so it is bullet proof, find one with a stick, other than that, expect a christmas tree of lights on the dash, CEL, SRS, EPC, they love to have diagnostic equipment plugged into them.

 

One thing to note with my E36 M3/4-door is that the clutch pedal has high effort compared with non-M 3-ers. As for snow driving, my M3 handles quite well with 7.5 wides all around with 205/50-17 snows (with traction control left on--my habit is turn it off as soon as I jump in the car--when there's NO snow).