i did not drive them over there but i test drove them both about a month ago while looking for a car (ended up getting a volkswagen). i drove the 05 A4 Avant 2.0T and the E90 330i. i also own a E46 330ci for comparison.
it's really not a fair comparison performance-wise because as heroic as the 2.0T performs, hirap siya when compared to the I-6. maybe the 325iT would have been a better comparison. ang bigat pa nung kaha ng A4 Avant. i even think my e46 accelerated better. if i had to guess, i think the 3.2L engine on a sedan would narrow the performance gap pero hula ko panalo pa rin yung bimmer.
handling and ride quality is no contest - bimmer all the way.
looks-wise, the A4 is simply a beautiful car from all angles, and the interior as well. Audi hands-down over the E90, although mas maganda pa rin yung E46 kahit biased ako. the biggest issues i saw with the Audi is terrible back seat space and the reputation for poor quality that Audi seems to carry in the US.
price no object, i'd get the S4 but between an A4 2.0T and a 325i it would be close, but i would pick the Audi.
A lot of A4T buyers are rather serious modders. But the E90 is a lot more restrained in terms of what can be tweaked. Steering feel for Audi is still not to enthusiast standards. It is a nice car with brilliant interior and amenities.
To a lot of people both cars are about even except for some price differences. The BM is still the driver's car. No doubt about it.
The new A4 with the Nuvolari-style grille isn't photogenic; it looks better in person, I mean car. But as usual, the 4-circle automaker cannot quite design an attractive rear. So buy the 3-Series and you wouldn't see much of that. Besides, it's still the best one out there, especially in performance, handling and fun, at least up until the new C-Class comes out.
So buy the 3-Series and you wouldn't see much of that. Besides, it's still the best one out there, especially in performance, handling and fun, at least up until the new C-Class comes out.
somehow those three words don't come to mind when i hear "Mercedes C-Class"
Actually, I was talking about being the best overall, and IIRC, the reinvented C-Class currently for sale beat the E46 3-Series in some areas. Also, the new SLK seemed to beat the Z4 all-in-all, so we'll never really know what is in store for us when the new Benz small sedan hits the showrooms.
i test drove the newest 3 series bimmer at The Fort when BMW Phil launched the new E90 3 series a couple of months ago.....design,ride and performance is definitely better than the previous 3 series (we owned a 2001 BMW 318 before). i was surprised at how the engine reacts when i floored the gas pedal: it was very responsive! ride quality is definitely better than the firm/harsh ride of the previous 3 series......
i could not comment on the Audi A4 as we never owned one and i havent test drove one before
at the entry price of P2.350M for the base model 3 series,i would not buy one even if i have P20M in cash though.....i would rather buy a Mazda 3 2.0L
PS: our sales agent texted me last week that BMW Phil is launching a 316 model with an introductory price of P1.850M this month.....
I dont think its worth to buy a German car with a NA 1.6, 1.8 or even 2.0 - if its FI (turbo or supercharged) then its prolly OK. Bimmers, Audis and Benzes are too heavy for any NA 1.6 or so engine to run.
Having owned and currently own Audis and Bimmers - I would say, if you plan to own/drive/use your car for more than 4 years or more than 60T miles (about 100T km) - get a bimmer. If you just like to drive it for around 3 years or less, either the Audi or Bimmer will be good - overall, it will come down to personal preference.
The good thing about Audis are (even entry level Audis): if you see leather - then it is real leather, if you see aluminum - then it is real aluminum, if you see wood - then it is wood, if you see polished metal, then it is real metal. Audis are really good when it comes to details and interiors (i love details). My TT use a lot of aluminum body panels (very nice touch just like NSX and Ferraris) - but its very prone to dents. I never had dents in my cars coz i park way out from everyone. Also, Audis are very easy to tweak, you can add 40 hp/77 ft-lb of torque by just chipping the car.
On the other hand, entry level Bimmers sometimes use leatherette ILO real leather. Sometimes they use "plastic wood" ILO real wood and aluminum colored plastic ILO real aluminum. But, they use thicker gauge body panels which is good. They have sturdy, hi-speed rated bumpers and they use timing chain ILO belts used by Audis - this makes the Bimmer last longer than Audis (but noisier because of the belt). More expensive to add power on top of the stock though.
Overall, its a matter of personal taste and preference. If you have the dough and have a hard time deciding, buy one of each. They are kinda different after all, so you'll appreciate each of the cars mentioned.
05 BMW 3-series vs. 05 Audi A4
but between an A4 2.0T and a 325i it would be close, but i would pick the Audi.
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