I have been waiting to order the new A4 with 6MT but now I am not so firmly committed to the Audi. The Subaru is a terrific car with superb acceleration and handling and it can be bought for about $31K loaded up to the max including nav, Alcantara, Sirius, 18-inch wheels and performance tires. The safety ratings are excellent and the car drove great, very smooth with no rattles.

The interior of the Audi will be more refined and the Audi will have better resale value but I lease so resale is a non-factor. All in all, I was impressed with the vehicle that might give me 99% of the owner satisfaction of the Audi for 75% (or less) of the money. One thing's for sure, after experiencing first-hand what the Subaru has to offer, I won't be ordering the Audi sight unseen as I previously intended. The Audi must be really strong to overcome the value of the Subaru so a thorough test drive is a must.