Having been an enthusiast (european performance cars) for many years, the following are lessons I have consistently relearned the hard way:<p>1. Buy the one you really want; e.g., if in your heart-of-hearts you feel the A4 is second best to the BMW (or whatever) then buy the BMW. Otherwise the perception of having settled for second best will sour the ownership experience. That isn't fair to you or the car.<p>2. There is no assurance that any single car will be free of imperfection, so try to buy from the dealer who will truly treat you the best.<p>3. The design parameters of every car are a blend of compromises; buy the blend most suitable for you...or at the minimum, don't buy one that is unsuitable.<p>4. Think past the honeymoon; e.g., if you commute for hours in heavy traffic, maybe the tiptronic is a better choice than the manual.<p>For what it's worth, I've owned BMW (including a recent M3), Porsche and others...I prefer my 1.8 tqms. It isn't the fastest or the quickest or the most "prestigious" but it has a sweet personality, it's tuneable and most importantly, it's totally fun-to-drive....and IMO, fun-to-drive is what it's all about!<p>

Your comments are perhaps the questions many of us should be asking when comparing the usual cars.