I looked at A4-S4, BMW 330xi, Infiniti G35x, Accura TL.

Picked A3 for performance, uncommon, practical (hatch), fit & finish.

Was hesitant about reliability.

Sounds like you chose well. Congratulations.

AWD isn't an issue for me. I'm still considering, actually.

BMW 330i - too big.

Audi A4 - not sporty enough to justify the 330i expense (with s-line trim gets to $40k), and it has tighter interior than even the A3. They're redesigning it, so may as well wait for the A4 sportback. The next-gen A4 looks like it should be a winner. An RS4 flavor in an entry level car. I may have to wait for that.

Mini S - very appealing, but requires JCW package to be truly a fast car, which puts sticker at $36k. Reliability an issue there.

BMW Z4 coupe - not out yet. Is in low $40's but the specs are great. A splurge, possibly. But Z4 roadster is cramped for a 6'2" frame. Not sure this would be any better.

Z350 - great price. Staring at that steering wheel logo every day would be hard for me.

S4 (used) - don't have the guts to drive a 14 mpg V8.

A3 2.0T - (silver) the one to beat, definitely.

BMW 330i was too common, and did not feel as powerful as the 2.0T I test drove that did feel as agile as the BMW. Ended up w/3.2Q A3. My 04 TL felt more powerful than either of them.
New 335 Ci BMW may just be the bomb.

The first car I looked at was the Subaru Legacy GT, but I thought the seats were very uncomfortable and unsupportive. Too bad because it was a nice car other than that. It then came down to the GTI and the A3 2.0T. Before test driving the GTI, I was leaning towards that because it seemed like a better value. However, after pricing it out, it really was not that much cheaper. Also, I like the interior of the A3 better, it has more space in the back, and the GTI has too much of the boy-racer feel for my tastes.

mini cooper S, wrx wagon/sedan, wait for a GTI. those 3 @ the time.

AWD plus 4 seats for me. This was my starting point.

I have a 3/4ton truck and my wife has an SUV so I was looking for something small and sporty that meets the above.

acura rdx!

I'd been waiting for both cars to show up in the US for a while, but BMW said no go for this market.

Oh well. Can't say I miss all the snootiness from others that went with the badge when I had one.

Would have prefered RWD or AWD, but I can't say that FWD is a waste of my time. Key thing for me about RWD is weight/ hp. 325ti was too heavy for that anaemic engine, auto further strained it...

We did drive the TSX, which further reinforced the decision for an A3. Great commuter car, but boring as hell to look at and live in everyday.

I wanted a good car, didnt have to be expensive, just fun to drive and economical.

Fortunately, test drove it in the rain -- and the question was... Handling? What handling?

Currently own a 2.7T allroad with the lease due in a couple months. Owned a '99.5 A4 2.8 sport prior.

FJ Cruiser - Horrible "fit and finish", annoying rear door, passenger windows don't even roll down, no sunroof, didn't even need to drive it.

Honda Element - Haven't driven one yet, but everyone tells me they are extremely gutless and don't get that great of gas mileage for how gutless they are. I like the concept and price, but I don't think I can handle the lack of power.

A4 Avant 2.0T - Haven't driven one yet, but if the A3 2.0T is any indication of how the A4 would be, then I wouldn't be too impressed.

Just added Acrua RDX and Mazda CX-7 to the list as well.

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A3 3.2 - dealer finally got an '07 in, I hurried down to test drive it, it hadn't even been prepped yet, but they let me take it for a spin anyway. I was amazed at how much power there was, even compared to my allroad. The allroad feels like a land barge next to the A3.

Only issues I am having so far is the interior space and the lack of a decent leasing option. I need to be able to lock up 9'6" longboards inside when out surfing. I also have a 72lb husky I need to drive around. I'll probably just get a rear seat cover and throw him in the back.

Once I tried DSG, I was sold on that. And I really really want TDI, which of course Audi doesn't offer in the US. But the Jetta TDI has no shift paddles, and there's no wagon version.

Also, my wife tends to run the gas tank close to E, so I figured it's better to wait until the shift to ultra-low sulfur diesel. My hope is: low-sulfur diesel -> more diesel models offered -> more diesel stations.

Maybe by 2008 I can get an A3 TDI (except I sprung for Sprint Blue on my 2006 2.0T!).

`06 A4, `05 S4
Probably would be driving the S4 now if they would have come down off their price another couple of $K.