I should have realized when I posted that question, I'd get a bunch of juvenille responses like....blah blah blah, I'd buy a Porsche if money was not object. Good for you.<p>It's my fault, I worded the question poorly. I should have stated "Did most of you buy you A4 simply because you could not afford an E46?" But I knew that question opened the door to a plethora of pro-quattro replies. (Living in a place where it never snows, I prefer RWD). I'm really torn between the 1.8T and the 323i. I LOVE BOTH, but I clearly like the 323i better. I'm not sure I can justify the 5k difference, and wanted to see if that's why many of you bought the A4. Look, I'd be proud as hell to own an 1.8T, but I like the idea of RWD and a 2.5L inline six. It's just hard for me to throw so much money into a depreciating asset even though I love to fly on the twisty back roads.

Go ahead and buy it. It's a nice car. So is the 1.8T.

First of all I wanted a 4 door. 323i is out. It's only a 2-door coupe, and I hate frameless windows. Second, if I were to look at the 328i, I would also look at the A4 2.8 (I have the 1.8T) which is thousands less. If I go down to the 318i, I am looking at a 4-cyl 140hp 3000lb+ machine which is seriously underpowered and rather poorly equipped for the price. For what I can afford, the A4 1.8T fits me perfectly and has the best bang-for-buck. As to driving, the A4 is no match to the feel of the Bimmers I must admit, but I was coming from Japanese FWD vehicles so an A4 will already be a big improvement.<p>Since I am from the North, the idea of quattro AWD is the ultimate deciding factor.<p>Wong from North<br>98 A4 1.8TqMS Tropic Green<br>

I wouldn't pay 10 grand more for a 323i, but I would pay $1,000 more. So where is the cutoff? The question is "Is the 323i worth the 5k price difference". It has nothing to do with whether or not I can afford it. It's about value.

I could afford a lot more, but there are many other things I can spend my money on. IMHO the A4 brought the most bang for the buck.<br>IMHO the 323 is not worth the extra money. For performance sake and $200 you can always chip your A4.<br>IMHO I drive my car from the inside, not the outside, and the A4 has a more refined interior (and heck, the oustside ain't bad either).<br>I did not buy it because of the quattro, but its a great bonus, and it's like a dishwasher, microwave, or garage -- once you have it you can never live without it and you wonder how you ever did. Trust me on that one!

Look the Quattro not only gives you better traction - which you don't care much about, but also better weight distribution, and RWD handling characteristics. That is WHY I got a Quattro - so my A4 could handle like 323i in the dry and then outperform it in the wet. So that is why your original question was worded badly. There is no 5K difference between these two cars either. Assume that in order to get the RWD handling you must get Quattro, when you choose the same options for both cars the difference will be about $2k. But, the BMW will allow you to go little crazy - leather, Xenon lights - that will bring you closer to $4K. Finally, two days ago I was driving with a friend - he asked about the car - "So, do you have a small straight six in here?" No baby, it is a really smoooth four. One more thing, if you chip it - your performance will be on par or little better than the 323i.<br>

<br>If you don't like their attitudes, why are you soliciting their opinions? Are you having trouble justifying your own opinion and looking for agreement? That would mean that you will ignore 10 people in disagreement once you find that magical 1 that agrees.<p>I am not trying to start an argument, I just think that you should ask yourself whether you are looking for honest opinions, or if you are trying to justify a decision you have already made.<p>Value is purely in the eye of the beholder. There are some resale issues driven by the market, but mainly it comes down to how much more one is worth to you, not us. That is why so many of each are sold, they didn't all get ripped off - most people just prefer one over the other.<p>Stop looking for a quantitative answer where there is none.<p>Todd W

If you"clearly like the 323 better", you should go ahead and buy it because you are the one that has to live with the car, no one else. That is why I bought the Audi. For me it is a perfect car, great for all weather conditions. The Quattro is one of the main things that I liked about the A4 and I probably wouldn't of traded in my VW Passat for it if I didn't have it. BMWs are very good cars. They are very good handling cars in the dry, perfomance in most models are excellent, reliability is decent and it should last awhile. Besides the Quattro, I liked the A4 because of the many excellent reviews it has received in car books and magazines, an excellent warranty, nice looks inside and out, a wonderful Automatic and enough room for my family. Generally, buy what you think is right for you, but I would look at both cars. Personally, the BMW would not be good for me because I love to snow ski and the Quattro is the best car for going up to the resorts in. They seem smaller than the A4 and I think the interior doesn't look as nice. I hope I helped.<p>Dave<br>98.5 QSTip

I believe the new 3 series doesn't even have a coupe yet. The new 323 is a 4 door. In the US, the 318i is no longer offered. <br>Also, the new 3 is much nicer inside than the old one, but I agree with you not as nice as the A4.<br>As for the old 318i being a "4-cyl 140hp 3000lb+ machine", what do you think an A4 is? 10 extra horses - not a big deal :)<p>Other than that, I wholeheartedly agree with you, especially about the Quattro; FYI before crushing me into the dust, I'll take delivery of my new 1.8T A4 tomorrow ;)<p>Andrei

Movie clips of Audi rally cars getting silly sideways and catching air around turns is why I bought and Audi... Just love the attitute, the quattro, they car! Didn't even bother to drive a BMR. The first time I say the A4 body I really dug it. When I could finally afford it without much problem, it was an easy choice. The only thing it doesn't have is serious offroad capability, so I plan to date a woman with a grand cherokee, a Durango, or a landrover...<br>cheers,<br>andrew

Of course I was talking about the 98 model year, the E36 bimmers. In the North, the 323i is only available in coupe form, while you can only have the 318i or go all the way up to 328i if you want two extra doors. I don't know what BMW was thinking but nevertheless, A4 fits me fine and Audi gets my vote.<p>You're taking delivery of a new 1.8T tomorrow? Good luck and enjoy driving.<p>Wong from North<br>98 A4 1.8TqMS Tropic Green<br>

<br>"Living in a place where it never snows, I prefer RWD"<p>over AWD? how did you come to this conclusion?<p>this is not meant to be a flame, but isn't AWD superior<br>to RWD in all conditions (excep,t of course, for ripping<br>doughnuts on the high school football field)

cleaner steering and braking with RWD for starters................

RWD over AWD... Sure! Maybe RWD is better for you, depending on your priorities.<p>If you value tons'o'traction all of the time, quattro is the way to go. If your commute involves a foot of snow, that $1650 (recouped when you sell) was well spent.<p>If you value simplicity, less weight, better mileage, and less cost, maybe a 2wd setup is for you. And if you enjoy finely-tuned oversteer, rwd is "your bag baby".<p>Respect the differences, each to his (or her) own, etc...<p>AJL<br>98 Passat 1.8T (fwd!?)<br>

Cleaner steering with RWD?<p>Not according to the Car and Driver comparison<br>of the A4 and the new 3 series.

I'm not talking about backing up!<br>