Well I am sorry to say the A4 was a let down compared to the A5 and My Lexus in Looks and Build Quality.

The dash had a lot of plastic in it and the console around the cup holders was very cheap looking. For $46K (3.2 Presitge w/nav) I feel short changed! Even the Infiniti was more plush as is the CTS and Lexus IS or GS interior wise.

I will say the ride and room inside was great but not even lose to the A5 in appearance. I have driven 2 A5's already. Maybe it was because it was black but that is how I felt.

I left the dealership with an empty feeling of disappointment and starting to rethink my next purchase in two weeks.

For the same price I can get a Lexus GS350 AWD during their summer clearance as the $46K A4.

At work today what was in the parking garage but a S5 and if I could get one today I would but the A4 you can have my reserved one due at End of Aug.

oh well enjoy

The IS interior is HORRIBLE for a "luxury" car. Talk about plastic!
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The Infiniti isn't bad, but it's still short of the A4. Try turning on a map light, though -- you'll think you're in a Nissan Versa.
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I'm not even a fan of light/cream interiors, but there's nothing wrong with this.
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And I agree... if anything looks out of place on the car it's the instrument surround. Haven't really noticed the bits around the cupholders looking down market but I haven't been able to sit in one yet at this point either. From the photos that part of the car and the surround on the gearshift and MMI control areas looks pretty nice.

That bezel bugs me a bit though, it's the one weak spot on an otherwise attractive interior - thus far.

At the Audi Driving Experience in Sonoma, we had an IS250 AWD to drive, sit in, and compare side by side with the A4 3.2.

IMHO, the IS interior was not inspiring at all, reminding me of a Honda interior. They didn't have an Infiniti or CTS there, but the A4 was hands down the nicer interior in the group (328xi, C300 4MATIC, and IS250 AWD).

As far as build quality is concerned, we also looked at the overall quality of the cars side by side. The gaps between bumper and body, doors, roof seams, etc. Quality of finish (interior, exterior, trunk). All these favored the Audi in my eyes.

To each his/her own, however. Enjoy your Lexus.

Turned in my Avant on Tues. and they had a Black B8 with the stock 17" wheels. Wow did it look bad! huge wheel gap nothing like the one on AOA web site. Usualy these cars look so much better in person but was not the fact in this case. It didn't help the fact it was in between an RS4 and a A5 with a Stasis package on it.

My dealer was just shaking his head and saying how Audi is blowing this launch just like they did with the S5/A5 launch.

Thinking about ordering an A5. That thing is f*****g gorgeous.

I'm sure when guys start receiving them, doing suspension and wheel upgrades all will be good.

I vow never to drive a Lexus again in my life.

That car handled the worst I've driven in a long long time...

the A4 was hand's down a much better sorted interior.

I've yet to see a factory wheel for a B8 A4 that I liked...which I find unusual, as every Audi model usually has at least one good looking wheel option [in my opinion].

Glad to hear a dealer being honest about the A/S5 debacle. It's a great car [the most beautiful &lt;$100k car around?]...maybe someday they'll actually manufacture some for the US market?

In all seriousness, I think Audi has a couple hot cars on their hands [B8 A4 &amp; A/S5] and wants to make hay while the sun is shining, so they're diverting production to those markets where they can actually make some money selling them.

I wonder how wood trim would look in its place if you get the optional wood trim. The silver painted bezel looks OK with black interior and standard or S-line aluminum trim, but it just doesn't go well with the beige interior dash color. Perhaps a piano black finish would be better.

I am hoping that there will be some OEM or aftermarket options for that instrument bezel in a couple of years.

It would also be better if it didn't split around the instrument cluster. A nice big aluminum accent piece would be a good tie in to Audi's long history with aluminum which is what they were going for, but when made out of plastic it looks a little chintzy for a car that cost more than my college education :-)

I figure we'll see aftermarket solutions soon enough. I also think that the wood option should include this portion of the interior as well.

<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/21163/rs6_interior.jpg"></center><p>If they had something like this piano black finish on the RS 6 sedan, I'd be happy.

A big chunk of glued-on wood trim may not look right.

sorry what were you smoking i test drove a4 today no options of course they use the same materials as in the a5 how i know i own an a5!

I felt that was far worse than the IS250.

I just don't think any of those other manufacturers know how to make a properly balanced AWD sedan.

Hell, it took Audi 20 years.

The mistake is in having something "bright" around the instruments. A replacement piece in carbon fauxber might fit the bill as well since it would be dark...

That is more to what I was referring too. The plastic around the dash and center console by the cup holders very cheap feeling and looking. the rest of the interior was nice, very nice. But egress was a little tight. But I really want the A5 and that may be swaying my feelings.

As for the attacks stick it I was just sharing my feelings take it or leave it but you do not need to make childish attacks just say you feel different and grow up.

It just was. Black with cream interior... I had a C% Corvette black and tan much beeter looking.

The A5 is hands down great looking. IF I could find one to buy I would but we all know Audi cannot meet demand on them.
Someone should be fired ffor that!

It's astounding that they STILL can't make enough A5s to meet demands.

The Audi is put together better, is tighter, and uses the best materials in the industry. There are areas on the IS, like the dome lights, steering wheel buttons, radio display plastic, and trunk trim that are weak. Both cars are still better than most though. And the MBZ tester I drove looked like a 90's Chevy Cavalier inside.