[jprhodes]

I had an a4 (old engine) and have a 330xi. The BMW is much nicer than the old a4 in terms of fit and finish, etc. The brakes and engine are also fantastic on the bmw. I can't comment on the new a4. The audi awd is better than the bmw's, imho, but the bmw's is pretty good. Only complain with the bmw is the suspension. They jack the xi up about .7 inches higher than the standard 3 series, and the sports package on the xi comes with the stock xi suspension, not a sports suspension. I've found the xi suspension to be very soft, with a lot of roll in corners and a lot of float and imprecision at highway speeds. I can't comment on the new a4's suspension, but the old one was rock solid, even with awd and smaller wheels. I'd drive both hard in turns, etc., as well as at highway speeds to see if you prefer one suspension to the other. Good luck. It's a quality problem to have.