325xi AWD or Audi A4 3.0 quattro

[tetter]

Yesterday I drove both the BMW 325xi AWD and the Audi A4 3.0 Quattro. I loved both cars, both are in stock with the options and colors I want, I am satisfied with the "deal" offered on each and want to drive one home in the next few days. Having had 2 previous BMW's and needing AWD for where I live, I am thrilled that I can one again get a BMW with AWD. Any unbiased opinions on which would be the best choice would be a great help and really appreciated. Any reliability problems with the AWD BMW?? THANKS!!

[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.

[scottyblues]

I too looked at the older a4 awd (actually the s4 - 250 hpower) and the 330xi. ended up getting the bmw, but here are my likes and dislikes: bmw - suspension float is just like jprhodes said - a bit floaty and roll is a bit pronounced in corners. stero is not good - even with prem. package. An upgrade is defintely needed. sport pack. is just cosmetic and trunk is small. but i knew that going in. engine is great. but i think it also needs that 6th gear for highway cruising. audi s4 was a scream but suspension was too much for me and new a4 hadnt come out yet. new a4 is really nice but i simply didnt like look of the car. stero is great, a bit roomier but not much than bmw. its a point that people debate on all the time... good luck

[jprhodes]

by the way, you can get a suspension upgrade from H&R for the 330xi, which I did. It's definitely not soft, that is, it's pretty firm, but the performance improvement is huge.

[328isRob]

Audi's Quattro is a superior AWD system when comared to the BMW AWD