I just bought a '03 A4. It is replacing a '98 Passat that just got totaled. Well, it just got dented but the insurance co is totaling it.
So it will be interesting to see how the A4 compares with the Passat. I'm sure there are things about the Passat that I'll miss - like the cloth seats and the great gas milage, but there are also some good features on the A4, like the all wheel drive, dual zone cc, power everything.