Nope, I own both an A4 and Passat variant 1.8T from the same year (04) and I can tell you the passat feels much more isolated. Not bad, just different. Feels bigger than the a4 mostly because it is. The A4 is a blast to drive and even though it is heavier, feels quicker, both have tip.

 

First off yes I own an Audi a4....just installed the entire control arm set today (what a nightmare that damn pinch bolt was)...and I just did the timing belt (see my posts from last week????). And your right, maintenance is an issue with any car….but my Audi is well…..ridiculous to say the least. Iv owned the thing for about 3 months (my friend owned it before me and really took good care of it) and numerous things have already failed on me. My sunroof doesn’t even work anymore (and its not the switch the entire track system is f*cked). Cruise control….lol…lost that weeks after I bought the thing. My suspension screams at me. Like I said before I just spent all day today installing all new front control arms just so I could pass inspection. And I know for a fact the control arms were replaced before so this is now the third set. My throw out bearing rattles like a bitch so ill prolly have to do the clutch soon. My airbag light is on…..the list goes on. The only thing that makes me feel better about my Audi is that once I fix all these problems which I will fix myself, there won’t be much left to go wrong (unless my oil light turns on). If I couldn’t fix these problems myself I would never touch an Audi. With all the work I already put into this thing and the work that needs to be done, if I was to pay a mechanic to do it….I would spend the kbb valve of the car.

I currently own (besides my 1999 a4) a Mercedes 2000 ml320. and just months ago I owned a 1996 Saab 900se. the sad part is even though my Saab was 3 years older than my a4 and 4 years older than my ml320, my Saab with double the f*cking mileage was more reliable then both my other cars. And on top of that it would smoke my a4 (2.8l 30v) and get better gas mileage!! The only thing I like better about my a4 is the handling and its not currently owned by GM.

Since I answered your question please answer mine. Do you own a Saab?? Have you ever even driven one?? Then SHUT UP! You can make fun of the look but beyond that….just please close your mouth.

Let’s sum it up because I still do like my a4.

Style, Audi>Saab
Performance, Reliability, Quality (pre 2003) Audi<Saab

Maybe you should stay off the forums when you’re drunk.

Oh and evoic, I never said a Saab could the Saab experience could touch the BMW experience. I owned an older 325is and loved the thing. That’s maybe the only car I liked more than my saab (of course im still young and my 1972 datsun is still under construction). That’s funny u comparing the two cause I never thought my audi was better in any aspect compared to my 325 except for handing but that’s not really a fair comparison cause my bmw was so much older than my a4.

 

I owned a 2001 330i and then sold it right before the warranty was up and got a 2003 330i.
When the 3yrs was up on that one, I sold it as well and now I'm driving a 2006 A4.

All three cars offer a far superior experience than any Saab I've ever driven. Ever.
As a matter of fact, other than the difference in performance, I liked my 98' Accord better than BOTH of the Saab's I've driven on a consistent basis.

I just can't get behind any statement, on any level, that a Saab is a better overall car, value, or purchase than an Audi.
If you have had issues with the Audi that you purchased, then I would take it up with the seller.
There are legions of satisfied Audi owners that frequesnt this board and others.
The only difference between their car and yours is the owner.
If Saab is your personal favorite, then no one's going to change your mind, especially considering the trouble that your Audi has given you.

But to say that Saab is a better car, period - well that's just not reality.

 

ummm yeah like i said i like the styling my a4 has better.......but the rest is just in the favor the saab...just look at the 1/4 times, look at the hp numbers, gas milage look at whatever...and as for reliabliblg well i dont think we need to go there, lets not kid ourselfs, our a4's have more than thier fair share of problems, its not just me....i mean dont get me wrong. im sure there are people out there who have had a a4 for 150k with few problems and thats good, but alot of us have them.

as for style..yes as i said before i prefer the audi (its that style thats gunna get me alot of tail this next semester ) but this is strickly ones own opinion.

lets go over the requested list:

Must be fun to drive: both but this is opinion

quick: 9/5

quiet: both

reliable: 9/5

and get 20MPG+: both but i believe 9/5 is a little higher, may be the a4

4WD is not a requirement: a4

Neither the Saab or the A4 have easy in-dash navigation options - but I will need a built-in nav. I will also require the best ipod integration I can get.
the saab is double din (pritty sure the 9/5s are) so its easy to install a nav system

the man asked what is the better car for his cicumstance and i told him my opinion.

 

saabs im afriad to say are butt ugly in my opinion besides the brand new ones, and those i guess are worse cars... looks like audi takes this one

 

haha! So deffensive... Jonus why do you gotta tell me to shut up?? You sound very upset. Maybe you should drink some warm milk and take a nap. Sleep it off. Hopefully when you awaken, you will feel rejuvinated with joyfull "Audi-ownz-Saab" thoughts. Getting on the forums when im drunk is my responsible way of not getting in my car to come find you as a moving target..... Audi>you/Saab...

 

lol....thats all i have to say about that......hahahahaa oh my.......

 

Not like Audi is leading the pack, but SECOND FROM LAST for Saab - ouch. [:'(]

lol....thats all i have to say about that......hahahahaa oh my.......
.
.

 

WOW

The battle still rages, I guess!

Well - I test drove an 04 A4 3.0 quattro this weekend. 40k miles, white on tan, certified. I think the price was in the $26k range. Here are my thoughts:

1. Damn this thing was a slug! Compared to my Jeep [hemi] and my old 9-5 [non turbo] this thing was sloooooooow. I stepped on the gas and waitied almost a full second for this thing to wake up - and when it did, it sounded BADASS but failed to toss me back in the seat. Very dissapointed in the pickup - but....
2. It handled amazing. I took it on some NH backroads and spanked the turns - quite possibly one of the best handling cars I've been in. Handled better than my dad's 330ci.
3. Great seats - lots of adjustments made a perfect fit for me, and perfect legroom. I can see myself living in this thing with a high degree of comfort.
4. Windshield Distortion!!! - Am I crazy? I felt like I could not focus on what was directly in front of me due to some distortion from the windshield. Anyone ever notice this?

All in all - it's a hot car, as long as you're not in a hurry. I say it's a worthy contender with the 9-5, and has some definite edges over it in certain areas. The girlfriend loved it - so I'm gonna take her to drive a 9-5. I'll repost my thoughts after that drive.

I really appreciate the "healthy" debating here - it's clear that:

a) Saab owners are always Saab owners, regardless of what they are driving today
b) Audi owners love their rides

Either way I can't go wrong....

KB

 

first off hes looking for a used car meaning 05 or older (otherwise you might as well buy a new car)

ok for that one chart you found i could find 5 more saying saabs are better in dependability. i mean look at post like this one : https://www.audiforums.com/m_331806/tm.htm

"he then asked his mom about the car who immidiately consulted consumer reports to check on the car. she was not at all too pleased with what she found being as the A4 is top among the list of cars not to buy and are not very reliable"

go on msnauto.com and look up any audi vs saab. im almost certain in almost every case you will always see saab with a better reliablity rating. my 1996 saab 900 score the highest score possible with perfect greens. the a4 much lower and that was before the 1.8t, look at the reliablity ratings for the newer a4's, a big fat red X on the engine category for every year between 1998 and 2002. actually i didnt think the new saabs were as reliable but i looked and the 2005 9/3 got perfect greens also....you wana argue looks or whatever go ahead....but reliablity - come on.......

i guess the battle continues...*sigh*