For awhile, I've had the idea in my head that I would buy one of the new generation BMW 330i's. But after driving a new A4 (with the 2.0 liter turbo) today, I'm having second thoughts. Ultimately, I'm looking for a car that has very good performance, but I definitely don't need a hard-core sports car (in terms of cornering, as the overwhelming majority of my drive time is spent driving to/from work (on a lovely 8 lane interstate highway).

I have made a few observations, but am very interested to hear from others (as I'm sure many A4 owners went through a similar debate at some point in the past):

-with both cars configured with the "sport" option, the BMW rides stiffer

-replacing sport option BMW run-flat tires (probably $1500/set) every 10-15K is much more expensive than getting the Audi all-season sport tire option (changed for less money, less frequently)

-the 330i does out-accelerate the A4...but how much do I need that extra power? Probably not much, as racing for 'pinks" is probably behind me. Besides, as I've only owned 4 cylinder cars & never one with more than 145 HP, I can get in more than enough trouble with the 200HP/200+FtLbs of Torque with the A4.

-Audi hasn't yet embraced the idea of having an auxillary in for their stereo (to my iPod's chagrin...but there's always the FM option)

-Ultimately, the Audi seems to be a more comfortable car for "cruising". Yet it seems to measure up reasonably well to the 330i when you "push it".

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I'm interested in any thoughts or comments you'd like to share (posted or sent privately). I'm also interested in any thoughts people have about the relative merit of the 2.0 L 4 cyl turbo, vs. the 3.2 L 6 cyl. Other than the obvious stats, what really would I gain by going to the larger engine (other than a larger monthly gas bill).

Thanks, Steve

 

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