hi guys,
I'm the secretary of Club Audi Malaysia. Let me first say, before i'm shot, that i appreciate all good cars, as opposed to "wah, that brand damn keng... must buy".
The Audi a4 of the B5 and B6, fall short of the 3-series podium finish. These audis have to install aftermarket parts to accomodate for this. The B7 was better but compared to an e46, both standard, the e46 is better. Now we come to the latest models : Audi A4 B8 1.8T and BMW 325 e90.
Interior, i am a minimalist, but i the beemer takes it too far. A +1
Exterior, i think we all know the flame thing went real wrong. At least the e92 was a good comeback. The LED lights aren't a phase, but a mainstay for things to come. Most like it, A +2
Engine, power for capacity has always been beemer's forte. However, Audi cheats with a turbo. On top of that it's just too easy to have an ECU flash and up it another 30hp. Unfortunately for the e90, similar gains are much more expensive. A +3
Economy, turbo is usually bad for economy, but consider two facts : planes of old used turbos to get more power from the same capacity. And they made it economical with multi stage turbos, without having to rev-up to reach the desired performance. Same here, the audi's turbo kicks in at less than 1900 rpm, and cost less road tax. A +4
Passenger, for the passengers, the audi is more spacious. A +5
Driver, the 3 is a cockpit. B +1
Boot space, please see the nearest Audi showroom asap. It's huge. A +6
Aftermarket fun, nuff said. B +3 (added an extra point, cos the B has sooo many options)
Exclusivity A +7, but
Recognition? ahhh.. in malaysia, B +4
Handling, if you have test driven one (without the salesman, i have
![Cool :cool: :cool:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
), you'll know that it's amazing for a FWD. I drive hard, and one thing that pops into my mind is, how many drivers really know how to push a RWD to the "i'm the king of the road" limit ? I find most FWD drivers, will max the turning capability, usually unintentionally, and take corners real fast. The best common-folk RWD drivers are the ones with cheaper models. Test the theory when you next take your beemer behind a Ferrari in a corner. 9/10 times, you'll be on the ferrari's ass. People fear the swing factor of the RWD.
So i'll leave this point for the end.
Resale value, Audi loses here, mostly due to the principal's fault of lack of advertising. Most 2nd hand buyers have probably never heard of Audis before. Kereta apa tu? ahh, kereta olimpik. B +5
Cost of Ownership, since the B7 came out, audi's are cheaper to maintain and the turbos are non-invasive on your pocket. The electronics too are more reliable. A +8
Servicing & Repair, audi owners struggle to find a decent workshop, or they're stuck with the 3 (and only 3) official centres in Malaysia. All in peninsula. B +6
Pussy Magnet, ladies usually look at the audis (exclusivity and they've been to Europe usually are the reasons). Chicks prefer beemers. The rich guys drive beemers. The uncles drive mercedes. Audi owners are what ah ? This has yet to be defined. There are more chicks than ladies,
so i'll leave this one to you.
So what's the score ?
Audi B8 +8
BMW e90 +6
If you like chicks, and you really push your RWD setup hard, then the e90 is on par with the new B8.
However, if you prefer ladies (completely generalising here) and like the forgiving nature of a FWD, the the Audi scores 10 points.
I like the M3 e46, especially the CSL, but for the first time in history, audi's new sedan platform has got the right stuff.