Audi to BMW shift, vice versa
- Thread starter Fwu
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No. I consider them to be in the same league. Of course if you're going from an Audi A8 L to a BMW 325i, that would be a downgrade. Or if you go from an Audi A4 to a BMW 760Li, that would also obviously be an upgrade.
Audis are certainly more low-key than BMWs are, but they are both German luxury auto makers who compete in the same categories (A4 vs 3, A6 vs 5, A8 vs 7, etc.).
Audis are certainly more low-key than BMWs are, but they are both German luxury auto makers who compete in the same categories (A4 vs 3, A6 vs 5, A8 vs 7, etc.).
upgrade in price! all the audi dealers like to joke about how people drop a few extra grand for the same car, just for the roundel. it's a good tactic for a close second runner up, but it does hold some water.
everything depends on what you are looking at. if you are comparing A4 3.0 quatro to 330i, 330i will have better performance, but if you are looking at the awds, i think the quatro setup is better than the xi setup. BMWs do have a better rep, almost snobby at some points, but i liked the feel of the bimmers better than the audis.
audi does have a rep for having many issues come up later in life.. but i really dont' knwo for newer gens.
everything depends on what you are looking at. if you are comparing A4 3.0 quatro to 330i, 330i will have better performance, but if you are looking at the awds, i think the quatro setup is better than the xi setup. BMWs do have a better rep, almost snobby at some points, but i liked the feel of the bimmers better than the audis.
audi does have a rep for having many issues come up later in life.. but i really dont' knwo for newer gens.
![[;)]](/images/smilies/wink.png "Wink [;)]")
I'm with MrE on this one. I view them as equals, but I'll go a step further and go out on a limb and say that I view them as very similar (especially with the latest models) in terms of prestige. I'm not sure about the rest of the guys on this board, and I've said this before, but I think Audi's interiors trump BMWs and now that their performance has caught up too, well then what else is there to say?? Though some people would say that the latest A6s and A8s are actually flashier than their BMW rivals. In fact, C&D recently tested the 05 A6 and said the car was more glizty than the 5er and that thee interior is one of the best around, for any price. They also said that performance is also top-notch and on par with BMW. But one of the complaint's was that the sport suspension doesn't provide as much of a comfort/performance balance as BMWs. But in the end, I think the two are close competitors and Audi has definitely come into its own the past couple of years....
I like BMW's myself, but I consider them to be in the same class, with Bimmers being more popular. A buddy of mine at work has an Audi, but you rarely hear somebody go "hey nice Audi" but I hear "Nice Bimmer" all the time. Plus 007 drove a Bimmer. Or maybe its because I live in Oklahoma and most people hear don't know what an audi is. Anyway this is just my opinion and observation.
Ask yourself what you would rather have, AWD vs. RWD. BMW's are typically have a better feel on the road but the audi is by NO means bad. BMW's interiors are built better too - audi's seem to deteriorate before the warranty is up. Also if you're going to be buying a car with an automatic, BMW is the way to go, VW and Audi have ALWAYS had automatic transmission problems. Seems bmw ironed out their problems.
I dunno why I'm responding to this, I really don't have a definite opinion; but as of lately I've started to warm up to audi. I used to think they were ugly and performed like crap, but I drove a S4 and I had to admit that it was fun. It didn't quite feel the same as my car though (even though it was much more powerful)...it felt less present...I don't know if any of you know what I'm trying to say...I don't know if I even know what I am saying...it jsut doesn't feel as great as a Bimmer. That's the same feeling I get when I drive a MB though, so what the hell do I know?
Sounds like from the way you phrased your question, that you are talking about other peoples' perception of you driving in an Audi vs. a BMW. In that case, I would go with BMW. As mentioned earlier, imo BMW has more "prestige" and is more known than Audi to the general population. Audi is certainly better than it was a decade ago, but I still think BMW is ahead.
It's all about feel not the price, BMW feels like noithing else. I drive 98 328is now and I love it, I owned a brand new $35k Acura before and I hated it, it just didn't feel right to me. It's all about the feel, drive it and you'll see. Also, real bimmer should be a rear-drive and preferably with manual in my opinion, if you want awd then go buy Audi or whatever else.
