Bmw or Audi?

evo2000

Im thinking of upgrading the ole wagon, at the moment ive a mazda 323 im thinking of getting a 02-04 audi a4 or bmw 318 which is the most comfortable, and has decent pick up? any other advice on em is welcome aswell!

Blazer

This will really open a can of beans

the 318i is petrol while the A4 is probably diesel you're looking at?
In that case the A4 would have a bit more pickup but if you went for a 320D then the BMW would be more powerful.
Not too sure on comfort at the stage but a few of my mates had A4s from those years and in fairness they were practically bullet-proof. One lad has done over 350,000 miles on his A4 (1.9TDI). Lot of it motorway though and regular servicing done as well for it.

OldMrBrennan83

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allroad

Patww79 wrote: »

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The appropriate equivalent would be Lexus.

The A4 is a solid, well built car. The BMW is nice, but transient compared to the Audi. Don't expect the same build quality or reliability.

tossy

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

True - there is nothing that says "class" more than an 02-04 318 make a recommendation on the actual merits of a car and apply some real world knowledge but don't recommend a 12 year old 'smallest engine' 4 pot (probably Paddy spec) 318 on the basis of your perceived brand snobbery

Phill Ewinn

Better ride on the beemer. Also better headlights.
More poke, a better soundsystem, better rear seats in the audi.

Moneymaker

I would consider the A4 a better car then the 318.

A 32x on the other hand, is a class above the Audi, imo.

Sobanek

A4 1.8T > 318i
320i/323i/325i/328i > A4 1.8T/2.0/2.4
A4 3.0 Quattro > 330i
A4 1.9 TDI > 320d
330d > A4 2.5 TDI

tossy

Moneymaker wrote: »

I would consider the A4 a better car then the 318.

A 32x on the other hand, is a class above the Audi, imo.

Taking your statement out of the context of this thread considering we don't know the spec/engine of the A4 you are comparing it against, how can you recommend a 32x over an unknown ?

Also considering you are looking at 12 year old (ish) examples OP i would suggest you take every car you look at on it's individual merits and not some brand reputation (good or bad) a 12 year old cared for and serviced Hyuandai is a better buy than a neglected/dodgy A4 or 3 series, no matter what the spec/engine.

tossy

Sobanek wrote: »

A4 1.8T > 318i
320i/323i/325i/328i > A4 1.8T (quattro? BEX engine?) /2.0/2.4
A4 3.0 Quattro > 330i
A4 1.9 TDI > 320d
330d > A4 2.5 TDI

I disagree if the 1.8T A4 is as above and avant (of course lol)

Just to show i'm not a fan boy i also disagree in considering a 3.0 A4 is a superior car to a 330i.

Idbatterim

If you could stomach tax on a 2.2 or 2.5l, go for an e39, different league to e46... And they go for pocket change now...

Moneymaker

tossy wrote: »

Taking your statement out of the context of this thread considering we don't know the spec/engine of the A4 you are comparing it against, how can you recommend a 32x over an unknown ?

Also considering you are looking at 12 year old (ish) examples OP i would suggest you take every car you look at on it's individual merits and not some brand reputation (good or bad) a 12 year old cared for and serviced Hyuandai is a better buy than a neglected/dodgy A4 or 3 series, no matter what the spec/engine.

Well the average Audi you see on Irish roads is either the 1.6 petrol or the 1.9tdi.

And given the OP asked about a 318, don't you think its logical to assume he's interested in a similarly sized Audi?

tossy

Moneymaker wrote: »

Well the average Audi you see on Irish roads is either the 1.6 petrol or the 1.9tdi.

And given the OP asked about a 318, don't you think its logical to assume he's interested in a similarly sized Audi?

The average BMW is the same So average 12 yr old A4 v Average 12 year old 3 series ? I don't think it's possible to recommend one or the other based on class, brand image etc you would go for the better value buy and the one that's going to be less of a money pit.

Moneymaker

tossy wrote: »

The average BMW is the same

You see a reasonable number of 32x's imo. But yes the vast majority of petrol Beemers in Ireland are 318s.

My rule is: Look at what the average Irish motorist buys. Then go buy something else.

:pac:

evo2000

Im not set on just a A4 or 318 just as i was havin a look thru done deal they looked like decent comfy cars with a decent bit of power and goin for a reasonble price haha i was lookin at the newer 2005 accords aswell altho they seem to be fair pricey

JohnBoy26

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

The a4 might share an engine and a few of it's components with it's equivalent vw passat counterpart but they are very much different cars apart from that and have completely different suspension from one and other at the rear. The Audi has a superior independent suspension setup compared to the passats semi independent beam axle.

The interior of the Audi is also a massive step up from that of a passat and it's a far nicer looking car too Imo.

Phill Ewinn

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

The a4 might share an engine and a few of it's components with it's equivalent vw passat counterpart but they are very much different cars apart from that and have completely different suspension from one and other at the rear. The Audi has a superior independent suspension setup compared to the passats semi independent beam axle.

The interior of the Audi is also a massive step up from that of a passat and it's a far nicer looking car too Imo.

The A4 is a golf. Not a passat.

MuppetCheck

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

The A4 is a golf. Not a passat.

It's the A3 that is a Golf.

JohnBoy26

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

The A4 is a golf. Not a passat.

The a4 is neither a golf nor a Passat. It's in the same class as a passat though with the a3 being in the same class as a golf.

If you don't. Know what you are talking about why bother posting?

tossy

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

The A4 is a golf. Not a passat.

That was funny, thanks.

Idbatterim

just saw the below, ad not great, but its a ridiculous amount of car for a years tax!

http://cars.donedeal.co.uk/cars-for-sale/bmw-520i/7258017

also the 5's seem to go for cheaper than the equivalent 3's, which is mad given that they would have cost quite a bit more new. are a far better drive and less goes wrong with them...

evo2000

Idbatterim wrote: »

just saw the below, ad not great, but its a ridiculous amount of car for a years tax!

http://cars.donedeal.co.uk/cars-for-sale/bmw-520i/7258017

also the 5's seem to go for cheaper than the equivalent 3's, which is mad given that they would have cost quite a bit more new. are a far better drive and less goes wrong with them...

5 seires be the way to go so?

Moneymaker

evo2000 wrote: »

5 seires be the way to go so?

As idbatterim says, E39s are more or less bulletproof. Those 6 cylinder engines are simply magnificent.

That's a serious amount of car for 1k provided there's nothing seriously wrong with it.

evo2000

Moneymaker wrote: »

As idbatterim says, E39s are more or less bulletproof. Those 6 cylinder engines are simply magnificent.

That's a serious amount of car for 1k provided there's nothing seriously wrong with it.

Ah tis an automatic tho! **** that

jca

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

The A4 is a golf. Not a passat.

Rubbish. Obviously you never looked under either a golf or an A4.

Phill Ewinn

jca wrote: »

Rubbish. Obviously you never looked under either a golf or an A4.

You obviously can't judge dimensions well. The Passat is the bigger car. There is a size difference between the two cars.

Categorically the golf, jetta etc is the A4
Categorically the Passat is the A6

Don't try tell me the A4 is a passat. Its a completely different car.

evo2000

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

You obviously can't judge dimensions well. The Passat is the bigger car. There is a size difference between the two cars.

Categorically the golf, jetta etc is the A4
Categorically the Passat is the A6

Don't try tell me the A4 is a passat. Its a completely different car.

Speaking of passats what are they like?

bazz26

What a Subaru Legacy?


http://www.driving.ie/used-cars/Subaru/Legacy/2.0-GL/45313976617280930/

magentis

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

You obviously can't judge dimensions well. The Passat is the bigger car. There is a size difference between the two cars.

Categorically the golf, jetta etc is the A4
Categorically the Passat is the A6

Don't try tell me the A4 is a passat. Its a completely different car.

Wrong.

jca

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

You obviously can't judge dimensions well. The Passat is the bigger car. There is a size difference between the two cars.

Categorically the golf, jetta etc is the A4
Categorically the Passat is the A6

Don't try tell me the A4 is a passat. Its a completely different car.

I wouldn't bother trying to tell you anything..... No point really.... Ignorance is bliss so they say.

Blazer

evo2000 wrote: »

Ah tis an automatic tho! **** that

you won't say that with a lot of town driving...recently changed mine from manual to auto and it's a blood godsend..I can still switch it to manual/sports mode if I want to push it on a bit

evo2000

Blazer wrote: »

you won't say that with a lot of town driving...recently changed mine from manual to auto and it's a blood godsend..I can still switch it to manual/sports mode if I want to push it on a bit

Do yeah not need a different license for an auto tho i thought? be well handy being able to switch between the two tho!

JohnBoy26

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

You obviously can't judge dimensions well. The Passat is the bigger car. There is a size difference between the two cars.

Categorically the golf, jetta etc is the A4
Categorically the Passat is the A6

Don't try tell me the A4 is a passat. Its a completely different car.

The golf is a C segment car just like an a3, focus, corolla etc

The A4 is a D segment car just like the Passat, avensis, Mondeo, 3 series bmw etc

The a6 in an E segment car just like a bmw 5 series, a class up from a Passat.

A Passat is not an "A6", nor is it comparable to an A6.

pablo128

I'd have a Merc over them sh1tboxes if I was going German.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/02-mercedes-c200-kompressor/7263463

BdaraB

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

You obviously can't judge dimensions well. The Passat is the bigger car. There is a size difference between the two cars.

Categorically the golf, jetta etc is the A4
Categorically the Passat is the A6

Don't try tell me the A4 is a passat. Its a completely different car.

Categorically yes but the B5 A4 used the same platform as the Passat B5 while the B6 went on a stretched version of the PQ35 and guess what car used that platform. Just because the cars are different sizes doesn't meant that they don't share anything under the skin likewise just as two cars might share the same platform doesn't mean that they are anything alike I mean the Skoda Octavia and Audi TT share a platform but you would never confuse the two.

JohnBoy26

pablo128 wrote: »

I'd have a Merc over them sh1tboxes if I was going German.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/02-mercedes-c200-kompressor/7263463

You have to be kidding now. Those mercs are horrible yokes with disastrous build quality. IMO they are the biggest sh1tbox of them all. Early examples weren't "German" either.

pablo128

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

You have to be kidding now. Those mercs are horrible yokes with disastrous build quality. IMO they are the biggest sh1tbox of them all. Early examples weren't "German" either.

Well I did say if I was going german. I'd have a Toyota over any of them tbh.:pac:

evo2000

BdaraB wrote: »

Categorically yes but the B5 A4 used the same platform as the Passat B5 while the B6 went on a stretched version of the PQ35 and guess what car used that platform. Just because the cars are different sizes doesn't meant that they don't share anything under the skin likewise just as two cars might share the same platform doesn't mean that they are anything alike I mean the Skoda Octavia and Audi TT share a platform but you would never confuse the two.

Put the handbags down ladies, Rumor has it the A4 is the same category as a ford festi, in all fairness tho what yer saying has no bearing on the thread so just private message each other.. or better yet just agree to disagree lol

evo2000

pablo128 wrote: »

Well I did say if I was going german. I'd have a Toyota over any of them tbh.:pac:

Was lookin at a few avensis aswell they dont look half bad either!

Phill Ewinn

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

The golf is a C segment car just like an a3, focus, corolla etc

The A4 is a D segment car just like the Passat, avensis, Mondeo, 3 series bmw etc

The a6 in an E segment car just like a bmw 5 series, a class up from a Passat.

A Passat is not an "A6", nor is it comparable to an A6.

If you went shopping for a 04 plate family car and brought home an A4 you'd be committed. I can say no more.

tossy

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

You obviously can't judge dimensions well. The Passat is the bigger car. There is a size difference between the two cars.

Categorically the golf, jetta etc is the A4
Categorically the Passat is the A6

Don't try tell me the A4 is a passat. Its a completely different car.

I think you read somewhere the Golf was built on the A4 (PQ34) platform and presumed it meant the Audi A4, it doesn't. That's just the designated name for that platform - MK4 golf Audi A3/TT. Octavia, Seat Leon etc. So you are mistaken sorry.

Phill Ewinn

tossy wrote: »

I think you read somewhere the Golf was built on the A4 (PQ34) platform and presumed it meant the Audi A4, it doesn't. That's just the designated name for that platform - MK4 golf Audi A3/TT. Octavia, Seat Leon etc. So you are mistaken sorry.

Please re-read the post. I'm clearly not mistaken. Many differently sized cars are based on the same platform. We could be at this for a week and a half.

An A4 is not. I repeat - not a Passat. Are we clear?

tossy

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

Please re-read the post. I'm clearly not mistaken. Many differently sized cars are based on the same platform. We could be at this for a week and a half.

An A4 is not. I repeat - not a Passat. Are we clear?

I never - i repeat - never said the A4 was a passat, i was pulling you up on the fact you said the A4 was a Golf. It's not - i repeat - not a Golf. Are you clear?

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

The A4 is a golf. Not a passat.

blastman

evo2000 wrote: »

Do yeah not need a different license for an auto tho i thought? be well handy being able to switch between the two tho!

No. Assuming you passed your test in a manual car (which most people in Ireland would have), you are licenced to drive an automatic as well. If you passed your test in an automatic, you're not licenced to drive a manual, though.

Blazer

evo2000 wrote: »

Do yeah not need a different license for an auto tho i thought? be well handy being able to switch between the two tho!

nope..its the other way around..if you did your test in an automatic you cannot drive a manual and need to retest in a manual.
Sister did hers in an automatic and she has no idea how to drive a manual and legally she cannot drive one anyway.
Anyone that did it in a manual can drive an automatic.

My car isn't a manual per se in the normal sense. If you look at the pic below you can push the level to the left and then toggle up and down the gears by flicking the level. The stick is basically just a switch wired to the transmission.

dodzy

evo2000 wrote: »

Im thinking of upgrading the ole wagon, at the moment ive a mazda 323 im thinking of getting a 02-04 audi a4 or bmw 318 which is the most comfortable, and has decent pick up? any other advice on em is welcome aswell!

A4. 1.8T. Great car. Not a million miles away (size) from where you currently are but it'll "pick up" a fair bit quicker than you are used to. They come in at 150BHP for the standard FWD and 163BHP for the quattro variant (and can be cheaply remapped to boost those figures by c.30BHP).

Had the latter for the last 7yrs. Absolutely loved the car, but it drank..... Approx 40mile for a tenner (all stop-start driving). Although the quattro are renowned for their poor fuel consumption, they handle superbly. I put about 85K on the car and it cost me feck all relatively speaking on maintenance costs. Self serviced fully synth. oil change every 7.5K. Bloody great motor and well worth strong consideration.


Recently change to a 140BHP A6 2.0TDi. Lovely bus. Far bigger motor. Much better on fuel as it turns out, even with a lot of urban driving.

tossy

dodzy wrote: »

A4. 1.8T. Great car. Not a million miles away (size) from where you currently are but it'll "pick up" a fair bit quicker than you are used to. They come in at 150BHP for the standard FWD and 163BHP for the quattro variant (and can be cheaply remapped to boost those figures by c.30BHP).

Had the latter for the last 7yrs. Absolutely loved the car, but it drank..... Approx 40mile for a tenner (all stop-start driving). Although the quattro are renowned for their poor fuel consumption, they handle superbly. I put about 85K on the car and it cost me feck all relatively speaking on maintenance costs. Self serviced fully synth. oil change every 7.5K. Bloody great motor and well worth strong consideration.


Recently change to a 140BHP A6 2.0TDi. Lovely bus. Far bigger motor. Much better on fuel as it turns out, even with a lot of urban driving.

There was something wrong with that A4 you had with those Economy figures, i would probably get 40 miles for a Tenner, in my S3 (1.8T 255bhp and quattro)

Blazer

tossy wrote: »

There was something wrong with that A4 you had with those Economy figures, i would probably get 40 miles for a Tenner, in my S3 (1.8T 255bhp and quattro)

I'd say a case of an extremely heavy foot

dodzy

tossy wrote: »

There was something wrong with that A4 you had with those Economy figures, i would probably get 40 miles for a Tenner, in my S3 (1.8T 255bhp and quattro)

All stop start. Never really got the chance of a decent run although now have a shot at some longer runs. General consensus on fora is that 40miles/€10 was not far off the true mark

Blazer wrote: »

I'd say a case of an extremely heavy foot

Hard not to keep it planted in fairness. A joy to drive at not to far off 200 brake. Tossy's 255 motor must be a bullet.

tossy

dodzy wrote: »

All stop start. Never really got the chance of a decent run although now have a shot at some longer runs. General consensus on fora is that 40miles/€10 was not far off the true mark


Hard not to keep it planted in fairness. A joy to drive at not to far off 200 brake. Tossy's 255 motor must be a bullet.

I suppose the would be a heavier car too, i was thinking about getting one of the 190 sport avants but i'm trying to reduce running costs so that scuppered that lol.

evo2000

so the A4 seems to be the way to go then?