I'm considering getting an A4 Quattro Sedan or Acura TL. The Acura would be more practical, but I'm thinking the A4 is more sporty. Any thoughts?

 

I'm on my second A4- grrrrreat cars! Saw the TL, unimpressed. The TL moves nicely, but chip the A4, put on some Sportecs and it's hot! Get the rear lip spoiler- it just adds the extra little touch.

 

The A4 definitely gets my vote. It's more fun to drive and you don't have to deal with that nasty torque steer.

 

AUDI for sure.

 

A4 Period

Alan

 

Depending on where you live, I can tell you the Audi drives AWESOME in snow!!! If I remain in the midwest, I wouldn't get any other car besides an Audi as a DD.

That said, I find the TL ugly and not too sporty. Just like someone noted, that torque steer is a hassle too. FWD cars are a big no no in my book...

 

How about a different perspective? My wife had an A4 for over a year... I now daily drive a TL. Soooooooo, I have an UNbiased opinion as I've extensively driven both:

A4:
AWD rocks!
Interior quality is top notch, very classy car...
Interior overall is smallish...
Exterior very solid...
Handling great...
Reliability, well, I wouldn't want it past the warranty period...
Biggest complaint is that it's SLOW AS ****!

TL:
I hate the FWD but it's not an issue 99.9% of the time.
Fairly quick, has some decent pick up, much faster than the Audi...
Interior quality is TOP notch.
Nav is best on the market, MUCH better than the Audi.
Bluetooth rocks.
Stereo is good, not quite as good as the Bose in the Audi, but nevertheless, good.
Interior is also smallish...
Reliability, the deciding factor, it's a Honda!

Just my 0.02
Peter

 

I also own an Acura (MDX) and will agree the Nav is definitely better than the Audi.
I don't think the interior looks anywhere near as nice as the Audi. The seats in both the MDX and TL are very comfortable, but then again so are the Audi's.

In terms of speed and handling the Audi may not be the fastest off the showroom floor but is easily modded.

Yes, backseats in both are very tight but the TL may have a slight edge in terms of leg space in the back.
If you're tall the front seats in the Audi are great in terms of how far back they will go. My S4 is the only car I've had where I don't automatically put the seat back as far as it can go.

 

Audi!!! A friend has a 2.0t. Nice car with enough power.

 

A4 is very nice.
but the TL woudl be more reliable and better built.
I would probably get the A4 if i was in ur situation.

raja

 

No question--A4.

The only advantage that I can see for the TL is the engine and power.

However, that advantage is quickly negated by the fact that the powerband of those cars is extremely narrow, along with not being very torquey. That combined with the FWD means that the HP figure is highly misleading. It also has a lot of gadgets, which usually mean little to the enthusiast.

Also consider that a chipped 2.0T would mop the floor with the TL. A stock one would hardly be slower in real world driving also. The 3.2 is a great engine also--very smooth and powerful.

Price can vary--I would look into a CPO vehicle. You can save a ton. My car is actually a CPO and it has treated me great.

GL

 

How are the brakes on the A4?

 

I assume you are looking at the newer B7 A4's thus I will address your question as such.

The brakes are great actually. Provided you are not tracking the car they should be more than adequate for day-to-day driving. In our 3.2 with all-seasons I found the tires to be the major weak point in at the limit braking performance. Pedal feel is good. Non-sport cars will stand on their nose a little bit, but they are stable. I found no weaknesses really.

According to the tech specs from Audi, the braking components are the same so my feedback is applicable for both. I have driven a 2.0T avant but not nearly as much as the 3.2 sedan that we have.

Tech Specs:

2.0T/3.2
320mm by 30mm Front
288mm by 12mm Rear


My B6 A4 on the other hand....well the brakes suck.

 

My 2005 B6 A4 w/ 21K brakes very well; not as good as my Porsche w/10K, but very well.

 

We currently have a 2005 GLI and the brakes squeek and squeel all the time. I'm not sure if it's because the brakes ar more performance oriented or a flaw in engineering. VW claims it's within specs and won't do anything. They do admitt it's a huge issue though. Other than that, the Jetta is fine and very sporty. Do you guys think the A4 will have such issues.