sgy44
New User
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| Joined: 04/07
Posted: 04/07/07 12:57 PM
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Posted: 04/08/07 12:32 AM
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Despite the fact that these two cars compete at the same price point, they're vastly different in performance and size.
Audi A4
Size: This Audi is small, especially in the back, with roughly the same cramped feel as VW Jetta.
Performance: It's also far less powerful, with the base engine providing 180 HP from a 1.8 liter turbo, and the optional engine providing 220 HP from a 3 liter V6. But pretty much any A4 you'll find is equipped with AWD, which is great for bad weather, but also adds weight and driveline friction, which makes the lack of horsepower even more noticable. Power aside, the A4 is a sweet-handling little four door, and every bit worthy of its reputation of a premium sedan because of it's european "feel," accurate steering, and balanced cornering capabilities.
Design: All Audis represent a kind of apex of automotive style. The Exterior is chiseled, lean, and expensively finished. The interior is beautiful, with luxurious textures, sensible controls, and brilliant detailing. BMW, Mercedes, and pretty much anyone else could learn alot from Audi's mastery of interior design and comfort.
Infiniti G35.
Size: This car is much bigger than an A4, even if its exterior doesn't seem that way. The wheelbase is longer, and the benefits show in much greater rear legroom. You won't notice the difference from the driver's seat though, as the G35 is about as spacious in front as the A4.
Peformance: The G35 is, by a huge margin, a superior performer. It comes standard with a 298HP V6, which makes it a *** fast car by any measure. It also comes standard with rear wheel drive, which for handling purposes, is superior. As a result, the G35 is a great handling, somewhat high-strung performance sedan that's far more capable of speed, both in a straight line and in turns, than the A4. It's rear-drive chassis is sophisticated and balanced, so it's also a better handling car.
Design: Design is an individual preference, but the G3 is less finely detailed on the outside than the A4. Yet, it's also low-slung and wide, which gives it a subtly aggressive stance that the A4 lacks. The interior is where the G3 falls flat. Compared to the Audi, it feels cheap. It's cleanly designed, but the details are often just plain weird. The power seat switches are a stack of unintuitive switches on the RIGHT side of the driver's seat, crammed between the center console and the seat. They're hard to reach, prone to damage by spills, and uninuntuitive. The rest of the cabin is decent, but cheap, with pumpkin-orange lighting, hard shiny plastic, and a generally cramped feel that doesn't do justice to the greater size of the car.
Ultimately, you must decide if performance is important. The A4 is NOT slow. Even the lowly 1.8T engine in the base Audi feels quick because it's a turbocharged engine. The turbo spools up early, so the full-whack of power is available at low RPM, so the car accelerates easily and quickly as long as you're not expecting huge power. The V6 Audi is less impressive, despite it's greater HP number. It seems to have no sweet-spot, and while it's perfectly competent, is totally unexciting. If that's not important, then ignore this issue.
The G35 is hugely faster, and has better, more balanced handling. It's also bigger, more spacious in the back, and less likely to suffer electrical gremlins that occasionally plague Audis (it's not a serious issue, just a minor tendency). But if power and handling aren't the issues, there's no doubt that the G35 feels far less rich than the A4. It's not a cheaply-built car, but it's also far from the Audi's superb attention to detail both inside and out (and especially inside).
If style and refinement are your priorities, go for the A4. If speed, space, and handling are you priorities, go for the G35.
And as a suplementary consideration, note that the G35 is typically a bit more reliable than the A4, though neither are bad.
Also note that I've driven both extensively, and been far more excited by the G35, yet generally more satisfied by the A4's combination of accetable performance and brilliant interior style.
And yet ANOTHER note: the G35 is available with AWD, like the Audi. It's likely far more rare when bought used, but if you can find one, that's one more advantage made awash between the two.
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