Geez, lots of BMW hate going on. If you want a smaller, faster, nimble, more reliable car....get the 3 series. You CAN NOT compare a 3 series to an A6, a 5 series is a little closer to an A6. The A6 is really like a combo of a 5 & 7 series.

Our 93 325is 5sp has 250k miles on it and has been the most reliable car we have ever owned by far. I enjoy driving it on occasion as it is a lot of fun. But for me, the Audi is the clear winner, I want a cruiser with lots of room, is safe and I could care less about 0-60.

My partner who drives the 3 series loves it, he likes the A6 but feels it is too big, cushy, boat like is often mentioned, slow, but very luxurious, safe, stable, fantastic in snow and fun to drive in a station wagon way.

In the end, get the car that you feel is the best fit for you. Maybe that is an A6, an A4, a 325/330 or whatever. But saying the BWM is a mistake simply because the awd is not the greatest is just close minded.

Of course the BMW has a higher resale value. How many BMW's need 1400.00 dollar timing belt changes? Or 1000.00 dollar control arms? Valve cover gaskets....after run pumps (2.7) the list goes on and on. People fear Audi/VW for good reason. Of course a BMW will need most of those items eventually, but were on our original timing CHAIN, valve cover/head gasket are original.

An A6 is a family luxury car
A 3 series is a family sports car

Jeff

 

Smart guy^, about as good as anyone can explain! But I must say, Ive never heard of a BWM... just kidding, lol. Hey, but my A6 wont be boat like, after it gets about 1k worth of control arms, springs and sways

 

Lol, well I guess I won't lose much by test driving the 330I. Now I don't have any money at all, so I'm going to the dealer and telling them this should be an even deal, and hoping to pay a maximum of $500-1000, sounds IMPOSSIBLE, but worth a try.

This is of course assuming I like the car.

And even if I do, I still kind of don't want to lose my Quattro, the dual climate control, the heated front seats/back seats, the air condition/heat openings in the rear, and of course the much bigger room, especially the trunk, which I use for college.

Well, I'll got test drive the car, if I like it, and they agree with me paying basically nothing, which is impossible, I'll just say God wants me to have the 3-series and I might take it, lol

Oh, also Jeffla, the A6 could be both luxurious and fast, if I had the 2.7T I would've never thought a second about getting a BMW, even if the Audi had a world of problems, because the Audi clearly has the best interior, so adding speed would make it a perfect car. I also love bigger cars. But your post was really helpful and made me want to give the bimmer a chance, as I never in my life drove one.

 

trade in, you probably won't get more than $5k, if you're lucky =/ it hurts but that is the reality. if the trade in wasn't so bad I'd be in a supercharged R32 right now lol

 

you're absolutely right, but ppl might get lucky,
my cousin just traded in his 2000 passat 2.8 160000 miles for $4500, for an E class E320 AWD 100000 miles, and he he only paid $3500, so he got the mercedes for $9000.
Crazy isn't it?

 

Almost traded mine even for a 01 S4 6mt with 91k on it, but the clutch was iffy, and its a 2.7, both good and bad...

And bobo, the VWs hold value alot better than the Audis, for what my car is worth, the equiv. VW would be a jetta VR6 with the same miles and year or a passat V6, FWD, same year and miles.

 

then how come kbb values for our cars (2.8s) is way higher than that of the passat, that is trade-in value?

 

IDK, I mean, in theory, our cars are worth way more, as they are alot nicer, but if you spemd a little time surfin ebay and/or auto trader, or a site like that, youll see that our cars dont sell for much. I mean, my car was under 9 grand, with 80k on it. Find a 2001 passat V6 4motion with 80k on it for 9, it will prob be more like 11, or it was when I bought mine. You can buy a S6 in the low 20s!! Thats a 340hp V8, full leather, suede headliner, awd, ect. A bad *** car. The best used deals out there are Audis, the expensive VWs (W8 passat, touareg, phaeton), and the real SAABs just to name a few.

 

you might be right, but to be honest I guess a lot of it depends on luck. My cousin who traded in his passat, got it for $4000 when it had 120000 miles, this is the same one that he traded in for $4500 with 160000 miles.

Any ways I think you got a really good deal on your car too =)

 

b0b0, if the person you are dealing with is some sort of a dealer, then the trading in value for your audi will be aroun $4500 to $5000 as everyone else said. And the dealer will try to sell you the bimmer for around $12000. So even if you are getting a hell of a deal and say getting the bimmer for $9500, do you really want to pay $4500 plus tax, license and fee for the car? Don't get me wrong, 330 is a lot more fun to drive.

Anyways, if I were you, I would sell the car to a private party and go buy the bimmer with cash. Cash always talk.