So....if someone is in the military, they should be mindless a$$holes who go around in search of disputes? Sorry, that's not me.

I assumed some overly defensive sole would assume I was trolling and just tyring to stir up trouble...thanks for filling that niche. However, I'm sure if I was to go in to one of the Jap car forums and indicate the superiority of German cars over theirs, they'd be defensive as well.

I am a car guy, plain and simple. I have an unhealthy relationship with cars and contiuously read what I can about them. I spend an unhealthy amount of time at Tire Rack fitting wheels on to cars I don't even own but would consider owning.

Anyway, my intent was not to ruffle feathers, it was to answer the original post with factual, statistical data.

About the car considerations....I understand about the A4 and G being in different class than GTI/Golf and that the A/S3 are on the same chassis as the GTI. For me though, I consider almost any class as an option. How much money do I want to spend now, that I won't have later in life. Plus, my long term goal is to have a third car sports/weekend car. In order to get that, I'm willing to reduce the expense of my daily driver.

 

What the hell happened to this thread? Somehow we got into a debate about finer details of being a military man...

Norton, did you get the A4? Maybe he is too busy driving his new toy to reply :-D

 

Nope-- haven't gone for it yet. Kinda think I won't due to the reliability issues-- and the recent Consumer Reports data that point to various Audi cars as among the worst overall for reliability in 2010.. I know that will inflame people here, but gosh, guys-- as I look back on all the cars in my life-- Olds Cutlass while going to school, Porsche 914, 944, Nissan 300zx twin turbo, current 997---- NONE of them have had what I would call reliability issues, with things breaking on them and not working-- and they were all used cars that I kept for at LEAST 5 years. MAybe I'm **** in the manner I maintain and treat my cars, but I just haven't experienced the type of issues that I read about on Audis. My 300zx TT had wiring harness issues on it (after 10 years) due to the heat of the turbos and Arizona heat-- the connectors started disintegrating-- but after 10 years I guess that's more acceptable then when brand new. I recently met a guy with an old M3 at a gas station that owns a used car dealership. We talked about BMW's-- he said "you are just going to have stuff go wrong on BMW's- that's just a fact"-- about Audi's - "they have all these sensors and stuff and they are just going to fail-- that's a fact"-- and Mercedes - "it's takes a fricken rocket scientist to work on an M/B, and stuff breaks on them all the time!"...

So, as much as I am seduced by the uniqueness and quality of interior, and the AWD, and the doting on Audi by the car mags (A4, S4, A7, etc.) I'm going to pass-- for now. Not sure what I will get-- even looking at the Volks cc, but it's sunroof doesn't retrack-- that seems kinda silly-- why even have one, then....

Again-- thank you all very kindly for the considered and thoughtful replies, and the honest opinions. It has helped me very much. I'm just weird, I guess, in that if even I had a Ferrari or Lambo and stuff breaks on it or doesn't work-- I get angry and consider it a piece of crap-- what good is it if all the stuff on it or in it doesn't function properly??? I'm weird, I know...

 

norton, you're a moron.

 

If you really are a worry wort as you describe, you are probably better off getting a run of the mill Japanese car. My buddy has a Lexus GS, which you might like, you can get it in AWD (sorta). It isn't anything like an Audi or BMW, but you don't really have to take care of it. I don't mind babying my car and getting regular maintenance if it's more fun to drive - I have over an hour for a commute, so I need to have something that's not boring.

Also, most people won't admit it, but "image" is a factor when buying a car. Whether people pretend not to care about their image or are completely brand ******, it's almost always a consideration when looking at cars. Lexus/Toyota sorta has the soccer mom image. Honda/Acura does have a somewhat tuner image, but none of their cars are very compelling. German cars have more of a sophisticated image for discriminating tastes.

 

BTW: if AWD is one of your main considerations, check out the Subaru. You could load one of those up for the price of an Audi. I had a Subie that I loved, but couldn't keep. In my opinion it has the best AWD system among practical cars.

 

Off topic- Its a great program to go through. Unfortunately we didn't order our A4 Avant early enough before my wife got her new orders to the states, so we missed out on the tax free benefit, but we were able to save almost $3,000 off MSRP through the Diplomatic Program (a little more than what we're having to pay in taxes, so in a way I guess in balances out), and ordering straight from the factory
We're currently awaiting our custom order, and should be here in on the 13th.