I just test drove the Audi A4 1.8T, and let me tell you that just made me like the TSX more. Navi is not even an option and neither is the homelink system which is standard on the TSX. Not to mention the horrible low-end torque on the A4. I was first concerned about the power of the TSX, but when I look more and more at other cars in the same class such as the Saab 93, Audi A4 1.8T, Lexus IS300 and more you really appreciate what you get in the TSX and for the price. The 1.8T is a smaller engine, less milage and bland interior. Although, the A4 did have a nice ride and personally I like the looks of it better, maybe if it was 5K cheaper I would think about it.

 

A4 1.8T is a rip off, compared to the TSX with all the options (excluding the navi and homelink) runs up to ~$33k! and that's just the FWD version.

i testdrove and was not impressed at all with the 170hp turbo engine. the TSX beats it in total value, reliability, and design. you get a great bargain in this car!!

 

I test drove the a4 and it wasn't that great at all, kind of funny how the guy who sold me the TSX switched to audi and let me test drive their cars.. Now the new s4, that's a whole other story, the sound of the turbo in the s4 makes me so

 

two words.....

Turbo
Lag





Though I still love the exterior styling of the A4...

 

I wouldnt worry about power with the Audi.. Its really simple to make that 4cyl in the 200+ HP range.. It will smoke the TSX.

As for looks I'm with you on that one the Audi looks more luxurious and bigger..

I'm thinking about getting an Audi myself.. Dont know yet..

 

haha... doesn't take much to boost the A4 over 300hp

Upgrade da turbo, new ECU, intake, exhaust, and u be pullin 2x the power than the stock 1.8T

 

The new s4 doesn't have a turbo... it is just a 340 HP V8. The older models were twin turbos, and did sound pretty sweet. I would trade my TSX for my mom's S4 any day... hehe.

 

Sooo......

If you want navi...get the TSX..

If you want to pump more money that sounds like you don't have into a stock car to make it go faster than the TSX, get the A4

S4...that's a whole different topic

 

Acura TSX is really one of my three favorites, the other two being BMW 3-series sedans and Infiniti G35 sedan. None of the Audi lineup attracts me at all.

 

while i like the A4/S4 styling a lot, there is no contest in my mind... TSX all the way... car & driver shares this opinion:

http://www.caranddriver.com/article....rticle_id=8550

 

The other day it was the previous gen S4, and that's where I heard the turbo, I just assumer the 2004's were turboed as well. Thanks for the correction. But a 340HP v8, damn, that's sick...

Are Audi's known to be modified? I was sure that any Saab/Audi can have more boost pushed through stock/upgraded turbo, but they are really luxury cars, and I don't know anyone that has done that. Any links? This could be interesting.

 

A4 comes with homelink.

 

homelink is an option, and so are leather seats, xenon lights, sunroof, trip computer, and more.
a lot of stuff isn't even available on the CVTs. and the quattro is out of the tsx price range...still without a sunroof or heated seats or xenon lights or 17" rims.

 

in a few years sh-awd should trickle down to the tsx. hopefully they'll up the ponies by then too. slap a aftermarket turbo and head to the track against the S4, that should be interesting.

 

I test drove both the A4 1.8T quattro and the 3.0 Quattro (6m). They are both really nice cars. But they were both beyond my price range. with the TSX, you get more for your money. I must say that the 3.0 was soo much fun to drive. It has all the power that is missing from the 1.8T. I am sure the S4 is even more fun to drive but what is the other A4 that has a V8 with twinturbo and a price tag of around 80K. I checked the Audi USA site and did not see it. I think it's called RS or something like that.

 

The twin-turbo V8 to which you refer is the RS6.

 

That's the one!!! thanks man. I don;t think the 80k price tag is justifiable though.

 

I do...that is an awesome car. Considering that the M5 and E55 cost in the same price range, the RS6 falls right into the spread.

BTW, where in Alexandria do you live? I was just down in Alexandria yesterday biking.

 

I had a used A4 for about 8 months. I had to sell it due to the many reliability issues that it had. At only 40K miles I had to peplace the engine control unit, automatic transmision, timiming belt tensioner, and even had to repair the leather trim on the back doors as it started to peel off. Not even the Ford Escort I had in college was so unreliable...

 

I raced my cousin's 1.8T. Before the race, I thought it'd be a close race.....needless to say after it was done. I consistently beat him by 2-3 car lengths! He was stock and I had I/E.

Those things are horribly slow on the fwy too.

 

And blow your bone-stock engine block in a hurry... That's priceless!

 

Like the TSX the 1.8T Audi was not meant to be raced - it's a nice pedestrian car - with a german price and pedigree.

 

You can't talk enough about the questionable reliability of the Audi. I am moving to TSX (maybe '04 leftover this week) from the the VW Passat, which everyone knows is a kissin' cousin to the Audi 1.8T (same chassis & engine). I really love the VW - -handling, solid German feel, nice attention to detail, etc. But I have learned the hard way that having a car that you can't trust is no fun. 6 months ago, braking system went bezerk ($700). This month, ignition switch went, and I had the timing belt done too ($600 total), because it's an interference engine (an untimely break=$2000 in damage) Can't knock the Audis and VWs - - they're great "driver's cars", but if you rely on your car like I do, they can really test your patience.

 

I went from a 99 passat to tsx. The tsx is great, but as you said, the attention to detail is not the same. My vw didn't have too many problems except the brake lights didn't work sometimes, the cd changer broke really fast, and some lights kept popping up on the instrument cluster. I just miss the pull-twice-to-release the locked front doors, the sunroof control, the awesome key, and the illuminated door locks. Don't get me wrong, i don't regret changing cars at all, and i think the passat had some big fixes coming. The tsx seats are also reaaaaallly comfortable and the audio and climate controls are so close at hand. have to mention the look on people's faces when you drive by them

I was at the gas station today and the employee seemed to be fascinated by my car

 

Plus the TSX will hold up its value. The A4 will loose value like air conditioner water on the bottom of your car. And the 1.8T engine has a history of problems.

 

I had massive electrical problems with my Jetta GLX V6; warning lights came on and off randomly, the cd player functioned randomly and the car began to stall randomly, warm engine or cold, low speed or high - rumored to be condensate under the distributor cap, but I could never get a straight answer out of the dealer. Electric window cranks broke, leaving me with shattered glass inside the doors, and the clutch locked into park, randomly, until an autoshop fixed it. Most of this stuff started after about 40,000 miles (two years) and gave me reason to terminate the lease a couple of months early. The repairs and towing costs ran to $3000 in the last two months I drove the beast, and the experience really soured me on VW/Audi products. The car that I had, fitted out as I did (17" wheels and a sports suspension) was a tremendous car to knock around in, but I came to the conclusion that VW/Audi designs great cars but executes them poorly.

Some of the amenities of the Jetta were nice - memory seats, lighted steering wheel controls, ect; I miss these on the TSX, though some of these are "fixed" in the '05 - but I think the TSX interior is far more polished an effort and far more comfortable - and ultimately, the TSX is a far more pleasurable car to drive. Combine that with Acura's reliability and a civil dealership that doesn't require an appointment made two weeks in advance.... no contest

 

ppl here don't believe me when I say this The TSX is a better car, but Acura could learn about paying attention to the little things like VW does

 

Sad (and telling) that this is a universal issue with VW service departments...

 

On top of that, the 1.8T is rough and vibe like crazy when high rev. The manual box is notchy as hell. The interior trim is peeling off. Every VW/Audi are aging damn so fast! 4yr old drive like 10 yr old Honda. It is heavy like hell and also still a 4-banger FWD chassis! It is funny to see Gilbo to trash TSX on this and praise the Audi that have the same setup! Is it call brand whore?

 

Gilbo drives a BMW...'nuff said.

 

And drive a wannbe BMW... 325i

 

Come May '05, the more appropriate comparison will be TSX vs. A3, not A4. It comes with a new 2.0T engine that is smooth, very little lag, and will smoke a TSX (same HP, way more torque).

I expect the A3 interior to be just about the best. VW/Audi really does terrific interiors. But I also expect quality to be questionable. VW just isn't in the same league as Honda in that area. And it most surely will cost more, when equipped comparably.

 

My first choice was an A4. I've never owned a German car and I like it better than the BMW or Mercedes as far as looks and interior quality. Audi has the best interior quality compare to it's rivals.

If reliability, pricing, amount you pay for service are not the issue, then I would still considering getting an Audi...

I heard rumors, but not sure about a twin turbo V8 RS4 NOT an RS6. Germany has all the goods.

 

That remains to be seen. It'll depend whether or not they actually put the power to the ground well. There's a long way between a flywheel and the tarmac, and VW have not always been renowned to transmit the power very well.

 

Yea, those are some big claims from a car that has yet to come out (and be tested).

 

I am on Beauregard just off of 395. a lot of bike trails around.

 

I thought Gilbo drove a VW?

Edt: Yep: https://acurazine.com/forums/showpos...38&postcount=5

 

I recently traded in an '02 A4 for a TL. The TSX was on my short-list, and I've spent about a week driving one as an Acura loaner.

Let me assure you that the A4 is an incredibly solid car. It has a very thoughtfully laid-out interior with plenty of space, luxurious materials, and a lot of nice touches. There are no buzzes, squeaks or rattles, and the suspension -- while sporty -- is also so compliant that the coachwork will stay tight and rattle-free for years.

It's something you can't tell on a test drive, but after owning one I can tell you that it's really there: the A4 has a lot of "substance." It's a great car even if it seems pricey on paper.

Audi service is better than Acura's. All maint, including oil changes and wiper blades, is covered under the warranty. And you don't have to convince them to fix little things -- it's nice to be treated that way, and it's only possible when the manufacturer covers everything.

The 1.8T is a great engine with astonishing torque and a bulletproof block. The turbo plumbing can't take a lot more boost, but if you're willing to replace the plumbing the rest of the drivetrain will take 250hp reliably. It is possible to add about 25hp by simply replacing the ECU.

Bosch screwed up the coil design for a couple of years, but these have all been replaced under warranty. Also, the 10K oil change interval is pretty long, and there's been a (warranty covered) issue with sludge buildup that led to catastrophic oil blockage in a few cases.

The standard FWD 5-spd is a better-than-average tranny. Because the torque curve's so broad, the A4 really doesn't need a 6-spd. The optional CVT is the only automatic I know of that delivers the same straight-line numbers as its manual counterpart.

German cars have always offered a little less "content" than premium Japanese brands. But it's clear the money is spent on refinement rather than features; the price difference is not an empty ripoff.

When I had my A4, I had a car that I thought would last forever if only the engine held up. With my Acura, I have a drivetrain that seems like it'll last forever, and which leaves me wondering how long the rest of the car will hold up.

To each his own -- but don't underestimate the pleasure that comes from driving an A4. It's a world class car.

 

Gilbo has definitely implied that he drives a BMW 330xi. This solidifies my calculation that he's 73% likely to be full of sh*t

 

Nah, that was Buff-Daddy.

I swear Gilbo said he had a 325, though...