massiveattack

I'm planning on a new car in a few months and have narrowed it down to two.

- 2005 2005 TL 5-Speed Automatic with Navigation System and
- the 2005 Audi A4 3.0 (sport and premium package - sbody kit)

I'm really leaning towards the Acura for the value of the buck, at 35k I get a nice 'reliable' car with up to date advance technology. But when compared to the Audi at 41k, I get very nice quality vehicle with plenty of power and the "euro" sav! Of course there are other factors to consider and this is only a base analysis from the last two days of shopping. But I'd like to hear from the people who own the TL or people who are familiar with both.

- What is your opinion of the two
- Of two you which is the better buy
- TL Owners: What are some things you would change
- Audi Owners: Same as above

*Like to also add, that this purchase is not for me but rather my gf. Of course I'm trying build the case to as why the TL should be the better choice


Thanks in advance!

mio

A4 ---- more fun to drive than TL.

miniscule

Honestly, I never drove a Audi so I wouldn't know
but doesn't TL have better re-sell value?
BTW I have driven many other cars, and TL is a VERY fun car to drive ^^;

MR1

I finally stopped to look at the Jetta and A4 just yesterday. The salesman and I both concluded that I made a real good decision in getting the TL.

A4 is smaller if that's a concern and more expensive if that's a concern.

IMHO Audi and BMW and perhaps MB now have those great warranties because they are/were getting so much bad press about the volume and cost of service necessary to keep the cars on the road.

For some reason (slow learner) I have had about 4 VW/Audi's and 5 Honda/Acura products over the last 36 years. The Germans all were a better behind the wheel driving experience. They really have that 'drivers wanted' thing going on. The Honda products have proved to be much more reliable and cost effective over the long haul.
FWIW, my 78 Civic semi-automatic could kick the shi* out of my 78 Vw Scirocco 4 Spd.

To be perfectly fair, I will admit that my last Audi was a 1984 4000Q. I loved it but that one probably ran me away from VW forever.

Sorry for the long post but one more thing. Let her buy what she wants or you will never hear the end of it and she will never be happy.

bklynpanman

i've had audis in my family for over 10 years.. go for the Acura hands down... audis have annoying little problems that will put you in for service often.. Also it's not THAT fun to drive.. the engine sound stinks number 1.. The TL has an awesome sound when vtec kicks in.. and with an intake sounds great.. plus the navigation easily puts it over the top.. Take it from someone who owns a TL and drives and audi during the week for a work commute !!

nikko

I owned an 2004 A4 and I got to tell you that there is nothing special about this car. After I got my 2005 TL I realized that I made a big mistake considering Audi in the first place. Audi has a vey nice interior ....but that's about it.
IMHO Audi like any other german car are overpriced. In order to get all features that TL has to offer you pay big bucks. TL over-performs Audi on about everything!
I would go for TL every day of the week!

mickey3c

Acura is as reliable as a lot of other cars with rattles etc... read the forum...

Spheno_3SXZERO

*cough* TL hands down...

massiveattack

Thanks everyone for the great input!

Audi's do got that euro "fun" factor but it sounds like the general consensus is the TL.

I'll have to think this through ...

... enough to get her thinking like me!

(*TL babe - lets sign the deal!!!)

audi_to_TL

iTrader: (2)

yur asking TL drivers their opinion...I think they might lean towards a TL because we all drive one. I have driven nothing but Audi for the past 7 years....I had the V6 2.8 Quattro A4...totalled it and got the 1.8T A4. I had a turbo upgrade, frontmount intercooler and tons of other mods to the 1.8T. I bought my first ACura in Dec 04 and its nice..but its not an Audi. Personally I think the TL is an awesome car but driving an audi is like driving nothing else. The new A4 is 255 horsepower...with the all wheel drive and its available with navi. Its also alot more expensive but I suggest actually driving one and then deciding which way to go.

Lore

I have a friend who drives an A4 1.8T and she absolutely loves it - so much that she intends to buy the new one when her lease expires this year. While her rationale for buying German is silly (they're "safer" than Japanese cars), she does love the interior and power of her Audi.

On the other hand, I love my TL - from the stereo to the handling (now featuring A-Spec!) to the quiet interior. Not to mention that for the money that I spent, I got the biggest bang for buck.

KJSmitty

I looked at and drove the A-6 and A-4 prior to purchasing the TL. I liked the Audi but the A-6 was too expensive for the bang for buck factor and the A-4 had less rear seat room than a previous Civic Si of mine.. The A-4 is way to small to pay that kind of money.... Audi or not......

ayethetiense

i had the same problem that you had....

the TL and A4 is what i was considering. i absolutely love how the A4 drove. the manual tranny and quattro is incredible. when it came down to it, i picked the TL. it really is a better value.

i also did not like the interior of the audi. they say that euro's dont have pretty interior because driving is what its all about. not the amenities in general. i wouldnt necessarily agree with this, but it could hold some value

if i were purchasing a car to purely drive and thats it, then i would have gotten the A4 quattro.

both vehicles look nice in their own way, its really which one would make you happier to own in the long run.

i hear audi's have a lot of electrical problems.

ed99

Audi or VW= BURNING OIL!!!


It is a very common problem with the Audi/VW cars. Yes both of my friend's previous 2004 Audi and 2001 VW Jetta burns oil like no tommorrow. They would have to dump 2litre of oil every 3months. THey are both very new cars and both brought back to dealer complaint and they told my friends that they are normal to burn oil??? Is like WTF!!! What kind of answer is that!! However, they are fed up with dumping oil every 3months so they traded their car in for TSX and BMW 330i.

shux69

they are both great rides, but the A4 is a more expensive.

SK7

I cant tell you to get TL.... cause i myself not sure if i will be getting one...i'm car shoping myself.

BUT ... what i CAN tell you is....

DO NOT GET AUDI.... yes they are great looking cars... very nicely designed.... but DAMNIT they have soo many problems its just more of a hassle of having one.

My friend has A4 1.8T and that thing has more problems then my old 1990 Integra with 124k miles on it. He's been in and out of the dealer with issues... and most of the time i doubt they fix them... cause they keep happening again. Plus my other friend with a TT had half of his car replaced already. from faulty turbo/intercooler/water pump/ interior/exhaust/ rear bumper.....(should i list them all)

I even ran into a guy shopping for TSX and he said that his mom had the 2005 A4 for 2 weeks and tha car been in the dealer for a week and half for problems... she was driving a loaner. How SAD is that.

ed99

Totolly agree with Sk7!!!! Lots of problems with the current A4 especially. Other thing I heard is the computer inside the car that is always malfunctioning. That is why I see so many 2004/2003 selling on use lots in Audi plus that is why they always have that 1.9 financing rate for up to 5yrs. YOu would never see a rate that low for Acura/Lexus/BMW/Mercedez unless they have problems selling their car!!!

Crazy Bimmer

true. But audi also has a free maintance plan up to 50k miles.

I would correct the others in this thread, but its fun watching the "I know a guy..." stories. Yet the guys who said they have had Audi, have said they enjoyed them.

I have an 2004 Audi A4 1.8t and I have enjoyed it since day 1. As far as the 1.8t motor, it doesnt burn oil. The car has 17k miles and never been in the shop, other than free maintance. Mines also modifed if that counts for anything. If you have any questions feel free to ask.


Anyways, go drive both cars and see which you enjoy more.

TLNJ

I used to have the A4 1.8t and absolutely loved it, however, did get rid of it because maint. costs after the warranty are pricey. Both cars are fun to drive. I decided on a TL due to its reliability and it's clearly the best bang for your buck. The A4 3.0 is pricey. If you are in an area where it snows a lot the extra price for the 3.0 might be worth it for the Quattro. That's my only wish for the TL to have AWD. From an Audi perspective the navi isn't great at least compared to the TL's.

Ultimately, both great cars the main difference is the Quattro. So are you in an area that gets bad weather alot???

Beckles

Thanks for the reminder of why I didn't even bother to consider an Audi ... $6,000 more for a significantly smaller car ... yeah, that sounds like a good idea ...

I don't know about the latest generation A4, but I know in the previous generation one, the backseat was pretty much useless for carrying adults. Unless you prefer paying a premium for a smaller car, I don't even see why you'd be comparing the A4 to the TL, the A6 is a better comparison in most aspects, then of course pricewise you're way out of whack.

ludachrisvt

iTrader: (2)

the audi is underpowered and please dont pay 41k for an A4 ...

hypno999

Definitelly TL!!! I had both A4 and A6. Nothing but problems (computer, sensors, etc.). Although I really enjoyed the AWD.

GIBSON6594

Aint this the truth, I have a TSX so I can't advise on the TL, but I can tell you that the dealership I bought my A6 from had to buy the car back from me due to all the problems it had in such a short amount of time.

Audi's are great cars, but if reliabilty is an issue...acura all the way

massiveattack

Great input!!! All things worth considering!

...I actually test drove both cars last Saturday and being a german car owner, (bmw330ci) - the audi did feel more solid: good response, good power and the great ergos. The TL aslo drove well but lacked the whole "german" appeal but was very "user" friendly. (if that makes sense to all the techies here).

Problems are the last thing anyone needs and I'm starting to feel that Audi's, being as nice as they are - just ain't there yet, with the ranks of BMW and BENZOs.

Still thinking this one through - however still leaning strong with the TL.

Acuraluvr

iTrader: (2)

i actually 'drove' an audi allroad my dad's friend and it was great although it was 60 gs but i perferred my dad's tl cus it's so fun to use take off the vsc and get some wheel spin

41k audi < 35k TL

onalake

I test drove a 2004 A4 and like it a lot for ride and quality but had big problems with rear seat leg room. If it's just you and your gf, that may not be an issue. If you want to bring your friends along, bring just the short friends. TL is more car and better technology than the A4.

kristacpa

So far there have been a lot of good replies...along with many personal opinions.

I traded my 2001 A-4 2.8 for my 2005 TL. Despite the free maintenance...my Audi was in the shop monthly...ever since the day I bought it. Never burned oil...but in the four years I had it (and only put 32K miles on it), I had several major warranty repairs, including alternator, fuel sending unit (2x) and windshield washer pump (3x). Those, along with 2 headlights, radio, and rattles, brought me back to Acura (left my 1991 Integra for the Audi). It was the $300 "check engine light" that came on a week after the warranty period was over that had me running for a new car.

Good luck on your final decision!

Crazy Bimmer

^ the b5 A4 was terrible in terms of reliablity. Thats a given

But audi has climbed to reach a decent level now and has proven it. But still acura is more reliable and a better bang for the buck.

I personally love the german fun factor over bang for the buck. Granted this is your GF car so that might be moot.

2K2SilverTL-S

I've never seen a comparo where the A4 beat the TL. Even the old TL Type S used to stomp the A4 in comparos. Heck, there was a recent comparo where the TSX came in 1st and the 1.8T came in last place.

The A4 is simply underpowered in both 1.8T and V6 trims.

babeebunny

I had a 2002 A4 3.0 (auto) quattro w/ the sport, premium and bose packages. Now I drive an auto 2005 TL with nav and the aspec suspension. Before buying this car, I was also considering on getting the 2005.5 A4 3.2 quattro (with the same packages as above). I went with the TL to save myself some money and the trouble of dealing with german car maintenance issues, as many people have mentioned above. Although it is more problem-free compared the 2002 Audi, it still has it's issues.

If your girlfriend is a driving enthusiast, get her the A4. The TL doesn't match up.
If she won't really know how to enjoy it, then get the TL and save yourself some trouble.
If she needs to have a nav and will put it to good use, get the TL.

ps. You should be able to get the 2005 3.0 for less than 40K since the 3.2's are out now. A dealership offered me a fully loaded 2005 3.0 quattro with their so-called "ultra-sport package" for less than 40K 2 months ago.

KilroyR1

I drove an A4 3.0 with the Sports Package. I had to look under the hood to make sure the motor was a V6, I thought it was the 1.8T. That motor has no balls. It handled very nicely but was rougher than my 1989 Chevy S-10.

TL all the way!

Don

wavshrdr

I've been a long time Audi owner. Out of my last 10 cars, 5 were Audis and 2 MB’s. yet when it came to buy my next car it was a TL. I still kept my AMG Benz. TL is a nice every day car. Great place to be. One thing I noticed about ALL my Audis save one is the fuel economy was terrible! My Audi allroad never ever broke 20mpg and often was hovering around 14mpg. By comparison my big Excursion diesel will get 25mpg on a trip TOWING my boat. My second to last Audi was bought back by Audi do to issues. They kept me a customer by doing this.

Would I consider buying another Audi, sure but none of the current US models. I am waiting for them to import their diesels but that is OT for this discussion. I find the TL to be more inviting as far as the interior is concerned. DEFINITELY lower maintenance costs for the TL than any Audi I’ve owned. Insurance is MUCH less too. Driving experience isn’t quite as fun but it’s not bad either. TL is a lot of car for the money. The A4 is just too cramped of a car for me. I’d rather look at the A6 for my usage and go with a turbo’d motor as with a quick chip swap you have MUCH more HP!

Acura resale is typically far better than my Audis. I would think twice before I’d buy a new Audi unless it was a diesel. I’d pick up a year old one and save 20-25%. I lucked out on the one Audi bought back or I would have taken a $10K hit on it in one year. By a used certified Audi and save a wad of cash! Just my $.02. They are nice cars but since the dollar has been crushed by the Euro they don't make as much economic sense.

terse

get the AUDI, it's made in Mexico!

elsensei

if you do get the A4, enjoy it for a little while but plan on dumping it in a couple years before the warranty runs out. Otherwise, save up now for electrical and other various repairs!

Crazy Bimmer

no its not

ChrisD7351

had an 00 S$ which was amazing, it was chipped which bumped the HP up to about 300 with a short-shifter and 18'' BBS wheels, the quattro was amazing around any turn at any speed. The thing was fast with the bi-turbo v6. I have a 04WDP TL now and i have to say the audi was a much better driving experience, the handling was much better, and the brakes were more sensative, overall a more a faster more sporty car than the TL.

direk_04TL

dude, i dont mean to flame and i do i agree that the S4 is a better handling car than the TL ... but its apples and oranges, specially when its a modded S4 vs a stock TL. the guy asked for advise on an A4 and not an S4. :wink:

SlayerGTR

i drove the Audi A4 1.8T 6speed and the TL 6speed

well, only thing i can say is the audi obviously wasn't as fast because i didn't drive the 3.2 but if u want a car thats more rigid and refined, then go w/ Audi. Their car jus seems to give u more of a solid feel where as TL is jus kinda a lose feeling. Overall, the TL is a better car because of the things it comes w/ at the same/lower cost whereas if u go w/ the Audi, you would have to spend thousands more matchin up the car to a TL.

It's all personal preference, but this is what I would say

if u are loaded and got cash to blow and u wouldn't mind spendin near 40k out the door for a nice car, the Audi would definitely make a great choice as audis are one of the hottest lookin cars, even hotter after simple cosmetic mods. Main prob is future maintenance...

the TL is overall the best buy and if you want a great car thats also fun to drive, not as expensive to load up, go for the TL. You can always order A-Spec suspensions or other mods to make the car handle better so it shouldn't really matter

terse

oh, i heard most of the parts were or something....

decky243

Only get an Audi if you don't plan on driving at night. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WILL FAIL. Your hope is that when your lights go out, you're driving during the day.