SebringSilver

You are so right about that last comment. One of the things that I didn't particularly fancy on my A-Spec TL was the way the trunk sounded when I closed it. There was a very tinny sound that made it seem very fragile. Close the trunk on the S4 and there's a solid, heavy THUNK! The car feels absolutely bulletproof.

Without meaning to steal any of the 4G TL's thunder (afterall, it does do a LOT of things very well), there comes a time when you have to take the rose-tinted glasses off and be coldly analytical about your assessment of a vehicle.

KeithL

So today I went to drive an Audi A4 Quattro 2.0T. As you porbbaly gathered by now I am itching for a new car and the 4G turns me off that much I am looking at all the competition since I really love my 3G Type-S. The Audio really hits many marks very well in my opinion. It is smaller than a 4G and when compared to a SH-AWD TL you wind up in a 2.0T becasue the V6 is priced many thousands more. But for me it is not whihc car gets 0-60 or the quarter faster, it is about can the car handle my normal driving with room to spare. Seeing as I rarely lean into the throotel under normal driving this mean 286HP or 300HP of the TL usually goes mostly unused. I was very surprised at how quick the 2.0T was and there was only the most minimal of turbo lag. The car handled extremely well and nad a perfect blend of ride quality and handling. Compared to the SH-AWD TL which I think probably hanldes atad better, but you deal with a stiffer ride and it is not as nimble or as responsive. Sure the Audi is a bit smaller and by the numbers slower, but for me it easily meets 98% of my needs there.

Exterioir styling.... I love the new A4 styling, it looks great from ALL angles and jsut screams sportly luxury and elegance to me. The car has a sporty look and stance, but nice curves and lines that really give it a sex appeal.The trucnk to me while not as big as a TL is big rectangle and flat, where the TL is odd and unevenly shaped. I love the LED running lights and they are quickly appearing on all Audi and becoming as much their signature as their grill is. I never liked the VW implementation of this grill as they usually have too much silver and chrom on it, but the Audi seem to be more subdued and actually fits the lines of the car better than the VW version does.

On to the Interior... I know many people love the 4G TL interior, I like parts and hate parts, the Audi to me I think is a far better interior. On the TL I woudl ssya the interior rates a 7-8 for me with me likeing almost as much as I hate in it, the Audi is a solid 8-9 with me only dislikeing a few things. The layoyt of some of the controls takes a bit getting used to, but all the buttons look and feel top notch. The Audio volue know is ina wired location to the right of the shifter. Some of the buttons did not have as good of a tactile feel as I woudl have liked and maybe felt liek they woudl not have the durability I would expect, but that may just be a feeling and not a true indication of their reliability. The Navi screen is not as nice as the 4G, but equally as good as a3G and far better than Infinity. The seats were comfortable and gave a good degree is support without being overly sporty. The cabin is atad tight due to the tranny tunnel and the back seat can get cramped if the front seat is all the way back. The tach and speedo were rather plain, but still elegant, I really love my 3G LED lit guages. The navi interface is probably the car's weakest point. I did not spend a huge amount of time with it, but in the time I did use it the interface is dead last compared to Acura, Genesis, Infiniti (in that order). The smal and again less than great feeling input knob is your main control and evidently you can't enter a street address via voice. The backup camera is exceelent, hi rez, with moving markers to show you where you will wind up based on the front wheel orientation. The car also had backup senors and blind spot lane change warning system. The Bang and Olfsen Audio system is far better than the ELS in the 4G, it delivers clean highs and lows throughout th epower band abd soudn staging is excellent with controls to center it to driver, front or back seats. Rating ausio systems I woudl go A4 & Geneisis Lexicon as a tie, then G37 SOW tied with ELS depending on whthere true clarity is important of ability to deliver. The ELS will be cleaner than SOW at lower volumes, but it loses its edge as you pass the halfway point of the power band. The ELS and SOW have obvous forward soudn stages, the A4 and Genesis are more imersive. IMO rating interiors I would go A4, G37 Sedan, Genesis (due to seat being not very supportive) then 4G TL. I know I'll get a lot of grief for that, but just my opinion.

Overall opinion... Look the 4G TL is aiming for a new audience, it is BIG and more luxurious and only the SH model handles the way I want a car to handle, but it adds a bit of stiffness that the Audi does not. An Audi A4 2.0T with Prestige package is within a few hundred dollars of a SH-AWD so based on price this is a driect match up, well the SH will clearly our power and handle the A4, so if that is your goal the SH is the way to go, BUT if you are looking at the overall expierience and car I give the big edge to the A4. The interior materials and fit and finish were better than a 4G and a G37. The 2.0T and Quattro system delivier very nicely and will save you a bit of gas over the SH. The leather seats int he TL are a tad more comfortable and slightly better leather grade, but the TL seats to me are not as well built, I already see sags wrinkles in showroom cars, even the pic of I think it was PETESTL front seat shows a sag in the passenger seat. To me at the $43K price point I go with Audi A4 by a mile, sure many will not agree with me and Audi's reliability and warranty are not as good, but today the reliability of all cars is usually much better than anything 10 years ago and I flip cars so much the warranty is not a big deal to me.

PetesTL

KeithL, I respect your opinion, esp. since you're one of the few guys here who actually test-drive cars before posting a lot of stuff. Several months ago, I test drove a '09 A4 2.0T and a 3.2 and I was sooo close to ordering the A4 2.0T with the Prestige Package, Nav, and Drive Select. In the end, I just couldn't do it....I came to my senses......there was no way I was going to spend over $40K for a 4-banger....no matter how good. BTW, the Prestige package doesn't include NAV or back-up camera.....that's an additonal $2000 option....so if you add that to the Prestige package, you end up with a $46K+ car.......right into BMW 335i and S4 territory.....not quite a bargain after all, is it. The B&O sound system (which is only available in the Prestige Package) was not that impressive to me....the ELS in the 4G has better clarity, sound separation, and is just plain awesome with discrete 5.1 discs. I also thought the HK Logic 7 system in my old 545i was better. Bang & Olufsen makes great looking audio gear (almost like works of art) but their performance is usually over-rated and their gear way over-priced. I agree that the A4's interior is very nice....fit and finish and material quality is top-rate, however, like all German cars, the design looks dated compared to the modern look of the TL's interior. But in the end, it all comes down to personal preference. So which is it, Keith?.....the G37 or A4?

KeithL

Thanks! I actually also drove a 328i today and when I can a chance will post something on that as well.

True if you include Drive Select, but remove Drive Select and the car with Prestige and Navi is $43K right at the SHAWD price point, and since the SH does not have anything like the Drive Select I feel not including it is a better comparision. And honestly while Drive Select sounds awesome, I don't think it is worth $3K.

Also the 4 banger does not bother me as much since their 2.0T really performs as good as many V6's with the benefit of slightly better MPGs. And While I like good acceleration and performance the 2.0T delivered fine for what I would want. I will give VW credit they really have mastered the 2.0T for V6 like performance.
I will agree that for 5.1 the ELS is an awesome system, but again as you crank up the power I find it falls apart. On the 2 I have driven as you get up near 30 and above out of the MAX of 40 the bottom falls out and the highs get over done. At levels below 20-24 the ELS is a great system, clean and clear, but overall the other systems I have heard are more consistent. Also the 2 4G TLs I have driven when you really hit the lows a certain way the back deck will bizz, an annoying issue that every one of my 3G TLs has had, although it is harder to get the 4G to buzz.


The TL's interior is more modern to an extent, but I don;t liek the NAV hump and the lines don't flow. Also the cheap overly cluttered center stack turns me off. Yes the A4 interior is a bit more simple and subdued, but still elegant and stylish.

At this point the A4 is a tad out of my reach and the G37 is not due out for another 1-2 months. So fo now I will continue to LOVE my 3G TYpe-S and am shooting for a March purchase at which point if I can swing the A4 I may lean that way, otherwise I would be more than happy with a G37 Sedan. There is always the slim (very slim) chance that the 4G may grow on me. One thing that may sway me to overlook some of what I think are 4G short comings is if they sell weak and some how drop some nice incentives on the SH I may do that as I am sure I can get an SH for $500 (or maybe less) over invoice since I have bought 4 cars from my dealer in 2 years. I mean a SH-AWD Tech at around $40K or less may be worth dealing with for a year or so.

PetesTL

Audi's 4-banger is definately one of the nicer 4-bangers ever produced......but when I test-drove it several months ago, there were times when I could hear (and feel) the coarseness of the engine during acceleration which turned me off....the V6 is so much smoother in this respect. Hey Keith, the new G37 sedans are already available in Chicago....where did you hear it won't be out for another 1-2 months?

KeithL

There are a few in the system, but Infiniti put a strict hold on them in most of the US, too much 08 inventory left. They are supposed to start dripping in during Decemebr with regular volume due in January, several dealers here have confirmed that and it is fairly common knowledge on the G35 boards. I think the North and NE are getting some G37x inventory to replace depleted G35x inventory and the ocassional G37S pops up here in the SE.