Car enthusiasts, what to do, Audi, VW or BMW

[Turkey]

Maybe your best option is to buy a domestic and mod it a little. With a suspension upgrade the LS could be a contenda... if I wanted a domestic (in that range) I'd go with a Mustang Cobra, a Neon SRT/4 (not yet available) or possibly a Pontiac of some sort. Of course the new Cadillac XLR should be out soon too... among Audi/VW or BMW, I'd probably go for a turbo VW, just because I'm not so into the luxury and more into performance.

 

[JoPalm]

They're all nice choices. My 3 friends just all got VW's, 2 Jetta's and a GTI, all 3 are 1.8T's too and the Jettas have new grills on them and a different intake...nice stuff . I'm jealous, lol. BMW's are also very nice, I drive a 1982 3 series...lol, but I like it. I like the look of the new audi a4 too! I wouldn't be able to choose.

 

[Boogak]

I went thru the same decision sorta about 2 years ago, wanted a nice ride under $40k. At the time, I was looking at a BMW 323, Audi A4, used M3, Lexus IS300, and the S4. Crossed the M3 off the list cuz I wanted a new car (never driven a new car before in my life, and I wanted the first car I ever bought with my own money to be new plus I don't particularly like the boxy look of the E36 M3 ), crossed the S4 off the list cuz it was too expensive, crossed the IS300 off the list cuz it only came in automatic at the time, and finally crossed the 323 off the list cuz I could get so much more with the A4 for less money.

While I love driving my A4, if I had to do it over again I think I'd go with the M3. The 1.8t engine (even chipped and with an exhaust) just doesn't have the oomph of the M3's inline 6, I'd have to spend $3k+ on a new turbo that get that oomph. So out of your list, I'd go for an S4 first and foremost. I love AWD and the A4/S4's sleek style. Then mebbe a used M3, and then the new A4 3.0 (maybe higher on the list since I haven't driven the 220hp 3.0 engine).

 

[divinemartyr]

I've been researching all of these myself recently, and the S4 was my ultimate car of choice. Of course after coming to my senses I realized that the S4 was just out of my price range. I thought about stepping down to the A4 3.0 or even 1.8t, but honestly it didn't have the performance I was looking for. Since I can't afford the S4, I decided to go with a Subaru WRX. Similar performance to the S4 at about half the cost. Brand new with an MSRP of $23,995.

I know you weren't looking for this opinion, but if it's in your budget, get yourself a 2000 S4.

dm