Hi,

I'm currently a 2003 G35 driver. I'm planning to move to a AWD sport sedan in preparation for next winter. Naturally the G35x is on my list, but while I'm considering a change I decided to investigate the other cars in its class.

After much test driving, the only one tempting me to make a brand change is the Audi A4 3.2 Quattro. It's a nice car.

In general I like the feel of both cars in their own right, but here are some points which separate them:

Audi A4 advantages:

- 4th generation AWD, 25 years in the making
- better gas mileage
- 4yr 50k mi maintenence coverage (including oil changes)
- a nav system which rivals infiniti (better actually)
- it accepts compact flash cards for mp3 music playback (cool factor)
- it's different

G35x advantages:

- about $3.5k less
- 280 HP vs 255, zooooom
- Xeon headlights (standard)
- keyless entry (and start)
- accepts CDs for MP3 playback?
- I'm a Z/G man, loved my 300zx and G35, love the direction of Infiniti

At the moment I'm torn. The Audi seems to be a worthy opponent, and has me intrigued, while Infiniti still has my heart.

Anyone have any opinions to share about either of these cars?
Thanks.

 

i say G... i dont have one, so its not baised... i was lookin into an audi too... BUT i dont like the front of the audi's... maybe just me... i should be posting in about 1 hr if i gettin the G or not... (all depends on the SAT scores, which are suppose to be in June 20th, and its freakin 1 : 23 am... y are they not up yet!?!?!?!?!??!?!

 

I recently just bought an '05 Sport w/aero package. The Audi was never in
contention for the fact I can't stand the BIG MOUTH GRILL and Boring rear.

The Audi Interior, Navi, and proven AWD are definite PROS, but the Exterior is much left to be desired, well at least for me.

 

My last car was a 2001 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro before I got my 2005 G35 sedan. Here are some of the main reasons (in no particular order) I didn't get another Audi.

1. For the first 3 years or so, I had something that would stop working in the car on a regular basis. The dealers were really cool about taking care of stuff, but it was a pain to keep taking the car in. They had to replace 5 headlights, 2 turn signals, 2 speakers, 1 head unit, 1 fuel pump, 1 battery, and a power steering fluid pump. This was the main deciding factor though...my Audi didn't inspire lots of confidence in me that it would last for a while.

2. Quattro made the car feel sluggish. It did an awesome job gripping the road but the car felt pretty sluggish. I test drove a 1.8T w/o Quattro and it actually felt a lot quicker. Also, I'm in LA and I don't think I really need Quattro that much.

3. There's free maintenance included, but it's limited to like once every 10k miles or so. My oil would dry up all the time, cuz I think it was very optimistic on Audi's part that the car could go that long w/o an oil change. I told the dealer and they checked it out but didn't find anything wrong...I also asked friends who had A4s and they experienced the same thing. Also, my local dealers had a 6 week lead time to get an appointment (unless it was an emergency)!

4. Stuff on the A4 is really expensive to replace/fix, and maintenance is expensive too. I wanted to buy my next car after the A4 and I didn't want to worry about high maintenance costs after the 4 year free maintenance ran out. I think our G's are on the high end too, but it seems like Infinitis are more reliable (at least I'm hoping that's the case).


Stuff I liked about my A4:

1. The interior is the best I've seen/felt. When I first test drove my G, I didn't feel like it was as refined as the A4 interior-wise. The ergonomics of the A4 is also the best I've seen.

2. While Quattro made the car feel sluggish, it also inspired confidence in bad weather (ski trips and some pretty heavy rain storms).

3. The paint didn't chip as easily as the G.

4. Had a split-folding rear seat option (though the reclining rear seat seat thing is pretty cool in our cars).

5. It had auto-dimming sideview mirrors in addition to the rearview mirror.

6. It did seem like it got better gas mileage than my G.

Hope this helps...good luck on your decision!
Thomas

 

I am also an owner of 03 Audi A4 1.8t and I will not recommand any A4 due to reliablity. As Tomheo mentioned, there are simply TONS of problems with Audi for no reason....and they are NEVER fun to drive (the S and RS are a bit better tho). To be honest, except the material quality, The G35 is simply a better car than A4. o and for the fold-down rear seats too.

 

Shopped Audi while I was in the market prior to this purchase. Looked at the same car you're looking at with a few options - very nice car.

Did a lot of reading and the reliability issues that owners themselves would write about made me think twice. When you have more than a few owners telling you NEVER AGAIN, the message isn't lost on me.

I prefer to admire the fine interiors of AUDIs from afar.

Good luck with your decision!

 

Before my sedan/coupe I owned a 2001 A4 1.8T - to echo the comments above the first year of it's life was spent in the shop getting minor repairs for things that would just fail on an almost weekly basis. Nothing major, but always something worth getting fixed like a window falling in, check engine light malfunctioning, auto mirrors not working, rattling rear view mirror, 12v power outlet not working, cassette deck clicking, speaker hissing in the door, headlights burned out twice... There were a few other things but you get the idea.

As an actual driving machine it was a nice car. I liked the turbo and the gas mileage, it felt sporty and the interior was very comfortable - but I don't think I would buy one again for awhile on account of what I see as just poor workmanship. YMMV, good luck!

 

Can you get the DSG with the A4. The DSG is probably the best manumatic type transmission out there.

 

So the Audi fit & finish really caught my eye. It's much nicer than the G35, impressive really. The drivers seat was a good fit, and had a better grip than the G. It also felt like a solid ride and is responsive. The G is still a rocket though, even the x variation. it'll beat the A4 off the line no prob.

The A4 toys look nice too. The nav graphics look like an updated version of the G's.

I agree the rear of the A4 is boring, but overall it's a nice looking car. I actually like the big mouth grill as well. While I like the 2005 interior mods to the G, I don't care much for some of the exterior mods (hood and front bumper). The new infiniti badge on the rear is an improvement though.

I am a bit concerned with the quality reports some of you have on Audi. On the flip-side I have friends who say nothing but good things about their Audis. I guess I need to get some real stats on this. Anyone know where I can find unbiased quality stats on these cars?

 

i guess this is common with most German cars. I sold my BMW 540i for same reasons. Lot of problems and the car was in the shop most of the time. Once the warranty ran out, I could not afford the costs and sold the car. I hear the same type of complaints from M-Benz owners but had thought Audi was better.

 

The Audi is a very attractive car... but when I researched prior to buying I was concerned about the reliability factor (as others have mentioned). There are so many good car choices out there; I weighed the reliability factory and how much the car would hold its value... I think I made the right choice with the G.

Buying a car is a very personal decision, but on this site you won't find many (if any) opinions that the G is not the right one.

Good luck ~ I hope you enjoy whichever car you decide on

 

I went from a slightly modified 2001 Audi S4 to a 2004 G35X and consider it a HUGE, HUGE downgrade. I looked at the A4, the BMW 325 and 330 iX, and the G. Now I kick myself every day for saving the few $ to go with the G. If anyone asks me, I tell them that the G is total junk relative to my old car. And keep in mind that the new Audi even better than the previous generation one I had.

Admittedly, the Audi did require a few repairs, but their service departments are a pleasure to work with. In contrast, at the Infiniti dealer I'm told "that's normal, go away". Now I'm stuck with a lemon, or a $5000 bill to dump it.

The Audi was much more "solid" and had a much more refined feel. It had vastly better ergonomics, and traction that was leaps and bounds better. It was tight at 80,000 miles, rather than rattly at 9,000. The Audi's stereo was leaps and bounds better. The materials, fit, and finish were leagues better. The mileage was better. The performance was so much better, it isn't even funny. I could go on, but I'm sure nobody on this board wants me to.

If you want an Audi vote, here's one. If you'd like to assume a great lease on G35X, let me know and I'LL go get the Audi!


Tony

 

Not sure if someone already pointed this out, Audi has active AWD system which I believe is 50/50 power distribution all the time. G has a on demand AWD system which is RWD during crusing. In terms of hertiage, the AWD system from the G is derived from R34 Nissan Skyline GTR (I don't believe I need to explain any further).

 

I doubt I need to state the obvious, but the A4 and S4 are decidedly different cars. If this thread were G35 vs S4 the responses might sound something like "Well Audi's reliability is questionable, but the S4 has a better performing, much larger engine". Just sayin'...

 

I agree with you on the erognomics, interior materials and straight-line performance. When you chip the S4, you obviously saw some great gains !!
Bottom line, Audi makes the best interior of the bunch as well.

Having driven many modified S4s, they can be very very quick. I've owned a few VWAG products myself as well. I had a 1.8t and a 2.8 30-valve.
My good friend had a 01 S4 six speed.
The 3.1 liter offered in the new Audi 3.2 is decent, though not inspiriing.

That being said, a stock B5 S4 would smoke my 05 G35x on the freeway-
At least that's what the seat of the pants tells me.

The quattro is great if you go for the S4 or a KO4'd or better 1.8t.

The G's weakness stems from cost cutting in certain , very visible areas.
The interior is bummer, though very functional and simple to use.
The carpet is low rent, the headliner, the leather could be drastically improved. The paint is rice paper thin.

However, the steering and throttle response on my 05x are fantastic, as is the body rigidity. I'm also very impressed with the suspension, and this motor on this car while gutteral with the windows up is super sweet with the windows down.

My G has almost 4000 miles on it- The auto tranny could use some fine tuning as it likes to shift to the beat of it's own drum, the Manu-matic is slow to react, and I'm bummed that the X only came with last year's rotors.
I still think this is one of the best cars I have ever owned. Very well built,. No issues.

Complaints:
Cheap plastic.
The VDC is way over zealous, though probably necessary for most drivers.
The G's Xenon lights are weak after being spoiled by Bi-Xenon projectors.
The display on the stereo is way too simple for such a large head unit.

Wants:
Bigger brakes-
6-speed manual.
Uh....

$34 grand with a Premium Package was at least a thousand less than the Audi with the 2.0t and quattro.