wantmye90

Any thoughts on which would be the better car to buy?

I am a fan of both! Can't decide. Believe they are both similarly priced.

535 is a bit too much IMO.

Thanks.

Richard in NC

What answer do you expect on e60.net?

wantmye90

Well, obviously I expected a bias towards the 528, but I was hoping for comments from other enthusiasts who might shed some facts on WHY the 528 is the better vehicle. And perhaps even why the A6 is the lesser. Surely some have given this some thought.

e60-545i

I have test driven A6 3.2 before and it is a very good car. In fact, I like the design of A6. Obviously, as e60 driver, I prefer the e60 in terms of design and performance. As I have not driven 528i, I can't make a direct comparison to that particular vehicle. But generally, I felt that A6 lacks that razor sharp handling of e60 and the Audi dealer agreed as he said it doesn't handle as well as the BMW. The steering feel was rather loose on A6 compared to the e60. However, I was very impressed by A6's interior and design. While A6 was luxurious, it didn't quite deliver that sportiness of e60. Since I value driving dynamics more than the sheer luxuriousness of the interior and comfort, I went with e60.

As for the all wheel drive in A6, the benefits one can expect from that system largely depend on what part of the country you live in. If it snows in the winter, I can see AWD can be very useful but for someone like me in CA, it is not a necessity.

I recommend that you test drive both and then decide.

P.S. One may prefer Audi's MMI over the BMW's i-drive, but I have no problem with i-drive and love it.

kiwistu

Hi

My business partner prefers Audi's - I don't know why as his car has awful steering (motor is in front of the front wheels = instant balance issue) where as my 545 has the motor behind the front wheels...go figure...just like my past 328 not that I am biased...

I think a BMW is more of a drivers car, great engines, handling etc, where as Audi's are generally more conservative. If I lived somewhere where it snowed I'd look at one though - do they offer the 3.2 S-line versions in the USA?

Cheers
stu

wantmye90

Thanks for the responses everyone. Yes, the s line is available in the US and it is quite nice looking.

I concur - the BMW drives better while the Audi has better creature comforts, including the MMI. Too bad there's not a car on the market that drives like the BMW but has the interior of the Audi. Now that would be a car!

All wheel not critical for me - I am in the SE US. We see snow MAYBE once a year.

Am concerned with cost of operation and reliability too.

Heelsonwheels

A6 S line is real nice, I wouldn't consider the standard A6, but adds alot to the price, may even approach the 535 when ur done. I considered the 4.2 S line with all the toys, it priced out close to a 550i. I still prefer the feel of BMW...go figure.

HPIA4v2

528 vs A6 3.2 is really a tossed up. So I refused to put myself in that position last summer, I went with 535i. Even forgo all the xi stuff in Seattle WA cause I want ARS and never look back. The only problem is RFT, I think BMW need to put this one as no cost option. It really limit the performance of the car even on dry road.

BTW, You can negotiate with Audi dealers to toss in the free maintenace ala BMW.

Good luck.

moschse

i have driven audi's before, but the only one that impressed me was the 2004 S4...My bro-in-law also has a 08 550, and has decided to get the RS6 in a year... Granted these are all performance machines, if i were to boil it down, BMW exceeds audi in handling, performance, and design (interior and exterior)...

HPIA4v2

Yep, RS6 is beast but Audi hasn't decided to bring that across the pond. BTW, rumor said 09 M5 will have 600HP V10 TT, now that is scary (assuming Dinan can bump the HP by 15%-20% using Software alone).