** NEW UPDATE..Audi it is!!! **HUGE Car decision tomorrow! '02 Audi A4 versus '02 Altima!!

[mAdD INDIAN]

Well the Audi will be slower...but if the guy is not gonna race, who cares..he'll have a classy ride.

On the other hand if he wants speed, he could get the Altima and forget about interior appoinments for raw speed.

NFS4: The Maxima is the poor-mans BMW, not the Altima!

 

[NFS4]

<< NFS4: The Maxima is the poor-mans BMW, not the Altima! >>


Considering that the Altima is faster than the Maxima and has a multi-link rear suspension vs. the Maxima's old school beam axle, I think I'll stick with MY comment

 

[sohcrates]

<< Ok...I am not here to suggest you which car to get since it's pretty obvious now
now, my only question is...HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT BOTH COST THE SAME??? >>



I have done the calculations repeatedly.

The A4 would run 29, 300

The Altima would run 27, 900

i KNOW it's not identical...but it's close enough for me as far as payments i could work out

 

[luvya]

<< See, that's just my opinion. I think it's so much better to get a top of the line car for 'X' amount of money than it is to buy a bottom of the line car for the same amount... I'd much rather drive a fully optioned Altima with a smooth V6 than an underpowered weakling of a car. >>



Nah, I don't buy that, I'd take Audi on any give day! Even you don't purchase any option with Audi A4, it's still equipped much better than a fully loaded Altima.

 

[geno]

<< Well the Audi will be slower...but if the guy is not gonna race, who cares..he'll have a classy ride. >>


170 HP won't do too well with a 3200lb car with 5 people in the car, but you're right it is classy.



<< Nah, I don't buy that, I'd take Audi on any give day! Even you don't purchase any option with Audi A4, it's still equipped much better than a fully loaded Altima. >>


I'm looking at the comparisons, the only differences I see in options are the heated side mirrors, lumbar support, anti theft radio and climate control. But on the flipside, it's showing that the base A4 doesn't have power seats...is that true? I thought it might have been a screwup... but you never know. Also the warrenties are interesting to compare, Audi/Nissan, basic warrenty 48/36 mo, drivetrain 48/60 mo

 

[ShadowHunter]

Nissan and Audi?? Why are you looking at those piles of junk?? Get a real car, the Civic, and mod it out with a extreme body kit, wing, and performance parts.

 

[NFS4]

<<

<< Well the Audi will be slower...but if the guy is not gonna race, who cares..he'll have a classy ride. >>


170 HP won't do too well with a 3200lb car with 5 people in the car, but you're right it is classy. >>


The only time my car has been loaded to capacity ('95 Camry LE w/125HP inline-4), was with 6 people total in the car on the way back from Chapel Hill after a birthday party. It was me driving, along with a 5'9" guy in the front seat, three 5'9" - 5'10" guys in the back, and one chick sitting on a guy in the back.

Now that's a lot of weight for my car, but I had no trouble getting up to speed with the tranny in "power" mode.

Unless he is going to be car-pooling, I don't see his A4 being at max capacity very often anyway. And the turbo in the A4 has some SERIOUS low-end torque which is more important.

 

[mrCide]

audi

 

[CraigRT]

Audi is scrap... (Audi BIAS here - I think VW should burn in hell as a whole, including their overpriced, overrated crappy Audi's)

I don't care what anyone says about this .. Nissan makes a better car.. especially sine that Altima will be thousands less. not just a few... a lot of thousands less... not to mention ass kicking looks, and a lot more performance, and reliability will be better too.. You know what gets my vote.. boo to Audi ....

 

[CFster]

Audi = broke.

Nissan = reliable.

 

[DSTA]

I'd vote for the Audi as well.

I've driven a CVT a few years ago (tiny Lancia). Felt strange at first, since it was programmed to get the engine on optimum revs all the time, by varying the gearing constantly. So the little box would just hum at 3000 something all the time unless it went "out of gear" on the autobahn.

At any rate the Audi engineers will have had to work their computers a bit. Probably not so straightforward to marry a turbo engine to a CVT. If done right (and I suspect it is), that could be one nippy car, since they could let the CVT iron out whatever little turbo lag there is left with the 1.8T.

Nice car really, if it wasn't so effing heavy.

Edit:

Quoting NFS4: And the turbo in the A4 has some SERIOUS low-end torque which is more important.

Absolutly, and if they get that matching nicely with the CVT... Sweet. Might want to make me buy an automatic some day.

 

[geno]

<< And the turbo in the A4 has some SERIOUS low-end torque which is more important >>


Curious, what's considered to be serious torque? I'm trying to find some specs but no one lists torque, or they list the torque for the 150HP version...blah

 

[halik]

heheh audi runs circles around tin nissans. These cars are made with precision and from ALUMINUM and their price reflect that. Nissian is cheap compared to that.

 

[NFS4]

<<

<< And the turbo in the A4 has some SERIOUS low-end torque which is more important >>


Curious, what's considered to be serious torque? I'm trying to find some specs but no one lists torque, or they list the torque for the 150HP version...blah >>



'02 Audi A4 1.8T

170HP
166lb-ft @ 1950 RPM

LOW END TORQUE!! Both Nissan Altima engines make their peak torque at above 4000RPM.

 

[OS]

Is there something I'm not getting here? Why are so many people voting for the audi? Isn't it a tiny car?

edit, just looked at edmunds, and I don't see anything really special about this car? It's the same size as a civic and it's not even RWD or AWD.

 

[geno]

<< LOW END TORQUE!! Both Nissan Altima engines make their peak torque at above 4000RPM. >>


Yeah it may peak at 4000, but what % of that is it making around 2 grand? I'm willing to bet a pretty large percent of it, providing a flat torque curve. I know what it's like driving a torque-y turbo I4, mine gets 210ft lbs at 2100 RPMs, and with a loaded car (which is very very rare for me) it still leaves something to be desired, and this is in a 2650lb car, never mind a 3200lb car. Granted the CVT will help, but it can only do so much...

 

[DSTA]

>Is there something I'm not getting here? Why are so many people voting for the audi? Isn't it a tiny car?

It's because size does matter. Just not with cars .

These cars are made with precision and from ALUMINUM and their price reflect that

Not this one. Weighs over 1400kg. Sig(h)n of the times.

I'm saving me money for this work of art. (not available to in the US, though).

 

[CraigRT]

Yes, Lotus does rock!
I wouldn't mind an Esprit V8 Turbo.. sweeeeeet !!
compared to a Ferrari 355 a while back.. really nice car that Lotus..

 

[teriba]

I want my money back! I voted for the Audi until I saw CVT. Automatics are for people without left legs!

 

[OS]

<< It's because size does matter. Just not with cars . >>



You must be on the small side then.

Small cars kind of annoy me, I don't fit comfortably in most small cars. If I'm laying out 30k for a sedan, I'd like it to be a bit bigger than a civic.

I notice that the car is built out of aluminum, but the curb weight of the A4 doesn't reflect that at all. How did they manage to waste away such a huge initial advantage? Aside from weight savings, there's no reason to use aluminum, I think it's actually weaker than steel. I guess it seems to me like you are paying for the aluminum construction (rather expensive to build with) but not getting any benefits from it. (no tangible weight savings)

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

<<

<<

<< And the turbo in the A4 has some SERIOUS low-end torque which is more important >>


Curious, what's considered to be serious torque? I'm trying to find some specs but no one lists torque, or they list the torque for the 150HP version...blah >>



'02 Audi A4 1.8T

170HP
166lb-ft @ 1950 RPM

LOW END TORQUE!! Both Nissan Altima engines make their peak torque at above 4000RPM. >>



The Altima makes about ~160lb-ft at the wheels below 2000RPM. The 3.5L VQ has a VERY broad powerband. I know for a fact that in my '99 Maxima with the 3L V6, the VQ produces 90% of its torque below 2500RPM. The 1.8T also has a broad powerband, however it's maximum is 166lb/ft (prolly 145 to the wheels) while the VQ will start from about ~150lb-ft(to hte wheels) and pull all the way to 210lb-ft(to the wheels).

Again the Altima has more low-end torque in the lower rev-ranges.

Also NFS4, everyone has a different defintion of speed, everything is relative. I've been in a Camry like yours, and with about 5 people and school bags in the trunk, its damn slow when accelerating. I'm talking about going from 30mph to 65mph in a few blinks of an eye.

That said, if you don't care about speed, go for the Audi...although I still don't understand how you get both cars for the same price?? Over here in Canada, a Audi A4 is around $50K CDN - fully loaded, while the Altima is $33K CDN fully loaded!

 

[Tomek]

get the Audi... i wish i could afford one

 

[OS]

<< And the turbo in the A4 has some SERIOUS low-end torque which is more important


The Altima makes about ~160lb-ft at the wheels below 2000RPM. >>




heh, yeah not to mention that the A4 is actually heavier than the Altima. Less total and overall torque on a heavier car.

Looking at the situation another way, the A4 peaks out real fast and the V6 altima makes an additional 80 lb-ft of torque over the A4.

 

[RGN]

Based on past experience with both Nissan and Audi. I'd say don't sign nothing until you drive both. The Audi is nice, but if your tall you might feel cramped. The Nissan will have more balls than the Audi. The 1.8T just cannot pull you off the line like the 3.5SE. BUT, the Audi will rule in the twisties.

In short, get the one whos interior you like.

 

[NFS4]

<< In short, get the one whos interior you like. >>


Well that settles it b/c anyone that prefers the Altima's interior to the A4 must buy all of their clothes from Big Lots