911

I haven't driven the 330, but I have driven both versions of the A3 (2.0 & 3.2) and what an awesome little car. The DSG is a wonderful piece of technology (although I did read that you were getting a manual) and it takes "driving" to a different level, IMO. If we didn't need a big family car, we would not have ordered the Q7 and we would have gone with the A3 3.2.

mts

I really like both cars. I don't think you can go wrong with either. I'd lean BMW as my past BMW's have been a bit more reliable than the Audi's.

mjw930

I see you pre-ordered a Q7, have you had a chance to drive one yet? I was lucky enough to be able to compare all 3 brand new examples of the PAG/VWAG SUV's this weekend. I was quite surprised at the LACK of performance from the Q7.....

Here's a list of what I drove in the order of my preference:

Cayenne Turbo S - OMG, What more can I say?
Cayenne S - Very tight and responsive, a lot like a fine sports sedan rather than an SUV (but I don't have to tell anyone here that)
Touareg V8 ('06) - Slightly less "grunt" than the CS but good responsiveness non the less. Feels like a very capable SUV vs. the CS's Sport Sedan feeling
Q7 4.2 - Very nice interior but it performs very much like a Cayenne V6 with a soft suspension. Performance off the line was dissapointing and it took very little to make the tires scream for mercy.

As for content relevent to this thread, unless you are going for the RWD BMW the Audi's seem to have better road manners. From a support standpoint the BMW does come with free maintenance through the warranty period. That's worth something when you evaluate the bottom line.

Vino

mjw930,

I do like one of your cars in the stable, the Volvo V70R which some of you who plan on a second family car should look into.
It is truely an awesome car, my Lawyer is a Volvo freak and has an S60r and V70r for the wife.
Probably the most comfortable car in the sports wagon/sedan market and very capable.

Just as a side not, it's just about as fast as a V8 Audi S4 for the price of a fully loaded Audi A4 which is a great car but would be eaten by the Volvo.

Just another car to throw into the mix and worth taking for a test drive
Also, do the manual, it has the full 300HP vs. the automatic.

911

Yes, I was finally able to drive one this past weekend at Audi's Streets of Tomorrow event. I agree that the performance of the Q7 is probably a bit behind the Cayenne S (it's been a while since I've driven the CS), however, I didn't drive the car in S mode and I'm sure that makes a pretty big difference. It makes a huge difference in my allroad, for example.

For the most part, the Q7 is for my wife so I think it will suit her needs just fine.

JakeMate

We have an Audi A3 with the 2.0 Turbo. Great engine. Good power and fairly linear in delivery. Feels much less like a turbo than my EVO. There are more ECU upgrade options for the turbo too.

mjw930

It is a great car but it's about to get replaced with a CTT. I have the 6 speed and it does put all the power to the ground. BTW, the '06 with the 6 speed auto/manual eliminates the power hit, it isn't torque limited like the 5 speeds were. If I had it all to do again I would do the 6 speed auto/manual.

(If anyone wants it PM me )