Re: BMW vs Audi handling (was: Why?)

[Dave Eaton <dave.eaton@minedu.govt.nz>]

car magazine was quite explicit in it's comparison of the bmw 528se and the a6
2.8 30v fwd, and i'll quote:

"It's the audi a4 versus the bmw 3-series argument all over again.  the a4 gave
bmw a major fright, for it burst the 3-series bubble both as a design statement
and, albeit slightly less convincingly, as a driving machine.  this time the
ante is upped a notch because the audi is so aggressively forward-looking while
the bmw seems a cautious design even at it's launch.  as a possession to look
at, to feel and to admire, the audi is much the more desirable, and for many,
that will be enough.

"but to get our vote, it must also be a better car to drive.  and while it
doesn't have the bmw's ultimate ability to entertain on a twisty road, it
matches the munich car for pace, it ultimately corners just as quickly, it
steers more sweetly and it soaks up bumps which set the bmw on a wobble.  after
zooming along a changeling road in the bmw, you'll feel exhilarated.  do it
again in the audi, and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.  it's a
different sort of enjoyment, relaxed, stress free.

"we like audi's new a6 a lot.  it moves the game on, for nothing else in the
class is as bold or as futuristic.  it's beautifully made, and a delightful
drive.  that it costs no more than it's predecessor, and is better equipped,
adds further to it's appeal.  bmw's 528i is a great car, as we've always said. 
but audi's new a6, the most intriguing car in the class for years, is truly a
step ahead. sales start in  may.

fwiw
-dave
'93 s2
'90 ur-q

In message <Marcel-1.08-0331200428-0b0a*qQ@sparkg.wave.co.nz> Greg Spark
writes:
>>
>> Actually in all recent comparos I've read the BMW has been described as
>> the most sports-like handling because of its RWD configuration.
>
>In yesterday's Sunday Times, the reviewer of the A6 posed the question: "Is 
>this car better than the BMW 5 series?".
> 
>His own answer was "not quite".  He admitted that performance was 
>"comparable", and then proceeded to list all the things that _did_ make the 
>A6 better than the BMW 5 series, and not one shortcoming:
> 
>     "... rear wheel drive gives the BMW a more sporty character."   
>
>Fine.  Then:
>
>     "Though most car makers have given it up, I remain convinced
>      by four-wheel drive for high performance cars.  The car that
>      I drove also had ESP - a very sophisticated electronic 
>      stability control which I know from track tests with other 
>      cars to be a brilliant feature.  Driven as hard as I dared 
>      on normal but damp roads, it was never invoked; the quattro
>      system provides that much margin of safety."
> 
>He then praises the interior redesign to the skies, and says the outside
finish 
>is every bit as good as BMW.   
>
>But, it seems, "not quite" as good overall.  What can you do with these
people?
>
>At least he was honest in the details.