Okay. Trying to find my ideal used 335i isn't going as planned. I've broadened my search to the Audi lineup. Went by the dealership today and they only had a handful of new or CPO'd 6-speed trans specimens on the lot. To be clear, I need 4 doors and some storage space (doesn't need to be a Hummer).

07 RS4: so sweet, but 50K miles at $45K? Uh....no thanks
07 A4: eh....vanilla. 2x,xxx miles for $24K-ish. Blah silver, paint was far from spectacular.
06 A3: looks like a fun little hatch. But only nominally bigger than the Mini I drive now.
'10 A4: Only new car I looked at today. Love new car smell....
only 200hp??? Weaksauce. But it's NEW and potentially in my car budget for now.

So, is the new A4 even worth looking at vs. a used 335i?

 

Totally diff cars IMO. I would hold out for the 335, but of course Im a bit biased.

Why cant you find a 335i? Took me a while to find mine with the 6spd/Nav/Cold Weather, etc.

 

Want CPO, pref Alpy White, 6speed, less than 30K miles, dark interior, none of that burl wood trim shit (looks like a friggin' library), sport, premium, iPod hook....Nav nice but not a deal breaker, don't need Cold pkg seeing as I live in one of the hottest places in North America....on and on...Seeing as I don't need this car right away, I'm being very particular. Probably the only way to get what I want is order new, but I vowed never to take the depreciation hit ever again.

 

If you were looking at a 335i you have to look for an S4. A4 will not do it. The 4 banger 2.0T has more torque than the 3.2 6 cylinder Audi (prefer 2.0T over 3.2) but you would need and S4 to be comparable to a 335i.

 

Good info. No S4's on the lot though and would likely take me out of my budget.

 

Yea those are hard to find... Took me almost 4 months to find mine with 6 spd and Nav alone. The only options I didnt get were iPod, and PDC, which was fine with me. I wish I could've found an Alpine White one though... Good Luck.

If you go new, get the M-Sport.

 

If you look hard, you'll see sub 40K mile RS4's pop up for between $43-45K.

The manual transmission 335i's are tough to come by, especially specced in a specific way. But they're worth the search (and wait) -- terrific value at $25-27K.

It could be worth considering a 36 month lease (BMW always has killer rates). You could spec a 335i just how you want it. While you're at it, see what your local Audi dealer quotes you for a mildly specced S4.

BTW, I looked for a pre owned A4 2.0T (B7) for my mother, and after two months, gave up. You had to be very lucky to find a nice car with <30K miles for under $22K. Ended up going with an A6 instead. Point is, I think their values are inflated, even though they are nice cars.

 

$43-45K is out of the budget or else I probably would have found something decent by now.
Considered a lease, but I put tons of mileage on a year plus I like the flexibility of getting rid of my cars whenever I want. Getting someone to take over a lease is a bit of a pain.
What's the ballpark for an S4?

 

New Body Style S4 Base starts in the Low 40k's but you HAVE to get the sport diff, which brings the price up to 50k's. I was in the exact same boat as you... Just be patient a 335i will come your way - alot of 07's are coming off leases now.

 

Good advice. I tend to be a bit impulsive with my purchases. As I said, I'm in no rush, so I prolly just wait it out a bit. Although I also stopped at the BMW dealer next door to the Audi stealer. Only one 6spd 335 on the lot. 07, grey, 45K miles. Paint looked like shit. Gouges in the rear bumper, dent in the passenger rear door, fine scratches all over the hood and rock chips galore on the front bumper. And the SA tried to convince me that lease returns, this on in particular, are usually in good shape...gimme a break.