Audi A3 2.0t vs. c230 Kompressor (battle of the hatches)

[4dmin]

we went looking for a new ride for kate... two cars caught our eye:

A3: 2.0t turbo roughly 200hp fwd (22k sticker for 2006 w/ 25k miles, black/black)
c230: 1.8l SC roughly 190hp rwd (16k sticker for 2003 w/ 34k miles, metiallic green/black)

Audi: i took the A3 out first right off the bat i noticed this car is a drivers car... i've owned many VW and none feel like this when you are sitting in the seat. I've even test drove the new GTI and i think the A3 just feels better. From the seat to the pedal everything just felt like it was designed for me. I know in previous Mk4 VW the armrest got in my way, but not on the A3 its designed perfectly for you to drive with it down. I also noticed the car delievered power perfectly from a dig to changing gears ripping up the street. I was fortunate enough to have a cool salesman so we hit 125mph and let me add i hit it with much ease. If I was looking to buy a VW/Audi look no further the A3 is superior to the competing VW/Audi classes.

Now the bad... I was very dissapointed to see a car in the low-mid 20's have such a cheap look to it... the door panels are very cheap looking almost plastic; kinda like you would find in very cheap domestic make under the 18k range. I also noticed the seat backs were plastic too which to me still gave me a cheap feel. I will say the dash/center console are beautiful in this car.

c230: My first look at this car i love the color its much like the Phoenix Yellow M3 color... i've never owned a benz so i'm going in w/ a very open mind. The 1.8L motor is supercharged, just turning it over and driving around the lot you can hear it whine a bit (kinda loud). The interior is definately nicer then the Audi, but the drivers feel isn't the same... this just isn't as comforatable as the Audi which fit me like a glove. Taking the benz on the road turning off ESP this car just raped rubber like the Audi and the kick of power felt alittle stronger. I did the same i did with the Audi and tore it up to the 125mph mark... the sales guy is right now! (reverse is a trip in these cars... if you thought Germans could get any crazier... lol) Only other con i can say is the cabin seems alittle smaller due to 2 doors and larter hatch area.

Overall: I like c230 better... the car looks beautiful in/out; power is very similar w/ the Audi. The downside is the Audi aftermarket is very good, so the Audi will easily make 250whp+/300lbs+ with new software at the cost of 500-600$. But with the 22k sticker its just a little high for what you are getting... I am able to get a very sexy car with nice power for nearly 6k cheaper. If i was buying a car for aftermarket performance alone i would buy the Audi hands down, but the c230 is a great car for someone looking for something similiar