[jfw834]

ricochet, I think you are seriously overlooking the audis. i just got an a3 and was comparing with the 3 series. fwiw I found the A3 and A4 to clobber the 3 series in almost every category. I was looking for a practical car that was still sporty and fun to drive as well. The three series fell short for me on mpg, rear seat room, looks, and value. The A3 is actually a propperly quick hatch and even though it's FWD it doesn't torque steer or understeer much at all....the turbo has almost no turbo lag and a whopping 207 lb-ft of torque at 1800rpm. seriously, go with your wife and drive an A4 with the sport package. You will save money and have a better all around car.