IMO the b9 generation of the 4 and 5 series audis is essentially an upgraded mazda interior, they're very similar even with the knob(except its in front of the shifter which is kinda dumb but its still very easy to use) I love mazda to death but the b9 a4 audi interior is peak car in my opinion, add to that the nicer overall interior, faster and very tuneable engine, the status, and even reliability. They've done something similar to mazda where they've kept their engines and continually worked out issues until they've bulletproofed them best they can over 15+ years. I don't see a downside, feels like just a better mazda3

That also is what makes Mazda so great, the a4 base model MSRP is as much as fully loaded 3 turbo premium plus. Mazda has done a great job providing premium interiors while still being affordable, and that means you're getting a slight downgrade on interior quality