Audi A4 opinions please

Thank you all for your input. Going to go to the dealer now and I'll be taking a second look at the BMW 3 Series as well. With the BMW, dash design hasn't been changed in seven years and looks a little dated but should not be a deciding factor. Infiniti G37 (brother in law has one) is a little tight in the interior room. I'll be having three in the car quite a bit.

 

The 2013 BMW should be different.
The A4 is one of the finest looking car but at that price I would probably go with BMW/Lexus IS/Infinity or even a Passat CC.

 

Did BMW fix the fuel pump problems yet with the twin turbo motor? What I've liked about Audi is the simple interior. Too much going on in a Benz. Also love the LED lights on the Audi's.

Why not go for a low mileage E46 M3.

 

BMW should have, they did a recall for it back in 2010 so it should be fixed by now. I don't have have that problem, well mainly because my BMW has the diesel units (which "rocks" according to Top Gear lol) but the Turbos does tend get iffy on those cars.

Audi DRL's give mixed reactions here in Europe, while some love it for the design others loathe the trend calling them "Christmas fairy lights on cars". Personally I like them particularly in white LED guise though they can be too distracting though! DRL's is mandatory fitment for all new cars in Europe but I switched mine off on my 2011 VW Golf, can be a bit stupid running lights on a bright sunny day.

As for Audi's interior I find them quite staid, block-ish if you will. I think VW have a more cleaner looking and intuitive interior than Audi in my view. But I agree Mercedes interior does look a bit fussy.

Spoiler

Audi S3 Interior


VW Golf GTI/GTD Interior

 

Hrm cause they were still reporting problems with the fuel pump in America, oh well. Mercedes decided to copy BMW's iDrive system, which is quite complicated, with their own version. Audi's tend to keep things simple, which in a world of more and more gadgets, is always a good thing. The Audi and VW interior look near identical.

 

Mercedes C 300 - additional opinions please?

Yesterday we went to the VW (because of your recommendations), BMW, Audi, and Mercedes dealerships. This car is for my wife to drive to work and the family car for the weekend. She currently has a Toyota RAV4 and I drive an Accord. My boy will be getting the Accord, I will be getting the RAV 4 ( then selling it for a Tacoma). She really has to like it, as you married people know how things work. She's starting to get a little mad at me for being so analytical.

I fully agree with your assessment of the interior of the C 300, but I don't think it's a deal breaker either. Rear wheel drive and a V6 (less torque than the A4 and poorer gas mileage). Resell value is good, should be a little less costly to repair than the A4, and good track record.

A 2011 model with nav, sport option, heated seats and a few things coming in a tic over 40K. A pre-owned with 20k miles/2009 is being offered at 27K- with lesser options. We have the means of purchasing more less anything, but 13k savings is still 13k.

Anyone wish to talk me out of the C 300? Something I should know that I do not? Any input on the new vs. per-owned model? My head is spinning considering all the factors, feelings, and emotions toward purchase. Going back today in about five hours.

 

Which Mercedes C300 you're thinking of? Each trim brings different characteristics of the car, Elegance (or Luxury as it seems to be called in the US) is aimed for those who want a cushy, comfortable ride while the Sport is, well have sport orientated philosophy along with aggressive styling, sporty suspension setup and bigger alloys. It's more agile than the Elegance/Luxury models due to the stiffened suspension, but it's a bit firm which can be a bit tiring on some uneven surfaces and the bigger alloys does slightly increase road noise. I'll admit the softer version of the Mercedes does feel a bit woolly on steering feel compared to the BMW.

As mentioned the interior of the C-Class is fussy, there's too much buttons going on so its not easy to navigate meaning occasionally you have to peel your eyes off the road for a split second which isn't ideal. The footbrake is also something to get used to, personally I prefer the handbrake since its all too easy to forget to release while driving off and does feel a bit awkward to use. Also Mercedes are a bit on the pricey side to buy and own (mainly because of the badge) though you did the smart thing of going second hand to avoid heaviest part of depreciation, plus resales should still remain to be strong too.

Again like the A4, the C-Class is a solid choice. I would slightly rank it above the Audi but I would still choose the BMW out of the three from personal preference.

 

^ The new vehicle has the sport package @3k, nav @3k, heated seats $750, and the used is basic- not exactly sure what options it does have but not many.

 

I think the base models are well equipped, it will still have goodies such as climate control, parking sensors, alloy wheels and cruise control though it doesn't hurt to view and ask the salesman for full specification. Additional creature comforts such as Heated Seats and integrated Sat Nav are normally cost extras which may not be on the used model but it would make it a bit special particularly for this type of car, I can say from experience heated leather seats are very nice to have in winter time! (^ω^)

 

Well I am just going to go out on a whim here and suggest you take a look at the Cadillac CTS sedan (I would try it with teh 306HP engine). Its not "european" but note GM paid approx. 30k$ per car to fly about 5 of them to test them on the Nurburgring as they put quite a bit into developing the CTS.

But in the end its got a good amount of power, looks are personal preference but in general very well received but what is has been praised for its interior specifically for its materials and quietness.