328i vs c300 vs A4 2.0T

[rawr]

Looking for a new car. Going to lease. Which one would you recommend me to get? BMW for the drive, Benz for the ride, A4 for the interior/torque.

Probably not gonna consider G37, TSX, TL. I wanna go with ze Germans this time around.

[1exotic]

Audi for the drive, ride, and interior/torque

[Blinky]

Originally Posted by rawr

Looking for a new car. Going to lease. Which one would you recommend me to get? BMW for the drive, Benz for the ride, A4 for the interior/torque.

Drive them, figure out your priorities and choose the one that fits your wants/needs the most. I'm not picking on you specifically, but is this really that difficult to make a decision, especially when you've figured out what the (paper) advantages of each model are?

[CanadaGoose]

C300

It really depends on what you're specifically looking for in a car... but A4 engine sounds weird and whiny at WOT (my opinion), 328i I wouldn't even consider because it's like the 335i's youngerr brother, same looks, but less power, etc. (again just my opinion)

C300 is my fav of the three you listed. Not fast, you have to floor it around, but it's 100% capable for fast city driving, merging, cutting off traffic etc. nicest interior by far, nicest engine sound at WOT, best looking, most comfortable ride while still being nice and taught and responsive. I've never driven a 328, but if it's anything like the 335, it's definetely going to have a much tighter and responsive ride then the benz, but you won't be able to use much of that difference in city driving, unless you absolutely love to tear up highway ramps

Best thing to do, go line up three test drives for the same day. You'll have your answer by the end of that day.

Good luck!!

[jeff_alexander]

Originally Posted by 1exotic

Audi for the drive, ride, and interior/torque

Only if you want Fail-Wheel-Drive and an engine thats sits over the front axle.

[JulyZerg]

It depends on what you plan to order on your 328i. A 328i 6speed with ZSP is miles ahead better then the A4 and the C300. The driving feel you get with 6spd and the ZSP is like none other. The 328i AT is pretty sluggish though, GM vs. ZF tranny.

If you're looking for a comfortable ride, C300 is your winner. Decent interior and extremely comfortable but it doesn't have the BMW driving feel. If you want driving experience then the 328i with ZSP is way better. It might be too stiff though but I think it's perfect.

Last year when I tested the A4, their was so much body roll and the car felt really really slow, the BMW and Merc felt great.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

328 > C300 > A4



dont like audi's sound, hell a S5 drove by the other day and i didnt like the sound of tat either. prefer m3's

[too_slow]

If you're leasing, I believe 328i is the cheapest. The 328i's inline 6 is incredibly smooth, and the handling is simply amazing. The interior looks extremely dated, and I'm not a fan of the 'orange' lights. The C300 has a nice exhaust note, but OMG the interior is dreadful. Audi has AWD, pulls harder than the other two, and has the nicest interior. The downside is that the base model is dreadful, options are expensive, and I'm pretty sure leases are more expensive on the A4 as well.

[wasabisashimi]

another plus =BMW with 4 yrs free schedule service, if you leasing it

[rawr]

Yup, my buddy has a C300 4matic and the interior is AWFUL. Cheap looking plastic everywhere. The steering feel is very vague, and so are the brakes. But I think it looks the best out of the bunch...

As for the 3series, I had a previous-gen 325i. The thing was smooth and cornered very well, very poised. However, it consumed quite a lot of fuel for a straight 6.

I do agree the A4 is probably the most expensive. But you DO get a really nice interior...

I guess I'll have to test drive the 3 and A4 to find out which one really suits my tastes. Appointment booked for this Saturday! Does anybody know any good salesperson in Autowest BMW and Richmond Automall Audi/Benz?

[hk20000]

If you recall the C63 vs M3 vs RS4 Top Gear comparison..... there's one thing to consider

The C300 which shares the C63 chassis has the biggest back leg room, biggest front passenger room, biggest boot, thickest steering wheel biggest side mirrors

so it's win in the same sense a double big mac is win......but a whopper probably tastes better.....hmmmm u make me wanna go do a BK run LOL

[SpuGen]

Originally Posted by hk20000

If you recall the C63 vs M3 vs RS4 Top Gear comparison..... there's one thing to consider

The C300 which shares the C63 chassis has the biggest back leg room, biggest front passenger room, biggest boot, thickest steering wheel biggest side mirrors

so it's win in the same sense a double big mac is win......but a whopper probably tastes better.....hmmmm u make me wanna go do a BK run LOL

Fuck.
The whopper does taste better.
Now I want one.

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

mmmmm whopper

[penner2k]

The Audi has the most potential if you ever plan on making it faster.
My buddy is making around 300 hp at the wheels with his right now and it hasnt even been tuned fully yet. Once he gets a new part and finishes tuning it he should be just over 400 hp at the wheels.

[wasabisashimi]

probably don't need 300whp for city driving. It will be loud and more gas consuming.

[q0192837465]

A4 looks the best when properly modded if u'r going for the modding route.

OP didnt specify his requirements so there's no way for us to tell which is more suited for him. 3er is really dated, new one coming out at the end of this year, u may want to wait.

[too_slow]

^True.. There should be some killer incentive deals around Aug/Sept..
I wouldn't mind picking up a base 328i + sport seats (I can change the suspension and wheels myself).. It comes loaded with sunroof, auto-leveling HIDs (optional on both benz and audi), and fake leather

[eddoe]

Originally Posted by q0192837465

A4 looks the best when properly modded if u'r going for the modding route.

OP didnt specify his requirements so there's no way for us to tell which is more suited for him. 3er is really dated, new one coming out at the end of this year, u may want to wait.

I think the new 3'ers are coming out mid-late 2012 with the coupes in 2013. The LCI refreshes for the 3'er coupes/convertables are coming out in a few months though with the new n55 engines (335 only i think)

[JulyZerg]

Originally Posted by q0192837465

A4 looks the best when properly modded if u'r going for the modding route.

OP didnt specify his requirements so there's no way for us to tell which is more suited for him. 3er is really dated, new one coming out at the end of this year, u may want to wait.

No way dude. 3-series with M-Sport are so nice.


Courtesy of Caveatesq from E90Post

And wrong, the 3er is coming out in September 2011 as an 2012 Model since BMW runs on a 7-year cycle. However some reports are saying the new F30 will come out later this year due to lower sales and to compete with Audi/MB but that's all rumors. An extremely reliable source scott27, told me that:

We plan to unveil the 3er in late 2011. Possibly in London due to the fact of BMW's sponsorship of the Olympic Games in 2012 is one idea we are discussing as the new 3er will be one of the cars used by officials. The World Premiere will follow function and be held at the 2012 Geneva Autoshow. Where the car will arrive in Europe at the same time with North American sales beginning in the early summer.

[donthaveoneyet]

I've test driven all 3 cars.
In the end, I chose the c300.

For the BMW:
The steering had the most feedback
The interior is the nicest.

For the Merc:
Steering isn't as sharp as the bmwer, but it is very smooth.
Biggest interior/boot.
most comfortable ride.
I really like the look of the dashboard, but the rest of the interior isn't that impressive.

For the A4:
it has the best value, for the price of a 328i(with comfort package), and c300(with premium package), you can get the A4 fully loaded.(turning headlights, touchless entry, push start button, the feature where your trunk lid won't close if your keys are in there)
It's turbocharged!
best sound system out of the 3.
one thing i didn't like was the drive, it didn't sound as good, it didn't feel as good. the steering was rather dull.
Also, if you look at the car in person. you'll notice the lack of detail in the design of the car. ie doorseems, exhaust tips, foot pedals.


I test drove all 3 cars in the snow (yes i testdrove the xi, 4matic, and quattro), and liked the c300 the most.

would i recommend a c300? no. the harmon and kardon sound system is disappointing. service/maintanence is expensive. the seat warmer takes too long for it to work. in hindsight, i think the 328 would of been a better choice. but then again, i like the looks of the c300 more and i enjoy the comfortable ride.

[fetched]

Originally Posted by donthaveoneyet

I've test driven all 3 cars.

For the BMW:
The interior is the nicest.

You just lost all credibility.
besides BMW is considered best for its value, even though their MRSP is the same as competitors, they are known for slashing prices up to 10% of MSRP. Audi and Mercedes aren't like that.
BMW do keep value though. And handles so well compared to my a4.

[q0192837465]

I stand corrected. 3er still have 1 year of life.

I agree with the fact that the A4 has a wierd sound. There was a A4 (current gen with LEDs) next to me at the gas station and it just sounds weak and whiny, even compared to my 7 yr old 330.

[Hehe]

I bought my E93 after testing out all 3 car listed above plus A5/CLK

Merc:
They are the most comfortable one. If you rarely gonna push your car and enjoys a smooth ride, go for Merc, their suspension is so smooth you could fall asleep on long trips (not sure that's a good thing, but gives you an idea how smooth that is)

Audi:
The A4 2.0T is nice but it just doesn't offer the feeling of a true 3L engines like C300/328i. Other than that the car is awesome. Like some people mentioned above, Audi is the best bang for your bucks gadget-wise. You could get an A4 with all the latest options at prices where BMW/Benz only have some basic add-ons.

BMW:
I gotta say I might be biased, but really, the handling of a BMW is second to none in its class. The feedback and precision that your steeling wheel gives you is just like nothing else. I felt in love the first corner I turned. The auto is fine for DD but if you want more fun, adopting a manual6 might not be a bad idea.

Some contenders:
I'd say try to look for a second hand C63 if you don't track much. That thing is a beast.

[JulyZerg]

I don't think he'll find a 2nd hand C63 if his price-range is about 40k-ish(Might be wrong though, a quick glance at CL showed 0 results) and I think the C63 will be a bitch to maintain after warranty like most german cars, especially Mercedes and AMG

[JiggaZed]

LOL, why would you mention a C63? If you want to talk about C63's you might as well change the title of this topic to:

M3 vs C63 vs RS4