30k Sport Sedan showdown

OK guys, here's a difficult choice:

2007 Mercedes C230 - Pewter with Black interior

2007 Jaguar X-Type - White with Beige interior

2007 Audi A4 S-Line 2.0T - Black with Black interior

Pro's-
Mercedes - a prestige name, can get a great deal on it.
Jaguar - dealership is close by our house, another prestige name + AWD
Audi - Audi build quality, would be the second in our garage.

Con's-
Mercedes - Not as quick as the other two, dealership is a 30 min drive.
Jaguar - Questionable reliability
Audi - 4 liter and not 6, usually lasts a shorter time.


Which one would you pick and why??

 

Audi-plenty of performance upgrades around; chips will get you 240 reliable hp and still get good gas mileage.

MB and Jag more luxury oriented; Audi and BMW more sport oriented.

A MB dealer once told me he never sells car to a "BMW guy"....

 

Easy answer. The Benz is under powered 201 hp and no longer for sale after 07
The Audi has turbo lag a small back seat and is your basic disposable German car that cost a fortune to change the timing belt
The Jaguar is a hidious recreation of the Ford taurous with awd and horible handling

The two closest compeditors you fail to mention is the 3 series bmw and the Infiniti g35 sedan. The G wins in price point and power 306hp for the money. The bmw will always win when it comes down to total handling. But it would take a driving expert to tell the difference. JJ

 

3 series would be great if we could find a 2007 model in the price point (under 30k)

G35 is off the list for my dad, he thinks it feels too cheap. Dont worry, i'm still working on him about that; I think the G35 is the obvious choice.

 

I'm with Jjay, G35 all the way for the money, if you can spend a little more, the BMW 335 would be my choice. Handling is really close, the Infiniti is an excellent vale with great handling, and the latest new models do not really feel cheap at all, interior and build quality is pretty solid. I like the G35 interior compared to all in its class for a "sport" sedan.

 

I have a 07 G35S Sedan, maxed out it came out to 40k. You can get a nice one, non sport with a lot of cool stuff for around the price you are stating. The others are all crap, the only one worth anything is the Audi, but I don't like FWD cars. Plus Audi's tend to have electrical problems. The G35 interior is very nice, and steps above the last version. Visually it's a lot nicer looking than the BMW and Lexus, quality wise, its a hair behind the BMW and Lexus on some parts.

 

I've driven a c230 and c280 and was extremely unimpressed with it's engine and it definitely felt cheap. The E class is so powerful and elegant...I think the C class really cheapens the marque. I'd love to see MB beef up the C class in luxury, power, and ride...or get rid of it.

+1 335i

 

I would have to agree with the majority of posters in that I would take the G35 or cough up a little more for the vastly superior BMW.

If the price limit is because of financials and not mental then i would seriously be used car shopping as you will get MUCH MORE value for your dollar.

 

A4

 

If you dont need Navigation and know how to work the dealer for the margin, YOu can get a 6 speed G35 for about 32500 thats really agressive....

 

Why not get a preowned year or two old BMW with the extended warranty and service? With both 100,000 mile/7 year warranty and free service on everything but tires...you effectively have new car coverage, or better. The question really becomes, why not?

 

why not a LEXUS IS350? that would be the choice with: the sportiest drive, the best quality by far, a new warranty, and at least in the last iteration the most competitive price...

 

+1 Except that you can't touch a new IS350 for 30, you're gonna be looking at 38-42, so I'd advise getting a used IS350. You can get a low mileage 06 without NAV for 30 to 32. I also agree that the G35 would be a great way to go as well.

 

According to Car and Driver Magazine. October 2006 I will quote... "Why on earth would one buy a Lexus IS350? The Lexus isn't appreciably quicker, doesn't look as good, and is a fairly anodyne driving experience, whereas the g35 is a very soulful machine." They say the only advantage of the Lexus is a nicer interior.

 

C & D's opinion doesn't mean much to me. I've driven the IS350 and the G35 quite a bit and while they're both nice enough cars, the IS350 was more enjoyable to me. I've owned a number of MB and Jaguar products over the years and have always found their entry level offerings to be sub-standard at best. To each their own. Drive em all and buy what blows YOUR skirt up.

 

Tell him to try a 07 Zeyphr. Its a pretty nice car and it now comes with awd and the larger engine.

 

If you can wait a bit for the 2008 C-class, I would highly recommend test driving it before making your decision.

Also, is there a reason why you left out the 3-series from your list of choices?

If I had to pick from your list, I would keep the Audi and the Benz at the top of your list depending on your styling and leave the Jag out of it.

If I had to pick the 08 models, I would go for the Benz.

If I could pick 2 of them, I would pick the Benz, and also the new 3-series.

~shahedc
.

 

From my experience...

Both Audi and Benz are a little suspect when it comes to reliability. My 00 Audi TT that I had costing me $1500 for repairs every couple of months. My mom is currently driving an 01 Benz C240. Again, we haven't been very impressed with the quality or reliability. But just about everything has been covered by the warranty.

I am currently driving an 03 Jag X type. And I will agree that it is not the most exciting of the bunch, it is a beautiful car and with nearly 88k on teh clock, it has been nearly perfect. Aside from regular maintenance the only repairs have been a couple vacume leakes and the nipple broke off the coolant resivoir recently.

I know they are slightly above the price you are looking, but I would consider the 3 series and Acura TL as well.

 

Skyline GTR aka G35 is a great choice.

 

cough up some extra money, and get a BMW 335i.

 

Thanks for the input guys, we're going to go take a look at a new X-Type and a 2006 325i next weekend!

 

I agree with the G35 comments. The new sedans have a very nice interior. And it won't be in the shop because iDrive or whatever failed again . I would at the least go and check one out in person, it won't hurt.

 

I have yet to hear anything bad about this car. And just imagine the possibilities...

 

The Jag certainly has a much classier appearance than the competition (even if it isn't the drivers car of the bunch)...here are a few pics of mine to wet your appatite
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Just remember to explicitly ask if the car is certified with the factory extended warranty AND whether it has extended service as well. (they are two separate things)

Best of luck!