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Sedans Mercedes-Benz C-Class Audi A4 Avant vs. BMW 3-Series Wagon vs. Mercedes C-Class Wagon
35 messages, Last post on Jan 15, 2009 at 1:22 PM
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I've been recently shopping for the same type of car, and had it narrowed down to those 8 as well. After test drive a few i chose the 5 series wagon, because it gets better mileage then the rest, handles better, and has the most complete options list. it just feels better to drive as well. I also like Idrive despite what most editors think. Once you learn it, you dont miss a conventional setup at all, and its capable of more. And as for winter performace, i have a quattro(audi awd system) equipped vehicle and its been great, but the new xdrive(bmw awd) is more advanced and from what i can tell is better. Edmunds reviewed the 530xi in the snow and thought it was. http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=104929 test drive it and try iDrive to see if you like it. if you do, i would definelty recomemnd it. |
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Replying to: bruceomega (Nov 15, 2006 7:27 am) My pro's and cons for each are as follows. 328xit Pro - better Navigation system with Traffic Updates - Easier to Park - Sportier, less body roll Con - Lousy cup holders - Cramped back seat(I'm 6 Foot and tend to keep the seat all the way back. X3 pro - More storage space - More leg room in back - More Horse power Con - Worse MPG - Older design - May seem more ostentatious to some. I'm torn between the two. I'd appreciate an opinion on either car. Thanks!
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Replying to: nevcool (Dec 11, 2006 3:39 pm) Best Regards, Shipo
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Replying to: shipo (Dec 11, 2006 4:06 pm) Thanks for the info. Which one would you choose? Thanks, Nev
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Replying to: nevcool (Dec 11, 2006 4:51 pm)  Best Regards, Shipo |
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I don't have experience with all the vehicles, but I just passed my 2004 MDX onto my wife and was comparing the A4 Avant with the 328xi. Being a prior satisfied Audi owner, I was trying to decide between the 2.0 and the 3.2. But then I saw a comparison test between the A4 and the 328xi and decided I needed to test drive that vehicle. Back when I bought my 96 A4 the 3 series was to small for my likes, but I was surprised to find that the 2007 was a much larger vehicle. I researched the cars so closely that my wife contacted my psychiatrist to see if I should change my meds. After test driving each of the cars 3 times and contacted a dozen Audi dealers and 11 BMW dealers I found: 1) The Audi A4 2.0 is a wonderful car but pales in comparison to the 3.2 (both with a sport suspension of course). There is simply no comparison. Go with the 3.2 and you'll never be sorry. However, when it comes to overall performance (not just straight line thrust) the BMW was an easy pick. Even my wife understood the difference after driving the cars, and she's been known to back into mail boxes! 2) If you like an interior with all the bells and whistles, go with the Audi. For me, it just is not that important. The question is: does it make it a better driving car? Alright it is hard to see how heated seats make the car drive better, but here in the Northwest, but it really does. 3) Audi dealers are much more willing to negotiate a good price over invoice than the BMW dealers. 4) Both the cars are being ordered by the dealers with all the extras on them: driving up the price (above my budget). You are best to negotiate a deal with a dealer based on a specific dollar amount for a car on the lot, and then hold them to the number and special order the car you want. I even argue that they should sell it for less because there is no risk to them if I special order it, but I haven't succeed there yet. Funny thing is that I found a stripped down BMW 328xi at a local dealer who matched the best offer I had so far. First time I had bought from a local dealer for 17 years. As for switching back to a smaller car: my 328xi is a bigger car than my 96 A4 (and is more comfortable than a 2007 A4), and the MDX was always too big for me (5' 11" 195 lbs). The 328xi fits like a comfortable pair of shoes, not one that I hope can grow into someday, and the all wheel drive functions like it should: you don't know it's there, it just does its job. With the MDX I always knew when the AWD kicked in (after the wheels started to slip of course). |
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Replying to: badnews (Dec 17, 2006 9:00 pm) 
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Folks, I am looking at the 2003-2004 325xi or 2004-2005 1.8 A4. Both in wagon form (dogs). They both have 1) AWD 2) Manual tranny (essential) BMW is reputed to be more reliable than Audi. But it's a lot slower (they fixed it in 2006 but it's too expensive). I realize I would have to get an extended warranty no matter what choice I make, but I would like to minimize the risk of getting stuck on, say, I-70 in the middle of Winter. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. |
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Replying to: badnews (Dec 17, 2006 9:00 pm) 1) daily commuter car (i.e., decent MPG) 2) that will double as dog/kiddy transport on weekends (wagon/SUV storage), and 3) that will also be our "night on the town/adult" car, the car we'll use to go to weddings or use when we go to dinner with another couple (which means I'd like it to be a "nice" car with a decent back seat). After finding "new" cars cost-prohibitive, I narrowed the field down to a pre-owned (2004-2006) Audi A4 or A6 Avant (wagon), a 3- or 5-Series wagon, or an x3. For starters, I don't think the larger A6 or 5-Series are going to fit into my budget; they are hard to find to begin with, and tend to be in the $30k+ range (I'd love to stay under $25k). I test drove a 2006 A4 Avant. I loved it. I came home from the drive humming about how that was the car for us, done deal. I even emailed 15 dealers online via Audi's website and eBay Motors, located a beauty in NJ, and drove 90 minutes to see it. Then I once again sat in the back seat, in the light of day, and realized that it was a non-starter for me - you can't ask an adult to sit back there for any length of time. I am 6' tall, and couldn't sit with my knees straight or get it without hitting my knees on the seat; my wife 5' 8" had similar troubles. Killed me because I loved the car, but it's just tiny in the back. By comparison, I sat in the back of a 3-series (albeit the sedan model because there was no wagon in the lot) and it was actually comfortable - it's maybe 3 inches bigger, but it makes all the difference in the world. Two things are concerning me about just going for the 3-series wagon. First, I am a city driver with little need for ground clearance or offroading capability, but at the same time we do get 3-4 weeks of snow cover a year, and I HATE bottoming-out my car doing everyday tasks - driving up my driveway or into a parking lot. Second, I will be having kids (with luck) during the life of this car, and while I have no personal experience I am told that lifting an infant in/out of an SUV is a lot easier than lifting one out of a sedan or wagon (I should add that I have a cranky back, so this is pretty important). This brings me to the x3. I drove it and it was nice. There are plenty out there and for better prices than the 325xi (I've been looking at 05 and 06 models). I think the only things holding me back right now is that it's not great on gas (a factor that started me looking to downsize), and I kind of like the idea of being a bit "different" by having a wagon-that-can-drive-like-a-sports-sedan. I am at a standstill right now. Thoughts? Other options? Words of encouragement?
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