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Entry Level Luxury Performance Sedans

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  • plektoplekto Member Posts: 3,738
    edited July 2014

    You really should test drive the actual C class, or the A4. Those three have always been the classic three "European Sedans" to test drive. The CLA is a front wheel drive piece of fodder aimed at yuppies who don't know better and just want a luxury car to putter around town in. Yes, the A4 also is normally front wheel drive, but they have spent decades perfecting AWD in their cars. An A4 with AWD is a very good car to drive.

    http://www.guideautoweb.com/en/specifications/compare/12087,7634/
    A little sobering, actually. The 320i has such a weak engine given the price you pay. BMW should just stop selling it and make the 328i the entry level model. (the 0-60 for the Mustang? not listed, but it's 5.7 seconds)

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    @flightnurse said:
    If you add premium and leather then you have a nice car. They can he had for mid 30s out the door.

    Yeah....my sister is looking to load one up, I think somewhere in that low $40s range. Out the door around $37K, maybe?

    Pickins are getting slim, given the '15s are right around the corner. '14 you get what you get. She wants mineral white with tan leather, plus nag, winter pack, etc. '14 she gets $1K incentive. '15 she has to order, but can get exactly what she wants....no $1K incentive.

    Really surprised by the suspension on the CLA......it felt closer to a Cobalt than it did to a Mercedes.....no exaggeration.

    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 239,519
    edited July 2014

    @graphicguy said:
    '14 you get what you get. She wants mineral white with tan leather, plus nag, winter pack, etc.

    Isn't that standard if she's in the passenger seat?

    Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm sure your sister is a perfectly nice person. Just too easy to not take the shot...

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  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217

    @graphicguy said:
    Yeah....my sister is looking to load one up, I think somewhere in that low $40s range. Out the door around $37K, maybe?

    Pickins are getting slim, given the '15s are right around the corner

    If the dealer really wants to make a sell, they will do a dealer trade, take MSRP - 7% this is a good start on any 3 series, then subtract the 1K from that. Now since you are previous BMW owner they might give her another 1K off. Is she buying or leasing? Do you know about MSD's?

  • sweendogysweendogy Member Posts: 1,310

    Is the 320 really considered a bmw or is it some sort of a mini limo, without leather? - tell yr sis to look at the a3 - get way more standard and a better looking rig-

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,382

    how the heck fast do you people need to go? From reading some of these comments I was expecting something akin to my 1985 Colt (68 HP baby! ). But the first 2 links said 6.7 and 7.1 (x drive) with the AT. I guess if that seems dangerous you can always spend a little more for the 328, or a chip.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217

    @stickguy said:
    how the heck fast do you people need to go? From reading some of these comments I was expecting something akin to my 1985 Colt (68 HP baby! ). But the first 2 links said 6.7 and 7.1 (x drive) with the AT. I guess if that seems dangerous you can always spend a little more for the 328, or a chip.

    Stick, the 320i goes 0-60 in 6.7 sec, faster then a Hyundai Sonata Turbo or Kia Optima Turbo that have 274hp. Stops from 60-0 in 106 feet. Overall I'm happy with the car, and extra boost added has given what the 320i needed. Now for 2015, the 320i will get a power boost, officially BMW has not stated what is it, but talk is between 200-210hp, the 328i is also getting a power boost too.

    Now the new M3/4 are nice cars, but are they practical? Some people will say yes and some will say no. But BMW wont have a problem selling every single one. But then again, some people are happy at buying a used car while others don't. The 320 has sold very well for BMW and I'm sure it will continue to do so.

  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 234,725

    Our '03 325i was pretty loaded up.. MSRP around $38K... 184 HP and 0-60 in about 7.1 seconds... pretty quick..

    If it's 11 years later, and you can get the same performance from a 320i for the same price? Sounds good to me.... I have a car with 327 HP.. can't say it's any more fun than that '03 325i.

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  • justg0justg0 Member Posts: 70

    @sweendogy said:
    Is the 320 really considered a bmw or is it some sort of a mini limo, without leather? - tell yr sis to look at the a3 - get way more standard and a better looking rig-

    I seriously considered a3 before going for 320i. I didn't feel a3 to be any more faster (though numbers say it supposedly is) even though I think its 220hp. Also a3 lease was lot more expensive, in the range of 328i or more. But the biggest issue for me was I could not get used to the audi awd system. Never was able to take the exit like I wanted to, had to slow down lot more than I was used to a rwd bmw. But still check it out. You may like it.

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    Sister is a buyer. She didn't inherit the same car gene as I did. She has had her Jag for over 12 years. So, MSDs don't enter into it.

    Her "wants" are a bit different than a "price" buyer......mineral white, tan leather, nav, xDrive. All that makes a loaded up 320i. And, price wise, you creep into 328i territory. But, she's not a speed demon. I think her salesperson hit it on the head when he said the 320i is the car that BMW wants to sell to hook people on the brand, regardless of what they are coming from. Really good suspension and toss able, as it's much lighter than my previous 335i coupe.

    Audi is off the table based on hearing of my experience.

    C class was underwhelming....still a $45K car with some equipment added on, that felt ponderous compared to the 320i.

    CLA......really good looking car.....but in reality that is the ONLY thing it has going for it.

    She was shocked that the Jag (XF?) she looked at had a sticker of close to $60K. Not sure what she paid for her "S" type a dozen years ago, but I didn't think it would have been that big of a jump. So, Jag is off the table.

    We'll see how this turns out.

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  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,674

    @graphicguy said:

    She was shocked that the Jag (XF?) she looked at had a sticker of close to $60K. Not sure what she paid for her "S" type a dozen years ago, but I didn't think it would have been that big of a jump. So, Jag is off the table.

    Yeah, my '13 XF stickered for ~$65k, but I paid significantly less. Big incentives on '13 XF ($6500, $1975 on '14 in my zip code), if she can find one and would buy last year's model new... Still, with the 6 cylinder, I'd imagine price would still be in very high $40s, low $50s for a '13. But, ya never know...

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343

    We live in a little town about 20 miles north of the CBD of Cincinnati. The routes to get from home to the CBD (approximately where my wife and I work), include I-71, looping around from north to south by sort of going east on I-275 and heading down the back road (or so it seems) of Wooster Pike and SR 50.

    OK, with that much info at hand, I must say it is virtually impossible to use more than a relatively small fraction of the potential of an S4 or SQ5. I had, for about 5 seconds, thought it would be cool to change out the supercharger pulley and engine management software for more torque and horsepower.

    But to what end?

    There are so few opportunities where I can push my S4 -- I, so far, literally overtake every other car on any of the above mentioned hi-ways and roads. The "joy" of punching it on a freeway entrance ramp is something I would love to do -- unfortunately the acceleration is so quick (sub 50-seconds to 100kph) I overtake everything and end up hitting the brakes hard.

    I wouldn't give up the feeling of deep wells of power and torque that these S cars offer -- but I must say, it has become virtually impossible to "play with" the power offered in a sane and unselfish manner.

    Tuning the Auidi S's or the "35" BMW engines would certainly boost their power, torque and therefore increase their "accelerative" force and overall thrust -- but I have now reached the point that I see no merit in chipping, changing out the exhaust system, etc, since I can't use (and enjoy) the factory force available.

    I assume the same frustrations are "enjoyed" by certain Cadillac, Mercede, Volvo, Porsche and other "sported up" model owners -- at least if you live in just about any medium to large US city.

    You finally get a modern "hot rod" and you literally can only tap into a fraction of its capabilities.

    Kind of a drag.

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,288
    edited July 2014

    My two favorite cars in the garage are the fastest(MS3) and the slowest(Club Sport). And I have absolutely no problem pushing either to the edge of their respective performance envelopes- that's what HPDEs are for!

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • markcincinnatimarkcincinnati Member Posts: 5,343

    I have been to no less than 8 HPDEs and you are correct roadburner, you can push the cars (however the HPDEs I have attended supplied the cars for us, we weren't allowed to use our own). However, I was thinking more of the "everyday" that I "remember" from past years.

    I'm not suggesting I want to get on a crowded (and ours almost always are) interstate and floor it, consequences be damned. My "wistful" intents are more to find a relatively deserted stretch where I can "punch it" with the only concern being getting a speeding ticket, not endangering the clog of cars (and their drivers and passengers, of course).

    Of our many trips to Germany, some of my fondest memories have to do with taking my BMW, Mercedes or Audi rental on the autobahn and driving from Berlin to Munich where there are some fairly long stretches of the autobahn that have no speed limit.

    During those driving moments I had no sense of danger or that our collective high speeds were reckless. Here, as the freeways are ever more crowded and people pass on the right or sit in the far left lane and cruise along below the posted speed limit, driving has become much more like work -- and increasingly risky work at that.

    We'll go to an HPDE perhaps once or twice every five years -- always love them, but I guess I'm looking for an American Autobahn -- not gonna happen in my lifetime.

    Next up our cars are going to (already are) provide ever more driver aids that take the wheel, accelerator and brake away from us.

    Driving and our car culture are changing -- and I am, usually, in favor of the change. This time, however, what I am longing for is my memory restricted return to having fun behind the wheel as we did not that many years ago.

    It's the weekend, it's summer -- I'm going to go out and find a curvy "back road" (whatever that means anymore) and carve it up.

    I'll get over it in a minute.

    There, I'm over it.

    B)

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,288
    edited July 2014

    Driving at high speeds in virtually a straight line gets boring after a while. Fortunately my job involves a lot of driving and I often choose to take a nearly deserted rural two lane as opposed to a dull interstate slog, which allows me to enjoy the handling prowess of whichever car I'm driving. The Club Sport requires a bit of finesse and the ability to conserve momentum. You have to make sure it is always in the right gear at the right time(fortunately the pedal placement is ideal for heel/toe downshifts). In contrast, the MS3-fitted with Koni FSDs and Michelin PSS tires-simply bludgeons the road to death; just leave it in third gear, turn in really late with a bit of trailing brake, and nail the throttle once you see daylight(or, as I've said before, visualize obedience training a bipolar pit bull that is mainlining crystal meth).

    Think of it this way: if the Club Sport is a Steyr SSG 69, the MS3 is a Colt AR-15 with an extended capacity magazine.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    Loved the power of both the 335i and the S4. Seems Audi has issues with some of the cars that use recent iterations of their Quattro system, as I've seen mention in some of the trade rags about the same "grinding" issues I experienced.

    There wasn't much on the road that could beat you in stop light wars, though. It would have to be a very recent muscle car, and the persin driving it would have to know how to launch. Or, AMG, RS, M, etc tuner cars. Aside from that, not much can touch them.

    That said, I do think the TL SH AWD, while not as fast in a straight line vs the S4 or 335i (but certainly more than capable), feels more balanced, confidence inspiring and entertaining in its own right. Then, there's the elephant in the room....the significant price difference

    I'm pretty excited to get behind the wheel of the TLX.

    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • sweendogysweendogy Member Posts: 1,310

    " Then, there's the elephant in the room" , the TLs rear end

  • cdnpinheadcdnpinhead Member Posts: 5,495

    The question has to do with whether the drive is the deal, or the car.

    I live in the West where it's possible to drive at very high speeds on virtually deserted roads, and I enjoy doing so. I also spend far too much time in commuter traffic, but that can be more pleasant driving the proper vehicle.

    That said, the capabilities of most of the "watch me and what I dirve" cars are never even approached, unless you live out here, where there's a bit less of the "watch me" culture. Certainly more than there used to be (which was zero), but not so much.

    I continue to watch the parade go by.

    '08 Acura TSX, '17 Subaru Forester
  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217

    **2015 Chevrolet SS Sedan Gets No-Cost Manual Gearbox, Magnetic Ride Control
    **
    blog.caranddriver.com/confirmed-2015-chevrolet-ss-sedan-gets-no-cost-manual-gearbox-magnetic-ride-control-more-colors/

  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217

    On my way back from Tuscon this afternoon, the outside temp gauge reached 120... It's cazy hot here...

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    Yikes!

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  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 239,519

    @graphicguy said:
    Yikes!

    I showed the picture to my wife, who wants to move out of Colorado due to the cold winters. She shrugged it off.

    Everything is air-conditioned, so you aren't exposed to it all that much unless you want to be.

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  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217

    GC I had other words...

    Michaell, Colorado is a nice state, and remind your wife that it gets cold there, and they don't get anywhere as hot as PHX.. But then again, Mid-Dec I'm in shorts and a T-shirt too. It's a trade off.

  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 239,519

    @flightnurse said:
    GC I had other words...

    Michaell, Colorado is a nice state, and remind your wife that it gets cold there, and they don't get anywhere as hot as PHX.. But then again, Mid-Dec I'm in shorts and a T-shirt too. It's a trade off.

    FN - I lived in Phoenix for 3 years in the 80's, so I'm well aware of the weather there. Every day looked the same - blue skies. You had to look at a calendar to know what the outside temp was in the morning (85 in July; 55 in December). I know Tuscon is a bit higher in altitude (1500'?) so just a bit cooler.

    What she tells me is that she wants to live somewhere where she "doesn't have to wear socks".

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  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    @Michaell said:
    What she tells me is that she wants to live somewhere where she "doesn't have to wear socks".

    I think you have a fine lady, there.

    I know I'm a little ways away, but whenever we talk about where we want to live in our retirement years, everyone mentions FL. Nothing against our Floridians here, but I just don't like it there.

    I could handle the Gulf, even a place like Austin. But, of the "no socks" areas, that's about it.....unless I become an ex pat somewhere.

    Markincincinnati....have you ever done some driving in Adams County? Around Amish country? Great drives there.

    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 239,519

    @graphicguy said:
    I think you have a fine lady, there.

    Thanks! I think she's pretty special, too.

    I know I'm a little ways away, but whenever we talk about where we want to live in our retirement years, everyone mentions FL. Nothing against our Floridians here, but I just don't like it there.

    I've been fortunate to have been able to travel around the US earlier in my career, so I've been able to experience a lot of what this country has to offer. Not sure how she would deal with humidity - we spent a week in NC a few years ago (in May) and it was a bit tough on her.

    I could handle the Gulf, even a place like Austin. But, of the "no socks" areas, that's about it.....unless I become an ex pat somewhere.

    Not been to Austin, though I've heard good things. She's a small town girl at heart - she grew up in Cheyenne, and we now live in a town with a population of 50K. But, she likes her shopping, so wherever we go, it would have to be somewhat close to a bigger city.

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  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,382

    Michael, move in with Steve down in New Mexico. Sounds perfect.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 239,519

    @stickguy said:
    Michael, move in with Steve down in New Mexico. Sounds perfect.

    We've discussed NM; I didn't know that Las Cruces was the second largest city in the state.

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  • carnaughtcarnaught Member Posts: 3,497
    edited July 2014

    It's July and it's Global Warming ;).

    @flightnurse said:
    On my way back from Tuscon this afternoon, the outside temp gauge reached 120... It's cazy hot here...

  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217

    @Michaell said:
    What she tells me is that she wants to live somewhere where she "doesn't have to wear socks".

    Hawaii or Key West

  • MichaellMichaell Moderator Posts: 239,519

    @flightnurse said:
    Hawaii or Key West

    We've been to Hawai'i - I had to go on business, she tagged along.

    I've been to Key West on a day trip from Miami. Had no idea the speed limit was 45. Took forever to get there and back.

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  • qaliqali Member Posts: 60

    How did the Run-flats hold up at this temp?

  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217

    @qali said:
    How did the Run-flats hold up at this temp?

    No problems

  • justg0justg0 Member Posts: 70

    @flightnurse‌ - stage 1 holding up in the heat?

  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217

    @justg0 said:
    flightnurse‌ - stage 1 holding up in the heat?

    yup, I'm not pushing the car in this heat.

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    @Michaell said:

    Hawaii 3X....Key West 2X. I'll take Hawaii. Nothing against Key West, but it seems just a little too small, and Hawaii is small enough.

    I have a college friend that moved to Hawaii right after we graduated. Cost of living is obviously out of sight. But, she never looked back, As she said...."my house may not be as nice as yours, but I'm waking up everyday to the most beautiful sunrises in the world, and ending my work day to the most beautiful sunsets in the world." Something to be said for that. Although, she bemoans not being close to main land friends and relatives. For example, when her parents passed away, she couldn't get back (for you locals, she grew up in Middletown, OH....a small rusty town) for the services. She missed them by a day.

    She only gets back here about once every 5 years or more. She said when she first moved there, although she's a U.S. Citizen like the native Hawaiians are, some treated her badly, as if she were an intruder. I guess the way Hawaii became a state was not to everyone's liking when it happened. Some want the Monarchy to be put back in place. Then again, if that were done 70 years ago, they'd all be speaking Japanese right now.

    She loves it there, and is willing to make that trade off for living in paradise, though.

    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • m6userm6user Member Posts: 3,181
    Anybody discussing cars here?
  • circlewcirclew Member Posts: 8,666

    Do they race Bimmers in Hawaii or Key West? ;)

  • sweendogysweendogy Member Posts: 1,310

    @justg0 said: flightnurse‌ - stage 1 holding up in the heat?

    I wonder how the automatic trans would hold up -

  • justg0justg0 Member Posts: 70

    Where I live, it rarely reaches 90 in summer. But I was in Dubai and India just a little while back, where temps were 110 - 120. In India, most cars are manual, but Dubai has mainly automatic trans and they seemed to do fine...

  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217

    @justg0 said:
    Where I live, it rarely reaches 90 in summer. But I was in Dubai and India just a little while back, where temps were 110 - 120. In India, most cars are manual, but Dubai has mainly automatic trans and they seemed to do fine...

    A couple of year back we went to the Maldive Island for vacation, we had a 18 hour stop over in Abu Dhabi. When you fly Etihad Airlines in First Class they offer complementary chauffeur service to and from the airport to your hotel, Nice Audi A8L, No problems keeping the inside of the car nice and cool and the car worked flawless for the 45 minute drive, oh and the temp was a cool 102 degrees, and this was at 0035 AM. Our drive back to the airport was 121 degrees.. Our drive back to the airport was in a Lexus LS460L the car just purred for the journey back to the airport.

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    So, last weekend, by invite, I went to the BMW drive event at my local BMW dealer.

    Always a fun event. For those unfamiliar with it, BMW, through the local dealer, allows you to drive their cars, and the competitors' models, back-to-back.

    I chose the 435i xDrive, as that is the successor to my beloved former 335ix coupe (E82). Total redesign....interior and exterior. As best as I could tell, the drivetrain is a little "tamer" in the 435. But, that could be because I had a performance package on my former coupe. Still, these are Bavarian muscle cars.

    The uncommunicative steering was the most noticeable. It's not that the steering wasn't up to the chore of spirited driving. It's that you were never sure if it could do what you asked it to do. You pointed it, and the car followed, but I was never sure it would. Maybe with time and experience, you get used to it. I preferred the steering in my E92.

    The other big complaint is that people felt they made the suspension to soft. I don't get that. I think the suspension is a worthy upgrade to the suspension in the E92. It soaks up broken pavement better, even at speed, without unduly upsetting the cabin. Not a huge difference over the E92 mind you. But, a worthy one. I liked it.

    The new 4 is definitely bigger than my previous 3. I liked my E92. I like the F32, I think. It definitely has more "creases" (my technical term). Headlights are the same with the BMW "ring" DRLs. Plenty of room.

    My tester did not have the sports seats. Coming from the sports seats in my TL SH AWD (which are some of the best in the biz, IMHO), this was immediately noticeable. Wasn't a fan of them in my E92. Still not a fan of the standard seats in the F32.

    Nice dash with color heads up display.....EXCEPT.....the display disappears when wearing sun glasses. Usually BMW thinks these types of things through. This time they failed. Kind of defeats the purpose of a HUD if you can see it only on overcast days.

    Whose idea was it to make that auto shifter so convoluted? It's a beer tap looking thingy. In unfortunate BMW fashion, instead of just putting it in "D" or "R" depending on what you want, you push a button, pull a lever, do this, do that, just to put it in gear. Why make something so simple, so complex?

    Stereo was the standard one. I had the HK in my E92. The standard stereo is worse than the HK. The HK wasn't all that great to begin with. Neither is all that good compared to the one in my TL (ELS)....not even close.

    The iDrive has evolved. It only took BMW over a decade to get it to a reasonable level of operation and ease of use. But, it's now good. You can write on the top of the little dial between the seats to input a letter. Not so good while driving. A little better when stopped. Not nearly as good as the same Audi technology on the A6 w/Nav. As has been mentioned before, the NAV screen looked like an afterthought.

    The "start/stop" technology seems a bit smoother than the last one I drive in a 4 cal 328i. Still needs work, though.

    Usually I don't sit in the back seat, particularly in a coupe. I tried it out with the 4, though. Entrance and exit weren't bad, given the (slow) electric seats that will move out of the way. But, if you're looking for cost cutting, this is where you'll find it. Back seat was filled with hard plastics that sounded very "cheap" when you knocked on them.

    All-in-all, still drives like a BMW. Offers good handling, and decent comfort, all while going fast.....very fast. On a tech note, BMW has joined those in the top tier. iDrive is good and offers everything you could want and is relatively easy to use.

    If you want the "snob" appeal, the BMW muscle car feel, the maintenance and warranty that covers practically everything, and the uber good BMW dealership experience where they take care of everything for you, this is your choice.

    At a price, that is. My tester had an MSRP of $57K. For that kind of money (and for a whole lot less), you can find other cars that are just as good, if not better.

    Still, I have a soft spot for the 3 series (now the 4). They do a whole lot really, really well. The dealer experience is superlative. I know they are the car to lease vs buy. So, maybe I'm not the person they're targeting.

    Drove the competition......C350 4matic coupe. Will do another post for that drive.

    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481

    Oh yeah, please do. I have a friend who might be shopping for a C class.

  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,288

    @graphicguy said:
    So, last weekend, by invite, I went to the BMW drive event at my local BMW dealer.

    When I went to the Ultimate Drive at my dealer they had a 435i M Sport fitted with just about every M Performance accessory you can get. A 4er similarly equipped would be one of the few new BMWs I would actually want to own.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    Mr Shiftwright.....the Benz C350 4matic wasn't a car I expected to like, but surprisingly did. Probably not a good thing for a BMW comparison drive event. I just went with my sister to help her buy a C300 4Matic sedan.

    The coupe felt like a different car. The engine was stronger than the C300. It gave up some power to the really excellent twin scroll turbo 6 in the 335i. But, in the Benz, the 3.5L felt quick, I'd dare to say, fast enough (about the same as my seat of the pants feel in my TL). It was smooth. I think it may have had "start/stop" technology. But, compared to the BMW's implementation, it was so hard to tell, it might not have. Just goes to show what a little better engineering for something like that can achieve.

    The C, while entertaining to drive, seemed more relaxed in doing it than the BMW. Granted, the BMW was probably better when driving at 10/10ths. The Benz felt better everywhere else in the driving experience.

    The Benz was easier to drive fast than the BMW. I'd say that's true of the Benz over my previous S4, too. It's not as fast on an absolute basis. But, it's easier to drive fast in every day driving.

    The suspension really did offer a good ride/handling feel....very well sorted, with a premium ride that not so much isolated you, but made it so you really didn't care of there was broken pavement underneath you. It stayed eminently composed while not doing anything untoward while traveling around corners and/or over bad pavement.

    Materials.....very nice. The one I drove had leather......good leather....extra cost leather. Seats were better than in the BMW, but still not quite as good as in the TL. Same goes for the stereo (H/K, again). Not bad, but not nearly as good as the ELS in the Acura.

    All the other materials, and their execution/build, etc were a ⅓ step above the BMW. Very nicely done...felt expensive....even the way the dials worked.

    Where it falls down...who in the world designed the cruise/turn signals? How can you use one without engaging the other. They're both on the same side of the steering wheel, in the same vicinity. Somebody at Mercedes needs to lose their job over that design faux pas.

    The nav and knob system felt a couple of generations behind BMW's iDrive or the Nav/buttons in my Acura. The Mercedes took forever to boot up. Once it did, it seems it took multiple inputs to do even the simplest tasks.

    Whereas you could find areas of cost cutting in the BMW, you found no such items anywhere in the Benz. Everything looked, felt and functioned with a premium look and operational feel.

    So, to sum up. The C350 4matic coupe is fast, comfortable, handles well, rides well, feels premium.....AND.....

    It was $2K-$3K cheaper than a "like for like" 435ix BMW. Icing on the cake....while subjective....I found the Mercedes to look lots better than the BMW, too.

    While you may get the premium customer treatment at Mercedes, maintenance is extra cost. From what I understand, a fair amount of extra cost. Perhaps this is one of those cars you never take back to the dealership for routine maintenance. Maybe this is one you get to know an indecent mechanic who is fair in what they charge.

    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited July 2014

    That Benz was the 2014 model right? I didn't think the 2015 C class is in the showrooms for another month or so? I can't keep track of all the model numbers anymore!

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    Not sure the BMW test drive had the desired affect they were hoping for. The 4 series is nice, It's not better than the Mercedes, though. I think they had an Audi A5 on hand for comparison, too. I know how Audis drive, so no need for a test drive.

    I still have a soft spot for BMWs. I'm really interested in the new TLS. But, I won't be in the market for another 2-3 years, so it really doesn't matter right now, at least for me.

    I will put the C400 on my shopping list, though.

    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • qaliqali Member Posts: 60

    graphicguy, was the car you drove a C350 2-door or a 4-door?

  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    @qali said:
    graphic guy, was the car you drove a C350 2-door or a 4-door?

    It was the 2-door coupe!

    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
  • graphicguygraphicguy Member Posts: 13,665

    @Mr_Shiftright said:
    That Benz was the 2014 model right? I didn't think the 2015 C class is in the showrooms for another month or so? I can't keep track of all the model numbers anymore!

    2014 model year. Talking with some of my test drive compatriots who were interested in the Mercedes....all mentioned they were torn between the "deals" that can be had for a '14 C350 coupe and waiting for the C400, which won't have any deals working in its favor.

    Personally? That '14 C350 coupe is mighty sweet. I'd be tempted to get it instead of waiting.

    I also learned that the C350 coupe is relatively hard to come by vs the much more common C250. That's kind of like the 428i being much easier to find than the 435i with BMW.

    2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring
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