~2011 Audi A4 vs ~2011 Lancer Ralliart

sumitagarwal

I'm sure a lot of you will find this a strange comparison (German luxury vs Japanese economy) but I'm surprised to find that ~2011 Audi A4 prices and ~2011 Lancer Ralliart prices are essentially neck-and-neck on the used market.

These have a fair amount in common... both have solid AWD and are similar sizes. The Ralliart has a great dual-clutch transmission, but the A4 is available with a proper 6-speed manual stick (which is what I would choose). Both have above-average reliability for their class.

Numbers seem to show the Ralliart to have stronger acceleration. Which car will generally handle and turn better? Obviously the A4 has a far more luxurious and comfortable interior.

Anyways, looking forward to any thoughts. And before you recommend a Subaru: I think they're great cars and don't have anything against them. And if I were buying new I'd strongly consider one... however, it seems everyone else is also aware that they're great cars and so their prices on the used market just aren't competitive with comparable models from other companies.

Mr_Shiftright

There's a reason the A4 is priced where it is---many buyers are reluctant to buy an Audi out of warranty, at least one from that era. Maintenance and repair will be higher, too, than the Mitsu.

Unless you simply MUST have that German feel for braking and handling, and the cushier interior, I'd go with the Mitsu in this case.

sumitagarwal

Mr_Shiftright said:

There's a reason the A4 is priced where it is---many buyers are reluctant to buy an Audi out of warranty, at least one from that era. Maintenance and repair will be higher, too, than the Mitsu.

Unless you simply MUST have that German feel for braking and handling, and the cushier interior, I'd go with the Mitsu in this case.

Thanks. Yea, I understand that and see that reflected in the general used prices of German cars. However, I was under the impression that the current-generation A4 has an excellent reliability record, and I was hoping this was a case of a reliable model having lower resell due to the historical reliability of the brand as a whole.

Of course, even if the A4 is reliable any service or maintenance that is needed will be higher than on the Ralliart (except maybe that transmission?). I'm ok with that. I'm far more concerned with the inconvenience of unexpected service and repairs than I am with the costs.