av_audi

All I want is a decent sports sedan, or at least a sporty sedan, with a manual transmission and with a semi-nice interior. It's a tough beast to find as such cars seem to always be infused with aspirations to entry-level luxury.

The A4 is a natural candidate. The Premium can be had for around $32K (street price), but it lacks certain things I have on my lowly base Passat, such as a trip computer and folding back seats. You also can't get a standalone option for HID lights. Enters the P+, which pushes the price to $35K, but with not that much value added for the extra money. Also, wood would be nice to tame the blinding metal trim all around the instrument cluster.

So what alternatives are there? The most obvious choice is the 328i with the premium package + Xenons. A nice car for a round $35K. The other option is the G37. I had not looked at it after they made the manual transmission available only with the Sport trim, which I think is the highest priced at around $40K MSRP. But I just found out it is actually being sold for around $35K right now. So I took a closer look at what comes with this trim. Sports package, super beefy brakes, upgraded stereo, navigation, rear view monitor & sonar, slightly more interior space, better warranty, oh, and a much more powerful engine with only a 5% drop in fuel efficiency compared to the Quattro/2.0T combo.

I can easily afford a $35K car, but I am a very value oriented person, and I'd rather compromise and spend less. But the Passat is not available with a manual, the CC is completely impractical for me and it is pretty close to $30K, and I feel I am too old for the GTI. So I need to go to the thirty something price range. I could do the Premium A4, but if I decide not to skimp on a few niceties, I am basically looking at $35-36K for any of these three cars.

Now if I am going to spend $35K, how does someone who does not need AWD justify the A4 over this G37? I had not looked at it in a long time, and I just can't believe how much better of a value it is.

a4-bob

Go do test drives, that's the most fun part! Plus a lot of things surprised me when I experienced them in person from what I was researching online.

With the A4 I'd strongly recommend P+ and sports package. You may have trouble finding a sports package to test drive but I wouldn't go without it, especially considering what you're comparing.

Recollections of my test drive days: 328i was great fun and I liked the interior; going in I expected the ultimate douche machine with a lacking interior. g37, which was my prime contender while doing research, really underwhelmed me. Both the drive and the interior felt buick bleah. I really disliked the exterior styling of the A4 when I saw it online; fell in love with it when I was cruising the dealer lot. Fun ride and nice interior; very solid, safe & efficient. I have two little ones so the A4 safety ratings were a plus.

So for me it was really between the A4 and 328. I ended up with the A4, sports package, P+ quattro, nav, B&O & wood trim simply because I worked out a better deal on that than I could in with a comparable bmw. Both are awesome cars.

Have fun driving & shopping!

NickZag

G37 = Datsun

av_audi

I am not so sure anymore about the statement I made for fuel economy. It seems like fuel economy is clearly worse for the manual G37 compared to the auto: 17/25 and 19/27, so the Consumer Reports numbers would have to be adjusted accordingly. Is this gearing or engine tuning? The manual in the A4 is actually more efficient than the auto.

need_TQM

The G37 sport is $39,450 - not sure it's the bargin you've made it out to be -- but I agree with a4-bob. Do some test driving and buy the car you like the best.

av_audi

Which is why I had not taken a look at it. But pricing it on different sites, it comes out to $35K and change, just like the P+. There must be some ongoing incentives.

SFV A4

Doesn't the B8 still come with folding rear seats?

quality_sound

If you're going to get a 328i, just spend the money on an M3. Mileage is almost identical and you get twice as much horsepower and much more sorted chassis and better interior materials. Seriously, the 328i is a monster waste of money. Underpowered and horrible mileage.

Why is a CC impractical? You didn't say what year you Passat is, but if it's a B5 or B5.5, and assuming you don't need the middle rear seat, the CC is better in every way and has noticeably more space in the interior and in the trunk.

A4 vs G37 I can sum up in two words. Build quality. The G might be more reliable but it still feels like you're driving a tin can. My mom had an Infiniti and even my 07 Rabbit was more solid. It didn't compare to my 08 GTI, either of my Passats, my wife's GLI, or my MkIII Jetta.

YMMV

JD15

From what I've read, the G37 does not come close to matching the EPA numbers in real world driving. I think the reason that the auto has higher mileage is that the AT shifts to 6th and 7th gear ASAP and stays there during the EPA test cycle; GM and other companies have been known to aggressively use such shift logic to game the EPA system.

Sooner1

Premium does NOT have folding rear seats.