michael1130

I'm in the process of purchasing a new car with my parents. it's honestly become one of the hardest decisions ever. We are currently deciding between the Audi A4, Lexus IS 300, Mercedes c300,BMW 330i.

We have looked at the cars but haven't test drove any yet.

I personally like the a4 the best right now. When I got into the car it instantly gave me the feeling I'm in a luxurious car. From the buttons to the seats to the steering wheel. Whereas the bmw and lexus interior although nice just wasn't on the same level.

My parents like the Lexus pretty much based on reliability and cost of ownership. The is300 for me doesn't justify the price tag. Interior is decent and the driving performerce from reviews also put it as mediocre.

We probably looking to get it early November

17A4PP

I would definitely recommend driving all of your considerations. I agree with what you mentioned. Reliability you take with a grain of salt though. None of them are on opposite sides of the spectrum in that respect. BMW also includes scheduled maintenance to help mitigate cost of ownership. Consider how long you will plan to keep the car, when making that decision. Will it be longer than the standard B2B warranty? For me A4 & C300 win on interiors, but I wasn't a fan of MB's turbo-4. BMW strikes a nice balance but A4 edged it out slightly. I think I do prefer the current iDrive to MMI, though. Not a fan of the current IS. Too small and don't like the interior. I was also strongly considering the Alfa Romeo Guilia but it's an unknown on reliability and my local dealership wasn't rated well.

ropuff

I would concur with those points. I never tried the IS, was turned off by the seemingly unanimous reviews of small interior and wacky infotainment controller.

BMW is great for leasing due to inflated residuals, not so sure about long-term purchase. They recently changed their maintenance program, so now you have to pay about $1,600 extra to have brakes included and to stretch it to 4 years.

My parents prefer MB because to them it's the most comfortable and have dealt with the same dealership for the past 30+ years with great post-sales support. I think Mercedes is also much better at marketing in the USA than BMW and Audi.

ropuff

Thanks for the tips on the B&O settings, they are helping. Still tweaking...

kurtatx

The only thing more brutal than the wacky infotainment controller in the IS I tried was the absolutely brutal way Lexus managed to neuter a RWD car. It's a terribly boring ride. I tested it after the A4 and I new right then I was going A4

Dave788

If I had to compare it with other cars in its class:

C-Class-I game from a last generation '14 w204 V6. I miss the refined feel of a six cylinder and the sound it produces when pushed. I looked at the new generation when car shopping. Interior I test drove had a panoramic roof which I did not have previously. Interior seemed a bit busy to me and some of the aesthetics, while luxury designed, didn't seem to be as durable as my precious gen C300. Exterior was mediocre and shapeless in my opinion. It drove fine but was turned off by it not being my older, sweeter sounding, silky V6. Tech was lacking and the Garmin navigation was garbage, not that I would use it anyways. Premium sound system sounded about the same if not slightly worse than the Harmon Kardon in my w204.

Lexus IS- never drove this generation but checked it out online. My parents had a 2001 GS when I was in high school which was like driving on a cloud. I test drove the previous generation a few years ago and wasn't impressed. It didn't particularly handle great and the ride was mediocre for its lack of handling. Current generation I find the exterior to be slick and sharp, not not sure if it's timeless. In 10 years I predict it to look dated, in comparison to some more modestly styled cars which look good long term. Interior doesn't bother me too much, but will need an update soon.

3 Series- definitely more fun to drive when looking for sporty driving. Interior design going from classic to stale soon, needs a revolutionary update as opposed to its evolutionary update. Love their orange gauges though and agree that they're easier on the eyes at night. They need to keep that. iDrive is fine, takes a little getting used to but they all do. Wish I could have owned an E46 at one point. Exterior is unmistakably BMW, which isn't a bad thing. Standard options frankly suck.

TL- the third gen was my favorite. If I could buy a mint one I might consider it. I had a fourth gen '09 and then ride was tight and driver friendly but not comfortable. Interior design of the 4th gen bests the current gen in my opinion. In both cases though, both have too many buttons and a disappointing interface. I would probably rate the TL the worst infotainment in the group. But I'm also very anti-touch screen in cars, I'll take physical buttons every day. Exterior is bland these days.

A4- I've always hated Audi interiors, against the opinions of many. I don't know what it was about them, they just felt generic and uninspiring to me. The new A4 I'm in love with. Nougat Brown with gray oak inlays, spacious for its class, I feel like I'm stepping into a rich and luxurious car worth more than what I paid every time I step in. Sound systEm isn't perfect but is better than most in my opinion. Tech is top notch hands down. I still miss my V6 but the 4 cylinder turbo doesm disappoint. I wish automatic throttle response was better. Long ride comfort is great, I just wish there was more concealed storage on the inside.

In short, did a lot of research and field testing before I went for the A4 and no regrets.

VM

I think you need to test drive more than anything. If you hate the suspension tuning or the rear seat room or whatever else in one car, then... things like that will make the decision much easier.

17A4PP

You are absolutely right about the W204 V6. Didn't have the 350, but the C300 was enough. I miss that sound...and the feeling of closing those doors. Not a fan of COMAND though. I don't miss that.

3: I've long been a fan, but the more practical side one out when comparing to the A4.

I do like the restyle of the TLX but find that Acura is a shadow of what it once was. More like appliances now. I despise their infotainment setup.

A4: I've liked Audis for a long time too, but never liked the feel of their buttons. I hate the click noise that they make. Unfortunately, they didn't rid of that in the B9, but obviously that didn't stop me from buying. More storage could certainly be helpful...deeper center console and door pockets.

ropuff

Interesting timing, with regard to the IS350: 2017 Lexus IS350 Review ? Give Love One More Chance

Speaking of NA V6, the Honda/Acura one is pretty smooth, would make the TLX more appealing if they had tweaked some more power out of it and switched to a better auto trans. I had a 2002 Acura TL Type-S, got really bored with it, and switched to an E46 330i w/Sport Package. In hindsight I should have ponied up the extra $1-2K for the ZHP performance package, but regardless I loved that car. The inline 6 was not powerful by today's standards, but it was smooth and the car felt solidly planted on the road and the steering was great. Eventually became a maintenance money pit out of warranty, so I moved on to an Infiniti G37x. Decent but unrefined V6 with an auto transmission that hesitated or got confused in different throttle situations. Was a great lease deal, very low interest rate/money factor.

jarnailh

Were you able to find optimal settings ?