After 6 weeks of ownership, I've decided to move on and trade in the A4 for an IS.

Putting aside some minor issues, the A4 was a great car overall as per the comparo here, but like the cliche goes "it's not you, it's me", holds true here. I just never felt any excitement for the car save for the first couple of days. And for me, this is a key component in car ownership, since a car is more than just A-to-B transportation. On the flipside, it's the first European car I've ever owned, which for those who know me, is a huge deal and a testament to the quality product and value that the A4 is in the luxury compact sports sedan class.

On that positive note, I'm really impressed with the A4 community here. You are a very helpful and level-headed group of owners. 3IS CL members can certainly learn a thing or two here!

I leave you with a last pic of my Scuba Blue A4 at the Lexus dealer, and my new Ultra White IS.

Enjoy and congrats on your A4s!

 

i've had my a4 for about 6 weeks and i do understand you, and the emotional connection thing. had a F30 328i for 4 years before the a4... and honestly the A4 is better at everything EXCEPT driving and i've heard the new IS is very fun to drive (more fun than an F30 from what i've read).

wow, congrats on getting what you really want, but man i'd hate to take that much of a loss that early (i'm assuming the lexus dealer took quite a bit of value in the trade ?), though I could see myself giving in to driving fun in a few years when something else comes out.

 

Good luck with the new IS (what model and interior color??).

Nothing wrong with preferring one brand over another.

 

I agree with the others. Not everyone is the same. And it is better to move to something you love instead of sticking onto something you don't have feelings for or regret.

An another note. Maybe I need to test drive Lexus in the future to see what it is like.

All the best to you and your new car. Which IS is that btw? And could you tell me what Lexus gave you for the A4? And how much you got it for originally?

 

If it's not right, it isn't right. We once sold a house and moved after a year because my wife just couldn't get used to the rural location.

The IS drives great and was on my short list after reviewing everything in the market. My problem was that the IS300 gets horrible mileage and while the IS200t gets better mileage, the local dealers only stock a few lightly optioned IS200t models because everyone wants AWD. The styling is also a bit aggressive for my taste, but styling is very personal.

 

Completely understandable -- I still miss my '08 C300 and find myself comparing the new A4 with it quite often.

Congrats on the new car, it definitely looks great. Hopefully you enjoy it more!

 

Pretty car.

I came from a 2005 Acura TL. I loved it. I had been thinking I would eventually have to get a new car and assumed it would be a Lexus, even though I had never driven one. I just liked the way they looked and knew they had a great reputation for reliability. Unfortunately, in May I hit a deer and totaled by TL (275k miles, paid for, brand new tires, still running great ) and had to get a new car in a hurry. Technology was probably the most important thing to me. On a whim I stopped by an Audi shop, never having given an Audi any consideration whatsoever, and was blown away by the tech and the B&O sound. I bought it the next week without having driven anything else. (Damn, I recently spent a lot longer deciding what Bluetooth headphones to buy!)

My TL had a six-cylinder with the same horsepower as the A4 and was heavier, but there was something about that six that made it feel more manly. Overall, though, I am very happy with my decision.

 

I also can understand about a car being a great car, but just not the right fit. Unless you are not "a car guy" cars are a very personal preference ticket.

Earlier this year I traded my 2014 Q5 for a 2016 Macan S. Ok, but after a few months - yes a few months, I traded it in for the 2017 A4 Prestige. Each car had and has it's virtues and people think I'm nuts for making that trade for more reasons than one, not to mention, that huge hit on depreciation.But I do really like my A4 - smooth, high tech, audio, plenty of power in that 4 cyl for what I'm doing, very agile and fantastic mileage. The Macan, pretty low tech, way crazy service charges - I mean $3-4 hundred for an oil change - really? poor mpg - especially in Sport mode and most important - for me - just was not a good commuter car driving NJ - NYC. But, damn if my head doesn't turn, every time I see a Macan, any Macan, it's simply that stunning, interior and exterior.

Anyhow, the only 2 negatives in my A4 is being that low to the ground and very limited storage. But, its a compact sedan, so these are inherent limitations. Yep, I'm driving SUV's so long that I appreciate the easy entrance and exits. Now, of course, I'm taking a second look at the Allroad!!!

It has been nice reading your inputs and comments. Bottom line, get the car that brings the smile on your face when your are driving it. Best of luck.

 

Corrado , I hope you didn't lose too much money on the switch.

Myself I'm on the other way , I'd like to get rid of my 2015 TLX SH-AWD and get on an A4 AWD , but even my TLX is almost 2 years on the lease I'll loose quite good amount of money and I'll wait another 8-10 months to do the switch.

Good luck with your IS !
BTW , which version it is ?

 

Yeah, IS is what the the pre-F30 was like in terms of driving dynamics. Lexus dealer gave me 3K more for my A4 than the best trade-in value I got from Audi as I was also considering an S3.


Thanks. It's an IS 300 AWD (255 hp 3.5L V6), black interior. Only other interior color option in Canada was Rioja Red which I have in the NX and I'm a little tired of it.


Sometimes I wish I saw cars as purely transportation vehicles like most people. I'd probably be able to retire now lol! I would have lost 10k trading it in to Audi for an S3. Lexus gave me over 3K more but what helped too was I also signed on a new RX trading in the NX.



Yeah, good analogy. I so wanted to love the A4, but it wasn't there. Although I love the IS' more aggressive styling, the fuel economy is also aggressive in a terrible way. In short, no such perfection in any car but if one existed, to me it would be the IS's styling and driving dynamics with the A4's ride, tech, and fuel economy.


Thanks. I had the current gen IS (2014) and I know I will enjoy it at least longer this time!


Thanks. I was similarly impressed with the A4's tech and interior which is what swayed me the most in buying it. Enjoy your A4!


Thanks for the compliment. You hit the nail on the head with your first two sentences. Being a car enthusiast, a car is about the experience more so than the A-to-B transportation. And although this comes at a high cost, it's what makes us enthusiasts happy!




Thanks. Got the '17 IS 300 AWD F Sport. Trade-in was not bad considering Audi wanted to give me less money.

Check out your trade-in value at Carmax (US) or Canadian Blackbook (Canada). Take the lowest amount as the best amount you'll get from the dealer and compare that with your lease buyout (residual + remaining lease payments). If you have low mileage, you may not be that bad in negative equity. In fact, I also just traded in my NX 2 years out of 4 into my lease and it was 2.5K in negative equity. However, since I traded it in for a new RX, they gave me that difference and about another 2K off equivalent in my new lease.