My weekend driving comparison - Please help.
 

Hello all. I am looking at a new A6 3.0T, 535, & E350. I test drove all three this weekend. I also tested the GS350 for the heck of it. Which should I buy ( I know there will be bias in these forums) My needs are the following:

-On center highway steering but good feel on back roads.
-Quiet and comfortable for a weekly 4 hour drive.
-Good around town torque.
-Good sound system with openness, bass & clarity at higher volumes. I have an extensive audio background.
-Have to buy now, cannot wait for new body styles

2016 A6 3.0T - I drove it for about 45 minutes. Impeccable interior and fit/finish. Best electronics of the bunch except the Bose sound system was not livable. The hotspot is excellent and the real time google maps are excellent. LOVE LOVE LOVE the between gauge map display. I found the engine power not as impressive as I thought (although fine) it might be and I found the steering exceptionally light and a little hard to predict. After I returned home, I read about DRIVE SELECT. I am not sure what mode I was in but I thought I was in a sport mode. I will have to go back and re-drive

535i xdrive - Dated interior, but best driving position. I found it quite and comfortable. It felt a little bigger to drive. I believe the engine curve is the best of the bunch. It just always felt right. Audio system was much better than the Audi. Much more dynamic but still somewhat flat sounding. I found the handling to be exceptional around town. Not really sure I see that BMW "lost its way" like the magazines say. My last BMW was a 1988 E36 M3 and it very much reminded me of it.

E350 - Probably the best all purpose car of the bunch. It is very smooth driving. A little under powered, but surprising. The nav screen is very dated looking and the interior is uninspiring. Handling was a great compromise. The audio system was the best of the Germans. Lacked a little bottom end but good midbass and clean at high volumes. Exterior styling bland although I like the dual moonroof. Also, drove the E400, but not sure it is worth the extra money.

GS350 - Seems like a good value. Love the huge 10" screen. Better than expected power. Drive better than any Japanese car I have driven, but still does not have the connected to the ground feel. Very natural sounding audio system. I would think if saving money is a goal, then it is a good choice.

Did pretty much the same thing when I bought my 2014 A6/Prestige


Definitely recommend test driving A6 in sport mode; everything is tighter and more responsive and is a blast to drive


Here's my take


Like the smaller C class better than the E class I drove but was just a little too small; E class was more of a cruiser


When I equipped the BMW comfortable (ie. loaded) it was just a little too pricey to even test drive as it became an 80K car


ES350 is definitely a cruiser - soft cushy ride (my wife loves hers!) but not what I was looking for


GS350 is definitely a better "value" - great car, handled well, but just didn't have the polish of the A6


So I went with A6 and love it!


Caveats.....
(1) I love my 20 inch tires & sports suspension and think it rides and handles better than my old Acura TL - but many others wish they had stayed with 18 or 19 inch wheels for a more comfortable ride
(2) Bose stereo is nowhere near the stereo in my wife's Lexus - really wish I had bought the B&O
(3) Golf clubs don't fit well in trunk - have to lay diagonally; could fit 4 sets in my old 2003 TL; but think 2 sets are max in A6. If this is important, you may want to consider A7 and it's larger cargo space


Good Luck

The one thing the Audis won me over on were their interiors. Simply stunning and still makes me smile every now and then.

I didn't cross shop as I was in a pinch originally and my A6 was one of two they had that I liked, so I went in. Would I buy another one? Oh yeah.

Rob I would make sure you were driving in "dynamic" mode along with it in sport to see the engine at its best and the steering in its tightest mode. If the audio quality is extremely important to you I would upgrade to the B&O. I believe even with the additional $4,900 you will still be at a lower price point then a comparably equipped BMW. I like the E350, but found its ride to soft for my taste.

Since you are looking for around town torque and you have a weekly 4 hour ride, have you considered the TDI with its 428 pounds of torque? If you are looking for a good sound system have you considered the B&O?

I just came out of a 2012 BMW 550 and my wife's car is a loaded 2014 Lexus GS 350 with Luxury Package. If you do a search on this form you will,find a detailed comparison. The bottom line is that the Audi is head and shoulders the better all around driving car with by far the best steering. The BMW the best interior and seats (mine had the Luxury Seating Package or whatever they call it). The BMW had poor drivability in terms of smooth throttle response and braking. None of them is a bad car, but the BMW was very disappointing. The GS is a great car but the engine/transmission responsiveness has been neutered (I had a 2010 that was actually a lot livelier).