Help me pick my new car

[bstboy]

So my wife wants a new car and we've narrowed it down to the following:

Volvo S40

BMW 325i Sedan

Audi A4 2.0

Acura TL

Saab 93 Sport

Benz C230 Komp

I love the Acura for both looks and features. From what I understand, everything but the kitchen sink is standard.

I also love the BMW, however it's the most expensive of the bunch.

The wife likes the Volvo the most but I hear that the new S40 has a lot of mechanical issues.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Bill42]

Buy the Acura, it is a Honda. It is bulletproof. Volvos are not.

Go to consumer reports and sign on - it is cheap. It will provide you with alot of info regarding the cars and allow you to better compare the vehicles in question.

 

[bstboy]

Buy the Acura, it is a Honda. It is bulletproof. Volvos are not.

Go to consumer reports and sign on - it is cheap. It will provide you with alot of info regarding the cars and allow you to better compare the vehicles in question.

We plan on doing that but I was looking for more personal thoughts from members on this board in terms of personal experience or the "I've heard from a friend" stories.

Thanks

 

[Derek]

DO NOT get the Volvo S40, just take a look at my sig...

I am now in the process of having Volvo buy the car back. In the first 4,000 miles of me owning my S40, it was in the service department for a total of 45 days for all kinds of problems, some even safety related that posed a real risk to my passengers. I will NEVER even consider another Volvo as long as I live. There is no excuse for selling a car that has so many problems that should have been worked out a long time ago. Most problems they can't even fix because they don't know how. My radio works about 70% of the time, and my brake pads were replaced already because they were making loud screeching noises, and now the new pads are making the same noise.

I contacted an attorney and Volvo has now agreed to buy back my car. Now I just have to wait until they send the payoff check so I can get rid of this P.O.S. and get another 4Runner. :bash:

 

[zig]

I had a honda before my 4Runner. If I had to buy another car I would have a hard time not going back to them. It was by far the best feeling, longest lasting car that I have ever had, even though my wife had a wreck in it while it was still young (150K miles). If it wouldn't have been for the wreck, we'd still have it. It never had any problems and still drove like it was brand new. The head in crash with a truck totalled it out while my wife walked out with nothing but a burn from the air bag. The people in the truck were hurt worse than she was, not too bad.

I sure do miss that car.

 

[dltyrrell]

Hi,

I have driven them all and I would go with the Acura TL. The BMW & Mercedes are bottom of the line, the volvo has a lot of problems. The Saab and Audi are overpriced for what you get. Just my opinion. Good Luck.

 

[Bobby]

Unless your wife is a part-time mechanic, I'd go with the Acura TL. Saabs aren't any better. It's a crapshoot with German cars but when they run, they're a lot of fun.

I haven't had many problems with my M3 but I used to work on it all the time and do a LOT of preventative maintenance because I took it to the track a lot. Now I barely drive it but when I do, I remember why I didn't sell it.

 

[blaine965]

For a brief period (inbetween 4runners) I made the mistake of switching to a VW Passat which is closely related to the Audi A4. It started off great and then slowly went downhill. It is my personal opinion to go with the Acura. As said before, it is a Honda and that adds some peace of mind. Just my opinion. Also, the maintenance is probablly alot less expensive as well.

Good Luck!!

 

[Mark86]

Just to let you know, the BMW may be the most expensive but you get free maintenance for 50,000 miles. You have to take that into consideration when comparing price.

I only have stories for BMW and Mercedes. As for reliability, BMW and Mercedes are not very good. My parents have owned both BMW and Mercedes and Mercedes is by far the worst. The thing was at the dealer every two weeks for a new problem. This is before Chrysler and Mercedes merged too! Imagine what they are like now? As for BMW, they are great when they give you no problems. But when they do give you problems, they are BAD! My parents had two X5's at one time and one was trouble free until it hit 50,000 miles. It was a great vehicle and fun to drive. The other one was just a nightmare and lived in the shop (can't say it was as bad as the Mercedes though!). The problems were complicated and it would stay in the shop for a long time until they found out what was wrong. You end up getting very friendly with the service writers at the dealer!:

If I was in your case, I would go with the Acura TL. It comes with a lot of standard features for the money and it is RELIABLE. Acura's are fancy Honda's, which are known to be reliable.

 

[Northof49]

Personally, I would go for the BMW from that list without putting too much though too it. I've grown up around BMW's and have found them to be fairly reliable, not Toyota reliable, but still above average. The motors and drivelines (particularily the 325's) are ROCK solid. Hard to beat inline-6 and RWD for an overall balanced drivetrain.....smooth as butta power delivery, sounds good, runs smoothly, etc.

Plus, all BMW's have a personality that you just don't get with the Japanese cars no matter what....now don't get me wrong, I'm a diehard preacher for Toyota and Honda, but there's just something cool about any BMW. The heavy steering, the thick interior materials, solid but smooth suspension that somehow corners way better than you think it should.....hell BMW's even SMELL different than any other car....seriously! Not that this all makes it "better," necessarily, but if you enjoy a nice BMW sedan, there's nothing else just like it....the only thing I've driven that feels close to a 3 series is a Lexus IS300, which I would take over a 325i, but not a 330Ci

The Acura would be my second pick, but I dislike FWD in sporty-ish cars.

 

[alpha]

yeah, i've heard reliability issues with audi, saab, and volvo.. i've never really liked lower end mercedes.. the audi drives nice, but i've just heard too many stories from people lately about reliability.. the bmw 3 series drives nice too, but i'd look into the xi, as i do have a preference towards awd, especially in the winter.. i'd take into consideration the rwd factor.. of the list, i'd have to go with the TL.. great car, honda reliability with luxury.. drives nice too.. plus, as you said, the bmw is the most expensive.. surprises me that it doesn't come standard with power or heated seats.. they're really smooth, smooth clutch, and the suspension is really nice for stock..

 

[bstboy]

Ok all, I'm adding a car to my list. The new Avalon is teets. I'm loving the new look. I'm thinking about the Touring edition. Anybody have input on the new model?

AVALON

 

[Derek]

Ok all, I'm adding a car to my list. The new Avalon is teets. I'm loving the new look. I'm thinking about the Touring edition. Anybody have input on the new model?

AVALON

I remember looking at one in the showroom whey I bought my 4Runner and I was impressed with the looks and it seemed like you got a lot of car for the money. The design kinda reminds me of the new Lexus GS series. If it were up to me, I'd pick between the TL and the Avalon.

 

[Mark86]

Though I have not test driven one yet, the Avalon looks like a very impressive car. I have sat in the interior and was amazed at all of the luxuries that come in the Limited. You have rain sensing wiper, memory seats, smart key access, laser cruise control, and a special sound proof windshield for under $40,000. In addition, the 0-60 time is 6.6 seconds and it has a tiptronic transmission. It is definitely a great buy. The reviews I have read are all positive as well!

 

[Northof49]

Ok all, I'm adding a car to my list. The new Avalon is teets. I'm loving the new look. I'm thinking about the Touring edition. Anybody have input on the new model?

AVALON

Input = it hauls ass! Seriously, for a larger luxury sedan, it has a pile of power, and the suspension is actually quite adept in the corners....it's absolutely night and day with the old model, particularily the touring model. The new V6 is dialed right in....lots of jam, smooth as hell, and (IIRC) best in class fuel economy. I also really like the gunmetal wheels on the touring. The interiors are beautiful, comfortable and large with plenty of toys to play with....and you get Toyota reliability, durability and resale.

This is, of course, a bit different class of car than, say, a 325 tho....so it's difficult to make a direct comparison. I would narrow it down a bit and then drive the ones you're most interested in to see which you prefer

 

[GRIMACE]

Have thought about waiting for the new lexus IS250 or IS350 thats due out in September? They are supposed to be the 3 series next great competitor.

 

[olliebear]

That's what you get.....

DO NOT get the Volvo S40, just take a look at my sig...

I am now in the process of having Volvo buy the car back. In the first 4,000 miles of me owning my S40, it was in the service department for a total of 45 days for all kinds of problems, some even safety related that posed a real risk to my passengers. I will NEVER even consider another Volvo as long as I live. There is no excuse for selling a car that has so many problems that should have been worked out a long time ago. Most problems they can't even fix because they don't know how. My radio works about 70% of the time, and my brake pads were replaced already because they were making loud screeching noises, and now the new pads are making the same noise.

I contacted an attorney and Volvo has now agreed to buy back my car. Now I just have to wait until they send the payoff check so I can get rid of this P.O.S. and get another 4Runner. :bash:

for buying a car named after a part of the female anatomy! :bouncy:

Used to own a used 1980 245 DL wagon. I was going to have a brand new car replacing it piece by piece before I said ENUF! Only that worked well was the eninge. The old 4 cylinders were fairly bulletproof.

 

[PatrickB]

Based on your list, I think you need to decide if you want a bigger car like the TL or Avalon. The rest in your list are all smaller and I believe they are all 4 cyl. If it a little smaller car you want, I would take a look at an Acura TSX. I personally own one and have had it for a little over a year and a half and I love it. Start comparing them with like fetures and you'll see the TSX is by far the best value. If your still not convinced, check re-sale values, reviews, etc.

If it's a bigger car with a V6 that you want, I haven't driven a Avalon, but from what I hear, that's the way to go. As far as the TL, I personally like the TSX better, but it's still a really nice car.

Oh, and if you're interested, check out acura-tsx.com. There is a TL forum there too.

 

[alpha]

Input = it hauls ass! Seriously, for a larger luxury sedan, it has a pile of power, and the suspension is actually quite adept in the corners....it's absolutely night and day with the old model, particularily the touring model. The new V6 is dialed right in....lots of jam, smooth as hell, and (IIRC) best in class fuel economy. I also really like the gunmetal wheels on the touring. The interiors are beautiful, comfortable and large with plenty of toys to play with....and you get Toyota reliability, durability and resale.

I'd agree with this.. Quite a quick car, and imo, very refined. Toyota's flagship car shining is what the Avalon does..

imo, I'd go with the TL or the Avalon. Fun cars, great fuel economy with the V6 power.. Granted, I believe the Avalon has more torque, yet the TL has a manual transmission option.

 

[CHRIS240]

Have you ever consider the Infiniti G35 ?.