jorantes

My dealer calls me yesterday morning and advises me that my '09 GERMANY production C350 production date has been pushed out 2 months...!

So throughout the day I contemplated other options... The BMW 335 was definetly out of the question since their road count nearly quadruples the starbucks locations in my area... So on my way home last night I spontaneously stopped at my local AUDI dealer and AGGRESSIVELY test drove a 2008 S4 and 2008 TT 3.2... Both had the DSG tranny with paddleshifters... the salesman offered me $5,000 OFF on either one and offered me a handful of available colors and options... I must admit it was very tempting, and got me thinking... he even tried to get me to take one home that night.

Both were very FAST, and I must say the interiors on those cars are absolutely stunning. Especially the TT... nearly mirrors a Lamborghini Gallardo, for a fraction of the price.






The loaded TT 3.2 would only run about $3k more than the loaded C350... but all of the Audi dealers usually look rundown and you dont get the same level of service... the resale value seems to drop really fast on the Audis... I really liked the interior of the TT but I love the exterior of the C350 (w/18 wheels)... Anyhow my MB dealer has always treated me right so I decided to just wait and stick with the C... and not to mention if I had an Audi Id be on another forum, and I couldnt bare to do that, this forum is the ROCKS...!

benggolf

I must agree the interior in the top photo is quite appealing.

narky

+1 Beautiful. Looks elite. Audis are nice... the TT is a great car too. S4? I won't even go there.

jorantes

I agree... It's weird, wifey thinks the TT looks girly, another reason I chose the C...

Azn_C300

Audi was a serious consideration when I was looking to buy....new design looks really nice

narky

+1

QQQ

Check out new A4

cjh.

That interior is amazing. I agree with her though, the TT is sorta girly on the outside. :/


Agreed. Spent plenty of time looking at the A4.
The refresh for the 2009 model year looks great.

trial0r

anyone mention a5 yet?

yxc145

A5 is a higher level car. the new A4 is very nice. I would have gotten that if the Audi sales man didn't **** me off with a rude comment.
" If you are looking for discount on the new A4, this is not the car for you. you should go with C class or 3 series".

But i love my C350. it's great! don't regret getting it.

drevil2k2

Hi,

First post on this forum. Well, I am leaving Audi and getting into the C300. I owned an A4 1.8T Q for the past 6 years and I am hoping for better reliability issues. In Canada, the new A4 (B8) sport won't arrive until November so I decided to order the C300.

Of course, the TT with DSG and S4 are fast cars and really fun to drive. The S-tronic transmission will also be fitted in future A4/A5 models (so they say).

Since the B8 A4 will be a 'new' car, there will be very little discounting and if leasing, the rate won't really be competitive.

Glad it was only an affair !

narky

I really like the new 09 A4 design. The rear looks awesome. More than anything though, the relatively inexpensive mod possibilities of a turbo engine was a huge draw for me. But then, with that come the reliability issues, I guess. In the end though, lack of a RWD killed it for me.

GDawgC220

Audi put on this "Audi Driving Event" that is going across the country and putting drivers in the new A4 on tracks for testing! I was at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway where we got to fully test out the new A4 on the 1.6 mi track. It was quite an experience, especially since it was the first time on a track. Going through the apexes, straights, cornering, etc. We were able to get it up to 107mph in the straight. I was quite impressed and worlds better than my B6. No instructors in the car either, the lead car (S5) was driven by the instructor and instructions were given via a walkie in each car. Best part was that it was free.

The 'Audi Drive Select' was the best new feature. Changes 4 items when put into dynamic mode: suspension dampening, steering response, throttle response and engine response. You can have the best of both worlds, comfort where it absorbs all the bumps, imperfections, etc for a nice cushy ride or dynamic where it turns quite sporty. Truly two ends of the spectrum. It turns the car into two different characters.

They also had a auto-cross event (like the ones put on my MB and Lexus with the coned sections for braking, acceleration and slalom) comparing the 328xi, C300 4Matic and IS250 AWD.

Some pics of the new B8 in person:

chilledbenz

Seems that the C class resale value is taking a huge hit as well, probably just the market as it stands currently. Thats bad news for all of us that currently own a C as the resale prices won't be going up they can only go down.

By the way...that new A4 looks so good.

jorantes

Look on eBay for used C63, and they are holding up quite well... Same with C350's... They are listed on eBay for a couple thousand under MSRP. Now look for a used '08 TT and find them for $36k, difference is they had a $52k MSRP.

bigben320e

You had an AFFAIR. You are a cheater!

The TT is nice. Either way you are good.

D6F956

Saw one and they are HOT!

chilledbenz

C63 is a limited production car and still quite new..not to mention a whole different set of numbers as far as comparing it to a normal C for trade in values. Ask around or just look at this board, there are a few threads here about people getting quotes of $12k less than what they paid a month later.

Kelly Blue Book currently has the 2008 C class listed as below average for resale values. The BMW 3 and Audi A4 both rank higher than the C.
C class:
http://www.kbb.com/KBB/NewCars/Resal...ss_197954.aspx
BMW 3
http://www.kbb.com/KBB/NewCars/Resal...eMinimum=35000
Audi A4
http://www.kbb.com/KBB/NewCars/Resal...A4_176784.aspx

oblu

You could do much better than 5k off the S4 ... btw, the S4 was just a plain jane torque converter auto and not the dual clutch auto (DSG). TT, I'm not sure about, 5k might be all the trunk money you could get on a left over 08, but might be more.

Funny that the Audi dealers in your area are run down and offer lesser service than Merc. In my area, it's exactly the opposite (even though the closest Audi/Merc dealers to me are owned by the same parent company). All our Audi dealerships are brand new, shiny and service is top notch.

Beware, I'm pretty sure it's already stated, the S4 is a B7; the standard A4 is having it's platform updated to the B8 in mere months, but the S4 production date is unknown ... and won't be the 4.2 V8 either.

S4 sales in my area are in the dumps. I got offered an S4 vert a few months back for 15k off MSRP and that was with no serious haggling. The sales guy admitted it'd been sitting on their lot for over 200 days and they were desperate to move it. And that was before $4.85/gal for premium. If I could've gotten out of my C300 lease, even at a decent clip, I would've done it.

From experience, it seems that MB resale value is about on par, or a little worse than Audi. At least in my area, but out here in PacNW Audi's are close to as popular as 3 series. The best they'd give me on the C300 (from the dealer that sold it to me) was <12k the purchase price.

zankok

is our 7G autobox a torque converter too??
i think it is but im hoping for the odd :<

oblu

Yes, torque converter ... it's not really a bad thing, just not latest tech. Well, except for the forward gear count.

As far as slushboxes go, I have to give props to the MB 7spd. It does some funky stuff every now and then (not engage reverse or drive even when it's selected; lag and clunk into 1st gear; be obstinate about dropping down gears when the throttle is pressed) but for the most part it's the best auto tranny I've driven.