samwapi

Hello Everybody, i am new to the MB forums, so yeah. I plan on getting a new car soon. Some people tell me to get the Audi A4 2.0T Quattro, others tell me the Infiniti G37. I hear the Audi is the best overall and the largest. The Infiniti I hear is the funnest to drive. But i hear the Mercedes is the most luxorious out of the three. The Audi looks nice, Infiniti nice, but the Mercedes C300 looks the nicest in my opinion. I havent driven either of the three yet. So can u guys give me any hints or the weaknesses and strengths of each car. Thx.
P.S., dont talk about the BMW 3-Series, i hate that car.

raceway

I think the B8 A4 is the best looking car among entry luxuries. The interior is way better than C and G, and also the best in this class. But probably the least reliable. And it is FWD based, so less fun to drive (although it has quattro)

micropower99

Hey they are all beautiful cars, I suggest test driving each one and see which one you like the best in terms of not only looks but drivability and comfort as well. Only weakness I heard for audi is that they have terrible transmissions. Like the transmissions would go out after a certain amount of miles and then would have to replace the whole transmission as they are not repairable. (dunno if it's true but just from what I heard, I had an oldy a while back and always had a transmission problem).

C300Kid

Interesting. I think the Audi is the ugliest. I liked the '05-'08, but the B8 has no style. It's blobby and bloated. I'm prob one of the few that feel this way though because I don't think the A5/S5 is that great looking either, despite popular opinion.

LOVE the interiors, however.

ismeto

+ 1

webada

didn't test drive the new G37 (sedan right?) but G35 was disappointing. It maybe the adaptive transmission was still in the learning stage, who knows.

IMO, c300 is the most balanced (well you are here in MB forums :-) ) between looks and sportiness.

Exterior
c300 > audi > G35
interior
G35 > c300 > Audi (infiniti has craftsmanship, audi poor layout.)
Drive
c300 > G35 > Audi (c300 has the most balanced between sport and comfort)
reliability
infiniti > MB > audi (not necessary the A4 but friend who got A6 spends most of this time in shop)

again, my opinions. I suggest you go test drive them all and play with all the buttons and get a feel for yourself.

C300Kid

You rate the Audis interior last? wow. I really like the B8 interior.

webada

yea, the quality is nice but buttons are confusing, layouts are not clean enough, buttons lites are too strong, forward center console is so out dated, way too much alumina, the entire flow of the consoles reminds me of E36....

call me a minimalist....

C300Sport

All nice vehicles with way too many variables to make a call without you going out a driving each one yourself.

flagman

I've been going thru the same research process. The G35/37 is not on my list, but I have looked at and test-driven (multiple times) the C350 (RWD and 4Matic) and A4 3.2 Quattro. I considered the 3 Series but the interior styling leaves me cold, and they are way too common.

As has been said by others, I feel the C offers the best balance between sport and luxury.

Power/accel. - pretty much equal between the C350 and A4 3.2
Handling - pretty much equal on the base suspensions (althought the A4 Drive Select option is amazing - variable suspension, steering and transmission settings - better than the C Sport and Comfort settings). I have not driven an A4 S-Line - it may have the advantage here.

Interior fit and materials are better in the Audi (standard leather, higher quality plastics) although a bit heavy on the aluminum but the C has better interior styling IMO.

The C has a better sound system (5.1 surround, DVD-Audio) and can play DVD movies, and they have relatively equal display/nav system. Audi offers blind-spot warning system and back-up camera, not avail. in the C.

Exterior styling easily goes to the C, althought the Audi front end is nicely aggressive and the LED running lights are very distinctive. The Audi rear styling is very plain-jane.

reliability? - can't comment - although a co-worker has last years model A4 2.0T quattro, and has no issues.

- and then there is the "prestige factor" - nothing matches the Benz there!

Fully loaded A4 (with a few more features than the C such as the back-up cam, lane warning, drive select) ends up about $5k more than the C. Even equally confirgured, the A4 is more expensive due to lower residual and higher lease rates.

At this point, I am leaning very heavily toward the C. Just waiting for any year end or January incentives (MB in Canada is not yet offering the generous discounts those in the US are getting).

Best advice I can give you is read as much about both cars as you can (forums, test reviews, etc) and spend as much time driving them both as you can.

SebringSilver

He's comparing the C300 to the A4 2.0T Quattro, not C350 to A4 3.2.

flagman

That's fine, but most comments are still valid.

tanktube67

Test drive them all

Sanjuro Makabe

test drive is the only way to find out, no one can "tell" you how well a car is...

ismeto

but test drive is short trip that everyone do not understand well which is good ..even commercial pics and video may fall in bad choise ..

my best check : Go to street and Watch them driving someone and also Look at them parking area ...LIVE . this test may be not give you handling knowledge but believe me It will give you what car best for you and what car want inside you. Even colour check . Do not belive too much picture threads and Showroom cars

Sanjuro Makabe

hah, yea you are right...but there is always the undecided factor that goes with everything you buy, not just cars, you won't know until you've bought it and tried it...

but I know what you mean...

GDawgC220

Some dealers may let you do a 24 hour test drive. That way, you can take it out around town, do errands, go to work, normal routes, etc.

About reliability, too early to tell about the B8. But FWIW, my 2005 B6 has 106k miles on it. Still solid and very reliable. Just regular maintenance and a few wear and tear items.

If you're into modding, the 2.0T can be modified easily for more power. Just as an example, the B7 2.0T put out 200hp/210tq. With just a ECU flash, it puts it to 245hp/293tq. Still waiting on new ECU flashes for the revised 2.0T in the B8.

yxc145

I have driven the A4 3.2. disappointed with the power. I didn't even want to test drive the 2.0T because the rear exhaust is ugly. but before I test drove the car, Audi was my favorite.
Interior wise, audi is very very plastic. if you get any color other than black, you will easily see everything is made of plastic.

I didn't drive the G37. I heard it's nice. you will get the most for your money on this car.

But I own a C350. so i will say go with C class

C300Sport

OK here you go. I spent the entire day test driving cars with/for my girlfriend and this is what I found.
Audi- Nice exterior style but a little feminine looking. The 2.0 is strong but a little rough at idle. Seems to have plenty of room but not significantly larger than the C, G or 3. Interior is well sorted and has a quality feel.
Infiniti- Love the front, not so much the side or rear. The VQ engine is powerful and sounds good but can get a bit rough over 4K, the interior is nice but is small and seems a bit overdone and comlicated for some funcitons.
C Class- Obviously a bit biased but love the exterior style. The interior is a little simple but is solid and well sorted with nice materials. The swith gear in the MB is the best of the three. The Audi feels the largest with the C in the middle. C300 has smooth solid power and although the Audi claims more torque, the C feels faster. The G wins the speed contest hands down while all three handle similarly for everyday driving. The ride of the Audi and C are nice and smooth with some impact harshness while the G is a little more twitchy and unselttled.
Sorry for jumping around with some details but all three are quite nice. After today I am really glad I didn't wait for the new A4 and definitley glad I didn't go with the 3 or the G.

SEXYBEEST

sorry but i find the audi to have the cheapest looking interior of all