I recently test drove 2016 A4 Quattro Sport Package (19" wheels) w/ 37K mileage @ $31K, 2015 BMW 328i Xdrive Sport Package (18" wheels) w/ 40K mileage @ $28K, & a 2015 C300 4Matic Sport Package (19" wheels) w/ 41K mileage @ $33K. The C300 4Matic checked all the boxes for me and just the way it made me feel driving it. I am leaning towards the MB and I think I can get it down to $32K & it will include 2 years of prepaid maintenance and the extended warranty until November 2019. All opinions and/or advise good or bad will be seriously considered. TIA!!!

 

Go for the Audi

 

Hmm. I have a loaded 16 C300 Sport (18"). For the past two weeks I've been in a 330i convertible (formerly the 328i) 18".

The BMW impressed me. I felt the car rode and handled better, and while it had a T4 it was smooth and sounded great, where my C300 sounds raspy and shifts spastically. Honestly the BMW felt like it had a V6 in every respect.

I Drive and navi seemed to look better and work better. Entering destinations by voice (like just the name of a hotel for example) worked every time. Live traffic and dynamic rerouting worked well. I've used COMAND navi twice in my 300 and it got lost both times. BMW has live Google maps. MB did but then killed it.

Overall it seems like the cellular data connection in the BMW is more robust, and the car makes better use of it, where in the C it's more a novelty.

Audio in the BMW destroyed the Burmester. Really nice. I had the non branded base system in the rental, but a Harman/Kardon option was available.

The BMW seemed quieter on the interstate. I measured 75db at 80mph with AC on 73 degrees and Auto. I haven't had time to do the test in the C, but the BMW seemed almost as quiet and relaxed on the road as my previous S Classes. The 8 speed tranny helps. (The 15 C has a 7 speed that's notoriously jerky)

Interior design and materials goes to the C. The BMW has a funky look, lots of odd shapes and angles, and the materials seemed a step down. Both cars had decent seats. The BMW has adjustable side bolsters.

Interior build quality overwhelmingly goes to the Bimmer. Mine was a convertible and even with the top down (less rigidity) it never squeaked or rattled. I'm constantly chasing down rattles and squeaks in my C and so far they're winning. They started at around 3k miles.

As far as the Audi, I owned an A5 awhile back. There's a lot of VW in the car, and some really cheap interiors. It ran well and handled well but I felt like it shouldn't be in the same price bracket as MB and BMW. The new A4/5 have nicer interiors, although I hate the massive AC vent across the entire dash. I also think the A4/5 looked better in the previous generation. Too much sculpting and stuff, plus they look nose heavy and seem to ride extremely high on their suspensions. Virtual cockpit is cool. We have a new Q7 with it and it's very snazzy and modern looking.

For me, I'd be seriously looking at a BMW. Hope that helps.

 

Thanks for the thread - a real chuckle !

 

Lots of complaining on BMW forums about rattles in the 3 series. I think the 4 series convertible/coupe/hatchback are built to a higher standard than the 3. They're definitely heavier cars than the 3 series sedan. All that to say, drive before you buy.

Personally, if you need AWD, I would look at the Audi. I think it's a better car than the other two if you need AWD.

 

Definitely drive stuff. Ignore the brand and the marketing. The longer the test drive the better. I had a C as a loaner for a couple of weeks and ended up really liking it. The 340i cost a couple grand to rent for two weeks and I put 3000 miles on it. Not cheap but way better than buying something after running it around the block a few times and then discovering it's not for you.

 

Mike you are 100% right
I had an Audi A4 B8 2010 before. Good quality and it puts me on higher level according to what I expect from the car.
Decision to change the car came when I saw C-Class with AMG pack. It looks really good: body and interior + materials inside are good quality. BMW was to expensive to me and with my budget Audio only proposed me an A3 or A4/A5 but B8.5 (so my A4 after lift) which looks the same as mine. I drove the car like you said around the block and I was happy so I proceed to buy the car. But then....
After almost 20k km driven I can say that this car only looks good. Driving - 7 of 10 (the same as Audi but this one has lower suspension vs. Audi was 1BA so standard one); 7G-tronic plus - joke... I know this is not a dual clutch or something but common... I had an occasion to drive Audi A3 sportback DSG and this is super nice - gear changing superfast no matter which gear was and w/o any jerks while in 7G-tronic plus it is jerking almost every gear, it is slow and if you are not driving in S or S+ mode it is changing the gears randomly when it wants. Audio non-burmester - it sounds like an audio installed in city car, to much mids, no high and low freqs. Windshield wipers are scratching and "jumping" during raining. And at the end after 40 kkm done by car I could hear rattling with the weather like this +25-30 degree C.
So Baipatty rent a car, drive it for a while and check if it is ok for you. No matter the brand is. I can say that if I would do that before I decided to buy C- class I would probably stay with my Audi or try something else. And as I had pay almost half price of new car (it had 27 kkm done and 16 moths and 2 years Mercedes European warranty) it was a good deal. But paying 52 k Euro for this car is in my opinion misunderstanding.
Generally this car is just OK, with AMG pack. looks nice but it is just not worth this money. I am a little bit disappointed and I would probably not buy this car if I have a chance to decide again.

 

I may be biased... Ok, I'm VERY biased....

Find a C400 or C450 before you settle on that A4/328/C300. I've been in a C300 loaner the last week (sunroof being fixed/replaced/voodoo magic being performed) and I miss my car like nothing else.

 

Yeah I think the 400 is the way to go. The 450 was too much sound and fury for me for a DD. I think back to what my SA told me before I leased the 300, having been through 3 S Classes with me): "Just so you understand... at the end of the day it's still a C Class".

Here's the thing...I still like the car, certainly enough to keep it for the next 18 months, but I do wish I hadn't dismissed BMW out of hand. MB does not have a monopoly on the small sport sedan category. They do still have a near monopoly on the large luxury sedan/coupe category. I highly recommend looking at a CPO S or CL at some point in your life.

 

If you want a more apples to apples comparison on the Audi vs. MB offerings, make sure you look at the 2017+ A4. Thats the b9 platform, and its updated similarly to what MB did with the C300 in 2015. You can find used B9's at similar depreciation already too, so your pricing will still be in line with what your looking at on that 16' offering.

I know quite a bit about both cars, as my final decision came down to a 17' Audi A4 vs 16' C300 Sport.

I'm on this forum, you can guess which direction I went in, but the Audi is a VERY strong offering, and you should take a look to see what best suits your eye/comfort.

 

My choice is Audi too. The deal is good for me. But of course you will choose what really you love. Still, there are more great cars. Try to check 2018 latest models for both. Surely, you will be more confused!