robjamell

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.

MBSebas87

I love my E350 and would recommend it to anyone here but from your comments I think you're between the A6 and 535i. Never driven either of the 2 but hopefully someone here can give some input. Good luck and let us know what you end up getting!

Munich77

Given your review - I would go for the A6. When I was looking MB was the easy win - as I wanted a V8 and I found the S6 to be too expensive - if not I probably would have ended up with one.

I would not get the BMW - I had a 2008 and it was nothing but trouble. Everyone I know has had problems with their BMWs - great cars if you keep it within the original warranty period.

PeterUbers

Agree with Munich ... Bimmer will give you trouble but statistically you'll be fine with it... The majority of owners don't actually have that many problems

I do like the 535i only with the x drive and with the M appearance package or whatever it is they do to make it look closest to the m5... The rest if the 5's are boring looking

The audi is a looker but wouldn't touch it without an extended warranty. If power is a weak point go with the bmw

The e class seems to bore you so why bother?

$0.02

VegasE

I thought the A6 exterior styling was the worst of the group - bland and not distinctive.

JSch

I would pick the 535i for performance, and the E350 for comfort. I do not care much for Audi, since there is a lot of VW in there in my opinion, and a Lexus in my books is just an expensive Toyota.

I find the E350 (mine is the Luxury model) an extremely comfortable car that I can live with every day. And yes, I love the sound system as well, provided the music is sourced from the highest quality. The E350 also has its faults. Fortunately for the days I want the BMW power and performance, I still have my K1200GT.

I was looking at BMW's as well before buying the E350, but with all the BMW models, the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 series start to look the same, and I agree that 'BMW has lost its way.'

If you listed your choices in your order of your preference, you may want to go back and test drive them all again. At the end of the day, it is your money and your choice. Only you can make that final decision. I think they are all good cars.

Just my 2c as well..

porksoda

from an existing bm owner, i am in market for a new vehicle and i will actively not purchase another bm even if it had everything i wanted in a car and it was the deal of the century.

Not because i don't love the way they drive and the way everything is designed in it but only because reliability is a bit questionable.

I have researched this for over a year and a bit and going to give benz a go as i have heard good things about them.

Hope this helps from a bm driver.

petee1997

If you want more power and torque, buy the E400. This the new TT 3.0L engine. It has much more torque than the NA engine plus an extra 29hp. I have had both and the tt engine is far superior and more fuel efficient.

As far as suspension goes, get the AMG pack for a stiffer more sporty ride.

El Cid

Interesting, but appears your best overall view is for the GS350? If reliability is a concern, this may notch the GS350 up even more.