[Nikhilb2008]

A person I know has to choose between the three cars. BMW 320i is fully loaded with Xenon and everything for the price he is being offered. For abt a lakh or so more, the Audi dealer is offering him the brand new A4 delivered in June.

the Merc C class at the same price point as the 320i is lacking some features like Xenon.

His usage is more like 90-10 in favour of the city. During the week, he'll be driven around. Only during the weekends will he be driving himself.

He personally likes the looks of the BMW.

I told him to go for the car he likes best as all 3 cars are fantastic and he cant really go wrong with either of them.

I also told him that the Merc is considered to have the best ride quality and the BMW loses out on the ride quality because of the run flat tyres.

Do you guys have any other suggestions ? Any views on the Audi A4 ?

He isnt really keen on a diesel as he says his yearly running will be less than 10k kms.

Another thing is, this person is very clear in his mind. He is going for a car like this for snob value. So, please dont suggest the Teana or the Superb.

[Vid6639]

How about the passat? All the 3 cars you mentioned are not known for their ride quality and for rear seat legroom. The passat has all the feature and snob value.

The 3 cars are driver oriented cars and for chauffeur driven they do not make sense.

[abhinav.gupta88]

there is no 320i

its either 320d, 320 d highline or 318i

and 318i doesnt have the xenons.

Correct me if i am wrong.

I would advice the new a4, will be an awesome car. the 1.8T engine is fast ( seen in the rs) and so will be the 3.2 V6( That'll be awesome)

Since the yearly running is less than 10000, if i were in his place, i would have chosen the 3.2 v6

or if not audi , then the 325i, the 2500 cc fully loaded inline 6 from Bimmer.

Both cars rock and would be better than the 1800cc Merc.

[Akshay1234]

abhinav - there is a 320i.

i would suggest the a4 over both of them. best all round car.

[BMWlover]

Anything less than the 320d highline isnt worth it from the 3-series line up. There is barely any kit on offer on the lesser models.
And seriously, the days when Diesel meant low performance and refinement are long gone. I would strongly suggest to him to TD the 320d highline, it feels more torquey than my 325i .
If he can wait, I would advice for the new A4 as well, it looks awesome, and im sure it would be a scream to drive. Not to mention the fact that Audi does the best interiors.

[BMWlover]

and yes there is a 320i, although why would anyone opt for it is beyond me.

[Nitin]

I'd recommend the 320,then the Merc & finally the A4.

[Nikhilb2008]

He is still on a budget guys. So, 320d and 325i are out. He says it's beyond his budget.

@Nitin --- I think the Passat is mmuch more expensive than the 320i.

i will recommend bmw 3 series then merc c class and then audi a4..

[androdev]

i am sure price, wow-factor, ownership costs, etc. are all comparable. so it boils down to personal preferences. i prefer A4 among a4,c,3-series and 5-series among a6,e,5-series and s-class among a8,s,7-series.

i would test drive and pick what i like the best.. hope that day is not far off ;-)

[Ricky_63]

Hi

Reading the thread below may help you to some extent.

The A4 = least snob value, it's a driver's delight. Excellent ride. Most features.
The 320i = Better Snob Value, Overall nice, bad ride, bad alloys & RFT's
The C 200K = Snob value is the main reason it sells in India. Lacks some features, ride quality good.

Take your pick hope I dont sound biased ??


http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/luxury-imports-niche/34661-audi-a4-bmw-320i-edit-bought-a4-2-0-tdi.html


Cheers

[GTO]

Nikhil,

Even if his driving is not too much, ask him to still stretch for a diesel. There is something special about Euro-diesels, they last longer, are far more cheap to own and score higher on reliability too.

As things stand today, he ought to buy the 3 if he drives himself or the C for rear bench comfort. Buttttttttttttttttttttt it would do him good to wait for the all new A4 before signing on the dotted line.

[FlyingSpur]

I would suggest the A4. Have seen it and sat in it at a Motor Show last year (production version) and the looks outside are killer, the cabin is more comfortable IMO in terms of space, and its a class larger i.e. a little smaller than the E and the A6. It's 4.7m long instead of the 4.5m class of the 3 and the C, and I think it's made an appreciable difference to the interior space. And IMO it's the best looker of the three cars. He'll be chauffeured most of the time so why bother with the 3, the ride is harsh anyway. The C may have snob value but I reall dont agree with its looks and cabin design. Merc could definitely have done something better. Audi it is.

[Bimster]

Depends on what specs they are offering on that A4 and MercC.Base A4 and C,it looks like, is much inferior to a 320i (I have to admit that I dont know much about 320i as its not sold here on paper it look like a much better performer than 1.8).Base A4s and Cs are almost always sold cheaper than even base 3 ers all over the world so I dont know why a "new"1.8 (or even 2L for that matter) should cost more than a 320i.That said if the your friend does not drive and just want the car for its snob value i think MercC is probably is a better option in India.

[Insane Devil]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

@Nitin --- I think the Passat is mmuch more expensive than the 320i.

The Passat is cheaper than the 320i. Passat cost around 24-27lks. onroad.