New car choices

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ben54

New member
Looking to buy the Mercedes Benz C230 sports sedan or the BMW 325i. The cars seem to be equal in performance with a slight edge to the BMW. The interiors are also pretty equal with the slight edge to the MB.

All things being equal, it looks like it may come down to which one has the best paint? Heard MB has some sort of new paint process. I will be getting black, if that makes a difference.

Any other thoughts on my choices would also be greatly appreciated. I have not driven the C230 yet as the dealer does not even have a one to drive, but hopefully one will come in soon.
 
If it has that ceramiclear coat, then the Benz would probably be a better choice "paint-wise".
But in that market, Id be seriously looking at the Lexus or Audi offerings - just some food for thought....
 
Thanks all for the comments. Looks like the preference is the BMW. As for other choices besides BMW or Mercedes Benz, I've owned only American and Japanese vehicles so I thought I'd try German this time. I currently own an IS300 and it's as reliable as a rock, but sometimes it gets a little boring to drive. As for Audi, it does make nice cars, but not too impressed with the dealer in my area.
 
I'd go for a Studebaker! :lmfao

Oooops, they don't make them any longer. Ok then, go Acura TL or Infiniti G35. Both are winners.
 
Dr Groove said:
I'd go for a Studebaker! :lmfao

Oooops, they don't make them any longer. Ok then, go Acura TL or Infiniti G35. Both are winners.
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Actually, I'm coming out of a G35. Had some dealer issues and so got rid of the car. Nice car, but I never connected with the car (or it with me). It was fast for sure, but it still needs to be refined (IMO).
 
Ben, what did you have? Coupe or sedan?

I currently have a TL-S which I like but I'm thinking of a G35 coupe in 2 yrs. I want a little more performance than luxury.
 
I had the 4 door sedan, which is essentially the coupe but with a different body. The springs on the sedan are different, and the 6 speed didn't have the Brembos up front, but the parts are interchange (under the skin) if I'm not mistaken. In fact, I believe the sedan is quicker in the quarter mile because it weighs less. When I asked the salesperson how that could be, he said because the B pillar is farther back on the coupe, the roof has more bracing to resist twisting.

The 6 speed is extremely notchy and requires a high effort to get the shifter into the proper gates. I've miss shifted the car many times trying to get it into 3rd because it hangs up in the gate. I wouldn't recommend the auto if you want a sporty feel. The auto was kinda lackluster in performance unless you floor it, literally. If you do, you'll pass practically anything on the road. However, I didn't feel much in control of the car during hard acceleration as the rear end of the car is kinda unpredictable around turns. The car also wasn't as much fun to drive as I thought it would be.

My criticism is in part due to my poor dealer experience I'm sure, but I could never get comfortable with the car. So why did I buy it? On paper, the G35 beat practically everything and all of the car mags. loved the G35. So I went with my head. This time, I'm going with my heart. I think that if the G35 coupe appeals to your heart, buy it. If you think it's the right choice and you believe that you will grow to love it, you may end up like me, wondering whether you made the right choice.
 
Car Choices

I have to agree with Roadman and suggest that you take a serious hard look at the new Acura TL. I am mere moments away from breaking out my wallet to own one of these incredible machines.

The technical innovations and the engineering, performance and reliability are worth a looksie. You can learn more about it at their website, http://www.acura.com/index.asp?bhcp=1, or I would encourage a spirited test drive. If you own a Bluetooth wireless phone, you can have the car recognize the incoming call and receive it throught the sound system in the car. This is a nice feature, especially if you travel a lot and do a lot of phone business like I do. Aan who can argue with 270HP, an available 6 speed option that automotically gives you the free upgrade to Brembos, and there's also an A-Spec dealer tuner version available as well.

Ok, so I've talked myself into one, the wife will be another story...
 
toddolie, I hear you. I own a Honda now and feel that Honda makes some outstanding vehicles. However, I do prefer rear wheel drive. I inherited the Honda, after I sold my Mustang, which I miss. Thanks for the advice, and I may just take a stroll down to the Acura dealer to take a look at the TL. Maybe . . . ?
 
I've had issues with Acura customer service both from dealer and corporate - while the new TL is nice it would stop me from buying another acura (yes it was that bad!).

my 03 TL-S experience has been a nightmare and I am counting the days until August 2006 when my lease is up.
 
Ben54 how long did you own your G35? It took me 6 months to get use to the 6speed manual tranny, but now its a dream to drive! It handles like a charm once you get use to the rear wheel drive, and it has tons of power. I agree that it isn't as refined as a BMW/Merc. But for me the it was an incredible value for just under $30K.

Both the 325 & C240 are nice, but you will be losing alot of punch, I think the 325 is 195horsepower and the C240 is about 185horsepower. If you can afford it i would go with the 330. Sorry to hear about your problems with Acura. I just heard there will be a recall for the TL trannies also.
 
SOG35 said:
Ben54 how long did you own your G35? It took me 6 months to get use to the 6speed manual tranny, but now its a dream to drive! It handles like a charm once you get use to the rear wheel drive, and it has tons of power. I agree that it isn't as refined as a BMW/Merc. But for me the it was an incredible value for just under $30K.

Both the 325 & C240 are nice, but you will be losing alot of punch, I think the 325 is 195horsepower and the C240 is about 185horsepower. If you can afford it i would go with the 330. Sorry to hear about your problems with Acura. I just heard there will be a recall for the TL trannies also.
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I actually still have the G35 for 2 more days. I bought it in January, so I've been driving it for 6-7 months. Perhaps my problem with the shifter has to do with my driving style. Usually on downshifts, I skip gears which can cause problems because I could go from 6th to 2nd, instead of 4th. On up shifts, I have a tendency to depress the clutch pedal only 3/4 of the way which can cause miss shifts if the shifter hangs up in the gate too long.

I know that I will be giving up a lot of horsepower, but my problems with the Infiniti dealer has driven me away from Infiniti products for a while. Too bad.
 
Whats the price difference in the two?

I've never been a fan of MB or BMW except for their high end and sport models.
 
The new TL trannies ?? There was a MAJOR issue with the 2000-2002 TL line where they had to extend the warranty to 100K I know people who have had their trannies replaced 2-3 times and there was never a recall! This must be baaaad.
 
Honda had a problem with their AT's since 00 and it goes beyond the TL hitting their Accord line as well. It's a simple fix due to a bad part but not all tranny's are affected and so they are not recalling all cars, only symptomatic ones. I own an '04 with the MT and I LOVE it. I wouldn't trade it in for anything. The last 5 cars I have owned have been Honda/Acura products and I probably won't stray in the near future either.
On the other hand, as a reformed German car enthusiast let me say this. German cars are amazingly engineered with respect to mechanical aspects and you will not find better steering, suspension, and transmission feel anywhere. You really feel connected to the road and the cars are nimble and responsive. BUT, other aspects such as rust, electrical, emissions, etc. are a nightmare and have kept me from purchasing another one unless it's BMW or Porsche. Stay clear of Audi and VW unless you don't mind spending a lot of time in a rental car. They're great if they're in warranty but that is such a short time. Also VW/Audi's also depreciate rapidly so ownership is twice as expensive.
If you are sold on German cars, get the BMW. More bang for the buck. MB's suck until you spend bucks to get into the upper E class. I don't know why they even bother producing sub 40's cars.
 
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