Looking for feedback on new car purchase

J

JSFM35X

Active member
Well the time has come to get my wife a new vehicle. She has been a great sport, driving her 2009 MDX, well since 2009 while I get a new leased vehicle for work every 36 months.

My son is graduating college this weekend and he will be off the payroll 7/10/17 LOL. My wife has plans for that extra $ and it will be directed to a new vehicle for her.

Short list of what I am looking at:

Audi A5 Sportback 4 door
Audi A6
BMW 4 series Sedan
BMW 5 Series Sedan
Lexus GS400
Volvo S90 (she already told me no Volvo-but I just got to get her to look at it.)

This will be a purchase not a lease.

Anyone on here in the car business and wants to give me a deal and a half? Ill pick it up or ship it if it makes sense?

So if anyone owns one of the above please chime in with the good the bad the ugly.

The worst part is, whatever she gets, she wasn`t black or dark blue! :scared: Why because I have always made her get silver or white.

Between the dark paint and the brake dust on the German`s listed above my spare time is spoken for! May have to invest in ceramics!
 
JSFM35X said:
Well the time has come to get my wife a new vehicle. She has been a great sport, driving her 2009 MDX, well since 2009 while I get a new leased vehicle for work every 36 months.

My son is graduating college this weekend and he will be off the payroll 7/10/17 LOL. My wife has plans for that extra $ and it will be directed to a new vehicle for her.

Short list of what I am looking at:

Audi A5 Sportback 4 door
Audi A6
BMW 4 series Sedan
BMW 5 Series Sedan
Lexus GS400
Volvo S90 (she already told me no Volvo-but I just got to get her to look at it.)

This will be a purchase not a lease.

Anyone on here in the car business and wants to give me a deal and a half? Ill pick it up or ship it if it makes sense?

So if anyone owns one of the above please chime in with the good the bad the ugly.

The worst part is, whatever she gets, she wasn`t black or dark blue! :scared: Why because I have always made her get silver or white.

Between the dark paint and the brake dust on the German`s listed above my spare time is spoken for! May have to invest in ceramics!
Click to expand...



First question, Lexus GS400? If so, that was a `98-`00 model for the US. If you mean GS350 or GS450h, then those are two of the current GS`s offered by Lexus, which will for sure cost the least to maintain outside of warranty. Most comfortable seats go to the Lexus, and they have the quietest seat ventilation fans on market. The cars themselves drive nicely, but they don`t make driving feel like a special event like the German`s do.

Having personally driven all of the platforms, except the S90, and money is no object outside of warranty, I`d go for the 5 series hands down. I like to sit very low in a vehicle as it makes me feel more integral to the driving experience. Out of all of those cars, I sit lowest in the 5 Series. Personally and realistically, BMW has the most intuitive infotainment system. Audi uses reverse functions like their selector dial, to scroll up to down you have to twist the dial counter-clockwise, which no matter how much you use it, is still counterintuitive. BMW has the best screen quality and image resolution in their iDrive system, there is no lag in the rear view camera system and the system always responds to commands. My next favorite infotainment system would be the Lexus`, why? Because it works. (Their newest system only offered in the RX line up, as of now, is killer, it`s a super strong contender to iDrive).

If driving experience does not matter, all are great cars. Unfortunately, in this current era, all the vehicles are so similar and offer the same options. Except the S90, that is a new breed of vehicle, it has AMAZING crash worthiness, not to mention that I am in love with the V90.... All she needs to do is pick which one she likes to drive and looks the best to her.
 
I don`t have any of the cars listed but the 5 series BMW would be my pick. My next car will probably be a used 535d. The diesel variant has got great torque and still get very good gas mileage. Your wife would probably prefer the new 540i though. Not too small, not too big, just right.
 
All my clients that have had BMW or Mercedes have gone to Audi and say they will never go back. Lexus IS nice but everyone drives the same, no personality. Just did a s90, very nice car but I`m not sold on styling.
 
Mike lambert said:
All my clients that have had BMW or Mercedes have gone to Audi and say they will never go back. Lexus IS nice but everyone drives the same, no personality. Just did a s90, very nice car but I`m not sold on styling.
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Life is funny sometimes, I have heard\seen somewhat of the opposite. My friends and people that I work with haven`t had good luck with their Audi`s, they have had a lot of shop visits. I personally haven`t owned one so I can`t say from experience. I love the look of the 7 series. At the end of the day I am a car person and my likes tend to lean towards the European and German cars.

I have a 2014 Mercedes E350 and the fit and finish is amazing, it has been in the shop twice in 3 years (Besides Maintenance). Once for a computer upgrade and once for a blind spot sensor that was intermittent, there was a small part of the wire that was exposed and causing false alerts which would have probably happened when the car was being built. The resale value also seems to be good. Maintenance costs are spendy though.

Out of that list my input would be a 535 Xi like Ron mentioned. I like to add an extended warranty on my cars so I can keep them for a while without having repair bills, if nothing else it gives me a piece of mind.
 
If leasing, any of the German brands get my vote.

If purchasing, Japanese (Lexus) all the way. Nearly as nice and tight as the Germans, but actually reliable.

Just $0.02


Volvo looks incredible tho...but the jury is out.
 
etnops said:
If leasing, any of the German brands get my vote.

If purchasing, Japanese (Lexus) all the way. Nearly as nice and tight as the Germans, but actually reliable.

Just $0.02


Volvo looks incredible tho...but the jury is out.
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Reliability is subjective, sticking to a manufacturers service procedures keeps the car in tip top shape. Under a certain price point, you either get all performance, all reliability, or a little bit of both. Average consumer doesn`t take into account that German vehicles are originally designed for German infrastructure first, meaning that they are subject to very rigorous safety and stability criteria that other countries don`t prioritize as highly. Vehicles that are designed for high speed driving and cornering are naturally subject to more wear and tear, and always require more effort to maintain tip top shape. Unfortunately, here in the states, our wear and tear comes from lousy roads, inept drivers that have no basic understanding of how traffic works (fluid dynamics), and the common American motto of wanting what your neighbor has but not wanting to pay for it. In Germany it is hard to find a German made car that is actually in US consumer deemed, rough condition.

The Japanese, they make excellent vehicles that are super reliable, but they also keep their engines and technology around FOREVER before upgrading, that`s why they cost less to maintain are more reliable. The Japanese aren`t trying to innovate with every new face lift or generation of vehicle, the lack of their innovation naturally promotes reliability, "If it ain`t broke, don`t fix it". The Germans on the other hand, they like to innovate.
 
Not like I`m biased or anything but in that list both Audi`s would do it for me. The latest 2.0 turbo is a hoot and so far proving reliable, it`s not exactly the same as the one in my GTI, but darn close (tuning and turbo differences I think). VW/Audi have solved the direct injection carbon issue with adding port injectors to these engines. If you or your wife can keep your foot of it, you`ll get great fuel mileage. If you maintain it by the book you shouldn`t have any issues. The fact you`ve listed almost all German models I think you probably already know this.
 
Jeff .. I`m a bit surprised that your wife isn`t looking at a small SUV with the roads you have to deal with ... All of the German cars will feel those roads , the Japanese will be needing alignments often.

I saw Bentley has a nice new SUV :D
 
I can chime in on this one from the service standpoint - I was a tech at an Audi dealership for 10 years, and have since moved to an independent BMW/Audi/Mini shop for the last 7.

Too Long, Didn`t Read version: Buy what you like. If you buy (any) German car to own long term, get a GOOD extended warranty. All German cars tend to crave some attention (read: Cash input) at the 80,000 mile/10 year mark (whichever comes first). Be sure to get a warranty that covers gaskets and seals, not just a cheap one that covers pistons and crankshafts (spoiler: those don`t break).

Long, Opinionated Version: Personally, I`m an Audi guy. I`ve had M3`s for fun cars, and a 330Ci as a daily, but for an all year car in MN, I always choose Audi. BMW`s all wheel drive leaves a lot to be desired for me, especially when comparing reliability. Overall reliability, from both my experience and from talking to techs at other european shops, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes are all basically the same. As mentioned, as they get older, they do require some love. All 3 brands have had issues with timing chains. I know BMW and Audi have both had models with oil consumption issues. They all will leak. While Audis used to be known for frequent Check Engine Lights, it`s been BMWs more often than not here. BMW continues to have cooling system issues.

Be sure to budget extra if you`re buying used to cover any issues that might come up. I can`t emphasize enough how valuable a Pre-Purchase Inspection is. We charge $150 for ours, but I can`t tell you how many times we`ve given the prospective owner a list that would cost thousands of dollars.

All new cars are getting more complex. Engines are much more complicated than they used to be with regards to variable valve lift, direct injection, turbochargers, etc. All the same stuff that used to happen before still does, but due to packaging/complexity, the repair is frequently more expensive. (Example - a valve cover gasket job used to cost a few hundred dollars, but is now more like $900 due to additional time needed and the fact the cover frequently needs to be replaced due to integrated parts). There are also way more electronics in all aspects - Another example: Had to replace a headlight in a 2010 535i due to a failed adjustment motor. That job was $2000 out the door.

My recommendation is get the lowest mileage/best maintained example you can afford, and have it inspected first. In my opinion, factory maintenance schedules are not always right for the car! I`ve had X5`s come in where the service light shows an oil change due in 24,000 miles. I don`t care what oil you`re using, there are still contaminants accumulating in it that shouldn`t be in there that long.

Example: Here`s the inside of an X3 engine with 100k that was dealer maintained at the recommended intervals:

oneheadlite-albums-cars-picture56251-crud.jpg


Here`s a 335xi with 135+k that we did oil changes about every 5000 miles:

oneheadlite-albums-cars-picture56252-clean.jpg


No doctoring, no cleaning, just as revealed after pulling the cover. We use the same oil as the dealerships (By the barrel, supplied by them). Please let me know if the pictures don`t work.

Anywho - speaking of fixing cars, I`ve gotta get back to it. Just wanted to chime in with my 2 cents. Happy to answer any questions you might have!!!

John
 
10-15k oil changes are silly. I`m doing 5k changes religiously, after changing the factory oil and filter out at 1400 miles. You can get a plug and filter from the dealer less than $15 and a jug of Castrol Edge 0w40 at Walmart for $25... Something about turbocharged direct injection and extended oil changes doesn`t work for me.
 
JSFM35X- I just hope you get *her* input on the specific vehicles before you decide. Never know what another person will/won`t like, you just don`t.

FWIW, I`m only experienced with newer Audis, and those through Service Loaners. But those cars are utterly hit-or-miss with regard to all sorts of, uhm..."modern features and technology". E.g., one will have great throttle response, another identical one will have a time-delay that makes it scary to drive, etc. etc. about every single thing that`s not 100% mechanical (and so little is these days).

Make sure she has plenty of seat-time in the specific vehicle in question before she makes up her mind.

I assume you have OK service facilities for everything on the short-list; we drive Audis in large part because we can get `em serviced by people we`re OK with (that was why we dumped our Benzes and Volvos). Like "don`t touch the paint" means exactly that, period.
 
They don`t have the 535 any more it`s a 530 or a 540 or a 550

QUOTE=Ronkh;2109985]535xi (bigger than the 4)

Loved my 3s & 5s[/QUOTE]
 
May be off on the lexus numbers because i have not visited the dealer yet. Your comments are pretty on target.


TheMeanGreen said:
First question, Lexus GS400? If so, that was a `98-`00 model for the US. If you mean GS350 or GS450h, then those are two of the current GS`s offered by Lexus, which will for sure cost the least to maintain outside of warranty. Most comfortable seats go to the Lexus, and they have the quietest seat ventilation fans on market. The cars themselves drive nicely, but they don`t make driving feel like a special event like the German`s do.

Having personally driven all of the platforms, except the S90, and money is no object outside of warranty, I`d go for the 5 series hands down. I like to sit very low in a vehicle as it makes me feel more integral to the driving experience. Out of all of those cars, I sit lowest in the 5 Series. Personally and realistically, BMW has the most intuitive infotainment system. Audi uses reverse functions like their selector dial, to scroll up to down you have to twist the dial counter-clockwise, which no matter how much you use it, is still counterintuitive. BMW has the best screen quality and image resolution in their iDrive system, there is no lag in the rear view camera system and the system always responds to commands. My next favorite infotainment system would be the Lexus`, why? Because it works. (Their newest system only offered in the RX line up, as of now, is killer, it`s a super strong contender to iDrive).

If driving experience does not matter, all are great cars. Unfortunately, in this current era, all the vehicles are so similar and offer the same options. Except the S90, that is a new breed of vehicle, it has AMAZING crash worthiness, not to mention that I am in love with the V90.... All she needs to do is pick which one she likes to drive and looks the best to her.
Click to expand...
 
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