[Car Talk] Advice on 'Sports' Sedans

what's wrong with buying new? not everyone who buys new stretches their terms to 6 years with high rates

 

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Me too actually. I need the better gas milage. Im actually probably about 9 to 12 months out from my next purchase and saw the Audi A3 diesel hatch back [prefer the sedan you suggested] and was looking at the Lexus CT200h. Wife needs the upgrade first though and we need something with a backseat. I think she's sold on the A4 but we'll do our due diligence. Benz & BMW is off the table for her.

 

I love Audi designs, but I hate the utter crapshoot their reliability is. No way I'd take a risk on one. And I love the looks of their A5/S5, too. I'm waiting to see what kind of reviews the new Cadillac ATS gets. I'm praying the thing is a good vehicle that holds up for the long-term. I'm over 200,000 miles now on my TL and want another solid 8-10 years of reliable driving on my next car. Not sure I can hold out until next year for the next TL.

You may want to check the Audi forums for all the issues they've had with their direct-injection engines gunking up under 20,000 miles. I don't know if they've fixed the issue or are taking care of it, but early on, they were telling customers to have their engines cleaned out themselves if I recall.

If any of you are looking for gas guzzling SUV's, many Acura dealers are dealing like crazy on the MDX. MDX/Tech packages where the MSRP is like $47-$48,000 are being sold for $39k. One of the reasons is the new MDX is on the way.

 

Nope, but I did just buy my first British car. A Jaguar XJL Supercharged. Love this care like no other, although it is long, like a mini limo. Still, very comfortable, 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and light since it's made of aluminum. I average around 22MPG on the highway, and since it's 80% of my driving I'm fine with it.

I have a friend who bought the Audi A7, one I was looking at, and he already hates it. It's been into the dealer to fix electrical issues twice, and since the car is like a computer, that's not good. I would stay FAR away from Audi.

 

Go with the Lexus, don't even think about it. Lexus is second tied with Jaguar in both of the new JD Power reports. Audi is like 19th.

 

Yup, I'd be in a new TL probably if not for that design. While it's grown on me, I still haven't completely fallen for it. And they'll be redesigning it next year, so that's a double-whammy.

 

Currently 2 months into a lease on an A3 TDI. I'm getting 33-35 mpg on mostly city driving. I really like the car, love the low end torque and the handling. Luckily, I have had no problems with it so far. The next A3 is supposed to get 15-20% better gas mileage from what I've read, and the styling is great.

I never would have bought my car though, only would lease it.

 

Wow I'm envious. My aunt owns the last generation XJ Super V8, and I love how her car stands apart from all the typical BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus which it seems everyone on her street owns. However, the gauges and interior electronics are very dated even for a three year-old car, and I'm glad this was rectified in your current model.

 

wow really i didnt know audi was that far down. i know that companies tend to shift on that list after a few years. but lexus and acura are always at the top.

 

Never understood how a company like Audi continually has bad quality control. At some point, somebody has to think "hmm... maybe we should hire an asian guy for QC.."

 

They couldn't care less. They've said in the past they were going to improve quality, but people are still buying them, so why bother? I go to Audi forums and see the problems people are having within 20-30,000 miles of ownership and think how irate I'd be.

 

I'd probably go with a Lexus GS.

 

Came home with the IS350. Love it. At the end of the day, the service, warranty & rep couldn't be beat IMO for the price. Audi dealership we visited can suck a dyck.

 

Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0 Liter. 429 hp and change out the Hyundai badges to the Korean ones. You can probably get one for 40k.