Entry Level Luxury-Sport Sedans

So you have about 35K lying around, and you're shopping for a luxury-sport sedan. You're looking for a manual tranny, rear-wheel-drive, superb driving dynamics, responsive handling, and a prestigious badge. Which one of these do you pick and why?

hell i'd go buy a scion tc and a base rsx haha jm
probably the g35
the rest of the cars are too old, boring, or outdated (especially the is300)

IS 300.
Fun car to drive. Take it drifting on a track, or cruising in the city. Best of both worlds i feel. Tight handling as well.

how bout the A4 quattro? better looking than the others IMO. it's a fatass but you should consider it as well.

330i all the way. Handles a bit better then the G35 according to pretty much every magazine I've read comparing these cars, (and my own experience) and makes driving the IS300 seem like driving a dead cow. It doesnt have the raw power of the G35, but I think the handling more then makes up for it. The 330i's transmission is my favorite, by far. The BMW's styling is also much smoother in my opinion. Finally, I've always found the G35's interior to feel a little cheap compared to the others. When C&D compared the 2.5L 325i and the G35 Sedan, they said that the 325i would have won if it had more power. The 3.0L in the 330i is the answer to this. Its a little closer then I make it sound, but the BMW is the better car.

Other cars that could/should be in this comparison include...
A4 3.0 Quattro
Acura TL

I was gonna put in the A4 quattro and the Volvo S40 T5, but I wanted to keep it all RWD...ditto for the TL. I'm OCDish about stuff like that.

Cadillac CTS meets all those criteria

Duly noted, anything else I'm forgetting? I know the Lincoln LS and Chrysler 300C don't offer manual transmissions.

Actually, the LS V8 does offer a manual transmission, which is kind of odd because as I recall its Jaguar stablemate, the S-type, doesn't.

Either or, the car's dull styling and less than stellar driving dynamics mean it isn't really in the running.

I'd personally choose the BMW 330ci. It's a proven package and one that will continue to shine. The G35 is close, very close, but the BMW as a sedan is just more inspiring to me.

Strangely enough, though, switch this argument to coupes and I want the G35 coupe more than the Bimmer coupe. Go figure.

The C class. I like it's curves, and in Avantgard trim, Its sporty. This would only apply to the facelift C Class with the New SLK manual gearbox in it, as its such a joy to use.

Ordinarily, I would say with Mercs, buy an auto, but this new manual is superb!

Well, this is pretty big news for this segment, BMW has released details on the E90 3-Series on their web site. 255 bhp in the 3.0L 330i. Active steering, 6-speed manual. I think this is my favorite Bangle-mobile :)

http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/futurevehicles/new3/default.htm?PIN=S4774493&source=email

Im with laylas keeper.

BMW 3 Series Sedan
But prefer infinity G35 coupe...

the LS only offered a manual transmission in the first few years of production and only on the V6.

Went through this shopping exercise in May 03. My choice - A Jag X-Type. Mine's an automatic, but, the car is offered with a manual in both engine sizes. The car offers more interior and trunk room than the competition. It has AWD standard. With the larger 3.0L engine, performance is just short of the 330i. However, price wise, the Jag is substantially less expensive than a comparably equipped BMW.

Regards:
Oldengineer

if it was all stock, i would probably go with the 330i, but if i were to modify it, then i would probably go with the is300. i would more likely modify the car, so i chose the is300. all those cars that have been compared are only stock comparisons, some will have softer suspension, and some will have a lot more power. the is300 has the shortest wheelbase, and its the lightest. its suspension is easier to modify/tune than the bmw's strut type front suspension. from my experience, the is300s steering feedback was on par with the bmws, both stock, and the bmw comes with stiffer suspension. plus theres lots of aftermarket parts for the engine. looks wise, i think they re all really close, but i think c320 looks the best, then the bmw, is300, and g35. close enough that looks wont bother me though, and i always change my mind about their looks anyways.

I chose G35. it has more power than all the others, it has the advantage of more displacement and has a larger aftermarket than the others with exception of the IS300. almost anything they make for the Z they have for the G.

G35....world class engine, beautiful styling, fantastic interior and all around an amazing value...Its such a tough choice between the 330 and the G35 but the extra price of the 330 just barely puts it in second... dont even talk like a friggin lexus is in the same league in performance and style...the mercedes is nice but is outclassed well...and I thought mercedes didn't make a manual with that C-class?

The 2005 C-Class has a 'sport sedan' version with the 3.2L V6 and a six-speed manual. And the Lexus is actually a sporty Toyota, known in Japan as the Altezza. It handles very well (in dry weather), and the engine has a tremendous aftermarket. So I wouldn't disregard based solely on what badge is on the hood :)

G35....world class engine, beautiful styling, fantastic interior and all around an amazing value...Its such a tough choice between the 330 and the G35 but the extra price of the 330 just barely puts it in second... dont even talk like a friggin lexus is in the same league in performance and style...the mercedes is nice but is outclassed well...and I thought mercedes didn't make a manual with that C-class?

Good question on the C-Class, I looked at the 05' specs and I dont see a munual transmission as an option. I just can't see why the C-320 is a good buy. $38,670 for a base price is pretty steep, and its only got 215hp... The IS300 is just as powerful but costs about $8,000 less, and probably has pretty comperable handling. I just have to wonder how much of the difference is for a German name.

Yeah, the Benz isn't a very good value but I figured I'd toss it in there.

well...and I thought mercedes didn't make a manual with that C-class?

All new C-classes, with the exception of the C55, come standard with a 6-speed manual transmission. God only knows why Mercedes doesn't offer a manual in the AMG since it would make it a helluva lot more fun to drive. But that's Mercedes for you. :dunno:

I already mentioned the Manual on the C class ages ago! Nobody listens...

:smokin:

...slightly off topic but you mentioned it last....
why do you guys in the US only seem to talk about the S4 in referal to the old Twin Turbo model?
Did you guys get the V8 S4?

We got the V8-powered S4, and that's what I think of when I hear "S4". I didn't even know that it used to be twin turbo until a few months ago.

The S4 starts around $50k, where as these all start around $30-$35k. Try to keep the cars in the same class. If you want an Audi in here, its the A4 3.0.

Come on kman, you should know better then that.

Um, I wasn't suggesting that the S4 should be in this comparo. I was simply responding to drunken_monkey's allegation that we Americans don't know about the V8-powered S4. :)

Oh sh*t, I posted that S4 comment in the wrong thread. SORRY. I was wondering why everyone was suddenly talking about it...