Entry Level Luxury-Sport Sedans

[kman10587]

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?

[aznxthuggie]

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the rest of the cars are too old, boring, or outdated (especially the is300)

[Mtang36]

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.

[del]

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

[DinanM3_S2]

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

[kman10587]

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.

[drdisque]

Cadillac CTS meets all those criteria

[kman10587]

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

[Layla's Keeper]

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.

[finally_retired]

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!

[DinanM3_S2]

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/futur...3&source=email

[MexSiR]

Im with laylas keeper.

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

[drdisque]

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

[Oldengineer]

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

[CrzyMR2T]

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.