rank these entry level luxury sedans

[del]

i'm helping a friend buy a new car and would like your help. assume the following: all 2004 models and exclusion of top of the line trim so no M's, S's, AMG's, R's, V's or anything of that nature; tunability is no issue as this will be more of a family car/daily driver so just rank as stock form

Audi A4 3.0
BMW 330i
Mercedes C240
Infiniti G35
Lexus IS300
Acura TSX
Cadillac CTS
Volvo S60 2.5t
Jaguar x-type

simple as that. this isn't a poll. just rank them from 1 through 9. obviously 1 being the best for all you scholars. don't have to get too specific just in general. if you care to add in why you ranked them as such, go right ahead.

[Jimster]

9. Volvo S60 2.5t- It's a bloody comfy car, with a nice engine, but the handling is off the pace compared with sportier offerings from other makers

8. Jaguar X Type- Once again it's comfortable and looks rather nice, but is really an overpriced Ford Mondeo, sadly. It also lacks the character of other Jaguars.

7. Mercedes Benz C240- Old, lousy reliability record; however it drives reasonably well, is comfortable and looks good.

6. Lexus IS300- Since tunability is out of the equation, then this car really loses a lot of appeal, but it's going to be reliable, it'll handle well, but it's am ageing 3 series clone at the end of the day.

5. Acura TSX- Looks sharp, has a sharp FWD chassis and IIRC a K20A (Might be a K24, though), cool interior as well. Awesome, just not as good as the 4 cars above it.

4. Cadillac CTS- Ugly it may be, but if you can live with the looks then it's a good decision, with the new Alloytec 3.6 V6 and impressively sharp handling.

3. Audi A4 3.0- AWD means that it'll be awesome in the snow and the rain, as well as this it has a beautifully assembled interior and a tried and true drivetrain. Quick as well.

2. Infiniti G35- Only one I've yet to drive, but I'm constantly hearing good things about it. A bit ugly, though.

1. BMW 330i. The benchmark, the exact car all the rest have been trying to imitate. Even though a new one is coming out soon, this is still the one to have. Sharp handling, excellent engine, well built. Buy it!

[kman10587]

1. BMW 330i
2. Infiniti G35
3. Lexus IS 300
4. Audi A4 3.0 quattro
5. Acura TSX
6. Cadillac CTS
7. Mercedes-Benz C240
8. Volvo S60 2.5T
9. Jaguar X-Type

[drdisque]

1. Cadillac CTS - good balance, great price, I prefer the 3.2L with the manual personally
2. BMW 330i - best car in this comparo, but price makes it #2
3. Infiniti G35 - A bit less refined than the rest
4. Volvo S60 - I've always been a volvo fan, they've got something all other cars don't.
5. IS300 - was good when it came out, has been passed by most others now though
6. X-Type - a solid car, a bit too small though for its weight and price
7. A4 - Another car that feels its age, a bit underpowered, best in bad weather though if thats a factor.
8. TSX - FWD & No torque kills an otherwise good handling well manered car.
9. C240 - Sluggish and not as sporty as any of its competitiors, looks boring.

[BP2K2Max]

9)Jaguar Xtype-although it's based off the Lincoln LS platform it still just screams "I'm a ford Taurus" i hate them.

8)Volvo-, not sure if the comparo meant for the AWD version or just fwd but for a 2.5T you'd expect more than 200 hp, not a bad car but something i'd see my mom driving...slowly

7)Mercedes c240- if this is what you have to buy so you can say you drive a mercedes, keep saving. with 168 hp and 3300lbs of body weight, even the civics will pick on you in this thing. looks awesome though.

6)Acura TSX- if you can't afford a TL, and an RSX is too kid racer-ish, this is what you buy, a girl i know has one, fit and finish is great but it's slow, and jimster it's powered by a 4 cylinder accord engine so i think it's the k24.

5)Audi A4- the 3.0 v6 was a good update, still kinda slow though.

4)IS300-Great handling, though underpowered and over priced

3)Cadillac CTS-sporty and classy, good use of power plus I'm a big GM fan.

2)Infiniti G35(would have been #1 if it were a coupe comparo)

1)BMW 330i-just a beautiful all around car

[curtis73]

I'll only rank the ones with which I have personal experience. These aren't in order, so pay attention to the rank numbers. I was lazy

1-BMW 330i- No numbers can truly quantify the driving experience you get from a BMW. numerically compared, others might beat it, but the connection you have to the road and the car is incredible. In the past engineers have tried to isolate the road for a quiet comfy experience while maintaining a connected feeling. Somehow BMW managed the comfort of the smoothest lincoln limosine, with the connection and feedback of a Porsche. Maybe those are extreme analogies, but its just an experience to behold

6-Mercedes C240- Eww. Yawn. Waste of my time. I would rather ride a bike than drive the limp-noodle experience of all three Mercs I've driven, including the 240. Their drive by wire system controls your acceleration to the point of danger. Try jumping out in traffic by stabbing the pedal, and the car rewards you with a slow application of the throttle. The steering is weak with waay too much power assist. The seating position is tight and narrow. Yuck. Just driving my friend's 240 down the street to the Home Depot, I was done listening to the darn engine. I found myself going gently on the throttle just to make the engine shut up.

4-Infiniti G35- A Maxima with a higher price tag and more sound deadening. Way too much money for what it is, which is basically a big economy car with tons of options.

3-Cadillac CTS- A nice car with good power and handling. It does not get the nod for assembly quality, though. Better than the Infinity, but not Mercedes or BMW's build quality. Yummy leather, too.

2-Volvo S60 2.5t- Overall, just a nice car. Volvo tank build, good power if not a little buzzy, great seats and seating position, and Volvo pays impeccable attention to placement and feel of the buttons and options. Good visibility, and you know the leather on the seats and the radio buttons will last as long as the car. The carpet was one of my favorite points of the Volvo. Not overly plush, but you could tell it was expensive and will last. I'm placing it second on the word of a friend who's a Volvo mechanic, but as recently as 2001 they had some serious electronic reliability issues. The drive-by-wire system had major failures as well as brake failure and seat belt issues. I've been told that they have been completely addressed, but some more research might prove valuable.

5-Jaguar x-type. Here is the ultimate example of the opposite experience of the BMW. Although its numbers may indicate a nice ride, its just not there. More noise and less feel than the BMW. The front suspension design is terrible allowing for terrible camber curves which they crutch by limiting suspension travel. Its a problem that can be cured with a simple relocation of some parts, but they chose the cheap way to fix it. The ride quality makes you expect BMW-like handling, but you get 1965 Continental handling. The noise of the engine makes you think you're getting lots of power, but the final drive ratio proves otherwise. I was excited for this car for my wife since she liked the styling, but she actually said she would rather keep her TERCEL until we could find a BMW.

[SuperHighOutput]

1. CTS - 3.6 is awesome, handles very well, very much a luxury car, and IMO it is the best looking
2. 330i - the car is close to perfect, but it's expensive.
3. G35 - Great car, Infiniti reliability, lots of power.
4. S60 - Nice car, very safe, but middle of the pack among the competition.
5. IS300 - Lexus reliability, good looking, but outdated.
6. A4 - Nice car, good power, good handling, but has questioable build quality and reliability.
7. C240 - Luxurious, but that's about it, underpowered, and outclassed by the others. They tend to be unreliable and have a poor build quality, by MB standards.
8. TSX - Good handling, decent looking, but lacks the luxury of the others and in typical Honda fashion has no low end power.
9. X-Type - Luxurious, decent looking, but it's unreliable, it's underpowered, poor handling, and it's basically an overpriced unreliable Taurus.

[edonis]

Hey, you forgot the Saab 9-3SS!

[kman10587]

Originally Posted by curtis73

4-Infiniti G35- A Maxima with a higher price tag and more sound deadening. Way too much money for what it is, which is basically a big economy car with tons of options.

You're thinking of the Infiniti I35. The G35 is a RWD compact, rather than a FWD midsize; you may know it better as the Nissan Skyline.

[RiDiN' dUb'Z 24/7]

I would take the BMW 330i.

[DinanM3_S2]

1) BMW 330i: By far the most fun you could have in a sub $40,000 sedan. I like how Curtis73 put it, "Somehow BMW managed the comfort of the smoothest lincoln limosine, with the connection and feedback of a Porsche." The three series has a better feel to it then any car in this field. The styling is great, good interior, awesome transmission, best drive. Only downfall is the cost, which can run close to $40,000, you really do pay for what you get. The E90 3-series is planned for the 2006 m.y. and may be a better option with a 255hp engine, and don't worry, its technically a "Bangle Mobile" but it isn't nearly as controversial as the new 5er and 7. C&D top ten list for 14 years, 5-stars from "CAR" magazine, 4.5 stars from "EVO."

2) Infiniti G35: This is the best wannabe 3-series out there. Good engine, good handling, and feedback second only to the 3er. A bit stronger then the 3-series, and a bit cheaper. C&D said that the G35 sedan is the only car in this class better then the BMW 325i (really only won because of the power advantage). Pricing is about average for this class. Interior is sub par. Looks a little strange IMO.

3) Audi A4 3.0: I firmly believe Quattro to be the best AWD system out there. Not a very fast car, but if you have to deal with snow, this might be your best option. Good interior, great styling (second only to the 3-series IMO). Its a bit dated, but a newer version either just came out or is about to, not sure. Another wannabe 3-series. Can run a little expensive.

4) Acura TL and TSX: I was supprised to see that the TL wasn't on this list as it is less expensive then the 330i, so I thought I would throw it in. The TL is a pretty good car, but in alot of ways it really just a nicer Accord. One of the strongest engines in the class, but it handles like, well, a Honda Accord. Good interior room and good styling.
The TSX is by far the least expensive in this group, and with good reason. Its FWD and only has 200hp. Its basically a 4-door RSX-S with TL-like styling. Amazingly, I thought it was a better drive then the TL. Good buy for the price, but isn't really in this class.

(I wouldn't even consider any of these remaining cars)

5 (tied) Caddilac CTS: Its a GM, and therefore I don't trust it. I think the styling is ok, but I have yet to drive it.

5 (tied) Lexus IS300: Wasn't even as good as the A4 and the 3er when it first came out, but now its old and badly in need of being remade.

5 (tied) Benz C240: Its an ok car, but has no power. With Benz making rediculous 600hp/700lb-ft engines for the top of their lineup, they seem to have completely forgotten the bottom. Good interior, but way overpriced. Terrible reliability issues. The 325i is a better car, not to mention the 330i.

8) Volvo S60 2.5t: I've heard bad things about Volvo reliability ever since the Ford buyout. I owned a 1984 Volvo DL and drove it to around 200,000 miles, with minimal money put into it. Reliability should be what Volvo is going after, since they don't have a chance of competing with the likes of BMW, Audi, and Infiniti. The 2.5t isn't very quick. Looks ok on its own, but pales in comparison to the 3 series and the A4. If you want a marginally "cool" car, you don't want a Volvo.

9) Jaguar X-Type: I know a couple of Jaguar owners that call this the "fake Jag." I don't think I've ever read a good article about this car, even from the British, who believe Jaguar is god's gift to cars. Its got a Jaguar badge, but its really a Ford Mondeo. Its slow, and handle like crap. Only advantage I can see is the styling, which I think is ok, but my Jag fan friends think is aweful.

Conclusion: If you live in the north, get a A4 Quattro for the AWD. If you can afford it, get the 330i. If you can't afford a 330i, check out the G35 or the 325i.

[G35XAndTrailBlazer]

1. Infiniti G35- Reasonably priced. Best in class handling and power (my opinion) not a ton out there. Look nice, good cars, available AWD which i have, (very nice)

2. Cadillac CTS- Good power and handling. Good priced. Handels corners like a dream. Not a ton out there. Great V6!

3. Audi A4 3.0- Test drove one a few years ago with my dad. Very redefined. Drives like a Porsche, very nice engine! God, I'd like to have one. Not many lease deals, a little overpriced, you pay for the name.

4. Acura TSX- heard good things about them. Sporty. Overpriced. Not much info on them.

5 BMW 330i- Heard good things. Rode in one. Overpriced. Everyone has one. ok engine (only push you to about 130) Statis Symbol, IE: oh i drive a BMW.

6. Volvo S60- I have a friend who has one. Safe. inexpensive. ok car.

7. Lexus Is300- havent heard much about them. Small, over priced.

8. Mercedes C240- Small engine. luxurius. A mercedes. Piece of crap unless you get AMG.

9. Jaguar X-type -Cheap, ugly Pice of shit I'd never buy one.

[G35XAndTrailBlazer]

The reason the BMW is such a everybodys car is, look at the top. It seems like everyone has one as their top choice.

i rode in one, and they only go 130. A g35 will go over 150

[DinanM3_S2]

The BMW is limited...

The TSX is overpriced? $27,000 and almost no options. Im pretty sure that makes it the cheapest on the list. $3,000 less then the G35 and $5,000 less the the G35x that you called reasonably priced. Sorry, I just had to point that out. It seems your almost as biased towards the G35 as I am towards the BMW 3-Series

[kman10587]

Who gives a shit about top speed? How often do you go that fast anyways? The BMW's engine may not be as powerful as the G35's, but it's certainly more smooth and refined. The BMW also has the best manual transmission -ever-, incredible styling, and an incredible suspension. Unfortunately, yes, you do pay a lot for all of these advantages, and what pisses me off is that a lot of that extra cost is going towards the badge on the hood. That said, the 330i is still the best car in its class, and if I had the money, I'd buy one. Also, note that I am pretty biased towards Japanese cars, yet I still picked the German.