Nice handling cars

[kovalchuk71]

Hey guys, what do you think of the handling of Volvo,Saab,BMW,Audi, or Mercedes? Looking for opinions on any of them.Can you suggest any others?

Thanks!

[DinanM3_S2]

Well it all depends on which models you are talking about, but in general I would prefer an Audi with Quattro (AWD) in bad weather conditions and a normal RWD BMW in normal weather. In the entry level luxury class we would be talking about the Audi A4 3.2 Quattro or a BMW 335i. More information on price range and type of car would be good. Also, are we only talking about luxury cars? because there is a number of cars from regular car companies that will beat most BMWs, Audis, etc.

[kovalchuk71]

Sorry Dinan, Im looking at a luxury car. I am interested in the audi a4, the bmw 325/330i, and the mercedes c-class. All from the 1999 and on era

[Oldengineer]

Suggest you also consider Jag X-Type 2.5/3.0. They're quick, handle well, and have AWD standard. After the 2002 Model year, reliability has been close to that of Lexus. The 5 speed manual models are hard to find, but, are the fastest 0 - 60 (7.5 secs for the 2.5, 6.5 for the 3.0). The engines make 195 and 231HP respectively with nice fat torque curves.

Regards:
Oldengineer
06 Jaguar X-Type

[DinanM3_S2]

Originally Posted by kovalchuk71

Sorry Dinan, Im looking at a luxury car. I am interested in the audi a4, the bmw 325/330i, and the mercedes c-class. All from the 1999 and on era

I would go with a 3-series BMW. They were/are by far the best selling car in the class, so you will have more cars to chose from based on your preferences. The 3-series has been on Car & Driver's top ten cars list more consecutive times then any other car and is second in total appearances to the Honda Accord. It has long been touted as having the best handling in the class and is considered to be one of the most fun cars in its class.

You also might want to look into the Lexus IS300 and the Infiniti G35.

[klohiq]

you could check out the infiniti q45 or lexus GS400...also the IS300 and SC300/SC400 all are pretty nice...if you want a german luxo, you could check out a 97-00 5 series, while not without their problems they look better than a 3 series and to me look classy and like a real luxury car instead of a psuedo luxo like the 3 series. some will argue this, but look at the kinds of people who usually drive used 3 series, they are great cars, but I don't think I would buy one.

Saabs are typically FWD and with a manual trans they are well known for tq steer on the more powerful models. On top of that, body rigidity ranges from poor to marginal and obviously handling suffers because of this. Still they are very cheap sometimes and can be reliable if you research and find what options to steer clear of. They do look nice and they have a very original styling inside and out thanks to Saab being a Swedish car manufacturer

I like some mercedes, but not enough to reccomend any...

[Drive and Carer]

If you won't consider the Lexus, I would go with the BMW. They are the sportiest of the cars you listed, giving all the luxury you want with better performance than the others listed.

Since I work at a Lincoln Dealership, I would love to tell you that you should get the 3.5L all wheel drive Lincoln MK-Z.

I would love to tell you that they are just as good as the foreign competitors with options that would blow you away.

I would love to tell you that they aren't just a more luxurious and better engined version of the Ford Fusion.

I would love to do all this and keep a straight face.

I can't.

Go for the BMW. (or the Lexus if you would consider it)

[nismogt_rfreak]

E46 M3 all the way.

[DinanM3_S2]

Originally Posted by klohiq

you could check out the infiniti q45 or lexus GS400...also the IS300 and SC300/SC400 all are pretty nice...if you want a german luxo, you could check out a 97-00 5 series, while not without their problems they look better than a 3 series and to me look classy and like a real luxury car instead of a psuedo luxo like the 3 series. some will argue this, but look at the kinds of people who usually drive used 3 series, they are great cars, but I don't think I would buy one.

Look at the people that drive 3-series? There is no "type" of person that buys a 3-series, they sell something like 10,000 a month in the US alone. All kinds of people drive the 3-series. As the title said, this person is looking for a good handling car, I assure you that the E46 3-series handles better then E39 5-series, Lexus GS, and (debatable) the Lexus IS. It is also a much more usable car then the Lexus SC (which have never been very good and is in a different class).

Do you really think that this isn't an attractive car?

[klohiq]

There may be no specific type of person who drives a 3 series, but there are many who give it a bad name. It's an entry level BMW much like Audi's A4 which gets the same kind of negative connatations. Look on youtube for 3 series bmw or bmw 328 or bmw 318 and notice how many people make videos of them acting like complete morons.

Obviously this is a subjective opinion as it's hard to make any sort of statistics with what people think about a given car. Personally, when I hear someone drives a 3 series, I think to myself that they want the recognition, but don't want to pay for an actually BMW. You may think differently and that's your right.

And no I don't find the E46 very attractive. I like the looks of the E36 318ti, E36 328i, E39 540i and obviously the E39 M5/E36 M3. Most newer BMWs seem to have lost what I used to love about them. The only new BMWs I like more than the old are the motorcycles, the old ones look ugly as sin while the new ones are looking more and more like actual sport bikes.

Lastly, any car I mentioned doesn't handle like a Buick, they are all good handling cars. Sure others are lighter and better suited for spirited driving, but if you are looking for a sport luxury car then performance isn't your ultimate goal. It's kind of like asking about the fastest truck or SUV, there are many to choose from, but all of them are a comprimise between true utility and all out performance.

[Tater049]

i have an e55 amg 2005 and it has really good handling. Basically all of the AMG's have great handling and most of the M's do to. I love my e55.

[Drive and Carer]

All the info is at The Ultimate BMW