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As usual people are over reacting to what someone else thinks about a car. At the end of the day you have to decide for yourself. I recently bought a 2013 xdrive 335 msport to be delivered in about a month. Before deciding I test drove the following cars:
1. C350
2. S4
3. 335
I went in with a bias towards the S4 and 335 based on discussions with friends and reviews on this board.
I was pleasantly surprised by the feedback and handling on the C350. I suppose I shouldn't have been that surprised but that is down noted prejudices coming in.. I didn't like the dated interior and less than tactile controls on the steering wheel, but overall it was a fun drive and has a great exterior when loaded up.
My immediate impression on the Audi S4 was that there was severe understeer. Now understand I currently drive a mazda protege 5. That said I didn't like the feedback and handling on a 60K car, so what does that say.... For me if I am spending that kind of coin I want to enjoy the drive, like aesthetics (interior and exterior) and feel confident in the reliability. The S4 was good in all categories but not great. To have that substantial understeer on a car like that is tough to swallow. I understand the car has dynamic steering but is was so noticeable a low speeds it just felt like a go cart...I couldn't pull the trigger even if everything else was equal... I don't agree that the interior on the S4s is better than the bmw but this is purely subjective. You can personalize the seats and the trim to a limited degree, but not nearly as much as BMW between the different lines to chose from..
My initial impression of the 335 was:
1. There was a nice growl
2. The steering feedback was nice and firm and much more responsive than the S4 and a subtle improvement over the C350
3. Corners on rails
4. More ergonomic interior
5. Nice seats but I would give the edge to the S4 there
6. iDrive is more intuitive than the competitors systems
I could keep going on the similarities and differences between the cars but the fact is they are all great cars with great acceleration, power, and handling. That said, the S4 was off the list as soon as I felt the understeer. The kicker is the car has looked the same for the last 8 years or so.... To sedate. Not to mention everyone I know who has or has owned an Audi (about 6-7 people) has a bad story about electrical problems. Some ending in fires. BAD.
The MB was off the list once I looked at the interior. Looking at it the from the outside I feel young; step inside and grey hairs spontaneously sprout from my scalp.
All this is to say, who cares this is MY opinion. Go see for yourself. All of them have there pros and cons. Nothing wrong with more competition. It just means BMW/AUDI/MB will make better cars to keep up with one another...
Recall there was one review where the F30 335 took down the S4, so go figure. While I have seen much more of the 335 coming out on top than the reverse, I rely on what I felt during my test drives.
BTW the more appropriate comparo for this mag would have been the 328 xdrive. Any one who has driven the 328 and 335 will tell you the 328 handles better.... and xdrive is self explanatory
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