A4 1.8t or IS250 or c180

[Magfocus]

But I would certainly be happy with a 159 nonetheless..

 

Well, its a 335i, I couldn't stretch to that unfortunately..

[Cklasse]

A better gearbox for the W204 would be the C350 7-G tronic.

[W210k]

the merc just oozes class....can't rule out pure snob appeal. the new c class is really nice too....just wished it had a better gear box...

 

 

I have not test-driven the latest C-Class, but would like to know why you say it could do with a better gear box? Is the current one 5 or 6 speed? And are the ratios not tuned for performance (i.e. having taller ratios for smoother upshifts, but a lazier disposition?).

 

Thanks.

[Cklasse]

I went for the recent C-class challenge in Police Academy where I get to "trash" the new C200.

 

This is to market the c-class, hence the car was put through a course consisting of straight line sprint, braking hard (to use ABS and BAS), twist and turn hard and finally getting it into a tight parking slot, again twisting and turning hard in a short distance.

 

The initial acceleration did not happen in a split second but came only when the car starts to move off when I floored the pedal. This is the usual Mercedes-Benz style of starting slow. The 5 speed gearbox actually do a good and smooth job of accelerating the car to speed for a luxury car.

 

The ESP was a bit too involved when the car was put through a hard turning around a cone and again there is a feeling of losing power when trying to accelerate away from the turn. This only happens when there is a sudden brake, turn (a hard and quick S-turn).

 

Overall, this is a car you want to get if comfort, luxury feel, and a bit of sportiness are what you want. It is definitely not a sports car, but one that is good enough and one that can pamper you on long trip up North.

[Coolad]

Hi Coolad,

 

Thx. If got plenty of money, of coz will go for the higher end model but often times $20k is still significant enough to most people to consider the 323i rather than the 325i. I think i will be one of those people. Btw, no more 330 now, only 335i but that's a different beast!

 

Actually the difference not that great... 325/330 all comes with i-drive navi (10K option)... sad that the 330 is gone... NA is the best... cheap cheap maintenance...

why not consider a 1-yr old 325/330, pricing should be close to a brand new 323...

[Hatch_lover]

Thx! Not sure if he wants to buy 2nd hand or not. But that's a good proposition, esp if you can buy direct and know the history of the car. Just send it to STA, Viacom and your regular workshop for some checks.

 

He is considering the 325i anyway, not the 323i.

Edited September 25, 2007 by Hatch_lover

[Azarael]

the c180 and C200 come with the old 5 speed auto , but i hear the C350 and C 280 will come with the new 7G tronic gear box. i think the gears are slightly tuned for comfort

[Magfocus]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/gr...exus_is250.html

[Edison]

Seems like the c class is a better car from the review, would anyone even consider getting the C180 over the IS in sg? when the mercs costs abt 15K more

[Veryfree]

merc is a merc, a class higher than premium toyota. $15k more for a

german ride is fine. its like comparing a 5room HDB in Holland V,

against EC in SengKang. i'll dig the former.

[Mbris250]

I had the opportunity to drive the 320i (16" rims) yesterday for an hour odd. This is how it stacks against the IS250 (17" rims):

 

1) power delivery

- I'm not a sucker for huge power output but I must say that the 4 pots are doing fine. I don't really feel it being sluggish. In fact, I think that the IS250 feels heavier from standstill. In terms of gear shifts, the IS250 is smoother. I can feel the jerk in between shifts for the 320i

 

2) Idling

- 320i vibrates at standstill, engine can be heard.

- almost nothing is felt for the IS250. almost zero engine note.

 

3) creature comforts

- 320i has chromatic rear mirror, memory seats

- standard IS250 doesn't.....WTF? You're in the luxury segment, for crying out loud.

 

4) handling

- I always thought that BMW was the driver's machine

- Steering is heavier, I can feel the roads better slightly

- maybe it's not on low profile tyres but the body roll is present.

- the steering on the IS is lighter, better for lady drivers, slightly devoid of feeling but at high speeds, it's fine.

 

5) Price

- yes, it's not a fair comparison yakkety yak.....

- but 1 yr back, listed price, IS250 vs 320i = $125k v $129k so based on the above agruments, guess which I chose?

 

overall, the IS250 is more refine. The only reason I will choose the 320i over the IS250 is the badge presence which is of no concern to me.

[Veryfree]

great comparison. did you try a long distance ride? how far was

the stretch ? These cars are sport compact car, luxury is just

a compliment. Japanese are great in refinement when new, they

are unfortunately shortlived.

 

Trust me, the Japanese are always copying the German technology.

 

3 series are the real stuff, why go for a 320i replica?

[Magfocus]

Some lexus bigot is gonna go after your head..

[Mbris250]

I drove the 320i from home along KJE, PIE then AYE. Then Bukit Timah road to home.

So I had a chance to feel the car, on highway & normal road conditions. Pls note, however, that it's normal driving style, no hard driving or cornering was done.

 

I had the chance to take the 4.5 yrs old IS200 (total stock) along the same stretch. Bodyroll can be said to be non-existent if you compare it to the 320i & IS250. It's of superb build quality. I'm not pro Toyota but after 4.5 yrs, the car still feels tight in every part. So I disagree with the short lifespan part.

 

I agree that it's copy & compare. How not to do when Germans have long been in the business.

 

I've stated my reasons for going for the replica.

[Azarael]

cool comparo bro, but one major factor would be enjoyment of ownership, autocar Uk has a good segment where owners of cars 20 000 km will give a report card on their cars

what is great, good, bad and horrid !

 

personally one of the hidden perks of lexus is the service and peace of mind....so far i have not spent a single cent on service and parts for my lexus...after sales care is top notch, my tyres are rotated for me free each time, my battery got replaced for free at my 30k servicing, there are no major problems with my car and the fuel consumption is 11.0 km per liter of octane 95 SPC petrol....great for a 2.5L v6 yeah.....

 

so i got no complaints

 

the new C180 i am considering asking my dad to buy....at 141K it is not cheap, and it is noisy.....sigh....but my dad loves the badge....and he drives real slow so the C180 will be the best for him...

 

audi 1.8t i havent tried before so no comment....but i must admit the new A4 looks delicious

[Edison]

320i in my personal opinion is like a poor man's bmw....for those wannabe who cannot afford a real bmw which is an inline 6. It's like buying a fake Gucci. Though i drive the IS250, i do admit that merc and bmw is definitely one level up in terms of prestige and branding but that's because they are more expensive too. Just compare the pricing of the 323i, C200 and IS250.

[Lsk005]

btw hw much is is250 selling nw?

[Relagsingh]

and its no longer made in germany

 

but not really sure about all other 3 series models above 320 though....

 

and for that i'll rather choose japanese. badge or no badge, as long the quality is there, means can make it liao.

 

so what got prestigious badge if it suffers from reliability issues? its evident that the later batches of SA made E46 3 series suffers from reliability issues.

 

my friend's 318 was driving him crazy. you can say he got a lemon, but he's one of QUITE a few.

Edited October 14, 2007 by Relagsingh