Hi all,

Out BMW 3 series lease is up in another 3 months and we are starting to look at a replacement. My wife drives the car now and I take it out occasionally. This was our first BMW and there is no doubt that we both love how it drives, there are things that we want that it does to have.

The interior feels cheap for expensive car, the seats are hard and you can hear the wind noise.

We were very sure of getting another bmw but now thinking to get something else. We have not test driven any other sedan yet.

We are also trying to not spend as much as we did on the 3 series, as we have come to realize that there are other cars that have a better bang for buck.

We have some sedans in mind like the the Honda Accord, the TLX or the Q50.

The accord has some nice features but lacks heated steering, thats one thing we got used to and i guess will have to compromise if we go with the Accord.

I don't think any of them will drive like the 3 series, but would they be close. We don't want some like a camry which is totally disengaged.

Something fun and comfortable at the same time.

heated steering wheel isn't offered on that many vehicles so it might be a challenge.
i'd never had the feature before my new jeep grand cherokee and i can see why people like it.
'fun and comfortable' is pretty much what defines a 3 series. i would love to test a new c class some time as the reviews have been incredible.

you might even try a kia optima (don't knock until you try). for the 3 series lease range you might even be able to get into a genesis, an admittedly bigger car, but more luxurious.

i'd say the new tlx is worth looking at too as that would fit fun and comfortable!

Is350 F sport drives better than the BMW and the rest of the cars you mentioned. q50S felt big and the DAS steering was kinda horrible. The IS isn't quite as fast as the 335 or Q though but plenty fast enough against the 328.

There are some pretty steep discounts on the Cadillac ATS right now, especially if you can locate a '14 leftover. 3 months from now, '15s will probably have steep discounts too. You likely can get a Luxury Collection ATS for as much, or maybe less, than an loaded Accord; definitely less than a TLX SHWAD or Q50; in December, '14 Premium Collections had $8,000 discounts, bringing them to $40,000 to $42,000 in my area; Luxury Collection is 2 trims down from that, and definitely available with a heated steering wheel. It will drive as well as a 3 Series.

If you buy BMW for snob value, the direct competitors are the MB C-class and the Audi A4. It will still announce that you have arrived, in style, with money to throw.

Best bang would be buying the BMW/MB/Audi used with a reputable extended warranty such as Zurich.

Not to mention that there are good CPO deals out there. I just got a 328i CPO Elite for $11,000 off of MSRP. It was 6 months old, had 5,400 miles, and the CPO Elite program adds a year and 25,000 mi to the factory warranty. They are also available for leasing programs. But it sounds like you weren't thrilled with the BMW overall.

The Kia Optima SXL is really nice actually. And a redesigned one is coming out this summer. The current one doesn't even feel long in the tooth IMO.

I'd also look at a Lexus IS. Not sure if they have heated steering wheels though.

Acura TLX would probably be your best bet though. That seems like an all around great car if it's looks are your taste.

The AWD version gets the heated steering wheel for the IS

If you like how the bmw drives, you should test out the IS

No offense but an entry lux is no snob-appeal

Oh, it is when you are living and surrounded by people who can afford to drive used economy cars only.

This is true... "OMG you got an Audi!!" And it's like a 6 yr old base model A4.

But in the world of auto enthusiasts, an entry level car is nothing to raise your nose over.

Unless its an amg/rs/m/f

But it at least gets rid of the disgust quotient that is when you are surrounded by people who drive luxury and you come home with a brand new corolla or a camry

if you care about having a sedan meaning usable rear seats, and especially if you are going to lease again, try the gs. the IS imho doesn't have very good rear cabin space, considerably less than 3 series imho. the gs is good, and they have very attractive lease deals now

Well, the OP was looking to spend less than the 3-Series, so I'm not sure the GS will hit the mark. But to look in the GS class, there are still '14 Caddy CTS's for $12,000+ discounts out there.