hi all,

so, we are in need of a second car that must be a sports luxury sedan that should be relatively fun and reliable under the warranty period (an extended warranty may be purchased as we are financing a portion of the vehicle as we'd like to keep it for awhile).

the choices thus far are:
the 2021 audi s4
the 2021 volvo s60 recharge t8 inscription or polestar engineered
and the 2021 mb cla amg 35

i realize that all of these are fwd-based, but have differing levels of awd capabilities. i am leaning toward the audi just because i feel as though it's better built than the volvo and is more capable with it's i6 vs the i4 in the mb. the volvo is interesting for sure, although i know depreciation hits volvos hard and i'm not sure about the turbo/supercharged/electrified powertrain over the course of around 5-6 years. i feel like it's about to be redesigned if not dropped altogether soon whereas the s4 was just refreshed in 2020 and the cla amg 35 was an all-new model for 2021. honestly, i don't think the cla deserves to be considered but my mate does, so there ya have it.

we aren't considering any other mb model because mb tends to bloat their newest offerings as does bmw with the 3 series (the 3 series is also weirdly slab-sided). we also want to stay in the compact executive/luxury class of vehicles.

the max price for the vehicle is 60k or thereabout. am i missing anything? the lexus is350 is out of the picture as i don't like the new styling the brand is taking, with that vehicle at least. the vehicle must also be from a luxury marque.

 

note: this vehicle will be driven by me, so i get the ultimate/final decision here. i'm also open to coupes and considered the s5 but i don't really like the body lines on that vehicle compared to the s4.

i can't think of any other coupes that aren't either super outdated (the c-class), are fugly (the new 4 series) or are super unreliable (the jaguar f type). sedans that i considered briefly that were tossed out were the jaguar xe due to reliability issues with jlr and the genesis g70 because the brand is just too new to hold any heritage.

 

If you prefer Audi - get the S5 Sportback (4doors) or RS3 sedan.

The BMW M340i is by far the best sport sedan for your price range imo. The base 330i is a great car as well and plenty fast.

 

You mentioned reliable. If that is the case based on J D Power, I would run from the Volvo. Walk from the MB and Audi and look at a BMW.

 

thank you both for your input andd i know you both mention bmw and i have a bmw right now which will be kept in the stable, but the m340i as well as it drives is not at all a looker and i need a looker. that car is porky pig.

and yes, i know volvo isn't ideal, but the car has beautiful lines and i can't find anything really like it other than the audi s4. speaking of audis, the s5 sportback is too large and the rs3 is fun, but a little crude inside and not ideal for a commuter car + fun car all in one. the rs3/s3 also has really funky proportions. i feel like the golf r looks better, but i'm not looking for a non-premium branded car.

so i guess my best choice between what i have already laid out is the s4?

 

Honestly, to rule out the M340i just on styling would be a big mistake IMO. It’s quite probably the best car in the segment. The cars on your list are good choices and might well be on most of our lists too if we were looking in the same segment, but I think you should at least test the M340i. Styling is obviously subjective. I personally don’t think the M340i is a “porky pig” at all, and it’s likely a better overall drive.

I also wouldn’t be too worried about reliability or weigh that too heavily into the process. You’re rolling the dice no matter what you get. Based on that JD Power data alone, pretty much every car from every manufacturer is statistically likely to have at least one “problem”. I’d personally weigh the fun factor higher than the reliability factor.

anyway keep us posted!

 

You honestly feel S4 is a looker?
It also weighs more than M340i and has engine ahead of front wheels as its FWD based platform.

 

Out of the cars you are considering I would get the S-4, looks good and it has a great interior. I considered it before I got my M340 and the interior is to me best in its class. While I agree with you that the M340 isn’t much of a looker, it drives the best and the engine is excellent and much better than the Audi.

Just curious, I know you don’t want to consider any MB outside of the CLA but why not consider a C45 MB since it’s in the same class as the S-4? I think it’s the best looking in its class and has a very nice interior.

 

i agree that the m340 is the better driving machine, but i just can't get past its looks, so that option is out. i absolutely cannot stand the way the car looks.

i would say that the s4 is the best out of the bunch. the one other option, aside from those listed above, is the last model year of the current gen 3IS - so a 2020 3IS350 f sport, which i suppose would be lightly used. the problem with that car is that it is slow compared to the competition, although it is comfortable and would be great for commmuting. and while i've never owned a 350 before, i've owned the 2.5l NA variant as well as the 2l turbo version. so it'd be like going back to what i know, but that seems boring as hell. i have driven the 350 and yes, it's much better than the other iterations of the vehicle, but it's not great in 2021.

that said, the 3is350 f sport is gonna be a whole lot cheaper and i really do think that car is a great looking one - beautiful lines, although many would disagree, i truly believe the car has aged quite well and is one of the best looking sedans out there. it's also a benefit that the car is small, but not rs3 small. it's compact but not extra teensy weensy. it'd just kinda hard to own a car three times, albeit with all three engines it was offered with.

 

i'll have to look into the c43 - i hadn't considered it only because i know that the model is going to be replaced really soon and i'd be owning a last generation car which would bug me. at least with the audi i'd have several more years prior to the next generation is introduced, but yes, i'll look into it. thanks!

i also agree that the s4's interior is fantastic - really great, especially with the red quilted leather and tasteful carbon fibre - it has a wow factor that i feel won't get old. the c-class has a great interior as well, but i don't think it's running the latest version of the mbux infotainment software. i'm not sure whatever version of the software it's running supports carplay, but i'll look more into it. another problem with the c-class is that it, to me, looks a bit more bloated than the s4 or the 3IS. both the c-class and the 3 series have grown almost to midsized sedan sizes or at least that's how they look and they would certainly be considered midsized sedans like only a decade ago.

edit: i have to add that the reason the new cla is on the list is because of the styling which i like over the current c-class. i think it's the right size which is just slightly smaller than the s4 or the 3IS pre-refresh.

 

Have you considered a couple of other choices.....a new 2021 Acura TSX SH-AWD or a CPO Lexus AWD GS, since GS models are no longer available brand new?

 

yeah, but those are mid-sized cars and i'm looking for a compact luxury sports sedan or coupe.

the problem with all modern cars really is that they have become so bloated to comply with safety regulations and also to satisfy customer needs of larger interiors, but i'm not a fan of these bloated vehicles at all no matter how well they perform, so i'm looking at the best looking which are also the best performing and so far i've found that that vehicle is the s4.

i guess i could try looking into the coupe offerings of manufacturers more, but i've already ruled out the s5. the bmw m2 comp would be great kinda, but the ride is harsh for a daily. the previous gen m3 would also be great but buying someone else's m3? sketch.

 

okay, so let's make a quick assumption for the time being and you all can tell me which of these s4 colors you all prefer because i need input. this is harder than i thought it'd be.


daytona grey pearl


glacier white metallic


navarra blue metallic


those are the three colors that stand out the most to me. pearl white is easy to clean, daytona grey might be a nightmare but it looks cool, and the blue stands out but not in a super look-at-me sorta way.

 

You didn't mention it, so I'm guessing you're not interested in the Genesis G70?

 

Daytona Grey. It seems to suit the lines better. At least to me...