New Car: BMW 328i & Audi A5

Ok ladies and gents, I get bored and I post. But now, I need some advice. I have decided to buy a new car because I desperately need one. I've narrowed it down to the BMW 328i and the Audi A5. My questions are for owners or aficionados.

How do you like either of these? Which do you recommend over the other, and why? What would you add/not add when adding packages? Is it worth adding the sports package/features, or no? Performance: Do you really get what you're paying for? Considering the reputation for quality - do you see merit in purchasing used over new? I'd rather buy new, but I'd consider used if I found one I loved. I really just want leather, an ipod/iphone interface, a nav system and sport seats - however the last two are not terribly important.

I'd really appreciate any input. I'm not considering any other cars but these, and I'm not interested in any other models, no matter what. Thank you so much.

I-Stal

I haven't bought a "new" car in decades. Makes absolutely no financial sense at all. I bought my last used car, a Lexus SC430, with 17k miles on it for less than half the MSRP. Of course, you're giving up that new car smell and the fact that you are the original owner of the car. Many people like that.

Search eBay, cars.com, and autotrader.com and see what you can find.

BMW is a class machine but the upkeep can be horrible. My 528i needed major maintenance work (tune-up to begin with) every 30k miles. Hopefully BMW has stretched that out. Parts prices were out-of-sight. I'll take my Lexus any day over a BMW.

My M3 came with a 7 yr maintanance, don't pay anything for oil changes, tune ups, nothing for 70K miles.

328 is pretty zippy. They have a certified pre-owned thing that will give you a warranty if thats what you're looking for.

Check the used vs new pricing, i.e. Get a blue book value for a 2010 used car. That will tell you what the drive off cost is. Depends on resale value of car. Might be pretty steep ( >10K ).

I am not a big fan of BMW unless you are talking about the M series. My preference is Audi because they are more unique. Both cars are well built but the BMW 3 series are everywhere. If you are looking more for status then you might want to go with BMW. One other car you might want to look at is the Infiniti G37. I have G35 and they are fun to drive. Good luck

I'm a VAG fanboi, but I currently drive a e46 330i 2004 ZHP package and I gotta tell you it is a blast to drive. I've driven a current gen 328i and was less than impressed. An M3 would be ideal, they are monsters, but cost some serious coin. If you're talking coupes, aesthetically, the A5 is a better looking car than the 328 coupe. The S5 would be ideal. I'm a german car dash stroker, so both cars interiors are amazing, but I'd lean towards the A5 for styling. Maintanence on these cars sucks ass, but I think it's well worth it. If I was currently shopping, I'd find the best example of an e46 M3.

While I can't advise you about which one to choose or the options to add, I will tell you that if the BMW is from the local dealer, I would look outside this market for pricing. The local BMW dealer is the only one in town and therefore has a "corner" on the local BMW market. Sometimes, you can find a better value in a market where there is more than one dealer and therefore more competetion for your business at your price point. I happen to know that the local dealer runs VERY high profit margins on their new and certified used BMW's.

Good luck and have fun!!!!

I'm a fan of the Audi R8, got to try one last week, mouth is still watering.

I test drove both cars and a Q7 today. All of them superb. I nixed the Q7 right of the bat because the girl's slow, with a big ass. Plus, you sit really high up, which is weird.

That A5 was a work of art, though. And the 328 was super smooth.

While I can't advise you about which one to choose or the options to add, I will tell you that if the BMW is from the local dealer, I would look outside this market for pricing. The local BMW dealer is the only one in town and therefore has a "corner" on the local BMW market. Sometimes, you can find a better value in a market where there is more than one dealer and therefore more competetion for your business at your price point. I happen to know that the local dealer runs VERY high profit margins on their new and certified used BMW's.

Good luck and have fun!!!! Originally Posted by Spacemtn

As with everything in Austin, cars are generally more expensive here.

I bought a brand new car last year. I wanted bumper to bumper and powertrain warranties, and something no one else had ragged out. I got one helluva deal in DFW. I paid about $2k less than anyone else I know with the exact same car.

I am in sales in a sense and done sales in the past. I am a good negotiator, and know more about the car than the salesman when I am ready to buy. So that probably contributed. I don't drive a luxury car either so I am unfamilliar with buying them.

The point is yes, look in other markets. DFW seems to have good prices. Also I have heard San Antonio has a lot of dealerships and good prices.

One problem with the local BMW dealership is sales volume. For the austin market, the 3 series is the highest volume car sold locally. So, its a sellers market to them, and don't bargain as much.