Getting a ragtop...Audi A4 or Mercedes 320 Cabriolet?

[letusbuyyourcar]

I looked at a TT here in town. Like the Mercedes 230, the BMW z3, the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Nizzan 350Z, I think it might be a little too "young" for me. I'm 52 and not having a mid-life crisis, I just want a nice convertible to cruise in.

And I think the Mercedes 320 CLK is a beautiful car. Well, at least the on in the pic above. The hard top ones are boring fo sho.

Okay I agree with you for the most part. But here is how it breaks down. The 350Z is an old man driving slow in a fast car mobile. Everything from Mitsubishi is junk. The Z3 is just too damn small like the Miata I used to have. In all honesty the Mercedes is probably bullet proof for mechanicals and resale value. I just have a weak spot for Audis. My first car was a 76 Fox. Yeah, look it up. Not like any Audi you see today.

If I wasn't currently looking at restoring a George Costanz/Jon Voight 88 LeBaron ( well I probably couldn't afford a ragtop at all) But aside from that I'd go with the A4 for the room and looks or the lowly PT Cruiser ragtop with the turbo 5 speed.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

This one is exciting as hell but it had 189k miles on it.

2006 BMW 330Ci - $5997

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No! No! Bad Patronus ! You are not a rapper from Atlanta.

 

[Patronus]

Okay I agree with you for the most part. But here is how it breaks down. The 350Z is an old man driving slow in a fast car mobile. Everything from Mitsubishi is junk. The Z3 is just too damn small like the Miata I used to have. In all honesty the Mercedes is probably bullet proof for mechanicals and resale value. I just have a weak spot for Audis. My first car was a 76 Fox. Yeah, look it up. Not like any Audi you see today.

If I wasn't currently looking at restoring a George Costanz/Jon Voight 88 LeBaron ( well I probably couldn't afford a ragtop at all) But aside from that I'd go with the A4 for the room and looks or the lowly PT Cruiser ragtop with the turbo 5 speed.

Yeah. I've had some kind of craving for an Audi as well. Something about them just sings. But I also love the idea of owning a Mercedes. I've never been a BMW fan but if the Audis are high maintenance I'd rather settle for a BMW with less charisma than an Audi that I can afford to keep on the road. But, if between them is the Mercedes with all the charisma and all the reliability, then I'm thinking I need a Mercedes. heh, heh.

 

[Patronus]

No! No! Bad Patronus ! You are not a rapper from Atlanta.

LOL. It DO kinda stand out in a crowd don't it.

 

[Patronus]

I used to work for an independent VW/Audi tech in Macon. I will gladly put you in touch with him for all the buyer's/owners advice you need. I've seen him tell more than one person " Well... maybe you're just not a VW/Audi type person. Maybe you just need to trade for a Honda." Its funny cause it always made the customer feel like a second grader.. But that's true with any premium European brand. You have to budget for the upkeep of your car. If not you will not have a good ownership experience. And I think Audihas the advantage as far as parts and maintenance cost. There are plenty of shared parts between VW and Audi or at least there used to be. Those parts will always be cheaper than Mercedes.

I saw part of this post in another thread and it made me wonder if I was, indeed, NOT an Audi type person.

One of the things about Audi that I DON'T like is that it is the German version of Lexus/Infinity etc. Audi is the workhorse VW's Sunday go to meeting clothes. Like Lexus is dressing up a Toyota. But BMW and Mercedes are FULL TIME luxury car companies. Like in your post and in a comment on a youtube video I watched, Audi parts, VW parts...same thing, different price tag. The guy pointed out that if you wanted the Audi 2.0 engine, you could get it for 5 grand less in a Jetta or Passat.

And I am sure that a Mercedes widget will cost more than an Audi widget, but how many widgits will the Audi need compared to the Benz?

 

[8675309]

dont buy a BMW. yes they used to be great cars,but all
bmw is interested in now is ******' their customers

 

[SafeCracka]

Don't do it......

 

[Patronus]

OK, so I got no on Audi and no on BMW...Mercedes is all that's left.

 

[Patronus]

Maybe I should go with...


2008 Sebring Retractable Hard Top - $5600

 

[SafeCracka]

OK, so I got no on Audi and no on BMW...Mercedes is all that's left.

The most expensive car to fix of the bunch, lol