Used 4-cylinder car with quiet, smooth ride of a luxury car?

That sounds strange because it seems like a 4 cylinder car will have trouble moving a big, luxury car. I'd say get an Audi A4 (what I actually drive) but be aware that maintenance is a ***** (compared to my old Integra). The Audi can pull slightly thanks to the bastardize turbo system it has, but anything before about 2800 RPM is a slug.

Originally Posted by Hayato

Click to expand...

That sounds strange because it seems like a 4 cylinder car will have trouble moving a big, luxury car. I'd say get an Audi A4 (what I actually drive) but be aware that maintenance is a ***** (compared to my old Integra). The Audi can pull slightly thanks to the bastardize turbo system it has, but anything before about 2800 RPM is a slug.

I'm not worried at all about performance, just good MPG and a smooth quiet ride.

So your Audi, what kind of maintenance costs go along with owning it?

I would say the Audi A4 too. If you want to add some pep to it, you can install a chip that will increase the output of your turbo. As Hayato mentioned though, maintenance can / will be a pain. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Originally Posted by longskate88

Click to expand...

I'm not worried at all about performance, just good MPG and a smooth quiet ride. So your Audi, what kind of maintenance costs go along with owning it?
I drive a manual 2002 A4 1.8T, and the mileage is actually great. I get probably ~28-30 MPG cruising on the freeway, and can limit city MPG by keeping the RPMs low and not engage the turbo. Almost everyone that rides in it comments how quiet the cabin is or how smooth the car rides. I also find the car to be pretty comfortable. Pros: • Relatively cheap to buy for a nice looking luxury German car • Surprisingly good mileage • Smooth, quiet ride • Smooth shifting, great driving feel and comfortable seating • Quattro (AWD is nice to have) Cons: • Maintenance is expensive, like most German luxury cars. Parts, premium gas, synthetic, etc. • Electrical system seems to always take a dump in some way or another. • Require constant upkeep, you really have to be on top of it. • Performance wise, the car is really weak, but I'd pick the 1.8T over the 3.0 • Quattro (expensive to fix) Hope that helps a little

I drive a 2004 Saab 9-5 Aero, and while it's a super fun to drive and reasonably fast, it's no Lexus in terms of silence and fit & finish. Nevertheless, the features on the car outnumber any car in it's class, and fully loaded, I'd say the features would rival more of an S-Class or 7 series at that time.

It's definitely worth a look if you can find a 2004 or 2005--good on gas, really fun to drive, reasonably luxurious, and totally anonymous (if that's what you're looking for). PM me if you have any questions.

I know you´ve probably done this already, but there are a few nice offers on Autotrader: `05 Mercedes-Benz C230 Kompressor Sport Sedan: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false 2005 Audi A4 2.0T quattro: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false 007 Saab 9-3 2.0T: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false I don´t know if these models are appreciated in the U.S., they are quite average in Europe, but reliable and stylish. One good thing about Audi and Saab are that they share parts with far cheaper companies (Audi=Volkswagen) (Saab=Chevrolet=Saturn), so you can spare a lot of money by servicing them in their lower budget equivalents.

go with the IS300. it's a really nice car. Gas miles are probably not going to be super amazing, but it's pretty quiet and smooth from my experience.

Plus, it's reliable.

I know here in the UK, Jaguar replaced the 2.1 V6 petrol X type with a 4 cylinder diesel. However, having owned the petrol, and extensively used the diesel, I have to say there was not much in it in terms of fuel used. I did a 300 'test' trip, and my petrol (used and at about 40000 miles so not optimum) used about £2 (so perhaps $1.50) more in fuel than the diesel.

So my advice, check out the Jaguar. It is reasonably efficient to maintain, as many of the service components are carried over from Ford (here, in the UK it is the Mondeo, although I think it goes under the name Falcon in the US). I assume you can get the 2.1 over there. If not, the 2.5 is not all that much worse on 'gas', however bear in mind it is a 4 wheel drive, and the extra weight makes its performance surprising compared to the 2.1

In my opinion, a Merc - anything Pre 1993 is decent, although they seem to be getting back on the quality track now (anything in between is not the best workmanship you will find in a car). Someone else mentioned the BMW 318 - I am using one of these at the moment from work. I have to say, I had reservations about it being underpowered, but whilst not quite as refined as the Jaguar, this is also a pretty good car.

Anything Lexus - What can you say, it is Japansese, so will still be running when 50 billion years, but for me, they lack soul and character, which I see as just as important as the smooth ride.

Acura TSX

Acura RSX

Originally Posted by dtmt

Click to expand...

Acura RSX

nah, the RSX Rides like the Integra, too stiff, interior is pretty loud too.

^ Well, I drove one a few years ago and thought it was really luxurious, but at that time I had a 240SX as a daily driver and an FD as a project car, so maybe my perceptions were skewed....

Originally Posted by thinksimple

Click to expand...

I drive a 2004 Saab 9-5 Aero, and while it's a super fun to drive and reasonably fast, it's no Lexus in terms of silence and fit & finish. Nevertheless, the features on the car outnumber any car in it's class, and fully loaded, I'd say the features would rival more of an S-Class or 7 series at that time. It's definitely worth a look if you can find a 2004 or 2005--good on gas, really fun to drive, reasonably luxurious, and totally anonymous (if that's what you're looking for). PM me if you have any questions.
Also a Saab 95 Aero owner here and you get the most bang for your buck. 4 cylinder with 250 horse AND TURBO!!!. Options & interior space up the yingyang (I'm 6'4"). Can't beat that with a bat. It should be noted that I've owned 4 BMWs, 4 VWs, 2 Range Rovers, Audi, etc.

Originally Posted by playdohh22

Click to expand...

Acura TSX

+1

Also get one of the older models they look much better.

Originally Posted by dtmt

Click to expand...

^ Well, I drove one a few years ago and thought it was really luxurious, but at that time I had a 240SX as a daily driver and an FD as a project car, so maybe my perceptions were skewed....

Ok, Ill give you an exception in this case. Though FD's were pretty high tech for their time, they certainly were not the most quiet or smooth dream boat. I miss the last great Japanese sports car era, so many hot, ahead of their time cars. Now its all sport sedans and fugly oversize hatchbacks. I mean remember when a hot hatch was actually a small nippy car?

Hmm, maybe after I do this whole getting a job thing, I wanna get a Toyota Aristo and VIP it out or get a Toyota Crown Athlete