BMW 3/5 Series vs. Audi A/S4 vs Subaru LGT Spec B

jimmytooslow · 04-11-2009, 03:10 PM

Hey guys,

I'm moving up to Boston for grad school in the fall, and want to do some research on the various car options that I have. The budget I have is in the range of 20-30k. I know it's a large range, but want to keep my options open.

The two absolute requirements I have are: manual trans and navigation (I'm completely new to the city and the surrouding areas). I think AWD is required too for the winters, but would be interested to hear your thoughts if you live in the north.

I've narrowed my options down to the following cars (no SUVs):

05-07 Audi A4 / S4 Quattro - price difference b/t the two is small (2-3k @ about the same mileage) and I would love the sound of a V8. MPG on the S4 is horrible from what I understand, but I won't be driving much so it's not a big factor...

06-07 BMW 328xi / 330xi / 530xi - 335 is too expensive, and even the 328/330s will be in the higher 20k range. Most expensive of the choices.

07-08 Subaru LGT Spec B - cheapest option with the lowest mileage. Probably the fastest with the exception of the S4.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the following:

1 - Fun factor - Given these are all AWDs, can someone with experience tell me how they differ in this department? I feel that if AWD were not a requirement, the BMW (RWD) will win given their suspension setups (note - I have not driven a Suburu or an S4 before).

2 - Refinement - While I would like to have some fun with the car in the non-winter seasons, the car should be a proper "grown up" car (no super harsh rides, etc.).

3 - Reliability - Most of the cars here will be covered under warranty (or I will buy one) but I hate going to dealerships to fix even minor things. Are any of the above cars very problematic?

4 - Winter performance - I intend to go skiing and traveling in Vermont, NH, etc. during the winter time, are all the cars above sufficient?

Am I missing anything? Thanks a bunch for your help.

freshwhite335 · 04-11-2009, 04:26 PM

i would do a 330xi. but theyre not easy to find.

blue2fire · 04-11-2009, 04:35 PM

Get the Subaru, probably the most reliable and the cheapest out of all the other options.

twinturboa51 · 04-11-2009, 04:48 PM

+1 on the subaru. winters suck here. dont get the nav built in the car. save yourself some money if you find one cheaper without nav and get a nice garmin unit.

-=Hot|Ice=- · 04-11-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue2fire

Get the Subaru, probably the most reliable and the cheapest out of all the other options.

gqmd · 04-11-2009, 05:53 PM

for your scenario, The Subaru FTW...

GreenThree · 04-11-2009, 06:23 PM

Once you are into used, you will get a much better value with the Subaru. Yea, save the $ with NAV. Would much rather have AWD here in leiu of NAV. For that range, Subi FTW. Do be sure to spend some time in VT. Dope skiing

Especially for those trips up north the AWD will be huge.

d_crome · 04-11-2009, 08:01 PM

If you're not aware of:

A) Boston road conditions (or the lack of)
B) Boston drivers (honestly, at times Boston traffic is the definition of controlled chaos)
C) Parking
D) Driving in Snow

I'd suggest get the CHEAPEST and MOST RELIABLE thing you can get your hands on - if you can't get front all wheel drive (which is nice but not 100% required), get a front wheel drive.

Also - if you're doing grad school up there, you'll most likely be living in inner areas of Boston where it's on street parking - people there TRULY DO NOT CARE about cars the way we do - you'll see more damage to your car than you'd believe.

It's only a few years - put the cash away and get yourself something CHEAP - when you graduate - get the car you want.

If it were me - I'd get an early model WRX wagon - cheap, reliable, fun and you could really car less when the guy who thinks "touch parking" is the only way to parallel park decides to park near your car.

jimmytooslow · 04-11-2009, 09:13 PM

Thank you all for your posts -- very helpful.

I agree that if I were the typical poor student the answer would probably be a Civic or something that's reliable and cheap. However, I've worked my butt off (100hr weeks aren't fun) since graduating from college and feel that I'm in a fiscal position where I could enjoy the fruits of my labor a bit (I will graduate with basically no debt, inclusive of the car). Always been a car nut and always will be one, so this is one area where I'm willing to spend to enjoy myself a bit and get the "perfect" car.

Assuming that I will have an underground parking garage, and will drive the car mostly on weekends / short trips, would the Legacy still be the recommendation?

DELLY · 04-11-2009, 11:05 PM

dear lord 100 hours/week , what do you do? gl with whichever you decide!

EDM92 · 04-11-2009, 11:14 PM

Good luck with your choice. I for one can not help you with your decision because I haven't driven most of those cars.

wynnnj1977 · 04-11-2009, 11:33 PM

If reliability or value is your main factor, subaru is your choice. If you want to enjoy driving, then BMW is your choice, you should take a test drive and decide. I live in NJ and I have bought 330xi as CPO and been driving for almost 4 months, no even single issue (Knock the wood!), but it's very hard to find, you might have to opt without Navigation (I have garmin and it's fine with me), and the shifting is a little bit rubbery compared with A4 but it's not fun drive like 330. I never drive s4 though, so I can't tell you, but it's probably high maintainance.

jimmytooslow · 04-12-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DELLY

dear lord 100 hours/week , what do you do? gl with whichever you decide!

I worked on wall st. On a per hour basis my pay was probably comparable to an McD employee!

jimmytooslow · 04-12-2009, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wynnnj1977

If reliability or value is your main factor, subaru is your choice. If you want to enjoy driving, then BMW is your choice, you should take a test drive and decide. I live in NJ and I have bought 330xi as CPO and been driving for almost 4 months, no even single issue (Knock the wood!), but it's very hard to find, you might have to opt without Navigation (I have garmin and it's fine with me), and the shifting is a little bit rubbery compared with A4 but it's not fun drive like 330. I never drive s4 though, so I can't tell you, but it's probably high maintainance.

Hahaha. That's what Toyota/Honda drivers say about BMWs!!

The thing is that a tacked on navi just looks so out of place in a car like a Bimmer. I mean, in a Subaru, fine. But a Bimmer? That just means that you were cheap!!

p4junk · 04-12-2009, 03:32 PM

Conincidentally, i own an '06 Outback Limited and an '06 330i. Given your situation, and your priority, i would defnitely go with the Subaru - without a doubt.

d_crome · 04-12-2009, 03:48 PM

My bets are you're looking at an MBA which will place you in central Boston - that's a VERY old area where subterranean - let alone off street parking is near impossible to find.

Go walk by the Harvard Business School - right next to the Harvard Football Stadium, and look at the condition of the cars that are parked there - ALL are beaters - ALL are dented.

You're a student - enjoy it while it lasts!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmytooslow

Thank you all for your posts -- very helpful.

I agree that if I were the typical poor student the answer would probably be a Civic or something that's reliable and cheap. However, I've worked my butt off (100hr weeks aren't fun) since graduating from college and feel that I'm in a fiscal position where I could enjoy the fruits of my labor a bit (I will graduate with basically no debt, inclusive of the car). Always been a car nut and always will be one, so this is one area where I'm willing to spend to enjoy myself a bit and get the "perfect" car.

Assuming that I will have an underground parking garage, and will drive the car mostly on weekends / short trips, would the Legacy still be the recommendation?

DenverJayhawk · 04-12-2009, 03:56 PM

Go witht the Subie.

wynnnj1977 · 04-12-2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmytooslow

Hahaha. That's what Toyota/Honda drivers say about BMWs!!

The thing is that a tacked on navi just looks so out of place in a car like a Bimmer. I mean, in a Subaru, fine. But a Bimmer? That just means that you were cheap!!

I might be cheap as you said so. But if you look at CPO 330xi on BMW website, you will find the price of AT with i-drive same as MT without it. I would rather to get MT.

jimmytooslow · 04-13-2009, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d_crome

My bets are you're looking at an MBA which will place you in central Boston - that's a VERY old area where subterranean - let alone off street parking is near impossible to find.

Go walk by the Harvard Business School - right next to the Harvard Football Stadium, and look at the condition of the cars that are parked there - ALL are beaters - ALL are dented.

You're a student - enjoy it while it lasts!

What if I had covered / underground parking? I agree - if I'm parking my car on the street it'll be a civic with 100k miles on it.

blue2fire · 04-13-2009, 10:29 PM

There is not point to this. Most people would not say BMW if you are trying to be convinced because they feel a student isn't entitled to one (yet). So, if you want an Audi or a BMW, just get it and post pictures. If you want to be rational and put a bit of money away for rainy days, get the Subaru.

skimmilk20 · 04-14-2009, 01:38 PM

SUBARU!

noro · 04-14-2009, 02:34 PM

I vote Subaru as well. Also I wouldn't dwell on the navigation too much as portable units cost only a few hundred bucks if that.

04-11-2009, 03:10 PM	#1
jimmytooslow New Member 1 Rep 5 Posts Drives: Accord Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Houston iTrader: (0)	BMW 3/5 Series vs. Audi A/S4 vs Subaru LGT Spec B Hey guys, I'm moving up to Boston for grad school in the fall, and want to do some research on the various car options that I have. The budget I have is in the range of 20-30k. I know it's a large range, but want to keep my options open. The two absolute requirements I have are: manual trans and navigation (I'm completely new to the city and the surrouding areas). I think AWD is required too for the winters, but would be interested to hear your thoughts if you live in the north. I've narrowed my options down to the following cars (no SUVs): 05-07 Audi A4 / S4 Quattro - price difference b/t the two is small (2-3k @ about the same mileage) and I would love the sound of a V8. MPG on the S4 is horrible from what I understand, but I won't be driving much so it's not a big factor... 06-07 BMW 328xi / 330xi / 530xi - 335 is too expensive, and even the 328/330s will be in the higher 20k range. Most expensive of the choices. 07-08 Subaru LGT Spec B - cheapest option with the lowest mileage. Probably the fastest with the exception of the S4. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the following: 1 - Fun factor - Given these are all AWDs, can someone with experience tell me how they differ in this department? I feel that if AWD were not a requirement, the BMW (RWD) will win given their suspension setups (note - I have not driven a Suburu or an S4 before). 2 - Refinement - While I would like to have some fun with the car in the non-winter seasons, the car should be a proper "grown up" car (no super harsh rides, etc.). 3 - Reliability - Most of the cars here will be covered under warranty (or I will buy one) but I hate going to dealerships to fix even minor things. Are any of the above cars very problematic? 4 - Winter performance - I intend to go skiing and traveling in Vermont, NH, etc. during the winter time, are all the cars above sufficient? Am I missing anything? Thanks a bunch for your help.
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04-11-2009, 04:26 PM	#2
freshwhite335 Colonel 147 Rep 2,882 Posts Drives: 991/RR Sport AB Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 904 FL iTrader: (6) Garage List 2011 BMW 135i [0.00]	i would do a 330xi. but theyre not easy to find. __________________ 2014 Range Rover Sport Autobiography 2012.5 991 C2S 1978 Corvette
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04-11-2009, 04:48 PM	#4
twinturboa51 Captain 20 Rep 637 Posts Drives: Mineral Grey F80 M3 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Boston iTrader: (0)	+1 on the subaru. winters suck here. dont get the nav built in the car. save yourself some money if you find one cheaper without nav and get a nice garmin unit. __________________
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04-11-2009, 05:53 PM	#6
gqmd Chemo Doc 9 Rep 470 Posts Drives: e92 335i 6MT Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Maryland/DC iTrader: (0)	for your scenario, The Subaru FTW... __________________ jet black 335i, 6MT manual, black interior with silver aluminum trim, PP, SP.
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04-11-2009, 06:23 PM	#7
GreenThree Colonel 210 Rep 2,110 Posts Drives: 2011 e90 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Boston, MA iTrader: (0)	Once you are into used, you will get a much better value with the Subaru. Yea, save the $ with NAV. Would much rather have AWD here in leiu of NAV. For that range, Subi FTW. Do be sure to spend some time in VT. Dope skiing Especially for those trips up north the AWD will be huge. __________________ 2015 335xi \| Mineral Grey Metallic \| Black Dakota Leather \| NAV \| SportLine \| ZPP \| ZDA \| ZCW \| Munich Build Retired: 2008, 2011, 2013 328xi
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04-11-2009, 08:01 PM	#8
d_crome Private First Class 5 Rep 133 Posts Drives: Time VXRS Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: CA iTrader: (0)	If you're not aware of: A) Boston road conditions (or the lack of) B) Boston drivers (honestly, at times Boston traffic is the definition of controlled chaos) C) Parking D) Driving in Snow I'd suggest get the CHEAPEST and MOST RELIABLE thing you can get your hands on - if you can't get front all wheel drive (which is nice but not 100% required), get a front wheel drive. Also - if you're doing grad school up there, you'll most likely be living in inner areas of Boston where it's on street parking - people there TRULY DO NOT CARE about cars the way we do - you'll see more damage to your car than you'd believe. It's only a few years - put the cash away and get yourself something CHEAP - when you graduate - get the car you want. If it were me - I'd get an early model WRX wagon - cheap, reliable, fun and you could really car less when the guy who thinks "touch parking" is the only way to parallel park decides to park near your car.
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04-11-2009, 09:13 PM	#9
jimmytooslow New Member 1 Rep 5 Posts Drives: Accord Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Houston iTrader: (0)	Thank you all for your posts -- very helpful. I agree that if I were the typical poor student the answer would probably be a Civic or something that's reliable and cheap. However, I've worked my butt off (100hr weeks aren't fun) since graduating from college and feel that I'm in a fiscal position where I could enjoy the fruits of my labor a bit (I will graduate with basically no debt, inclusive of the car). Always been a car nut and always will be one, so this is one area where I'm willing to spend to enjoy myself a bit and get the "perfect" car. Assuming that I will have an underground parking garage, and will drive the car mostly on weekends / short trips, would the Legacy still be the recommendation?
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04-11-2009, 11:05 PM	#10
DELLY Second Lieutenant 10 Rep 262 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Toronto iTrader: (2) Garage List 2006 330i [0.00]	dear lord 100 hours/week , what do you do? gl with whichever you decide!
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04-11-2009, 11:14 PM	#11
EDM92 Colonel 158 Rep 2,561 Posts Drives: Low&Slow Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Florida iTrader: (9)	Good luck with your choice. I for one can not help you with your decision because I haven't driven most of those cars. __________________ Montego Blue 2007 E92 335i - ZSP / ZPP / Steptronic / Logic7 Broadway Static - CCW - Megan - Orion Instagram: bmwforlife
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04-11-2009, 11:33 PM	#12
wynnnj1977 Private First Class 3 Rep 110 Posts Drives: 06 Jet Bl/Bl, 330xi, 6MT Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: NJ iTrader: (1) Garage List 2006 330xi [0.00]	If reliability or value is your main factor, subaru is your choice. If you want to enjoy driving, then BMW is your choice, you should take a test drive and decide. I live in NJ and I have bought 330xi as CPO and been driving for almost 4 months, no even single issue (Knock the wood!), but it's very hard to find, you might have to opt without Navigation (I have garmin and it's fine with me), and the shifting is a little bit rubbery compared with A4 but it's not fun drive like 330. I never drive s4 though, so I can't tell you, but it's probably high maintainance.
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04-12-2009, 03:32 PM	#15
p4junk Private First Class 1 Rep 102 Posts Drives: '06 330i Monaco Blue Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Illinois iTrader: (0)	Conincidentally, i own an '06 Outback Limited and an '06 330i. Given your situation, and your priority, i would defnitely go with the Subaru - without a doubt. __________________ \| 6SP MT \| Premium Package \| Sport Package \| Active Steering \| Comfort Access \| Navigation \| Satellite Radio \| Logic7 \| Heated Front Seats \| OEM Blacklines \| Matte Black Grilles \| Shadowline Trim \| BMW Performance Intake \| LUX 5.1 { 52,000mls }
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04-12-2009, 03:56 PM	#17
DenverJayhawk Major 72 Rep 1,217 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 330i Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Denver iTrader: (0)	Go witht the Subie. __________________ 330i, Black Sapphire, 6MT, Sport, Active Steering, Flux Capacitor
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04-14-2009, 01:38 PM	#21
skimmilk20 Second Lieutenant 29 Rep 215 Posts Drives: 2007 328i 6 spd MT Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: NYC iTrader: (0)	SUBARU!
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04-14-2009, 02:34 PM	#22
noro Colonel 90 Rep 2,707 Posts Drives: '91 M3, '04 E46 ZHP, '72 2002 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Boston iTrader: (0)	I vote Subaru as well. Also I wouldn't dwell on the navigation too much as portable units cost only a few hundred bucks if that. __________________ zhpregistry.net - ZHP stats and free classifieds.
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