Big decision

Listen, i am the proud owner of a Subaru wrx sti.
Bloody fast car, light weight and aggressive looking....BUT
I can hardly fit anything in the damn monster, so i have to trade it in for a bigger car..
Bigger means more weight so i need a car with more HP to keep that weight going.
I did a little orientation on the carmarket and came with the following three options.

Number one is a Mercedes Benz E 55 AMG Combi
5.5Liter-V8-354 HP

Number two is a Audi S4.
4.2 Liter-V8-344 HP

Number three is a Volvo V70R.
2.5 Liter Turbo-V5-300 HP

i think before you make any further deliberations on your car dilemma, you should make a decision on your spelling.

kidding, mate.

it's a bit heavier but i've driven quite a few AMG's and they are killer. my vote goes with the AMG.

I have driven all 3 cars and they each have their own specialness.
The Benz is the most comfortable and luxurious....but the most expensive!
The Audi weighs less so is faster in the city, but the smallest!
The Volvo is the biggest of all three but has the least amount HP!

I don't know yet....i'm confused...

Go with the Audi. No question in my mind. Iwould rank them Audi, Volvo, AMG.

Of course I should mention that I am a biased S8 driver. I've driven two Audi's and they are by far the best cars I have ever owned although you have defenitely narrowed it down to three very nice choices.

Let me know which one you choose.

Contestent number 4 may well be this BMW 5-series combi
4.4 Liter Turbo-278 HP

But i'm driving that beast this afternoon...so i don't know yet

The Audi is verry nice, but it has the least amount of space....so maybe a need to look for an S6 instead of an S4.
But nice S6's are hard to find....

the bmw 5 series is a good car for scooting around to and from work but if you're looking for something that'll really scoot, it's not the choice. i think the volvo is a waste of time, they are safe cars but that's about all they've really got going for them.

the reason i go with the AMG still is because the torque on the AMG package kills what audi is offering on the s4 OR the s6...the AMG is using the power almost as fast as it's being created, and the audi is creating a lot of unusable power.

You might be right, cause when i'v driven both cars it was raining and the AMG could handle it's HP's on wet streets and the Audi had a little more problem to keep in straight line on the wet street

Probably cause it's to light weight for it's HP's...i guess...

i used to work as a valet for a special events company, and we've done tons of movie premieres and celeb parties, so i've driven just about every car you can imagine, and out of the ones you've listed, trust me, the AMG is the most bang for your buck. audi is in second place, but it's a far second.

My comment would have been the same about the size.

If you can find an S6 there is no question about it.

I can honestly say that the Volvo is a nice car too. I have driven the wagon but not owned one. I have a Volvo C70T coupe. It is fast and fun but not a scorcher when it comes to performance. Interesting fact --- The deigners at Volvo's racing division actually race modified wagons. Apparently, it has the best aerodynamics of the fleet.

The Audi handles much better. Neither car has ever let me down as far as reliability.

A buddy who is a Mercedes head (as apparently FO is too) has been through 3 E classes in 5 years. He had two gasoline engines which consistently gave him trouble. The diesel was the only one that was reliable. The Mercedes cannot touch the Audi as far as handling. This is especially true if you get one with Quattro.

I am not a BMW fan so you won't get anything positive out of me about BMW.

My answer stays the same but try to find a 6 if you can. My next car will probably be an RS6 when they come out since Audi will no doubt make the new S8's priced too high.

Have you considered something even bigger ? Not to sound like a size hungry American but I also have a VW Touareg. It has the Audi v8 engine, is build in a Porsche Cayenne frame and drives like a car. It is not huge and it will not perform like he cars you are talking about but I was definitely impressed with that vehicle. It is essentially a lux Porsche Cayenne.

Good luck.

Neh...i don't want an SUV/MPV.... I just don't like that kind of cars....i think they're to...."truck-ish"...

Not to disagree but anyone who says that there is a car out there made outside of Italy with a price point under 100k that an out handle an Audi simply has not spent enough time in an Audi.

I understand about the SUV stretch. See if you can find a 6 wih Quattro and drive one. You won't be disappointed.

You're Americans, what do you think of the Chrysler 300 c Touring with the 5.7 V8 Hemi motor!?
It sure looks big, but is it fast???
I Like the design but i've never driven one...

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr_Big1

My comment would have been the same about the size.

If you can find an S6 there is no question about it.

I can honestly say that the Volvo is a nice car too. I have driven the wagon but not owned one. I have a Volvo C70T coupe. It is fast and fun but not a scorcher when it comes to performance. Interesting fact --- The deigners at Volvo's racing division actually race modified wagons. Apparently, it has the best aerodynamics of the fleet.

The Audi handles much better. Neither car has ever let me down as far as reliability.

A buddy who is a Mercedes head (as apparently FO is too) has been through 3 E classes in 5 years. He had two gasoline engines which consistently gave him trouble. The diesel was the only one that was reliable. The Mercedes cannot touch the Audi as far as handling. This is especially true if you get one with Quattro.

I am not a BMW fan so you won't get anything positive out of me about BMW.

My answer stays the same but try to find a 6 if you can. My next car will probably be an RS6 when they come out since Audi will no doubt make the new S8's priced too high.

Have you considered something even bigger ? Not to sound like a size hungry American but I also have a VW Touareg. It has the Audi v8 engine, is build in a Porsche Cayenne frame and drives like a car. It is not huge and it will not perform like he cars you are talking about but I was definitely impressed with that vehicle. It is essentially a lux Porsche Cayenne.

Good luck.

i'm not a mercedes head, i have a nissan 350z (which is currently in the shop, and will be for 10 more weeks... ), and the 350z is lighter than a porsche and actually has more horsepower than a porsche boxter. take it from me, those babies can accelerate, stop on a dime, and are built well (some idiots just get in accidents with them anyway). but for your case, in my experience, in terms of raw acceleration and energy usage, the mercedes is a better bet. as with any luxury car, you are running a risk of high repair costs and blah blah blah, but for the pure performance of a straight line acceleration test, you can't beat the mercedes with his other choices. now i agree the audi will have a bit sharper handling, as the mercedes is designed for the luxury crowd and the audi isn't necessarily catering to doctors and lawyers.

regarding the touareg, i love those things. an old girlfriend has one, and they are very well designed cars both interior and exterior. i've always been impressed with the ergonomics of VW's interiors, but the touareg really impressed me. the cayenne actually has more horsepower. if i'm not mistaken, the cayenne and touareg share the same frame/chassis, but the cayenne's engine is a beefier v8 built by VW (porsche doesn't know how to make a light weight engine). either way, both suvs are phenominal.

i'm changing my vote from mercedes to a 350z, in honor of my baby.

Noooo....... Don't do it (Chrysler). It goes very fast but you are planning on turning at some point I trust.

Also, you will find that the interior and overall quality are below that of what you would get out of Germany. Mercedes has done some great things since their acquisition of Chrysler (or whatever you want to call it) but they are still like the slightly less attractive sister who wears too much makeup and talks too loud. When the evening wears on and the makeup starts to come off, you will wish you were with the really cute sister.

I love the 350z. Sweet ride.

I also like the G35 sedan. Nice sexy car. Nissan has really come forward in the last few years and stepped up to the plate. Very nice choice. My C70 has a pronounced understeer at full throttle and I have not percieved any handling issues in the 350.

Be safe.