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I have been in the market for a sport sedan for quite some time. I'm coming from a Lexus GS-300 which has averything going for it except the "fun to drive" factor - thus the search for a sport sedan. I have driven four out of the five vehicles in the article numerous times, and here are my observations:
Audi 1.8 Quatro:
Slow off the line due to turbo lag, but peppy enough and fun to drive
once you get going.
Smaller interior than the 9-3ss.
Poor reliability due to the failure of engine coils. This is a major problem, and a recall is probably in the future once Audi has enough parts. Check out this problem at http://www.audiworld.com.
Price - Even though the list price compares to the 9-3ss when similarly equipped, the Audi leases a lot less due to incentives.
Quatro - This makes for great handling especially in the Northeast where we have to occasionally deal with snow.
Handling - Very nice handling due to a standard sport suspension and a solid German feel. Adding the optional sport suspension even gives you better handling, but you sacrifice comfort for the added "on rails" feel.
Volvo S60:
Fast
Interior - seems cheap
Very small back seat
Torque steer detracts from handling
Not as fun to drive as the other three cars in the ones I've driven.
BMW 325i:
Superb handling
Smooth inline six engine with low end torque and nice "growl".
Availability of AWD is a plus. Without AWD snowtires a must!
Smallest interior of the group.
Image - Some people have a negative image of BMW drivers, and it seems that everyone has one. As my father would say, "They're like horseshit in the subway - all over the place."
Saab 9-3ss:
A lot of low end torque considering the horsepower.
Roomy interior and comfortable seats.
Snazzy exterior and interior in my opinion. I don't know what all the
fuss is about a cheap interior.
Good selection of exterior colors, and the interior color choices are
attractive.
Horsepower: A little more would be nice, but that's where the Arc
and Vector come in.
Handling - I find the handling of the standard suspension to be loose
and much prefer the feel of the wheel uprade package which gives you
the 17" performance tires and the sport suspension. However, this
option neccesitates the purchase of four wheels and snow tires at a
cost of $700 to $1,000.
Radio - lousy!
I hope this helps someone in their quest for the perfect sport sedan.
posted by 165.121.139...
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