Test Drives and more Test Drives

[Nine Ball]

In the last two weeks, I've driven way too many new vehicles. My Wife was wanting something smaller and nicer than her 2007 GMC truck, so we looked at just about every brand and drove all sorts of vehicles ranging from $40K to $75K in price. I figured I'd share the experience for those who also might be shopping.

Here are the vehicles we checked out:

2008 Lexus GS 350 - 303hp 3.5L V6 - $50K
2008 Lexus IS 350 - 306hp 3.5L V6 - $40K
2008 Audi S5 coupe - 354hp 4.2L V8 6-spd manual - $70K
2008 Audi A6 sedan - 255hp 3.2L V6 - $50K
2008 BMW 335i coupe - 300hp 3.0L twin-turbo I6 - $51K
2008 BMW 335i sedan - 300hp 3.0L twin-turbo I6 - $49K
2008 BMW X5 - 350hp 4.8L V8 - $61K
2008 BMW 535i - 300hp 3.0L twin-turbo I6 - $55K
2008 BMW 550i - 360hp 4.8L V8 - $62K
2008 Porsche Cayenne S - 385hp 4.8L V8 - $70K
2008 Cadillac CTS - 304hp 3.6L V6 - $46K
2008 Mercedes Benz C350 - 268hp 3.5L V6 - $42K
2008 Mercedes Benz ML350 - 268hp 3.5L V6 - $51K

I'll attempt to be brief about each of them, since there are so many.

Lexus GS 350 - This was a very nice car. Arguably the quietest car we drove in terms of interior insulation and wind noise. It rode very smooth, and the automatic shifted excellent. It was actually pretty quick for a V6. The only dislike I had was that the body styling looked too much like a Toyota, it was nice but didn't really have any 'wow factor' with me.

Lexus IS 350 - Impressive car in terms of quickness, but it felt a little small to us. The rear seat is pretty small, not much leg room. We both liked the aggressive styling a little more than the GS styling. The upcoming IS-F will be a great car.

Audi S5 coupe - This car had the best visuals of any car we drove. It looked like a 2-door exotic, and the interior was really sweet with its real carbon fiber accents and brushed metal. We test drove a metallic gray one with red/black/carbon/aluminum interior. All-wheel drive handled excellent of course. Being a 354hp V8 though, this thing lacked torque and had to wind out to higher rpm to feel marginally impressive. The 6-speed shifter was cheap, lightweight and loose feeling, easily one of the worst shifters in any car I've driven.

Audi A6 sedan - nice car, but way too slow. Audi needs to up the HP levels in each of their base models. 255 hp is pretty weak for a V6 nowadays, especially in a "sporting sedan". Yes, they have higher HP models of the A6, but their base model starts out too weak for a V6.



BMW 335i coupe/sedan - These two cars were quicker feeling than I thought they would be. The twin turbos are silent, and are sequential so that one boosts lower rpm torque while the second one kicks in at higher rpm. The car actually had some decent pull at low rpm. Interior was okay, but not as nice as some of the other cars in the $50K price range. The iDrive knob in the BMW is pathetic and overly complicated. It seems very distracting to have to navigate menus and such while driving, it is a very non-intuitive option. We learned that the 4-door is actually lighter than the 2-door. Impressive cars in terms of driver fun factor.

BMW 535i - Same engine as the 335i, but in a heavier car. Interior on the 5-series is a little nicer, of course. Still felt pretty good acceleration-wise.

BMW 550i - The 5-series really needs a V8 as a minimum. This one wasn't super powerful by any means, but the torque response was much better than the twin-turbo 6-cyl version of the same car. Pricetag was up there though, a fully loaded one was pushing $70K.

BMW X5 V8 - This SUV (BMW calls it a "SAV") handled nice and had some good acceleration with the V8. The panoramic sunroof was awesome, and it was huge when opened up. Interior was very nice, and with AWD it handled very good. The gizmo iDrive stuff and the navigation were below par for a vehicle in this price range. The vehicle was very difficult to get accustomed to, it really lacks an intuitive ergonomics and controls layout.

Porsche Cayenne S - I really dig the 911 look with a lift kit. We took some sweeping corners at higher speed in this SUV, and it handled awesome. Turn radius was super small, which is excellent for parking lots. The V8 engine had excellent power and the auto trans shifted very smooth. The engine sounded good too, better than the BMW V8 engines. The cosmetics and pimp factor are purely external though, as the interior was kind of cheap looking. Painted silver buttons and knobs look easy to scuff, leather looked kind of fake, a lot of plastic on the dashboard etc.. The Cayenne gets a lot of looks, but the interior definitely isn't worthy of a vehicle at this price range.

Cadillac CTS - The Caddy has a love it or hate it styling, but I love it. The interior on this car is hands down the nicest GM interior I've ever seen, and I'd even say the interior is better than ALL of the cars on my list above. The panoramic sunroof looks killer. The dash is covered in stitched vinyl, the navigation pops up out of the top of the dash and is by far the best NAV system I've ever seen. Even better than my '07 Escalade's NAV system. The car handles great, and the 304hp V6 pulls pretty well. The car is deserving of Car & Driver's car of the year award. Tons of fancy options, for much less than the competitors.

Mercedes C350 - very nice looking "budget" Benz, but the interior is pretty bare bones, cheap looking, and boring. It is not really up to the standards that MB is known for. The previous generation C-class had nicer interior than these. This car is simply for someone who has to have a Benz, but has a limited budget.

Mercedes ML350 - It looks like someone chopped the ass off on these SUV's. The only one that looks halfway decent is the AMG version. The interiors are okay, but nothing special to look at. We really just didn't dig the overall appearance of the ML series, the BMW and the Porsche were more attractive.

Summary

We actually purchased the BMW X5, and owned it for one day. It decided to have a huge engine coolant leak after about 140 miles, causing huge puddles to form underneath it. Since the engine bay was so cramped, you couldn't see where the leak was coming from, the entire engine was wet. It was towed back to the dealership, and they agreed to take it back. I didn't enjoy spending $65K on a vehicle and having it towed the 2nd day we had it. Customer service was excellent at this dealership, a shining point for the ordeal.

We had originally wanted the Cadillac CTS. It was difficult to find one that was fully loaded with every option, NAV being the most uncommon option. We also only wanted either a Thunder Gray one or a red one. Our local dealer called me and told me he had a red one arriving yesterday, so we bought it. The Caddy just had way more options for the price ($46K fully loaded) and was fun to drive. It also has excellent curb appeal, and looks like no other brand out there. We had excellent reliability and customer service with our '07 Escalade, and that also played a part in the decision. So, now we have a new '08 CTS at the house.

Whew!

Tony

[69camarokid]

whew... that was alot haha

but definately a fun read... i felt kinda sad when u said u purchased the X5. It would have been one of my last choices. Cant believe it sprung a leak on the second day.

But then u got the Caddy! that would have been my first choice, just all-around gorgeous cars. Good luck with it!

[StRacerDuke]

Great write up. Thanks for your insight and congrat's on the CTS. What are your thoughts on the new '09 CTS-V?

[TonyL]

No CTS-V???

[Nine Ball]

New CTS-V isn't available until later this year. I really dig that car, and may look into those when they become accessible. It was hard enough to try and find a fully loaded CTS, most dealers aren't dealing on these yet.

[BA.]

nice write-up Niner'.

good luck with the new Caddy addition.

[Vegas69]

Have the 08 550i. 0-60 in 5.0 seconds. Hard to beat in a sedan. Have to put her in sport mode to get the full affects. New CTS is nice as well.

[LateNight72]

I'm actually pretty happy the GM prevailed. Tells you something about how far GM has come.

-Todd

[D Rock]

I do love the new CTS.

[70camaro406]

Congrats! I was was rooting for the Caddy, too. I think they are one of the best looking cars out today. Score one for the home team.

BTW, have you seen the CTS Coupe concept? The smilies say it all.

[rob07002]

Cant believe it sprung a leak on the second day.

But then u got the Caddy! that would have been my first choice, just all-around gorgeous cars. Good luck with it!

I used to work for BMW NA as they came off the ships from Germany. You CAN NOT believe the abuse those cars get with only 5mi on the odometer!!!!

The M5 is by far my fav Beemer. What a bada$$ car, and boy did I drive the nuts off them.

Congrats on the new CTS. I was trying to talk my wife into one a few months ago, but she loves Saab 9-3 verts.

[WayneE]

Nice write up, Nineball. Congrats on the new CTS. I think they are really nice looking rides and I'm anxiously awaiting the release of the new CTS-V as a possible new DD for me (recently sold my E55).

My wife currently drives an 06 ML500 as her DD (new bodystyle). She loves it, I hate it If you drive the new ML550 vs. the 350, it's a pretty big difference in equipment and power. The new 382hp in the 550s is pretty quick.

I'm trying to get her back into a sedan. I have my eye on the LS460, which thankfully she likes, too. Of the flagship sedans, I think the Japanese have the value and luxury side covered. The Germans have more soul, but they're a ****load more expensive.

[Shawn MacAnanny]

What about the VW V10 TDI? I saw one of those looked pretty nice.

[trapin]

I love it.

Mr. Whatley....thank you for your patronage.

I did the surface design on the headlights, so this brings a smile to my face.

[dipren443]

2008 BMW 335i coupe - 300hp 3.0L twin-turbo I6 - $51K
2008 BMW 335i sedan - 300hp 3.0L twin-turbo I6 - $49K

BMW 335i coupe/sedan - These two cars were quicker feeling than I thought they would be. The twin turbos are silent, and are sequential so that one boosts lower rpm torque while the second one kicks in at higher rpm.

Just a small clarification. The 335/535 does not use sequential turbos. It is a twin turbo with 3 cylinders driving each turbo. Several magazines have misquoted this as well as a couple of salesmen I have spoken to.

[96Z28SS]

You should of test drove the Saab 95 I believe its a bit less money than a Cadillac CTS and its GM.

[dipren443]

You should of test drove the Saab 95 I believe its like a Cadillac CTS for a bit less money

Not quite. They are different drivetrain layout (Saab=FWD, CTS=RWD) altogether.

[jackfrost]

Audi S5 coupe - This car had the best visuals of any car we drove. It looked like a 2-door exotic, and the interior was really sweet with its real carbon fiber accents and brushed metal. We test drove a metallic gray one with red/black/carbon/aluminum interior. All-wheel drive handled excellent of course. Being a 354hp V8 though, this thing lacked torque and had to wind out to higher rpm to feel marginally impressive. The 6-speed shifter was cheap, lightweight and loose feeling, easily one of the worst shifters in any car I've driven.

I am in love with the S5, but all the reviews I've read have been lukewarm at best. and it just ain't $70k worth.

[Nine Ball]

Just a small clarification. The 335/535 does not use sequential turbos. It is a twin turbo with 3 cylinders driving each turbo. Several magazines have misquoted this as well as a couple of salesmen I have spoken to.

cool photo! Those lil turbos are cute, hah.