Battle of the Performance Sedans

They can come in any color, they can be silent or loud, luxurious yet a speed demon on the road, but they don’t come at a cheap price; the performance sedans: BMW’s F8X M3, Mercedes Benz’s C43 AMG, and Audi’s S4. Many people who are in the market for such a car go with the car which is most visually appealing to them, and barley know or realize that the car which they found so appealing turn out to be a beast on the road. Being a car enthusiast I take my judgment of these three vehicles very seriously and many of you will not or don’t understand why, but all I must say to those who question my choice of interests I suggest you sit behind the wheel of any of the cars I stated earlier and give it a joy ride.

The three cars earlier stated are “head to head” competitors, in my opinion one of the three reigns supreme; but it really is a close competition. My rankings are from results of my personal experiences with each of the cars, extensive research over the recent years, and the opinions of the car owners themselves. If you are in the market for a German made performance sedan I highly advise you to proceed with caution and read my review before investing a minimum of sixty thousand dollars into a car which you may regret.

Audi S4

 

Audi was founded in 1969 Germany and is now owned by Volkswagen Group. The car brand Volkswagen doesn’t produce anything near luxurious or performance cars, so in my eyes the brands reputation is greatly hurt. Of all the car brands Volkswagen Group owns, I believe that, Audi resembles a Volkswagen the most and that Audi should be renamed to Volkswagen 2.0. The Audi S4 starts at $52,375 (before tax) and runs a turbocharged 3.0L V6 with 354 horsepower and 369 pounds of torque. It can go from zero to sixty miles per hour in 4.9 seconds and has a top speed of 155 miles per hour. It is only available in all wheel drive and automatic, but just recently released a keyless entry that one must pay an additional premium for. It also has a horrible track reputation with the worst handling and acceleration of its class, and let’s not forget all the problems you will face when getting an Audi. The number of countless stories from people getting their brand-new Audi, but needing to get either their engine, drivetrain, transmission, and/or their break system replaced within the first 3 months is just repulsive - and recently I have been hearing and finding more bad about Audi rather than good. When sitting in a S4 one is immediately reminded of a Volkswagen Jetta due to all the similar interior hardware the two companies share. Finally of the three vehicles Audi has the highest depreciation rate meaning the lease rates are higher, and range between $900 – $1100 a month (after Los Angeles sales tax).

Mercedes Benz C43 AMG

Mercedes Benz was founded in Germany 1926, and is currently one of the most well-known German car company due to its luxurious brand image. Mercedes Benz is also known for owning one of the iconic ultra-luxury car brand Maybach. The C43 AMG starts at $53,400 (before tax), and pushes a 3.0L V6 bi-turbo to 362 horsepower, 384 pounds of torque, and zero to sixty in 4.6 seconds. It only comes in automatic, but the major flaw with the car itself is that it is missing a gear lever. Being so obsessed with driving such cars on the track and really pushing them to their limits, I find it a lot more natural to drive a car using a gear lever, but this car not having a gear lever makes me feel that this car sways more to a luxurious side rather than a performance one. To counter the absence of such a necessity in a performance car they have decided to completely replace the gear lever with paddle shifters located behind the steering wheel. The car handles with precision and accelerates with ferocity on the track when in sport mode, but when switched to comfort mode you immediately are reminded that you are sitting in a Mercedes Benz. The car is in fact the perfect breed between performance and luxury. Due to Mercedes’ constant upgrades of the car and a poor depreciation rate the lease rate ranges from $800 - $1000 a month (after Los Angeles sales tax).

BMW F8X M3

BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) was founded in 1916 Germany, and it’s the proud producer of the iconic BMW M3. This monster starts at $65,000 (before tax) with a 3.0L I6 Twin-Turbo engine that hauls 425 horsepower, 406 pounds of torque, and a zero to sixty of 3.9 seconds. It is available in both manual and automatic transmissions, with the only option of rear wheel drive. Many professionals prefer a manual transmission due to the raw feel and extra control you get when tracking the car to its limits. When visiting the BMW Welt factory in Germany and given the opportunity to drive the car before release on a closed track in Germany, I was in utter disbelief with the performance level for the price point, and I am not the only one who was shocked. Chris Harris, a famous automotive journalist, claims that the feel and handling of the Ferrari F12 Berlinetta reminds him so much of BMW’s new M3. From the exhaust note the car gives off, to the interior, and to performance level of the car; I believe that BMW still holds its position as the best performance sedan in its class. BMW also holds the title for having the smallest rate of depreciation, between its competitors, with a lease rate ranging between $650 - $1000 a month (after Los Angeles sales tax).

The Decision

When deciding between the three powerful sedans one clearly reigns supreme. My expert opinion is that the BMW F8X M3 stomps over its competitors in most categories (with some exceptions). If I were to rank the three sedans from best to worst if would be as follows: first is the BMW F8X M3, second is the Mercedes Benz C43 AMG, and third is the Audi S4. You may be asking yourself how I decide whether which car deserves first place or last. The answer is simple I went with the most reliable sedan that holds the best bang for its buck. Lastly, I’m not able to make your decisions for you, and if you want to pick a S4 over the other two sedans be my guest .... but if you regret it don't saw you weren’t warned! 

Work cited

Audi S4 vs AMG C 43. (2017, Jan). Auto Express, , 44-49. Retrieved from

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Bovingdon, J. (2016, 09). Audi S4. Evo, , 50-51. Retrieved from

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Fortune, K. (2016, Jul). Mercedes-AMG C 43 coupé. Auto Express, , 40-41.

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"GERMANY: The new BMW M3 Sedan and BMW M4 Coupe are launched."

just-auto.com, 19 Dec. 2013. Academic OneFile, go.galegroup.com.libproxy2.usc.edu/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=usocal_main&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA353629341&asid=8faeecec8859b081117607f0bdd3f743. Accessed 30 Sept. 2017.

Madden, L. (2014, May). BMW M3. Auto Express, , 32-33. Retrieved from

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Tragianis, Nick. "BMW M3, M4 may be Ultimate Driving Machines." Edmonton

         Journal, Dec 17, 2013, Business Premium Collection; ProQuest Central,           http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-         com.libproxy1.usc.edu/docview/1469130432?accountid=14749.