Yannis

Despite the facelift the A4 needs replacement ASAP. So my choice would be:

1. C class
2. 3 series
3. A4

Centurion

Despite the A4 approaching the end of it's life cycle I think it is still a very pretty car with S-line package. Look at this one, sweet as sugar.

BMW_Owner

The 3 Series for me... Why? I'm a BMW man thorugh and through and mostly because it's been best in class for nearly as long as I've known about cars...

MikeJ

I'd take the A4 despite its age, because I like the design and the build quality. The C-Class would be my second choice.

Just_me

Design isnt everything, its so much more than that and in most categories, the A4 fall behind. Many new cars outthere to fight and a new A4 coming soon.

monster

1st: C-class for me. Best exterior and interior styling, best compromise between comfort and handling.

2nd: 3 series. I cannot stand the interior styling at all.

3rd: Lexus IS. Good handling, sharp accurate steering, but IS250 is very slow. V6 refinement is slightly behind MB V6. Nice exterior styling, interior is horrible, and the quality isn't as good as people think. Hardly any room for the rear passangers, seriouse packaging flaw.

4th G35: If it has a better interior i will move it up to 3rd. It offers a similar package as the Lexus.

e280torque

That blue Acura is stunning. Want one!

Hmm, the A4. To be honest, it's getting on a bit (a lot), I don't think much of the style of Audi interiors at the moment (high quality but a little boring IMO), and what Audi did at the last facelift was to make it look uglier. I can't deny it's a good car though, because it's a great one.

CTS - it looks a little gawky to me. The old one was quite nice, in a very unusual way, but this one has gone for a mainstream look. And in my opinion, it hasn't worked - lost all that made the previous one special, whilst making it look pretty awful at the same time.

IS - loads of people (especially a few of my colleagues) are considering or driving an IS at the moment. Can't say I blame them, because it's one of the best looking here, yet it still looks 'Lexus' enough to be individual. I like this car - perfect for me in every way!

Lincoln. Not much to say here, except it looks garish and over-chromed to the hilt. I can't really comment on it further, as I've never seen one never mind driven one, so I'll leave it at the stage where I think it looks crap...

3-series. I conceed this has grown on me a lot, I mean from the stage where I hated its guts to where I would consider a lightly-used one. It was a Le Mans blue 330d Touring with the g..g..g..gorgeous alloys and M-Sport bodykit, I almost slapped myself for missing out on this beauty. Still unsure of the interior fascia - looks slightly plasticky to me, though I may be wrong, but this is probably #1, simply because there isn't anything (IMO) that can come close to it as an all-round package.

Infinifitnif..? Again, with the Lincoln, I can't really comment on this (slightly delicious) beauty (but what with Inifnifitirifti coming to the UK in 2009 [or later] maybe it will!), but just from looks of the interior I can tell that's a fab car. Not as stylish as the others here, but still distinctive. I like it.

Acura TL. I think this is basically the Honda Accord, but we can't get it in that spec - everything about the car in the picture is so fabulous I may have to check my underwear...no.2 in my list, probably because in my experience the Accord is a nice car and I think this would be even better.

New C-class. Really undecided about this one, not sure what to think at all. I want to like the looks after the last one (which IMO was a bit sloppy) but I'm not sure I do. Pretty much neutral on this one!

Hope you don't mind the occasional in-depth analysis!

Anisc

I drive an E90 3 series which I love in this class......... I did a comprehensive test of the C class, the A4 and the 3 er before I decided. While the C class really impressed me with its overall feel, it just did not add up in terms of design (spec. the interior) with the 3 er. For me the C class design is more retro than progressive lacking the boldness and imagination of the 3 er interior. It also has too many buttons 9 (yep.....I am one of the very few who like the idrive). I also loved the way the 3 er drove which probably helped me finally make up my mind ..

about the A4?....rather wait for the next version to come out..

monster

The Acura TL has a V6 with front wheel drive. Not sure about the power rating but i really doubt it will be a nice drive.

Imhotep Evil

3 series ofcourse.


The rest might battle it for second, but it was always the 3er on top.

Why would some put MB, Lexus and/or Audi ahead of BMW's 3er is beyond me.


It's a shame about the downfall and death of Alfa Romeo, for I see Alfa as the only one worthy to duel BMW in this segment, like in the 60s and 70s (like, it seems, it was meant to be, but alas ...) .

The rest, arrivists, usurpators wannabes and copy cats. Just look at the latest Alonso C klasse comercial.