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I don't even know what that Lexus model is, but I'll take Japanese over German or American any day of the week.
Ok, VW owns Audi, so, one is just the upscale version of the other. Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation.
The CT 200h chassis is based on the Toyota MC platform, which is the same platform used by the Corolla and the Matrix.[8]
Buick Regal, is German, based, The Opel Insignia The vehicle is marketed as the Opel Insignia throughout continental Europe and Ireland.
The vehicle is known as the Buick Regal in China and North America. So, if you really want one, buy the Insignia from Opel, been doing it longer and have most of the bugs tweeked out.
ManufacturerOpelAlso called ::Vauxhall Insignia
...................................:::Buick Regal
....................................::Chevrolet Vectra, ( want to save money, buy the Chevy version)
but, all in all, the car is also, Chinese, Canadian, and lastly American.
North American production at General Motors of Canada's Oshawa, Ontario, assembly plant was confirmed on November 25, 2009, and production began at Oshawa Car Assembly in February 2011, with the initial production run shipped from Adam Opel AG's Rüsselsheim, Germany, assembly plant beginning in late 2009 to get the Regal into American showrooms.[23][24] Production of the Shanghai GM variant of the Regal began in November 2008.
So country of origin is vague. VW, is my choice, cause Audi, even tho its a subsidiary, is not continuous in their production quality. The Lexus, luxury Toyota, you should just buy the Toyota version and save $$$$, as far as Buick, the Regal has had 5 different generations, been cancelled, and restarted, several times. The ones currently, as shown above, have very little consistency in production, with all that changing, I wouldn't trust its quality.
Thank you all so far for the constructive feedback, I'll be spreading some reps around. Someone asked how long I plan to keep it and that is definitely a good question. I generally set out planning on at least a 4-5 year ownership period, but do tend to end up getting interested in something else after 2-3 years or so of owning a car. So, figure in reality it would be a 3 year ownership period and I would be putting on around 60k miles in that time period. Reading what everyone has written so far, here are my current observations and thoughts:
First, I don't really care about country of origin, assembly or legacy of the badge. I tend to rate my cars based on what the individual vehicle offers me in terms of quality, value and what I find interesting and engaging, not on the legacy of the brand. I've spent too much time in the industry to actually believe in generalizations like "Japanese cars are reliable and German and American cars aren't". I'm fairly confident that every car on that list is a quality choice in its segment.
The Lexus CT200h is the one that I personally question the most. I really like that car overall, but it's hard to justify the cost versus going with something like a Prius "5" that offers even more content for around $5k less as well as being a larger car and getting better mileage. However, I don't really want a Prius and the premium aspect of the CT200h sort of overrides the very 'ordinary' nature of the Prius. My current car is the epitomy of ordinary, so I was hoping to avoid that. I just don't know if the CT200h ultimately separates itself enough from ordinary to justify the price relative to the other options.
The Audi A4 made the list because I really like Audi's and have owned several of them. It is easily the most premium car on the list and the only AWD option. It is also the most expensive, but still cheap enough that it slides into my comfort zone while still being well equipped. A comparable 3-series or ATS would cost more, which is keeping me from looking at those vehicles. Also despite being down in horsepower to the Regal GS, it edges out the GS in terms of sport and overall performance while being the more premium of the two.
The Regal GS is a car I not only like, but want to like as well. I'm not at all concerned with its pedigree, I'm just not sure it is the best choice for the money. At nearly the same cost as the A4 it doesn't perform as well and is lighter on the premium aspect. However, I love what the car represents to the Buick brand and I really like the styling even if it sort of blends into the generic anonymous Buick sedan shape. I've also found it more engaging to drive then the A4 even if it doesn't perform as well on paper. There is a little bit of a raw feel in the Regal GS that I actually find appealing. The A4 by contrast is more robotic. While I'm not totally fixated on resale, there is no question that the Regal will depreciate harder then any car on the list, even in GS trim.
Lastly we come to the Passat TDI, the most popular choice on the poll. This car is not only the cheapest on the list while still offering a good amount of content, it is the largest and one of the most efficient. While it is definitely not very sporting, it could easily be made to be a little more fun to drive via the aftermarket without worrying about hurting the warranty. It has uniqueness being a diesel and I think that somewhat overcomes the lower performance. Like I said, I always have wanted a diesel car and this is a pretty good example of one.
So, at this point I think the Lexus is going to get dropped from consideration unless someone can really convince me it's the best option and worth the premium over a Prius. It then sort of becomes a matchup of Regal GS vs. A4 with that winner squaring off against the Passat TDI.
So, between the Regal GS and A4 which would you pick and why?
Serious Q - have you driven the TDI? Asking since the Passat can be had with VW's version of the "dual clutch" automatic which can make good use of it's 230+ lbs/ft of torque -
Anyway, I've had some seat time in both (more in Regal) and it's cons are a mixed bag. The interior (w/some wear & tear) seemed to be close to a mid 90's highline Japanese product (that's not a compliment). Painted plastics, molded soft touches, etc., all showed wear (even the painted plastic trim on the driver's side door). Bodywork was decent, plus everything seemed to work just fine. Engine & drivetrain were a hoot. GM uses a number of interesting bits to control torque steer, dive, & squat and they seemed to do just fine. Give it a good thrashing, though, and fuel use was... well, let's just say I came nowhere even close to the EPA figures. YMMV, of course. The one A4 I've driven lately (2010 MY) was equally fun, but in all candor seemed to be bolted together just a bit better. Buttons/switches have more feedback, steering is among the best (at any $), and one can drive it flat out or putter thru town w/near equal effort.
My $.02 is to drive them for yourself - you really can't go wrong w/either one. Good Luck!
If you're not considering the Lexus, and I can understand that if you don't drive much in heavy city traffic, where you would make use of the hybrid technology, I would have to change my vote to the Audi A4 on this list. You know Audis, so you know the pitfalls after a while with them, and the costs to keep them on the road, but a new/certified A4 is covered by warranty, and the vehicles have improved in recent years. It offers more of a premium feel over the Passat, which seems to be more of a ho-hum family hauler that's not particularly unique or exciting. AWD will come in handy in the winter, as well, which is another reason why I'd go with the Audi over the Volkswagen, even a TDI.
The CT200h is a car that I see more and more, and those I know with them would not consider a Prius. However, many with them that I know use them as a car in which to commute, and several have a second car for non-commuting purposes. That's why I was recommending it, missing the fact that the TT is going to go for the new car. If you were keeping the TT, then the Lexus would be a good addition, but without the TT, I'd get the A4.
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I'm assuming based upon the list, that you're most likely not using this as a family hauler.
my vote is Passat. I've been interested in VWs for a while, I had one, I still question reliability from the VW/Audi family though.
the next choice is the A4 for me, rich interior, really nice supple ride. I'd pretty much go with teh DSG or auto, maybe its just where I'm from, but with traffic its easier. I currently drive a 5spd sports car now FWIW
Buick isn't really on my radar, I get that its getting better reviews, but it doesn't fit my style, and seems out of place compared to the VW/Audi selections
CT200h, I would put on the list of "cars I wouldn't be caught dead in" IMHO it doesn't fit in your comparison either. Maybe I'm missing it, but I don't feel the content justifies the price, to me its an overpriced prius. It reminds me of a comment from from a TV show i saw that someone made about a range rover"why didn't he just get a Ford Explorer and strap 20 grand to the hood?"
same thing with the CT200h and the prius... why don't you just strap 15K to the hood of a prius?
Serious Q - have you driven the TDI? Asking since the Passat can be had with VW's version of the "dual clutch" automatic which can make good use of it's 230+ lbs/ft of torque -
I'm blessed (and cursed, lol) that I get the opportunity in my job to drive a lot of different cars when I want. So, yes I have driven a Passat TDI. While not as anemic as the 2.5L, it also doesn't really have that diesel low end push that many TDI's have. It generally feels strongest in the midrange. It certainly performs well, just not nearly as well as some of the other choices. It runs 0-60 about 3 seconds slower then the A4 or Regal GS.
Quote:
Anyway, I've had some seat time in both (more in Regal) and it's cons are a mixed bag. The interior (w/some wear & tear) seemed to be close to a mid 90's highline Japanese product (that's not a compliment). Painted plastics, molded soft touches, etc., all showed wear (even the painted plastic trim on the driver's side door). Bodywork was decent, plus everything seemed to work just fine. Engine & drivetrain were a hoot. GM uses a number of interesting bits to control torque steer, dive, & squat and they seemed to do just fine. Give it a good thrashing, though, and fuel use was... well, let's just say I came nowhere even close to the EPA figures. YMMV, of course. The one A4 I've driven lately (2010 MY) was equally fun, but in all candor seemed to be bolted together just a bit better. Buttons/switches have more feedback, steering is among the best (at any $), and one can drive it flat out or putter thru town w/near equal effort.
My $.02 is to drive them for yourself - you really can't go wrong w/either one. Good Luck!
Good observations. The interior wear is one thing I would be worried about in the Regal if it is anything like my Malibu. I take exceptional care of my cars, but the Malibu's interior is not holding up at 40k miles nearly as well as I would have expected it to. I'm not talking about creaks, rattles or gaps, just general and noticeable wear. Compared to Audi's I have owned that were 8+ years old with 100k+ on the clock, the Audi's still looked almost new compared to my Malibu which is now looking decidedly "used".
As you said, the drivetrain is a "hoot". I couldn't see myself getting a Regal without at least the turbo engine and the GS brings that up a few notches. It's the feel of driving it that makes it compelling. In almost every other way, the Audi is better.
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Originally Posted by bmwguydc
If you're not considering the Lexus, and I can understand that if you don't drive much in heavy city traffic, where you would make use of the hybrid technology, I would have to change my vote to the Audi A4 on this list. You know Audis, so you know the pitfalls after a while with them, and the costs to keep them on the road, but a new/certified A4 is covered by warranty, and the vehicles have improved in recent years. It offers more of a premium feel over the Passat, which seems to be more of a ho-hum family hauler that's not particularly unique or exciting. AWD will come in handy in the winter, as well, which is another reason why I'd go with the Audi over the Volkswagen, even a TDI.
The CT200h is a car that I see more and more, and those I know with them would not consider a Prius. However, many with them that I know use them as a car in which to commute, and several have a second car for non-commuting purposes. That's why I was recommending it, missing the fact that the TT is going to go for the new car. If you were keeping the TT, then the Lexus would be a good addition, but without the TT, I'd get the A4.
The thing is, I do drive a decent amount in heavy traffic, mainly in the afternoons. My commute is about 26 miles each way. It takes 30 minutes with relatively light traffic in the morning, but takes around 45-60 minutes in the afternoon in much heavier stop and go driving. The Lexus hands down would be the best choice in terms of commute efficiency. The thing is losing the TT (which I had planned from the moment I bought it) means I'm not sure I want the "best commuter car".
I am personally leaning toward the Audi over the Regal for pretty much all the reasons you listed. With that said, I still find the Passat a very compelling choice. If it was the VR6 Passat versus the A4, hands down the A4, but the TDI changes that game in my mind do to the fuel economy. The Passat also has the edge in size which while not overly important, is still appealing to a guy with three kids. Why can't they make a TDI A4 for the US?
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