Originally Posted by MarkH13
I've just bought a beautiful 18-month old 440i, and thought it might be interesting to share my experiences test driving its rivals.
I was looking for a fast comfortable, good looking car, but as I do a mix of back roads and longer motorway trips, I wanted something that could put a smile on my face, but also be quiet and comfortable the rest of the time.
My shortlist was: M240i, Giulia Veloce, 435d xDrive, C43, S3, S4, and Jag XE-S (V6).
I've test driven (nearly) all of them now, and it was very interesting... First up was the M240i - what a car! Grips the road beautifully, goes incredibly well, and makes the most amazing noise, creamy and smooth at lower revs, and a glorious howl when you go past 4k revs. But not the car for me as it was just a little too extreme, and even when cruising, it just felt like it wanted to go fast.
Next up the Giulia - great car to drive, and brilliant on twisty back roads, but a little down on power, and felt a bit ordinary when pootling down the motorway.
My previous car was a 330d, which I really liked, and went very well, so I was pretty confident the 435d xDrive could be the car for me. I found a local one in Mineral Grey, with carbon fibre body kit, absolutely stunning looking car. I took it for a long test drive, and was a little underwhelmed... The car felt very heavy - the steering, the way it sat on the road, and although it was undeniably quick, the sound it made was verging on unpleasant, especially compared to the M240i.
But it was luxurious, and beautiful to look at, so when I got out, and forgot about the noise, I signed up to buy it. On the way home though I felt sick, and spent the whole evening feeling depressed and questioning what I'd done... I realised I'd made a big mistake, so in the morning I told the dealer it wasn't the car for me - I just couldn't have lived with the noise and feel of that engine, no matter how fast and frugal it was.
On to the Jag - I had high hopes for this, it's a bit different to the others, and all the road test reviews are very positive. But again I was a little disappointed - the interior didn't feel that special, and although it goes really well, the engine is a bit characterless, and only comes alive from about 3.5k revs.
Then off to the Audi dealer to test drive an S4 and an S3. The S4 was beautiful inside and out, and built to a really high standard. It drove really well, and was comfortable and fast, but there was very little sense of excitement or joy, the car felt reserved, aloof, almost like it was driving itself and you were the passenger. But still, a really lovely car.
Jumping straight into the S3 was quite a surprise - it felt much less well built, almost like it was 2 classes below the S4. And the driving experience was completely different - much more direct and go-cart like, with instant throttle response. A really good car, but a little raw for what I needed, and not as good as the M240i IMHO. (But AWD might have made it easier to live with.)
Finally off to test drive the 440i - Melbourne Red, which wasn't my preferred colour, but it did look good, and had plenty of options, as well as only 6.5k miles on the clock. The car felt amazing: very comfortable, much lighter to drive than the 435d, and so quick! In Sport mode the acceleration was breathtaking, and the engine noise was intoxicating. There was a surprising amount of exhaust noise in Sport mode, but this went away switching to Comfort mode.
It was only when I got back to the dealer that the salesman told me the car had the MPPSK upgrade, which then made complete sense, and sealed the deal for me... I'll be picking it up in a couple of weeks, and can't wait!
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