The Glade 4.0

It might be rude to say it, but I don't like any of those cars.

A4 sounds like it's very much out of the pricerange though. I'd go Sonata, unless you have no particular beef with GM, then I'd look into the Regal arriving this summer, cross-pollinated from Opel.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine

I keep forgetting about the Regal. It's on my watch list as well.

Yes Audi is a different segment. If I were to consider it I'd have to look at the G37 and 328i too.

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

If I had to have a Honda, I'd put a 9mm in my brain pan. Owned several, and they've gone from fun and stylish, not to mention zippy, to bland, boring, and about as much fun to drive as a Toyota. Dear Japanese car makers: when you stop making real performance cars, and bringing those innovations to your regular lineup, you turn out cars for people who are afraid of freeway speeds.

Kia and Hyundai are basically the same company. Kia's are less expensive, but they're still going for as much quality as they can get for the price the cars sell for. That being said, I've heard a lot of good things about the new Sonata, including from the Scoobie junkies out on the NASIOC forums. The Ford Fusion is not horrid either, both my in-laws, as well as my sister-in-law have them, and they love 'em, and I think they . Personally, I'd go for the Genesis Coupe, but I'm guessing you're looking for a family car. Hyundai

Audi's are nice and all, and I would rock the **** out of an S4/S5/RS5, but if you want all wheel drive, not to mention something that won't be plagued by electrical problems (Audi is owned by VAG, and it seems like all VAG cars have electrical issues), look at a Subaru Impreza, or if you want a bit bigger, the Legacy sedan. It's about the same size. Fuel economy isn't as good, but it's got AWD that is rock solid. They're more reliable than Honda/Toyota, who have traded quality for crap, treat 'em right and they'll go for ever, and even the base Impreza is good for 170hp/170ft lbs torque. Warranty isn't as good as the Hyundai, but you'll get years of enjoyment out of it. Drop a few more thou for the Impreza GT, or a bit more for the WRX, and you get 224 or 265hp. There is also a souped up Legacy, the GT, can't remember off the top of my head whether it's the 224 or 265HP mill. You can also get it with a 3.6l 6 cylinder.

Of the three, I'd probably say Hyundai, Ford, then Kia. Amusingly enough, Hyundai has taken huge strides forward in quality, just as Toyota and Honda have taken steps back.

Purely on looks, if those were the only cars in the world: 1, 3, 2.

2, 3, 1 ...

Of the ones listed,

Ford
Kia
Hyundai

I'd put Khross' Audi way up the list though.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

3, 2, 1

If you are looking for a ford though, my sister just got a new Taurus. It is pretty sweet.

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Raell Kromwell

3 2 1 also

I also like the interior layout of the Taurus best. If we have to go purely on exterior I'll oht the Hyundai first.

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I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"

Raell and Rori know best! My pick too!

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

2,1,3

Why do I feel like I walked into a commercial in this thread?

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"None is more important, none more legitimate, than that of rendering the people safe as they are the
ultimate guardians of their own liberty."- Thomas Jefferson

"Yeah, I'm rehearsing my poker face. I don't handle stupid well. *sigh*" - Farsky

Kia Optima MSRP: $17,995 - $22,795
Hyundai Sonata MSRP: $18,700 - $26,550
Ford Fusion MSRP: $19,695 - $28,355
Audi A4 MSRP: $31,450 - $47,300

Khross, did you seriously suggest that someone should buy a luxury vehicle when the base price of that vehicle is beyond the fully-loaded price of the ones asked about? I'm betting that Dash is looking at about $22K for the car and options he wants, and you've suggested an Audi that is about ten grand more expensive. Were you going to offer to pay the difference, or were you just assuming that we all have unlimited funds to indulge ourselves?


Back to the original question, I like the Sonata. Then the Kia, then the Ford.

The Ford is not bad overall, but the face is awful.

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Holy shitsnacks!

You've obviously never driven one.

The Germans know a **** ton more about what a driving machine is about than the Koreans do.

I have driven a couple of Audis. And they, like their Volkswagen compatriots are soulless and bland

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Holy shitsnacks!

I bought my A4 at 2 years old for $22k. While I can appreciate buying new (and have), unless you are a hardcore car nut, you are really wasting your money. The depreciation on cars is so huge, that looking at a 2 year old car with around 30k miles on it is going to be your best value.

But it really all depends on what you want in a vehicle. If you're just looking for a 4 door people mover, any of those are perfectly fine. If, however, you have a real appreciation for the driving experience none of those cars is likely to come close to the experience you get from a refined vehicle like an Audi, BMW or similar car.

Interesting. What years/models?

My thoughts exactly, that grill is a train-wreck.

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It was a few years ago, I think '04ish? Friend's dad had an A6 that he let me drive when he was out of town. I was never impressed with it. It was comfy enough, and went when you pushed the go pedal. But there was just something lacking about it. Kinda like.. "I vill drive you there, but I von't crack a smile about it." The A8 that he had as a loaner for a week or two gave me the same feeling. But more so. Like I was driving the A6's father. Having driven Jettas and Golfs and the like... the Audi felt almost the same, just a bit more polished and luxurious.

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Holy shitsnacks!

The Sonata/Kia has only 11 less HP than the new A4, and the Sonata is lighter. Like over 500 lbs lighter if the A4 has AWD. The Audi does have a hell of a lot of torque though. 258 compared to the Sonata's 184.

Sonata definitely has balls, and, it will be available in a 274HP Turbo come this fall. Oh yes.

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

Read an article recently talking about the Audi RS5. The chief complaint was that you don't really feel much through the steering. It handles really well, it sounds amazing, but it's like driving while wearing shoes on your hands for all the feedback you get.

I rank them in order presented.

I currently own a Sonata and have no major complaints. I would love to own a Genesis or Azera.

This, in a turbo variant. I'll be waiting on it's release to test drive it before I make a decision:

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“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general”. - Mark Rippetoe

Wow, they got a LOT of mileage out of a car on a blue screen going straight...

Not a bad looking car tho.

I remember Khross chastising someone (maybe even Dash) for asking about purchasing a G37 or Audi a while back. I remember, because I gave him **** about driving (or having owned) a 911 Carrera, Turbo, Cabriolet, I don't know, saying something along the lines of "Do you really need a $35,000 car?"

As it is, what about the new Ford Focus ... it's finally the same car as the Mazda 3 in the US Market.

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"It's real, grew up in trife life, the times of white lines
The hype vice, murderous nighttimes and knife fights invite crimes" - Nasir Jones

Having just driven a Focus as a rental car a few weeks ago, I'd just like to say this: worst.car.ever.

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“The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government.” - Thomas Paine