Luxury car buying dilemma: Torn between the Audi A4 & BMW 2 Series GC

The Beemer looks too flamboyant for my liking and the rear just reminds me of a Verna BUT the frameless windows have my heart.

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Hello BHPians, this albeit my first post doesn’t feel like it as I have spent countless hours on the forum enjoying these threads and having countless conversations with myself . Be it GTO’s Thar or Joshmachine’s Audi A4, it’s like reading a novel, but about cars! Anyway, that brings me to my dilemma right now.

I’ll be 25 next month, currently pursuing my MBA in Mumbai. We are a family of three- me, mom and dad. Right now, we own a 2011 Honda City V which has run close to 90K in 12 years. My parents don’t drive and they rarely took the city out hence the reason for not crossing 1 lakh kms yet. Ever since I got my license, I have been enjoying it thoroughly but we all feel it’s time for an upgrade. Our budget is 53 Lakhs (stretched). I am a sedan guy and a petrolhead through and through. This car would be driven by me solely in the city mostly but random short outings will pop up given the choices shortlisted below. The usage won’t be a lot, maybe 400 kms a month.

Requirements:

Performance

Comfort

Cars rejected:

Octavia- In a perfect world, I’d have an Octavia standing in the parking lot last month, but sadly its discontinued.

Superb- It felt too long for city use. Also discontinued.

Tiguan- Mom found the rear seat comfort lacking over bad roads, suspension too stiff.

Koadiaq- This was perfect be it features or comfort, but the performance and 7 seater long SUV just didn’t fit our city use.

Compass- Dad loved this but no petrol and maneuverability was a pain.

A class Limousine- Knees up sitting position at the back.

GLA- Petrol felt underpowered and diesel was out of budget.

Cars not considered:

Tucson- Didn’t feel right plonking 40 L on a Hyundai plus the SUV stance and the looks were a bit too much for our liking.

War of segments:

I know I know comparing the A4 to the 2-series is blasphemy. I have been an Audi fanatic since a kid (my scaled grey R8 will vouch for that). And since this is our first entry to the luxury car segment, we wanted to do it right. I knew going to BMW meant performance, while Mercedes meant premium and to me, Audi does a bit of both and more whilst being understated and elegant. So I didn’t bother with BMW or MB and drove straight to Audi for A4. In my mind, I get performance from the A4 and parents get a good rear seat comfort. But fate had other plans, more on that later.

Audi A4

Right off the bat, me and mom were drooling over how classy it looked and the interiors made me like it even more. It felt premium, a bit old school and understated. The ride quality was what blew me away. The suspension is soft and it felt like a magical carpet over bumps, so poised so plush I was sold then and there. It had a smaller sunroof and the design is elegant but not a standout in a crowd although we didn’t mind this much. Parents were satisfied with the rear seat comfort too and the boot space was decent as well. Add to that the SA gave us such a good deal it was hard not to book it right then and there. Test drove the Q3 too and while the ride wasn’t as plush the interiors felt new and the seating position was good however sedan took precedence in this comparison.

BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe:

Now this is where the confusion began. My dad is a sucker for surveying a lot before choosing anything be it a house or a mere belt. He wanted to try BMW and Mercedes but I informed him the competition aka the 3 Series and C class were way out of budget and the only ones in our budget are from a segment below and might feel a bit cramped. Regardless he insisted and that’s how we fell in love with the 2 series. BMW fans would argue it’s not a proper Beemer with FWD but as someone who has been used to FWD cars all my life, I quite liked it. The BMW blew me away with the handling dynamics, sure the ride wasn’t as plush as the A4 and road noise crept in a bit but that was minimal and could live with. The main thing was rear seat comfort which is surprising. So my dad(5’6) and mom(5’1) sat perfectly in the backseat and my dad who hadn’t been too vocal about the A4 had loads to say about the 2 series. They found the 2 series more comfortable in the back compared to the A4. Yes even I was in disbelief. T he thing id, the seating position is perfect in the Beemer while the seating position is very low in the A4, so much so my mom’s feet were dangling in the car. So comfort wise my parents found the 2 series way better and dad was blown away by the wow factor it offered- the aggressive stance, the frameless doors, the gesture control, the interior felt newer and the panaromic sunroof as well. The price offered lesser than the A4 Technology(top trim) albeit just a lakh. Now here is the dilemma.

Ranbir- I quite love the A4 for its understated and elegant looks and the interior seems classic, the plush ride quality is just amazing and it looks like a proper sedan with a usable boot. My mom loves its looks and wants to buy it for that alone but says seating position is best in 2 series. My dad is just fine with the A4.

Ranveer- The Beemer looks too flamboyant for my liking and the rear just reminds me of a Verna BUT the frameless windows have my heart uff. It looks like a cramped sedan and arguably so, as the name suggests coupe. But I am blown away by its handling and though it lacks 40 nm of torque and plush ride quality compared to A4, its very comfortable as approved by my parents. i also love the panoramic sunroof coupled with the nicely laid out premium interior with wireless Apple CarPlay. My dad loves the Beemer so much so he took a picture with frameless doors. My mom likes it as well and found the ride comfortable and not at all stiff.

Hence quite the dilemma. We are going for a longer test drive tomorrow with both the cars back to back so will add more information about it tomorrow.The car will be mostly used by me(85%) and my parents will be chauffeured if they have to go somewhere which would be very rare. There’s more chances of us going out to dinners and long drives together where dad will be in the front passenger seat. Also dad says we will keep the car for 5 years and maybe upgrade again. So I look to you, esteemed BHP members to remove my bias and point me in the right direction. I have some experience I want to highlight about the individual showrooms I visited but this has gone long enough, a different post maybe.

Here’s what GTO had to say on the matter:

Hahaha! My Dad was the same (God bless his soul). To walk with him into an exhibition meant to spend time at each & every stall. But his curiosity also led us to the house / building we currently live in (story for another day).

With respect to your car dilemma, all I can tell you is, spending anything over 30-lakhs for a car is driven by the heart over the head. If you & your folks love the 2-Series, then that’s the car for you. I would personally pick the A4, but hey, different choices & varying tastes is what makes this world a better place.

I do have one suggestion. With an open mind, please do test-drive the Ioniq 5 as well. It’s a game-changer EV = fast, spacious, comfortable, good range, stunning looks and technologically very advanced. Whether you buy it or not isn’t important. One TD will change your perspective about EVs.

Happy shopping, buddy!

Here’s what BHPian PaddleShifter had to say on the matter:

Common logic would say:

• A4 vs 2 series- get the A4
• A4 vs any other BMW- get the BMW

I think you should go for the BMW because:

• You found it to be better performing compared to A4.
• Comfort: Though A4 should have scored well here but the subjective feeling for your parents was better for the BMW. Moreover, your parents will only find BMW even better as they age (compared to the lower seating of A4).

I see that the BMW excelled in both the areas. So better to go for the BMW. Size or segment does not matter to you anyway and you are simply looking for the better car as per your post.

Regardless, do compare the comfort on a slightly rougher road and speed breakers during your subsequent test drive(s).

Here’s what BHPian Tutenkhamen had to say on the matter:

Good dilemma indeed.

I was in similar situation not very long ago.

What helped me out of it was to focus on top 2 or 3 things important to me, and rank the options. And then play a knock out match between the options.

For me, Good performance, Reasonably good comfort in the back seat and Wow factor (opulence?) came out on top.

Finally, went with heart. Financials just worked as a cherry on top.

These are not, and should be not; head decisions

You do you OP. Take both cars out on a drive on your favourite roads back to back (preferably within the same hour so the memories and ‘feel’ stays fresh).

Here’s what BHPian manson had to say on the matter:

A peformance oriented car won’t be as comfortable, and a comfortable car won’t enjoy being pushed. The A4 is really comfortable and has lovely grunt but loses out in the handling due to its suspension set-up. The 2 GC on the other hand has relatively better handling but loses out to the A4 in space and ride quality. Seats are a personal choice but your family clearly prefers the ones in the BMW.

Advantage A4:

• Relatively better space
• Lovely ride quality, the suspension is perfect for Indian road condition
• Higher GC
• Adequate boot space for a holiday
• Built to a higher standard with better materials

Advantage 2 GC:

• Better dynamics, More fun to drive
• Snazzy exterior has a lot more occasion over the A4 (my wife said the 3 series is so ordinary in comparison)
• Seats better suited for your family

I’d normally recommend getting the A4 between the two (brought one home 2 years ago and loving it), especially if you are going to be spending more time cruising on highways. But since your family’s heart is set on the 2 GC you must only get that and considering you’re only 25 you have plenty of time to make understated and practical choices for the rest of your life.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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