Since this topic started, i've gone out and tested the following
cars:
A4 (1.8 turbo), 320, 325, C180 and C200
I'm not going to go into technical stuff but just purely on the
drive feel, value for money and comfort.
The A4 would win hands down on aesthetics and pure driving
experience but it is also the second most expensive after the 325.
The 325's drive is well known but it obviously is not competing in
the same class.
The 320 and C180 were the most comparable in terms of specs.
- torque: C180 surprising wins (320 was sluggish at the
start)
- drive: 320 had better handling
- price: at the current promotions, 320 was cheaper at ard 126k
while C180 was around 10k more
- comfort: C180 win hands down
- running costs: C180 was cheaper due to lower road tax,
insurance and with service thrown in, but depreciation removes any
advantage
- exterior look: 320 edges slightly but the C180 avantgarde
model looks pretty good too (subjective i suppose)
- interiors: C180 wins hands down again
Overall, C180 was the clear winner. A further comparison between
C180 and C200 would show that the extra 30bhp was not worth the
extra 15k price as it was essentially the same engine and could be
"tweaked". So to answer the original question, which of the three
cars would i choose... it would be the C180.
