u/ZenMercy

I’m currently trying to decide what car to get next and I’ve narrowed it down to a few different options, although they all seem to make sense for different reasons.

My current shortlist is:
Audi S3 8V Saloon
Audi A4/A5 B9 2.0 TFSI Quattro
Audi A4/A5 B9 3.0 V6 TDI Quattro
Any B58 BMW that fits the budget — M140i, M240i, 340i, 440i etc.
Mercedes-AMG C43
Budget is ideally around £15k, although I could stretch a
little for the right car.

What I’m looking for is something that balances:
Reliability / not financially ruinous to maintain
Strong performance
Good tuning potential
Actually fun to drive
Reasonable MPG for what it is
Nice interior
Good factory sound system
Practical enough to daily
Something that feels a bit special and that I won’t get bored of after six months
At the moment I see them roughly like this:

S3 8V Saloon: probably the sensible performance option. Fast, compact, relatively reliable, huge aftermarket and easy to get around 360–380hp from. My main hesitation is the four-cylinder sound and whether it’ll feel a little too much like a fast A3/Golf underneath.

B9 A4/A5 2.0 TFSI Quattro: probably one of the best compromises for interior, refinement, economy and reliability. I really like the B9 cabin, especially with Virtual Cockpit and B&O, and a Stage 1 car should be pretty quick. My concern is whether I’d eventually find it a bit boring compared with the proper performance models.

B9 A4/A5 3.0 V6 TDI: this one interests me because you get the B9 interior, V6, quattro, loads of torque and much better fuel economy. A remapped one also seems like it could be seriously quick in normal driving. Obviously there’s more diesel emissions equipment and complexity to worry about, and I’m not sure whether it would feel exciting enough.

B58 BMW (f series): probably the strongest drivetrain option here. The B58 seems to have a great reputation for reliability and tuning, and cars like the M140i/M240i/340i/440i can make huge power pretty easily. RWD also makes them appealing. My main concerns are finding a good one at my budget and whether running costs/insurance start getting silly.

C43 AMG: probably the most expensive which puts me off a bit. Twin-turbo V6, AWD, good sound, nice interior and plenty of performance. It seems like it could offer a lot of what I want in one package, but I know Mercedes maintenance can get expensive and I’m less familiar with how reliable the C43 actually is long term.

I’m planning on test driving as many of them as I can rather than deciding purely from specs.

If you own or have owned any of these cars, I’d be really curious to hear your experience with them — reliability, maintenance costs, fuel economy, what they’re like to daily, things you love/hate, common problems and whether you’d buy one again.

I’d also be really interested to hear from anyone who has driven or owned more than one of these. Which would you choose and why?

Just bought this today, love it

What would you choose — S3, B9 A4/A5, B58 BMW or C43 AMG?

Solo concert 10th of june