A5 owner thinking - what's next?
 

All,

Just joined the forum - hello!

I own a 09 black A5 3.2 quatrro. very nice car. but that's all I can say about it... so decided to trade it from something more exciting. I am 35 yo and need this right now in life :roflpuke2:

to cut a long stroy short - the 3 options now are

Audi TTS
370Z
Cayman S

All 3 are very good cars. All have pros and cons.

I am guessing most of you out there will say to go for the Z - but if you could give your reasons, and if you had the same dilema like me - it would be highly appreciated!

Thanks

A

Hello and welcome to the forums.

The big question is what is your budget? The cars that you have listed are at a VERY different price point. If you want bang for your bucks, there is nothing on the road comparable to the 370Z. It is quick, handles great, and is a looker.

But really, the Cayman S is a faster, handles even better, and looks as well. It is double the price too.

So.... what do you want to spend?

PS. No one cares about the Audi TTS, it is fugly :stirthepot:

I went through a very similar Dilema as you (but i'm a lot younger than you so price factored in quite alot) and similar car prior to moving to Z.

Having had 07 A4 3.2, I do miss Audi interiors, but that's about it. Everything about 370z is screaming power, youth, and excitement but other than 'brand' factor, A4 was a .. Zzzzz.
My choices of cars at my range of $$ were 08~Audi TT, 06~Z4M coupe, and 09~370z.

If you consider value into choosing 3 cars, 370z beats all.
If you want quattro, there's no argument
if you got $$ and just want the best out of 3, Cayman S. (but then why Cayman S when the price range falls dangerously close to GT-R range?)

I'm in the same boat
 

Although I won't list my current car, it's a bit more "pedestrian" than your A5.

I'm 42, looking at the Z myself. Also considering the TTS. I can't add the Cayman S to my list, that's a bit outside of my price range.

Here's what I'm thinking:

The Z is generally thought of as the best real sports car you can get for the price. So, perfect, right? Well, depends on where you live and what you need.

I'm in the snow belt, so I'd either need a winter car, and garage the Z for a few months each year, or get a full snowtire kit. Not ideal, but it's kind of the price you pay for getting a sports car.

The TTS is the more pricey of the 2, obviously. But you do get full time 4WD. There's a car I could drive all year. There's still the issue of not being able to run summer HP tires, but I could live with all seasons.

Both cars are sex on wheels. They're both fun to drive, and you can load them up with toys like Navi, Bluetooth, heated seats, everything a true sports car is not. But, if you're used to the toys, it's hard to go back.

Then there's the issue of the transmission. If you're a manual guy, you've got to get the Z, the rev-matching manual is amazing. If you don't care, the
dual-clutch S-Tronic of the Audi is the obvious pick. That thing shifts faster than you can.

Obviously both are in your price range. So, I guess it comes down to the test drive. Take both out for a nice quiet run, and see which one is you. One may just "fit" better, or one may speak to you. There are times where it's that easy.

Of course, even if you can afford both, do you really want to? Is the TTS $8000 better than the Z?

Oooooh, good point. The GT-R out-classes all 3 for a true sports car.

Not interested in the IS-F? I love that car, but didn't feel like stretching my wallet that far....same thing for the 335i and Z4.

The TT doesn't seem worth the bump up in price from the Z, but the TTS looks like a great car, honestly.

I'm not a fan of the Cayman, despite it sharing some of it's features with our beloved Z.

I considered all 3 of these cars. As others have said the 370Z is much better value for money compared with TTS, Cayman S.

I actually ended up deciding out of the IS-F and the Z.

or you can go for the S4...cheaper and just as fun :)

(i'm biased because i still love my A4 DDer)

370Z.

the TTS is ugly as hell, that damn bubble car.

porsche is just bleh. overpriced as hell. If you want the cayman S just go all the way and get the GT-R. it is a 4WD too so good for the entire year.

If you can afford the cayman just get the GT-R

otherwise get the 370

Well I saw today in the news that Porsche is top rated now for reliability, take it for whats its worth but there must be some truth to it. You have to remember that for some its not about the best bang for the buck, The Z is not the best bang for the buck at all. So when some say this is too expensive, that may be true for you but not for someone else. I will tell you the TTS and Cayman are great cars and have higher quality interiors than the Z. They are also faster stock. If you take price out of the factor then its really a different story. I personally dont like the looks of the Porsches interiors but some do. The TTS looks great IMO and is worth every penny for it. Add the price of DSG, Quattro, a turbo, and magnetic ride to the Z and what do you think its price would be? Over 45K. So you get what you pay for. The TT only won design of the decade so it cant be too bad looking. And its a more unique car as you will only see a couple here and there. So OP if money is not really in the decision then drive all three and go from there. Money was a factor for me and Ive always wanted a Z so I got it. Coming from an A5 you will notice a more rough ride and louder ride but if you are looking for the thrill of a sports car and dont mind that then it will be OK. The TTS would be a great car too and really fast when chipped. Id love a 5 cyl car.

Just remember when you go into a particualar forum they are of course gonna be biased.

edit: also remeber the Audi is Quattro, not AWD, which means it only is AWD when it feels the wheels slip. When there is no slippage its FWD which means less drive train loss. And the magnetic ride is awesome, when in that mode it lowers the car a bit and stiffens the supension. ID ove to see those two things on the Z.

I have the 370Z and obviously love it.

My dad is taking delivery on his TTS roadster at the end of this month. I'd be happy to post a review after I take it for a shakedown :).

The Cayman is a great car but starts at $60k and easily hits $100k if you option it out with all the tidbits you can tweak.

My take is this:
1) If you're on a budget and still want a great car, get the 370Z.
2) If you have more to spend and want a level of fit and finish above the Nissan, get the TTS. You can put max performance tires on it...not sure why Egotrip said otherwise. Any of these cars should get snow tires if you drive them in the winter.
3) If money is no object, get the Cayman. In the S form, it outperforms the other two in their stock forms and is a sexy beast. I'd love a Cayman if money was abundant right now.

BTW. TTS has haldex. Not a "real" Quattro. Wheel base is too short for real Quattro system.
Also, TTS has I4 2.0TFSI. :(

Yea your right the TTRS is the 5 cyl. The TTS has a slightly bigger turbo than the TT to gets its extra power. And the Haldex is still great. Im waiting to see if the TTRS ever makes it to the states.

When I bought my Z, I looked at the 370, TTS, and 135i. Here were my thoughts:

370Z - best value of the bunch and felt like a sports car
TTS - fantastic interior, loved the pseudo-AWD. Felt it was slightly overpriced and hated that they didn't offer a manual.
135i - very nice and fun to drive. Didn't see the extra value over the Z and it felt like a fast sedan instead of a sports car

I was really holding out for te rumored R4. Once they announced the Etron would be the first out, I figured I have a few years before the non-electric R4 will be out anyway. :icon17:

alonlif,

Drive the Z and make sure you go through some areas where there is some loose gravel so you can get an idea of how it sounds and also on the highway at cruising speed at around 70 MPH. Coming from the A5 there will be a huge noise difference so you need to hear it all before you buy so you know what you are getting. Most of us have changed the exhaust so its louder than most noise and I also have to stereo blasting that hides it too. But the wife doesnt really like take long trips in the car.