Well, we’re just about halfway through 2015 now. What better time to reflect on four outstanding German sedans I’ve driven in the past six months.
Here they are, in escalating order by price, which coincidentally is also the escalating order of unlikelihood that I’ll ever own one:
2015 Jetta Hybrid SEL Premium
Jetta, Volkswagen’s best-selling car in the U.S., was given a thorough redesign in 2011 and is updated for 2015 with some exterior styling tweaks, newly available driver-assist and front lighting systems, better aerodynamics and a new TDI Clean Diesel engine.
The Hybrid’s TSI turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine and its running mate, an electric motor with battery pack, deliver an endearing 170 horsepower, 184 lb-ft of torque, and fuel economy ratings of 42 mpg city, 48 mpg highway. Premium fuel is required, but very little is needed to travel long distances.
Reasonably base-priced at $31,940, the SEL Premium trim level includes an abundance of performance, convenience, safety and technology features as standard equipment. The only extra charge on my tester was $550 for the absolutely-must-have Fender sound system.
The Jetta Hybrid combines Volkswagen’s simple but stately interior design and signature performance characteristics with excellent fuel economy and reduced emissions to produce a most memorable ride. Price as driven: $32,490.
2015 Audi A3 Sedan TDI FWD S tronic
When Commander Cody sang “Mama Hated Diesels” he meant 18-wheelers and guessed “it had something to do with Dad.”
No such hatred for diesels from this mama, who for one thing has been spared a failed trucker romance, but also gets to drive today’s clean diesels with their high mpg capability, quiet operation and stink-free exhaust.
Pricing for the beautifully designed A3 starts at $33,495 and power is provided by a 150-horsepower TDI four-cylinder engine partnered with a six-speed S tronic transmission. They make a lovely couple. One hundred fifty horses might not impress the power-hungry, but the 236 lb-ft of torque will get their attention. It sure got mine. Fuel economy ratings are 31 mpg city and 43 mpg highway.
Standard features in the A3’s quiet and cozy interior include a 12-way power-adjustable (including lumbar support) driver’s seat, panoramic sunroof, and an Audi sound system with satellite radio, CD player, SD card reader and auxiliary input. Airbags and air curtains are everywhere, but a rearview camera is noticeably missing.
My tester was embellished with a sophisticated but uncomplicated navigation system, heated front seats and outside mirrors, aluminum trim, Audi Advanced Key, and 18-inch 10-spoke wheels wrapped with all-season tires. Price as driven: $39,195.
2015 Mercedes-Benz C400W4 Sedan
Sometimes, a highly favorable opinion of a vehicle is based largely on personal circumstances. I arrived in Seattle late at night after a long flight and took a shuttle to a nearby lot where the C400W4 Sedan had been left for me to pick up. There’d been an unexpected late-winter storm and the car was covered with snow. With bare hands and not much enthusiasm, I brushed off enough snow to get inside the car. I expected to encounter the complex and confusing controls that have become the evil obsession of premium-brand car designers, which would have driven me out of my mind on the spot.
Instead, I met an outrageously handsome interior brimming with comfort and convenience features and up-to-the-minute infotainment and connectivity technology, all readily workable by my cold, tired self who has sub-zero patience even under the most auspicious conditions. The C400’s permanent all-wheel drive system stifled any paranoid images of a life-threatening drive back home to the North Cascades on dicey roads.
And so, I was in love with the C400W4 Sedan even before leaving the parking lot.
Objective reasons to fall for this sedan include its great looks, a 329-horsepower biturbo V6, 7-speed automatic transmission (21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway), superb steering and handling, and a base price under $50,000, a bargain. My tester bore optional features worth more than $13,000 that would leave a normal buyer wanting for nothing. Price as driven: $63,705.
2015 BMW 740 Ld xDrive Sedan
Even though much of my lifestyle’s simplicity is involuntary, I do embrace the Voluntary Simplicity movement that rejects the high-consumption, materialistic lifestyles of consumer cultures. When I first sat inside the 2015 BMW 740 Ld xDrive Sedan, however, my distaste for consumptive materialism flew right out the open moonroof.
Maybe I’m just rationalizing my hypocrisy, but this car’s interior isn’t a car’s interior, it’s an art exhibit. You ought to see the beautiful sweeping contours and how magnificently various features have been integrated. It’s also a tactile paradise. The top of the rotary knob that controls the telematics and infotainment systems is smooth, glossy and reflective and I enjoyed touching it so much I was like Woody Allen with the Orb in “Sleeper.”
Starting at $83,450 with an as-driven price of $101,850, this uber-premium performance sedan is powered by a 255-horsepower twin turbo inline-6 Advanced Diesel engine generating 413 lb-ft of torque and paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Exhilarating acceleration is on tap in the best of the BMW tradition, and the xDrive designation indicates BMW’s all-wheel drive system is part of the package. Fuel economy ratings are 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway.
M Sport mechanicals and appearance items increase the car’s charisma, not that it needed much boosting. Add-ons making the biggest contribution toward elevating the price were an adaptive cruise control system, NightVision with pedestrian detection, and an Executive Package that includes ventilated front seats, soft-close automatic doors, and a stupendous Bang &Olufsen sound system.
Note: Base pricing for all cars includes the destination charge.
Mary Lowry is an independent automotive writer who lives in Snohomish County and has been reviewing cars for more than 20 years. She is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a board member of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. Vehicles are provided by the manufacturers as a one-week loan for review purposes only. In no way do the manufacturers control the content of the reviews.
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