Vs Autobild: (New) A4 2.0 TDI vs. MB C 200 CDI

[PanterroR]

I dont like the interior, too much black plastic for instance and the layout remind me about Honda model.

Although it doesn't resemble Honda in any way, the same goes for 3 series.

No, not like that Poverty dude compared it's quality with the one in VW Polo, but the layout looks like it has been done in 5 minutes. :

 

[Tarek]

Although it doesn't resemble Honda in any way, the same goes for 3 series.

No, not like that Poverty dude compared it's quality with the one in VW Polo, but the layout looks like it has been done in 5 minutes. :

And the 3's int looks like it's been done in 1 minute

 

[coolraoul]

And for the A4/A5, they obviously get a panic attack when they saw all the buttons and stuff to put into, so some buttons here, a heater here, another pack of buttons here, and the rest, well...

HERE! look, lots of empty space around the gear level, perfect for the buttons we did not manage to place under the edgy screen with the rounded heaters around!

If I were Audi, I would hire somebody to put a little order and coherence in their new interiors...

IMO, none of the three has a really really good interior.

 

[BigBoss]

And for the A4/A5, they obviously get a panic attack when they saw all the buttons and stuff to put into, so some buttons here, a heater here, another pack of buttons here, and the rest, well...

HERE! look, lots of empty space around the gear level, perfect for the buttons we did not manage to place under the edgy screen with the rounded heaters around!

If I were Audi, I would hire somebody to put a little order and coherence in their new interiors...

IMO, none of the three has a really really good interior.

So much about the buttons: look again

 

[coolraoul]

Yes I look. I look at a realaxing, well ordered C-Class, and aty a complex A4 or A5.
You have lots of little black buttons everywhere for the climate, and lots of buttons everywhere (some round, some edgy, with no order, seemingly put here without design) around the gearlevel.
No coherence here, at all. No harmony, no order.

The big "empty" black plastic piece under the screen is awful and brakes the design of the center console. The center eaters are here, you don't know why. They had no other place? The heater near the door are high, the center heaters are much lower..

The dash does not flow with the doors like the Mercedes.

Also the "little"edgy screen in the too big curvy place and with curvy heaters under it...Under it and with a different size, so that the screenplace does not flow with the center heaters. They are just placed here the one under the other, without care...

The C-Class is much better from thos point of view, it relaxes you, is very clear and ergonomic.
On the other hand, I can't say the interior in the C-Class is wonderful. The center console is a bitt dull and little, I don't like the heaters, and the dash is too much "one big piece of plastic".

But in real life you feel realy good in the C-Class, realxing, ergonomic and much better looking than in pics.

I don't think it is the case forthe Audi. It is not as relaxing, much less ergonomic with all these buttons (the climate controls are easy to use in the Merc, with few clearly separated buttons, whereas on the Audi...).

And I sat in the A6, it is complex and unsatisfying for me.

I prefer Mercedes' clarity, coherence and harmony, even if it looks a bit spartan especially in black (the black/grey is much much much better).

Of course this is just my opinion, my view of a car. i don't say the A4/A5 has a bad interior, but I much prefer the one in the C-Class.

 

[Amo]

OK, maybe the Merc has got a more organised interior, but I personallly really like the buttons next to the gear lever. Makes it feel like a plane cockpit. I think its a better place to keep the main controls actually.

 

[coolraoul]

The fact that there are buttons around the gearlevel is not a problem for me. But they are not organized: some big, some little, some round, some edgy...

The hole interior lacks organisation. Nothing is clearly made, nothing flows. There are lines, buttons everywhere, and nothing has the same size or the same shape. Nothing harmonize.

So, too complex for me, I prefer Merc's harmony. I am a Merc fan. The Audi is designed to appeal to Audi fans.

But I wonder: the Audi fans, who liked the old Audis interiors (wonderfully made and designed, even if too much hard plastics), do they really like these new interiors? Complex, Star-Trek like if you want, does it appeal to Audi fans? Don't they regreat the old interiors?

I ask the question honestly, because I personnaly regreat the old Audis interiors.

 

[BigBoss]

Yes I look. I look at a realaxing, well ordered C-Class, and aty a complex A4 or A5.
You have lots of little black buttons everywhere for the climate, and lots of buttons everywhere (some round, some edgy, with no order, seemingly put here without design) around the gearlevel.
No coherence here, at all. No harmony, no order.

The big "empty" black plastic piece under the screen is awful and brakes the design of the center console. The center eaters are here, you don't know why. They had no other place? The heater near the door are high, the center heaters are much lower..

The dash does not flow with the doors like the Mercedes.

Also the "little"edgy screen in the too big curvy place and with curvy heaters under it...Under it and with a different size, so that the screenplace does not flow with the center heaters. They are just placed here the one under the other, without care...

The C-Class is much better from thos point of view, it relaxes you, is very clear and ergonomic.
On the other hand, I can't say the interior in the C-Class is wonderful. The center console is a bitt dull and little, I don't like the heaters, and the dash is too much "one big piece of plastic".

But in real life you feel realy good in the C-Class, realxing, ergonomic and much better looking than in pics.

I don't think it is the case forthe Audi. It is not as relaxing, much less ergonomic with all these buttons (the climate controls are easy to use in the Merc, with few clearly separated buttons, whereas on the Audi...).

And I sat in the A6, it is complex and unsatisfying for me.

I prefer Mercedes' clarity, coherence and harmony, even if it looks a bit spartan especially in black (the black/grey is much much much better).

Of course this is just my opinion, my view of a car. i don't say the A4/A5 has a bad interior, but I much prefer the one in the C-Class.

I guess the interiors are so different because they are targeted at different people.
If you look at the statistics and see the average age of an A4 buyer or the C class buyer, the last ones are much older.
This kind of people prefer more conservative design and not so much aggressive and tight as Audi's is.

I drove the new A5 and I loved the interior, but never seen the C's interior in RL, because I have no interest in buying that car (It just don't fits my style
I am not saying it is perfect. The thing that bothers me the most is that the dash does not flow with the doors as you mentioned above and that empty space below the heaters, where CD changer is, looks empty to me.
I love the buttons around the shift gear and red lightning and...

 

[BigBoss]

Yes I loved the interior of B6/B7 and I must say that I miss it a little. I am not saying the new one is bad - just the opposite, but the old one set the benchmark in my opinion - design vise. The new one is clearly more ergonomic, has better navi screen position (that is why the heaters are so low) etc.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Just poked around the C's interior once again and it is FAR FAR FAR FAR better looking in person then print. I can also comfortably say that the interior quality is a step above the 3-series. It really does have an excellent interior in person.

Look forward to seeing the new A4. Bar the Q7 (which I believe does not live up to the quality of other Audi's) I love their interiors.

 

[Zafiro]

Just poked around the C's interior once again and it is FAR FAR FAR FAR better looking in person then print. I can also comfortably say that the interior quality is a step above the 3-series. It really does have an excellent interior in person.

Unfortunaly I have to disagree with you. The interior doesnt do it for me.

PS Caw/Christian, sorry if I sounded like an a**hole in my previous post.

 

[coolraoul]

Weel, this shows how good these three cars are, and how well-targeted...
Merc fans love the C-Class interior for its harmony, Audi-fans love the Audi interior for its Star-Trek-buttons, and BMW fans love the BMW-interior for its clear lines (or maybe for something else, I don't now).

 

[Zafiro]

and BMW fans love the BMW-interior for its clear lines (or maybe for something else, I don't now).

I dont find the exterior in 3er exciting but it looks fresh, clean and modern in my eyes. Simplicity is sometimes a good thing.

 

[cawimmer430]

Yes Christian, I actually work with layout and stuff, my visit card says graphic designer.
And you calm down please , I dont like the interior, too much black plastic for instance and the layout remind me about Honda model. And yes I know its subjective, every damn thing we write about when we discuss design on this board is subjective, it always is and alwyas will be. I cant use the word IMO everytime we discuss design.

I see. Cool.

However, the BMW 3-Series interior also has a lot of black plastic, and so does the Audi A4. What makes an interior appealing is how it is visually represented. Out of these three cars, Audi does the best job. They have a lot of black plastic, but they add a premium feel here and there with strips of chrome (or chrome-imitating plastic) and they perhaps have smaller panel gaps - which in the end gives you an impression of quality. I've not been inside the new Audi A4, but I've checked out the last generation A4, current 3er and W204 C-Class and I feel that the plastics are all on the same level quality wise. Again, the visual presentation does the trick, IMO.

And I am not pissed. I just wanted to hear your opinion as to "WHY" you feel this way.

PS Caw/Christian, sorry if I sounded like an a**hole in my previous post.

None taken. I enjoy a heated (but controlled) discussion once in awhile.

 

[coolraoul]

It is funny carwimmer, cause I would say Audi did the worst job this time...Would rank them last, behind the BMW, and the Merc comfortably winning, especially if it is black/grey. The BMW interior does appeal to me, especially with the idrive, but the materials and finition is a bit less good than the C-Class, and it is abit "heavy" designwise... But a good interior, different from the C-Class.
Whereas the A4/A5, I really don't like it. No order, no coherence...

To each his own, but funny how different taste we have...and how a carmaker can understand us...

 

[cawimmer430]

It is funny carwimmer, cause I would say Audi did the worst job this time...Would rank them last, behind the BMW, and the Merc comfortably winning, especially if it is black/grey. The BMW interior does appeal to me, especially with the idrive, but the materials and finition is a bit less good than the C-Class, and it is abit "heavy" designwise... But a good interior, different from the C-Class.
Whereas the A4/A5, I really don't like it. No order, no coherence...

To each his own, but funny how different taste we have...and how a carmaker can understand us...

I've not seen the new Audi A4 in person yet, or it's interior. My local Audi dealer doesn't have them yet, so I can't comment on it.

Plus, judging a cars interior from press photos is one of the worst things one can do, I feel. You have to see it in real life, you have to touch it and experience it. This allows you to fairly judge the interior quality of a car in my experience.

At the end of the day, all these cars have good interiors, some might be visually appear better than others but they're most likely all on the same level.

I think these whole arguments about which interior is better are often carried a little too far. Leave that to the dashstroakers, not the car enthusiasts.

 

[coolraoul]

You're right, one should not judge on pics.
But I sat in some A6's, and was not really impressed, so I was assuming here it will be the same.
Maybe I was wrong, maybe not... Will try to see one in real.