2013 Audi S4 vs 2013 BMW 335i vs 2013 Cadillac ATS vs 2013 Mercedes-Benz C 350 vs 2013 Volvo S60
First published May 4, 2013
Review and photos by Peter Bleakney, Michael Bettencourt, and Jeff Wilson
 2013 Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison. Click image to enlarge |
Introduction, Peter Bleakney
Looking at this assemblage of high-test metal during the photo shoot for our 2013 Luxury Sport Sedans group test, I couldn’t help but think “What a great time for an auto enthusiast to be a parent.”
That’s assuming said procreating car nut has the inclination (and the 60-large plus) needed to get into any of these overachieving four-door, five-place sedans whose performance in most cases matches or even eclipses that of what might have been called a super-sedan only a decade ago.
All this accompanied by sybaritic appointments and calm on-road composure.
Yep, these are halcyon days indeed.
We are here to determine where best to place your hard-earned pesos when it comes to six-cylinder all-wheel-drive sport sedans, in a segment formerly known as compact. Over a day of flinging the collective 1581 hp over some interesting B-roads and a bit of highway, we assessed each on the combined merits of performance and day-to-day comfort and usability.
The usual German suspects are present and accounted for.
The BMW 3 Series was redone last year, becoming bigger and more luxurious while gently backing away from its benchmark cutting-edge dynamics. Here it shows up in 335i xDrive guise, propelled by the fabulous 300-hp 3.0L N55 turbo straight-six mated to an equally impressive eight-speed ZF gearbox.
Mercedes-Benz provided a C 350 4Matic with 3.5L naturally aspirated direct-injection V6 making 302 hp. Power gets to all four wheels through a seven-speed auto.
Bristling with technology, the Audi S4 Quattro Premium boasts 333 hp from its 3.0L supercharged V6. Its seven-speed R tronic tranny is the only twin-clutch here, and this specimen also sported the optional active Quattro sport rear differential. Hmmm…
  2013 Luxury Sport Sedan Comparison. Click image to enlarge |
You can’t have a comparo like this without including the upstart Cadillac ATS, an all-American take on the classic Euro sport sedan (read BMW 3 Series) with a chassis that proves the Swabians do not have a lock on this sort of thing. The GM suspension/chassis engineers who developed this one deserve to be knighted. Our ATS Premium is the top model with six-speed auto, AWD and GM’s ubiquitous 3.6L naturally aspirated V6 here pushing 321 ponies out of the corral.
And then from the north comes a hot wind. This Swedish Clark Kent dons blue spandex and becomes, ta da, the Volvo S60 R-Design. A beautiful car to look at, and with 325 hp from its turbocharged transversely mounted turbo-straight-six (trust the Swedes to be different), a dedicated sports suspension and performance rubber (the rest were on snows), it has the potential to make meatballs out of the competition.
No Infiniti G37 (soon to be Q50) or Lexus IS350? Both these Japanese contenders are about to be replaced with all-new versions, and we couldn’t yet get them for our comparison. You can be sure that as soon as they are available we will be revisiting this segment.
Of particular interest to us was a certain German entrant whose as-tested price of $68,740 put it about $7,000 north of the next priciest car. Blind arrogance? Stupidity?
Sometimes you get what you pay for. Read on.
5th Place: 2013 Mercedes-Benz C 350 4Matic, Peter Bleakney
 2013 Mercedes-Benz C 350. Click image to enlarge |
With the lowest as-tested price in the group, the Mercedes-Benz C 350 4Matic might have pulled itself out of the basement on value, but to a man we gave it the lowest rating.
This not to say the C 350 4Matic is a bad car, it’s just not a great sports sedan – especially in this company. Could it have been spec’d with more sporting hardware? No. Folded into its base price of $47,700 is the Sports Package, which includes three-spoke sport steering wheel, upgraded calipers and aluminum pedals. Only in C 350 RWD trim can you get the Dynamic Handling Package that offers adaptive damping and steering rates and paddle shifters for a sportier experience.
So it’s fair to say Mercedes is not playing to the apex-strafing crowd here. No, it seeks its more traditional core audience, and overstimulation or excitement is not part of this recipe. Just like the exterior styling, the C 350’s cabin is conservative in its design. It is ergonomically sound and very well crafted, yet in this company, stoic and bland. The COMAND interface gets high marks in my book – the non-backlit gauge cluster does not.
The seats are flat and lack lateral support, furthering the message that this sedan is not up for playtime. Plus no paddle shifters for the seven-speed 7G-Tronic transmission.
On the road, the C 350 4Matic feels every bit the classic Mercedes. The cabin is quiet and the suspension does a good job of absorbing most road irregularities. The steering is a tad slow, but has a natural linear feel (better than the Volvo), and while the chassis does not encourage such activity, when you really lean into it, it takes a predictable set and lets you know it’s a rear-drive-based platform.
    2013 Mercedes-Benz C 350. Click image to enlarge |
I preferred its handling to the Volvo, which didn’t really seem to know where it was at.
The 302-hp direct-injection naturally aspirated 3.5L V6 felt somewhat tepid in this mostly pressurized group, mainly because its relatively modest 273 lb-ft of peak torque doesn’t arrive until 3,500 rpm.
One tester considered it overly coarse sounding in the upper reaches. He probably just stepped out of the 335i.
Bottom line, the M-B C 350 4Matic does not aspire to be a sports sedan, and it’s okay with that. But it has something to say:
“Hey you wretched pencil-pushing journos. I have a brother who can run all these girlie-man sport sedans into the rhubarb and have them crying for their mommies. And at $67,375 it undercuts your beloved $68,740 Audi S4. Can you say C 63 AMG? Can you say 451 horsepower and 443 lb-ft from one of the greatest V8 engines ever fashioned by humankind?”
I’m listening.
Pricing: 2013 Mercedes-Benz C 350 4Matic
Base price: $47,700
Optional equipment: Driving Assistance Package – $800; Premium Package – $3,800; Tenorite grey metallic – $890
Destination: $2,075
A/C Tax: $100
Price as tested: $55,365
4th Place: 2013 Volvo S60 T6 AWD R-Design, Jeff Wilson
 2013 Volvo S60. Click image to enlarge |
Recalling its wild-child 850 R ancestors, our S60 T6 R-Design showed up at this comparison test determined not to be a wallflower. First off, its Rebel Blue attire guaranteed that nobody missed the Swede, but its engine made sure nobody forgot it, either.
Who’d have guessed the Volvo would be the hot rod of this illustrious bunch of storied sport sedans? Thanks to software tuning from Polestar, the R-Design gets a bump in horsepower from 300 to 325 (second in this bunch only to the Audi) and 354 lb-ft of torque, bettering the Audi by nearly 30 lb-ft, and the comparatively weak-kneed Benz by more than 80 lb-ft.
This abundance of torque is definitely felt – just ask Senior Editor Jonathan Yarkony who was riding shotgun and trying to scribble notes when I pinned him to the seat with a judicious stab of the Volvo’s throttle. Even after a day of caning each of the highly spirited cars in this group, the Volvo still surprised us with its ferocious pull, and made me grin with fiendish delight every time the 14.1 psi of boost were called upon.
Unfortunately, like most hot rods, the Volvo is a little crude in many respects. The transmission was derided because of its woefully slow shifts and lack of paddles. Struggling to find the right gear surely contributed to the S60 tying the Cadillac for worst observed fuel economy.
   2013 Volvo S60. Click image to enlarge |
Its wild and woolly engine is wickedly addictive with its bursts of turbo torque, yet with great power comes great responsibility and the lack of handling makes it unnecessarily challenging to properly control, causing its lowest “Easy to Drive” score in the group.
   2013 Volvo S60. Click image to enlarge |
Where the Volvo is really let down is its chassis and steering. The suspension is stiffened to a point of bouncy discomfort, and feels crude compared to the Bimmer and Caddy. What’s more, neither the taut springs nor the performance tires (the only car in the bunch so equipped) did anything to help the Volvo’s handling ability, rated poorest here. Steering felt less precise than the others too, and when coupled with an all-wheel-drive system simply not as finely tuned as the best systems here, it became clear the S60 was never really a podium contender.
On the bright side, the Swedes have always known how to make sensational seats and this car is no exception, with thrones bound to be comfortable for many miles. Plus, with ease of entry and rear seat comfort being among the best, the practicality Volvos have always been associated with comes into play once more, despite its outlandish paint. That paint also helped some of our testers (though I was not one of them) rate the S60’s styling a close second behind the gorgeous Audi.
In so many respects, the S60 is a polarizing car. Its engine is less refined than the others in this group, yet it delivers raw, exciting acceleration. It looks like a sassy sports machine, though it doesn’t handle as well as the others. One thing is sure, none of us will forget the bright blue Volvo – the car that ranked higher on the subjective “Emotional Appeal” category than even the BMW.
Pricing: 2013 Volvo S60 R-Design Platinum
Base price (R-Design Platinum): $54,650
Optional equipment: Navigation System with Bluetooth/USB/Aux – $3,825, Navigation prep – $125
Destination: $1,095
A/C Tax: $100
Price as tested: $59,705
3rd place: 2013 Cadillac ATS 3.6 Premium AWD, Michael Bettencourt
 2013 Cadillac ATS. Click image to enlarge |
The Cadillac ATS may have finished third in this shootout overall, but it garnered some serious respect for its handling and fun-to-drive capabilities, especially given that its fully loaded price came in 10 grand less than the overall winner. It has all the qualities that made the 3 Series beloved: silky smooth engine, manual transmission availability (though not with all-wheel drive), great steering feel, and handling that makes every onramp and sharp corner a joyous occasion, even on the dullest commute. And thanks to its Magnetic Ride Control adaptive suspension, it provided both a comfortable ride and firm, flat cornering when called upon.
But in the end, it was perhaps too similar to previous 3 Series models to emerge victorious, in that its responsive driving appeal was simply shortchanged by tight dimensions inside as well as in the trunk.
Truth be told, I was the only one amongst our esteemed testers to score the ATS highest on my scorecard. I appreciated the fact that there was obviously a lot of effort put forth into this car: in its styling, interior features, and overall responsiveness, at a reasonable $58,365 as-tested price for an obviously fully loaded model that came in second-most affordable of our group. With this car, you’re not paying extra for the badge on the hood, or actually the grille, now.
   2013 Cadillac ATS. Click image to enlarge |
The ATS garnered its best marks in the all important Features/Amenities category, as well as top marks in steering and its comprehensive warranty, with the features win being especially impressive given its relatively low as-tested price. It tied the much pricier Audi as the top fun-to-drive sport sedans here, and came in a close second for overall emotional appeal. It may have paid for its sporty feel in exuberant thrashing, with the ATS garnering the worst observed fuel consumption of the bunch, at 13.0 L/100 km.
Cadillac’s new entry-level sedan actually starts at less than $36,000, but after upgrading from rear to all-wheel drive, the engine to the most powerful 321-hp 3.6L V6, this ATS seemed bursting with features. A heated steering wheel, head-up display, safety alert seats that discreetly nudge you when needed, remote start, a leather-lined dashboard, shift paddles and even illuminated door handles that brighten as you walk up to them led some to say it almost seemed as if the Cadillac was trying too hard to impress. Many of these items are not available on the others, and that’s not including OnStar.
Why would you need OnStar when you have a navi system to point you along, some may ask? As I discovered that weekend after some extended seat time in the ATS, the navi system can tell you where the closest McDonald’s is, but it can’t phone up the local McDonald’s manager to ask if there’s a Playland area for the kids, as our OnStar advisor did. That’s an above-and-beyond level of service right there, plus the automatic crash notification and various other location and diagnostic services it offers, all with a welcome human touch.
  2013 Cadillac ATS. Click image to enlarge |
The Caddy did worst in any measurement that involved rear seat room and interior spaciousness, and even from the front, the ATS feels notably cozier than the others. There was some discrepancy when it came to the appeal of the button-less CUE (Cadillac User Interface) system, with some finding it maddening to use, and others impressed at its combination of visual appeal and usefulness. Nothing’s as easy to use as simple round knobs and buttons, but once you take the time to set it up the way you want it, the system seems pleasingly futuristic. The big bright touchscreen displays only basic functions all the time, like radio presets, but then when your hand moves close, more options magically appear. Harder to forgive was the crappy radio reception, with at least one preset station in other cars virtually unlistenable in the ATS.
But overall, while it’s easy to spend other people’s money to enjoy the more spacious, comfortable and slightly more refined details of some of its German rivals, the Cadillac ATS no doubt proves that it belongs right up near the front of the pack.
Pricing: 2013 Cadillac ATS 3.6 Premium AWD
Base price (3.6 Premium AWD): $53,450
Optional equipment: Power Sunroof – $1,395; Crystal red tintcoat – $1,295; 18-inch polished aluminum wheels – $630
Destination: $1,595
A/C Tax: $100
Price as tested: $58,645
2nd place: 2013 BMW 335i xDrive Sport, Michael Bettencourt
 2013 BMW 335i. Click image to enlarge |
By the end of this sport sedan duel, it came down to an alternating slugfest between the top two finishers, with alternating blows barely separating them in the final count. The winner won 11 categories, this BMW topped 10. One key difference was this all-wheel-drive 335i scored lowest in exterior looks.
Blame the smaller winter wheel and tire package that didn’t quite fill out the 335i’s wheel wells as well as the standard rims, or compared some of the others here, even though all but one were still running on winter rubber for our early April test (and wise that they did as we experienced snow, hail and freezing rain later that week). Or perhaps it was the optional black metallic paint, which managed to hide much of the fine curvature of the new 3’s body. Whatever it was, the BMW is far from unattractive, but scored the lowest marks for its visual appeal, and by a considerable margin.
But from there, the BMW bounced back with top marks for its interior, nailing high scores for its design, rear seat roominess and ease of parking, as well as good parking visibility all the way around. The lovely red Dakota leather seats coddled one’s torso nicely, offering an extendable seat cushion that also offered adjustable thigh support, helping this 335i land the top comfort score as well. Not running on flashy low profile rubber likely helped this comfort score too, even if it did cost it some exterior styling points.
In fine BMW tradition, there was also a lot for the enthusiast driver to appreciate here. Even this top-of-the-line all-wheel-drive 335i can be ordered with a manual transmission, though our group featured all automatics, with this one a sophisticated eight-speed automatic that offered immaculately placed and responsive shift paddles. It was not far from a perfect transmission, smoothly comfortable in traffic and at parking speeds, but willing to instantly turn a casual commute into a fun one sampling equal servings of 300 hp and lb-ft of torque with a couple of quick downshifts, leading to yet another top score for the transmission.
  2013 BMW 335i. Click image to enlarge |
That engine also gave the 335i the best observed fuel consumption after a full day of varied driving, at 10.8 L/100 km, which soundly out-sipped even the considerably less powerful Mercedes-Benz. Even the previously idiotic iDrive console between the seats has now become one of the easiest to use of such systems, with real buttons for items like radio presets that may not look as futuristic as touchscreen soft buttons, but are comfortingly easy to use.
The BMW’s $61,995 as-tested price was second highest, a few grand above most of its rivals here, which would have been much closer to the C-Class if the Benz wasn’t the stripper of the group. But this 335i still cost a sizable $6,745 chunk less than the winner.
Dynamically, it didn’t do much wrong at all, and though it finished at the top of one judge’s score sheet, the BMW’s many solid qualities just wasn’t quite enough to make us love it.
Shallow as it sounds, it’s hard to fall in love when there’s little physical attraction. Just for fun, I configured a similar 335i xDrive on BMW Canada’s website, but added the $2,300 M Sport package that includes more aggressive lower body work all around that hunkered it to the ground, much sexier star-spoke 18-inch wheels on summer rubber, and added M Sport-specific Estoril Blue metallic paint that costs the same as this one’s Black Sapphire metallic. Plus I couldn’t resist the no-cost six-speed manual transmission option.
 2013 BMW 335i. Click image to enlarge |
Looking at that car, there’s no way it would be rated least attractive sport sedan here, and could very well have zoomed up the emotional appeal charts. It still would have come in $4,445 less than the overall winner, but would that have been enough to bump it up to top spot? Would the handling gains of the M Sport suspension and lower profile tires have outweighed the balance between comfort and sport provided by the standard setup on cushy winter rubber? Impossible to say for sure, and unfortunately for BMW we don’t score “what ifs”, so as it stands now, this 335i xDrive receives a hard-fought second-place on this podium and an invite to our next round.
Pricing: 2013 BMW 335i xDrive Sport
Base price (335i xDrive Sport): $53,800
Optional equipment: Premium Package – $4,500; Driver Assistance Package – $800; Black sapphire metallic paint – $800
Destination: $2,095
A/C Tax: $100
Price as tested: $61,995
1st Place: 2013 Audi S4 Quattro Premium, Jeff Wilson
    2013 Audi S4. Click image to enlarge |
Well surprise, surprise, another Audi wins another Autos.ca comparison test (that’s three in a row for those of you that are counting). And yes, we know it’s the most expensive car in the group, but before you hurl insults at us for picking the obvious choice, hear me out.
First of all, please understand that this was far from a runaway victory for the Audi. Of our test drivers, we were surprisingly divided about which car should take the trophy (all but one of us chose either the S4 or the 335i, with that one odd duck preferring the ATS).
Even before putting our butts in the spectacular sport seats, the Audi stands out from this pack with its gorgeous exterior design. Chosen prettiest of the pageant, the S4 beautifully blends its aggressive front end with well-proportioned flanks and a tidy caboose, not to mention exterior lighting that is distinctive and appealing. Wearing a $750 optional Estoril Blue Crystal Effect paint didn’t hurt either. [Hmm, are they running out of colour names that BMW and Audi both have Estoril Blues? –Ed.]
Inside, the Audi is almost as perfect, taking a second place only to the more contemporary BMW (the voting possibly skewed by one judge’s disdain for Audi’s multiple “blanks” on the dash despite its lofty cost). The aforementioned seats enveloped most of us with fantastic support in shoulders, hips and thighs, keeping the driver planted during aggressive cornering.
And it’s that cornering that makes the Audi really stand out from the pack. Its capabilities are nearly supernatural with grip and the ability to put power to the ground that practically defy physics. True, the pricey $4,000 Audi Drive Select with Quattro Sport Differential utilizes advanced computer trickery to get the job done; but it impressed the heck out of each of us for its performance, especially on the tight and gritty corners.
One of our test team did note however, that the Audi’s power delivery near its limits feels a little unnatural and might prove less effective than BMW’s more traditional power delivery in a racetrack setting. Since we didn’t have a track at our disposal, the rest of us remain skeptical of such an affront to the Quattro’s supremacy. Decades of fine-tuning Audi’s all-wheel-drive system has resulted in a remarkably polished effort – especially when compared to the only other car with front-drive origins: the Volvo.
Bearing in mind that these sedans are supposed to provide equal measures of performance and panache, it should be stated that the Audi is the loudest car here. When compared with the others, you could suggest it gets downright noisy in the S4, but I dare say it is magnificently so. The sounds that emanate from both intake and exhaust are all business and make the other cars sound either industrial or benign by comparison.
Each rip to redline is punctuated by a clicked shifter paddle and the impossibly quick S tronic dual-clutch transmission selecting its next gear. The BMW’s awesome eight-speed is surprisingly rapid fire too, but the Audi emits a ferocious snort with each shift, adding to the visceral enjoyment.
   2013 Audi S4. Click image to enlarge |
For those that question the price, I wish to remind everyone that if you can live without the computerized suspension option and trick diff, 19-inch wheels, fancy paint and navigation, you can shave ten grand from the Audi. Then you’d still have the best engine, brakes, styling and the most fun-to-drive car of the group. Better still, shift your own gears (something only BMW and Audi let you do) and save another $1,600.
Still not convinced? The S4 also possesses the best cargo space (with a wide, square opening), cabin storage and driving position as determined by the votes. And on top of all of that, it can still do its due diligence as a passenger-carrying device with mid-pack ratings for rear seat comfort.
Audi’s victory here is hard-fought, but well earned, even if it did only squeak out a win by a single point over the BMW.
With exciting new competitors from Lexus and Infiniti on the horizon, a rematch won’t be far off, and can’t come soon enough.
Pricing: 2013 Audi S4 Quattro Premium
Base price (S4 Quattro Premium): $59,400
Optional equipment: Audi Drive Select with Quattro Sport Differential – $4,000; Carbon atlas trim – $800; Estoril Blue Crystal Effect paint – $750
Destination: $1,995
A/C Tax: $100
Price as tested: $68,740
