New Car

[Sarmatian]

If you're looking for good value for your money, then I'd suggest Skoda. If you want something that looks classy, go for the Skoda Superb. Skoda is much cheaper than Audi and BMW, but the quality is almost as good and allthough it's a matter of taste, I find the Skoda Superb very good looking.

Pics:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I'm driving a Skoda Fabia (yes, a cheap car; expensive cars are a complete waste of money) at the moment and I'm very happy with it.

I don't like Skodas. They're cheap, yes, but not that reliable and they're definitely not classy or stylish. Better to go for VW if he wants that sort of a car.

Hmm thanks for the info about Saab, also it's not classy in Europe?

I'm looking for a sleek Sedan (A4 style, A3 is too stationwagonish), a coupe is too flashy, I like an elegant feel, a nice smooth drive, decent milage. I am looking at an Accord for a slightly less expensive solution.

I'm not sure about Audi prices in the US, but with 35,000$, good A4 might be out of your price range, if you want to buy a new car. In my opinion it might be better to get A3 with full package equipment than A4 that's missing even a sound system. If you can get one with decent stuff in it, go for it by all means.

If I were you, I'd look for a used car, let's say several years old BMW 3-series. Several years and 50,000-150,000 km is nothing for a BMW, with proper maintenance, you can get more than half a million km from it. You wouldn't even spend your entire budget, you could get a car with a strong engine and great equipment that is reliable and stylish. Of course, there are risks, but if you know a good mechanic who can check the car for you, there's not much to worry about. Also, since the car would be awesome and wouldn't look like it's straight out of the factory, you would be seen more as a "knower" than a "spender", but that's just me.

If you don't like used cars, go for Audi, no mistake there. If you don't like the new Megane, Peugeot 308 might be also worth considering. New Peugeot diesel engines are quite good, almost the quality of German ones. Get a 308 hdi and you're ready to go anywhere you want.