bluebirdpow

- The S4 has higher across the board safety ratings than both the 335i and M3, and Quattro will help avoid a crash in snow, ice or rain
- The S4 is more sporty than the 335i-- it has the Sport Differential and Dual Clutch Auto, both sports car innovations not seen on any other Audis, yet.
- You can distinguish an S4 from an A4
- The S4 is better looking than the 335i
- Everyone has a 3-series. I am aware there's a reason, but come on.
- The S4 has finally gotten close enough to the 335i balance and handling (a huge feat), but with all wheel drive it's better if you ever plan to see snow or rain
- The reason that Audi hasn't come out with the RS4 isn't the bad economy, it's because it will be more capable than the R8. Audi will need to replace the R8 with the R10, then come out with the RS4. The RS4 will destroy the M3, especially considering a chip in an S4 is all that's necessary.
- For the less informed guests, BMW's x-drive sucks compared to Quattro and represents everything BMW isn't, except a car company trying to sell cars. You can't get the sport package suspension on the 3-series x-drive because the car engineers engineered the car as a RWD, then slapped x-drive on there as an afterthought. It's a shame that x-drive came out the way it did-- due to consumer demand. Porsche introduced their AWD system with a supercar (the 959).
- With the new active differential, the B8 RS4 will be able to beat cars like the GT-R. RWD BMW and Ferrari will live in the past.
- Audi's cars get progressively better in performance, aesthetics, and ergonomics. For some reasons, ehem BANGLE (and others), BMW's progressively lose aesthetics, road feel, ergonomics, and fun factor. Why not just get a 2005 E46 Manual Competition Package M3 or a 2003 E39 Manual M5, then hold on to that until BMW makes a better car? If all those electronics make the car better, why not AWD? AWD not better? Porsche learned better with their 959, Nissan always knew. Ferrari?... well, wait til they get spanked repeatedly by AWD cars over the next decade. Wait until the 3-series gets spanked enough, not by Audi, but by Mitsubishi and Subaru. Tell you what Ferrari, make me a RWD MANUAL TRANSMISSION awesome perfect car that's about the same performance as the 2005 M3 but perfect in every way. Sell it for 70K and call it the Ferrari "Plebian":

(plĭbē`ənz) [Lat. plebs=people], general body of Roman citizens, as distinct from the patrician class. They lacked, at first, most of the patrician rights, but with the establishment of the tribune of the people in the 5th cent. B.C., they gradually achieved political equality with the patricians. First marriage of plebeians with patricians was validated, then plebeians were admitted successively over several decades to the quaestorship, the consulate, the dictatorship, the censorship, and the praetorship; they finally obtained the important priestly offices of the pontificate and augurship in 300 B.C. With the blurring of the distinction between the two classes, from this time the name plebs passed to the lowest ranks of the people.

That, I'll buy.

- Audi is an acceptable car to drive in mountain towns.
- Are you going to park your BMW for the winter? That sucks. I can't wait for winter.
- Audi people are cooler than BMW people.

rktskicar

There is no debate about this here. We have already made our choice. I personally think the 335i/335xi/M3 are fine automobiles. However, my car is my ski machine so AWD is required (scratch 335i/M3). I like the B8 S4 better than the 335xi. Good choice of color!

Bruce

Chris

SOLD! Now, where can I buy one? Oh wait ... I did. Now if the damn thing would just SHOW UP!

Anyhow, those are all excellent points bluebirdpow. Now, I think you should work in marketing for Audi. I've always liked the rarity of Audi here in the U.S. relative to the Bavarian blue and white propeller.

gIzzE

Hmmmm???

You obviously haven't owned a 335I???


Point 1.
335i on winter tyres will work far better than Quattro on all seasons.
Quattro helps you pull away in the crappy conditions, it will not help you stop like you say.

Point 2.
The 335i is still far sportier, it is much better balanced and the balance is almost perfect. The Audi is still a bit nose heavy, it is the best Audi made so far, but still not there yet.

Point 3.
Can you??? It has a badge that says S4 and......???

Point 4.
That is in the eye of the beholder, I wish Audi would drop all that chrome crap, it is a bit 1994!!

Point 5.
See Points 1 and 2.
I couldn't get enough feedback from the S4 to let me really push on, the ultimate grip is fine, but with the BMW you can feel exactly what it is doing, where as on the S4 you have to learn how far you can push it.
The RS4 is better in this respect.

Point 6.
Haha.

Point 7.
BMW's xDrive is fantastic, it sells more 4wd cars than Audi by the way.

Point 8.
Now I realise this post is just a joke.

Point 9.
I agree, in a few generations Audi may be at the same level as BMW.





I have to say, right now I would take the S4 over the 335i, but I have done the 335i thing already and I have a 1 series for fun, my Audi's are my daily drivers, they are nice comfy waft machines. But if it were only one car it would have to be the BMW I'm afraid.

AvantB8

@ gIzzE

I agree with some points...
I did own the 325 and "sort of" 335i, both with the ZSP.

1) Quattro vs 335 + Winters -- no contest. You may wish it was that way, but not. That is why they have the X-drive (XI)

2) Handling -- again, you wish... I thought almost perfect 50/50 balance and BMW handling cannot be outhandled -- not the case. Go to Audizine.com, read the track report of the owner that has both vehicles (stock for stock)... Bimmer is ~51/49, S4 is ~54/46...not a huge difference, but the LSD is...or lack of it.

3) Badge, pipes, wheels, sideskirts, front bumper, trunk cover...that are obvious exterior differences. What are the obvious 335 to 328 differences except the exhaust??? Remember, S4 goes against 335, A4 vs. 328...

4) Comparing the sales of the Bimmer vs. Audi is ridiculous -- Bimmer sells a few million cars per year, Audi much less. We get 2250 S4's/year in the USA, Bimmer gets tens of thousands of the 335's per year...

For your last comment, I actually agree that the next generation 335 (or 340) will be better than the 2010 S4, but the current S4 beats the 335 in pretty much every performance and price category.

One thing I liked better with my Bimmer was the Steering...

bluebirdpow

If BMW made cars as well as they make motorcycles, well, you could have an argument. Otherwise, no. Re-read my post.

Jack Foulard

I want the avant S4 though.

gIzzE

I still think the 335i has the edge when it comes to rewarding the driver.
I have gone passed buying a car because it is the quickest, whether that be someone taking it round a track, or 1/4 mile.

I went through loads of Audis, including the last S4 etc. looking for something, and in the end I never found it.

Then I tried this...





It was awesome, it gave me what I was looking for and then some!!

However, I then needed something to rack the miles up again as I was doing 40,000 miles a year, so bought this...



And I have to say it was the worst car I have ever owned, and I have owned a few.
So swapped it after 2 months for this..



Now, the 335i was awesome, remapped it was incredible, I managed to get 0-60mph times of 4.7 seconds nearly everytime using a RaceTechnology AP22 timing meter, it would do a 1000 mile journey in one go without breaking a sweat, the seats were, and still are the best seats I have had in any car, I could sit at 140mph for 2 hours and my wife would doze off as it was all so refined.
It was/is an engineering masterpiece, however....it is also pretty dull.
It is an Autobahn mile muncher, no fuss, no drama just eats the miles, albeit very, very quickly. The fact it is so competent is also its downfall.

So I bought another M3, again SMG but not a CSL this time.

In the 335i (and on the S4) you have power on tap all the time, doesn't matter what gear you are in really, you bury the gas and you go, and quickly. Take them on a twisty road and as you approach a corner you you lift off slightly and then bury it again as you come out, all very quick but no drama, no sense of reward.
In the M3 you have to get the revs right, you go down the road and hit 4000rpm and the engine starts to scream, 5000rpm and it is howling, by 6000rpm it sounds like thunder, 7000, 8000rpm and the whole car feels lighter on its feet, you point the nose where you want it to go and it goes, you hit the brakes as you hit the corner and blip the gears down to 3rd, as you come out of the apex you hit the gas, you have managed to get it so the car is at 4500rpm, perfect!! The tyres chirp and the back end wiggles as they get traction, you hit 8000rpm again and it starts all over again!
And breathe!!


However.....

That's not what you always want from a car, right now I am doing the miles again and so wanted something comfy, so I bought a 3.2 A6 Avant, of course I would like an S4 avant, but I would have to have one car then, and I don't really want one sensible car, which, let's be honest that is what they are, very quick sensible cars, but they are still pretty sensible.
So I bought the A6 and a BMW 123d, which is a little 4cyl 2.0 diesel engine with twin turbos and remapped to 250bhp, it does the sprint to 60mph in 6.1 seconds, but it is the speed this thing can keep up in the corners and its go-kart like handling that make it such an awesome car.

While I went through all the cars above, I also had a 120d M-Sport, it is the only car I have kept for over a year, actually kept it 2 years, hence why when the M3 went I bought another 1 series. I cold have got another 335i or 335d for similar money, but I have the A6 for that job, the 1er is now my toy, debadged and shocks a few people, especially going up to the coast where the roads get very twisty!!

So my point is, I do get the whole Audi thing more now than I ever did, I used to buy them because I liked the badge/image/design, the S4 with DSG is the first Audi I have actually really wanted to own, I very, very nearly bought an S4 avant instead of the A6 and 1 series, and could have had a 335i for the same price as the 123d, so right now I am definitely in the S4 camp, when there are a few demo models kicking around next year I will probably swap the A6 for an S4 avant, and yeah I would take it over the 335i touring, however, I won't expect it to give me that rewarding feeling the BMW gives.
I only know one person who has gone from a 335i to the S4, coupe to saloon (sedan) and he is loving the S4, however he admits that it is very different once you get to know them both, and the BMW is more exciting, but he is still loving the S4 right now.

NWS4Guy

I think it's quite a bit of irony to trash someone's post point by point - countering most every point (which were almost all opinions and subjective by the way), then close by stating you would take this current lesser vehicle by your description.

I'll also point you to Audizine, specifically a post made by a 335i owner, who recently also bought an S4, and tracks his cars - often. I won't ruin the surprise for you, but he tracked both back to back one day and wrote a review on it with the track times.

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=325423

bluebirdpow

BMW people, you make predictable points. However, you're missing what I originally said. All the valid points you make about driving feel S4 vs 335i can easily be made about 335i vs previous generation BMWs. The point is, if you want a modern car, the S4 is better. All modern cars have less and less driver involvement, except Lotus. If you want to own a piece of history and have driver involvement, get a pre-2005 BMW, preferably M-badged.