sakimano

what do you guys use your folding side mirrors for? I know in Europe they're key on the tight streets when parking etc. but not sure in the 10 years or so that I've owned Audis and other German cars here that I've used my folding mirrors more than 2 or 3 times.

Am I missing out on something?

willa1975

I live in Philadelphia...it's a very old place with very narrow streets and it is not unusual to see a car get its mirror knocked off when parallel parked. Also, I have a very tight garage opening and I need to fold my mirrors in before I pull the car in.

willa1975

So I did a marathon day of test driving...Lexus GS 350, 335i, 328i, A6 and S4.

As the S4 and A6 are close in price, I felt obligated to cross shop them and check out the GS 350 as an A6 competitor. I was very much impressed by the GS...I've never driven a Lexus before and it's a lot more fun to drive than I've heard Lexuses tend to be.

The 335 and 328 are what I'm used to...I was impressed by the 328's turbo four and feel that the gap between it and the 335 is significantly narrower than the e90. The f30s lose a lot of steering feel, though, unless you put them in sport mode.

The A6 confirmed my suspicions...I'm just not that keen on bigger cars, and it felt big enough to me that it wasn't particularly fun to drive. For some reason, the GS350 felt like a smaller car and I actually preferred it to the A6.

After driving the A6 and S4 back to back, the S4 was easily the choice for me. I've just about decided on an Estoril Blue S4 with Prestige trim, black interior, carbon atlas trim, sport diff and adaptive suspension. Going to have the V6T badges removed and will consider getting the "supercharged" badges if I feel the car looks naked...

Comparing it to the 335, I think the S4 wins out. Advantages of the S4, in my mind, are the quattro, the sport diff, and the DCT over the 335's automatic. Not interested in a manual...too much stop and go driving on my daily commute. I also like the ability to make individual settings on drive select over only the set modes that are available on the f30. The f30's run flats also make it a bit harsh over the crappy roads in my neck of the woods.

I'm going to run things through my head again and sleep on it, but my mind's just about made up. Starting to feel a bit emotional about the impending end of my relationship with my e92...my parents drove BMWs when I was a kid and it was the car I'd always wanted to get...feels like the end of an era.

moose_head

Was the A6 with the 3.0T? I imagine the 2.0T wouldn't stack up as well

Either way, S4 best choice

phanker

Excellent choice. Congrats.
I went through a similar dilema between the S4 and F30 and ended up with a 2013 S4.
BMW has gone soft lately while Audi seems to have gone more sporty. I never considered an Audi before due their understeering history. BMW was on my list for their excellent steering feel and handling. The new F30 managed to mess that up and is now worse than Audi in those 2 departments. How times have changed.

willa1975

It was the 3.0.

The A6 was nice, it definitely felt capable, but the ride was a little too cushy for me. I also prefer smaller vehicles...my e92 is the largest car I have ever owned, and the A6 just felt bigger than what I generally enjoy driving. It definitely didn't feel slow, but in terms of sheer driving pleasure, the S4 wins hands down.

Evlengr

Funny as I drove away in my brand new S4 I kinda felt like I betrayed my BMW. I had always wanted one as a kid as well (that and a ferrari Spyder). In the long run it was BMW that had betrayed me now that I think about it three weeks later. There really isnt anything I can find wrong with this car. It does everything I expected my BMW to do and more. I test drove a multitude of cars (except Japanese as I prefer German type handling)and it always came back to the S4. I miss having the utility of my X3, but push comes to shove and I will just buy an old jeep cherokee if need be. The only time I am sad with my S4 is when I get out of it.

willa1975

So I'm hoping to get a deal done this week. Going to meet with a dealer tomorrow after work and am approved for a loan. Need to have a look at the sticker to be sure there are no unwanted surprises. But hopefully I'll have something definite tomorrow.

seinsmeld13

Folding mirrors? That would not be a deal breaker for me. In all my years of driving I have only had a need to fold em a few times which is easy to do manually on these cars. I would think if a kid walking down the street saw folded in mirrors it would attract some vandalism thinking the owner was a show off.

willa1975

It's not a deal breaker, but I do use that feature every day and I will miss it. I have a rather small garage and it makes things a lot less stressful to be able to fold in my mirrors when I pull the car in.