AngryBird

Interesting you should mention that! I moved from an S60R to the S4. There are actually 3 Rs in town here and only 2 B8 S4s. We are on the same page man. I feel that Corvettes and American Sports cars in general are much less refined. I have driven a C6 and I used to have a C5 Z06 and I much prefer the smooth acceleration of the S4 and the 335. It is good to know that you found a decent BMW dealership. The one here has very good service as well. That's where I take my S1000RR.

Buildbright

I was a muscle car guy when I was young. I still like them but not as a daily driver. Lately I have become a German ****..lol I love Audi's, BMW's, and AMG Benz's. I actually will most likely get my wife an Audi A4 next year. She thinks the A4 is just so cute...lol Got to love women.

I would love Audi to make a smaller R8. I think that would be a killer car.

Evlengr

Sorry, but this was not just the dealer but BMWNA. I dealt with them directly since I had to sue BMW to get my transmission issues rectified. In order to deny the transmission was a problem they claimed it was my driving ( I showed them my certificate from their driving school), they said it was the gas I used ( I showed them a stack of receipts and spread sheet on gas use), they said is was my tires ( they were Michelins and hunter force balanced). I did this kind of dance with BMWNA three times on three separate issues (tranny, lifters, and brakes) all very well documented issues with the X3. look at what the 335 owners had to go through with the hpfp until BMWNA finally fessed up and fixed it. Shoot even "Roundel" the BMWCCA magazine called them out.

All I am saying is not to base your buying a BMW or Audi for that matter based on whether they will or wont void your warranty based on mods. Buy it based on how the vehicle at that time meets, exceeds, or fails your expectations. I got an Audi as BMW let me down one too many times and the Audi has exceeded all my expectations so far.

willa1975

I'm definitely not interested in a muscle car...I don't make enough money to afford more than one car, and I need something that offers enough of a comfort level to suffice as a daily driver. I am very happy with my 335i when it works...but I'm just spending too much time at the dealership getting things fixed and I can't imagine it's going to get better as the miles add up.

Anyway, I've scheduled a test drive on an S4 this weekend, definitely looking forward to it. I've played around on the configurator as well...I'm inclined to stick with the 18" wheels due to the potholes around Philadelphia, but definitely would go with the sport diff, maybe the adaptive suspension.

I've still got some shopping around to do...I will also test drive the F30 335i, and maybe a Lexus GS.

Evlengr

Take it out to King of Prussia park on the back roads if you can. I would have kept my MT X3 if I could have afforded two cars as it was an MT and was not susceptible to AT lag issues. I drove the 335i and the 335i with xdrive sport model. Both very nice, but the handling that was once BMW's showcase was not there and with all the past history of the 335 combined with a multitude of little things the S4 came out in every category as being a great DD and a real monster of speed and handling when I wanted to push it. I have already come close to 140 mph and it felt like I was doing 70 tops. Not sure why a guy driving a bmw is on the site but guess it's good to have contrasting points of view.

CaseyS4

To qoute "I love my BMW when it works"....I certainly felt the same way when I had my 07 335i.

My 07 335i was one of the first to roll off the production line...so no oil cooler for me....so into limp mode it would go...at least until they put in the oil cooler.

Then the fuel pumps.....three...so 3rd time was not a charm.

Plus 3 eggs on the sidewall of my RFTs....thank god I had the tire insurance. All three were replaced without question at no charge. However, on each occasion they had the car for several days waiting to get the RFT replacement into stock.

I did love the car...the N54 engine...plus the sports package and style 162rims...was a great driving experience.

However, many days I felt like a "beta" tester....like BMW launched the car knowing full well there would be issues in the field.

That would not be so bad...but my BMW service center in Chapel Hill made things all the more painful....poor service....poor workmanship....one time they returned the car with 0 coolant!! Bone dry.

On another occasion I had them put on my Winter set up--Blizzaks--which are directional tires---and they put them on "backwards".

I know that service competence varies greatly dealer to dealer...but if you have a bad BMW service center...plus a "beta" car like my 07 335i...you will drink a lot of coffee in the service center!

CaseyS4

The Lexus GS in Silver looks almost exactly like a Cylon from Battlestar Gallactica. Its like the design team was a HUGE fan of the show and decided to turn the Cylon warrior into a car.

It would be very cool if when you activated the GPS it said...in that very cool Cylon voice..."By Your Command".

In black it looks just like Darth Vader...so in black...when you started the engine it could say..."Unleash the Power of the Dark Side".

white911

My vote S4. Another new guy here. Depends on what you want.

Lots of responses to be sure. I think they are both great cars. We recently followed the decision tree to arrive at an S4. My wife's second A4 (2004) had a fuel pump failure and was due a timing belt change. Out of warranty and faced with big budget cash infusion, we decided that we should upgrade. A major requirement -- Every car must be a track car. (My wife previously had a requirement that every car must be a manual.)

Before I purchased the 135I, I drove her A4 on the track and was amazed at how surprisingly neutral the car was. The brakes did not last anywhere near the full 50 minute instructor session; but, I was using stock pads. I was looking for a daily driver that I could occasionally use on the track to replace the Boxster S. The 135I seemed to fit the bill perfectly and I ordered one.

The 135 is wonderful in traffic -- almost never have to downshift, will pull from 40 mph in 6th with no complaints. The A4 on the other hand needed to always be above 55 to feel comfortable in 6th and in traffic the transmission needed to be rowed. The torque of the 1.8T was perfect in traffic.

The 135 on the track is somewhat of a disaster. It will not stop after two or three laps and that is with Hawk HT10s (a high torque pad racing pad). I was using competition brake fluid as well. It turns out that there is more bling than performance with those six piston calipers on the 135. The rotor is only 28mm thick (admitedly even though the brakes don't look as cool, the 335 has better brakes). Secondly, the 135 will not turn in without turning all the aids 'off' and that is with track tires as well as the original run flats. With the aids off, the rear brakes fade even faster because of the electronic limited slip. And, from my experience, the 335 is not a match for the 135 on the track; but, the slower A4 felt better. I have driven a number of older S4s on the track; but, none of them could be classified as completely stock. In fairness I have yet to test our S4 on the track. We are testing it on a long road trip starting Friday.

For what it's worth - I have 52K miles on the 135 and have not been beseiged by all the problems people have mentioned above. The HPFPs were replaced as part of a recall; but were never a problem before that. I also had a rear tail light failure, then both were replaced under recall. I hated the run flats and carry a spare around in the trunk.

Buildbright

I am sorry you had a problem but I cannot comment on your situation. I can say many BMW owners do not experience your issues. It comes down to your relationship with your SA. I have heard the same stories from Audi and VW owners. Audi, BMW, and Benz will never be a Lexus or Toyota. You want to play you have to pay.

Also I do not solely base buying a car on which one I can mod. But it is a factor as I will to play around and still have my warranty and it is not possible with Audi. So it’s BMW for me and AUDI for the Wife. Maybe in three years I will get an S7 I really like their look and power I only wish they had a European Delivery experience like BMW.

Steamer

For anyone who decides to check on my post history, you'll find that I've been torn between an S4 and a Q5 but the latest feeling is to go for an S4. I'm coming from a 2003 A4 1.8T (original owner). That car has been great to me and I'll certainly be sad to see it go but 10 years seems about right to treat myself to a new(er) vehicle. Anyway, this thread seemed like a good place to post my question.

I'm not sure if I'll go used or new but in looking at the used market, both in Canada and the US, it seems like a lot of the used S4's are black. Is this just because it was the most popular colour sold or were there any issues with this colour? The paint on my 2003 A4 has stood up exceptionally well and even though it's a dark colour (Dolphin Gray), there are very few noticable scratches or swirls. Comments on the black paint of B8 models would be appreciated.