Albanyboy

I've been thinking alot about this lately as I'm in the position to buy a new daily driver within the next few months. What do you think? Why did you choose the S4/S5(with the V6T) over a car like the M3?

Here are some Pro's and Con's for each car that I came up with:

E92 M3 DCT

Pros
- Fast car (some have got 0-60 in 4.1)
- M-handling/feel
- Sound of the V8. Possibly regarded as one of the best engines to ever be made
- 8300 RPM Redline...
- Very customization drive... speed and roughness of shift settings, m mode, etc.
- Wide Screen MMI system

Cons
- Gas mileage
- Outdated body come next year
- Winter performance


V6T S4/S5 equipped with DSG

Pros
- Winter driving
- Highly tune-able (I will not tune my daily though)
- Has some customization in ride... Dynamic vs Comfort mode... nothing as detailed as the M though
- Great seats
- AWD Makes taking on/off ramps a breeezeeeeee
- Gas Mileage

Cons
- No sound
- Not alot of steering feedback feel... even in dynamic...
- Slower than M
- MMI System annoys me... and this is coming out of an A5

If you're wondering about price... where I live a 2011 M3 with 10,000 kms is the same price as a brand new S4... so will go slightly used if going with M.

Help me out! Convince me to stay with Audi! I'm trying to play the gas mileage card but.. I wonder to myself... REALLY? I'm buying a car for over 60k and I'm going to complain about the 1,500$/yr increase in gas?

stactum

Couple more questions to help you out:

Will you (and how often) use all M3 power and performance? S4?

Do you need access to rear seat?

How different is the insurance cost?

Albanyboy

Will I use the M3's power? I do not plan to track the car at all... this will be my daily driver. However, I do like to have fun with my cars... I live in an area where a 10 minute drive leaves you in the middle of farm land with up/down hills and twisties. I can see myself going for a weekend drive and appreciating the sound/feel of the M3... For some reason I feel as if the S4 won't be as connected...

Access to rear seats? Nope... bachelor here and not looking to start a family anytime soon lol

Insurance cost? I'm in Canada.. so all insurance rates are sky high... but very similar rates for both cars.

StasisS4

Do you like fake tans, vodka water's, and working out your arms? Go with the M3.

Otherwise stick with the S4.

DrGP

IMHO, the S4/S5 is a much better daily driver. The exhaust sound has been improved for '13. I think the MMI system has been upgraded as well. In fact the cost of the S5 has been dropped a few thousand dollars making the choice of 2 or 4 doors even more difficult. If I were to buy now, I think I would probably go S5 since I love the look of the coupe better and don't need the back seat very often. BTW, the M3 engine has no low end torque. A stock s4 will hold its own below 100 mph. With a tune, it beats an M3

Goony

The 335 is a more appropriate competitor to the S4/S5.

Kilgore Trout

If you do in fact live in Albany, as your name suggests, I would definately go with the Audi, espcially if its a daily driver. My S4 is my daily driver, and its outstanding in that role. Here is Wisconsin, I notice that all the M3's (along with the Merc AMG's) magically disappear when the snow starts. Slap a set of snow tires on the Audi and you have a car that will rival some SUV's in the snow (just watch the ground clearance). If an M3 driver gives you flack for choosing the Audi tell him that you will meet him for a drag race...in the middle of January..;-)

That being said, if you are a single guy, the S5 IMHO is a much sexier beast that will get some attention. The S4 is a bit plain. On the flip side, if you have alot of traffic cops around, the S4 tends to blend in and fly under the radar a bit more, due to looking like an ordinary A4. Finally, the S4 makes great farting noises under heavy accelleration. Don't know if the ladies like that kind of thing...

sakimano

M3 is the better car. Get the M3 if you live south of the mason dixon line.

If not, get the S4/5.

Simple enough.

sakimano

not if he wants an M3 and his only 4door Audi choice is the S4. Further, the S4/5 are indeed good enoguh to warrant comparison.

If I were looking for a car today, I'd look at S4/b7RS4/S5/RS5/C63/M3/ISf/CTSv and wouldn't hesitate to recommend any one of those cars as they're all excellent.

Ufnv

2013 S4/S5 are NOT tune-able! This together with significantly lowered redline makes them much slower than M3. Really in 335 or G37 class performance-wise.

So, until some tuner release a flash for 2013 (hopefully it is possible), S4 cannot be compared to M3 if speed means something for you.