[offthewall]

I have a 2008 328xi E90. I thought I was pretty much settled on getting a 335i X drive Sedan (or possibly a coupe) next year.

I'm now also looking at either an S4 or S5.

Convince me that the Audi S's aren't viable alternatives to the 335.

[E92TTKING]

s5 ftw but they are hard to find
s4= noob
335 is really the best but the s5 is just damn sexy

[dmist199]

I think the S4 & S5(was thinking about getting this myself) are both great cars, however if you want more HP out of them, its gonna cost you. 335xi is a lot easier for you to gain some HP, thats the reason i'm aiming for the 335.

[Never-Enough]

S4 was on my list too, but can't mod much unless you want to spend way too much & MPG blows. I couldn't justify the $10k or so price difference (For what I wanted) so I went 335.

S5 may be my next daily driver though.

[scarzie]

Originally Posted by greek335xi

s5 ftw but they are hard to find
s4= noob
335 is really the best but the s5 is just damn sexy

s4=noob is entirely incorrect, have you seen the b8s with the s/c 3 liter? They are no joke, especially with a tune and they haven't been on the market too long so expect to see big things in coming years. The s5 is gorgeous, but a PIG and really isn't very fast, and honestly with the price gap b/t the s4 and s5, anyone performance minded would say s5=noob. This is all IMO as well.

[E92TTKING]

Originally Posted by scarzie

s4=noob is entirely incorrect, have you seen the b8s with the s/c 3 liter? They are no joke, especially with a tune and they haven't been on the market too long so expect to see big things in coming years. The s5 is gorgeous, but a PIG and really isn't very fast, and honestly with the price gap b/t the s4 and s5, anyone performance minded would say s5=noob. This is all IMO as well.

my friend has a b8 s4 with apr tune. If you want speed though you get a 335 not an s4. Thats why i got a 335. But if you want a little higher class in terms of looks and finish and still have relatively fast speed then s5 ftw


Edit: b8 s4's are around the same price as s5's nowadays

[///M3THOD]

Realistically, your not going to go wrong with any of the 3. They all have their pro's and con's.

[reprod]

Everyone is thinking about speed here but no one is thinking about handling.
What's the point of all this speed if you still have to slow down to 30 before that next turn.

S4 has an option for factory LSD, sports suspension, adaptive suspension.
335xi has none of these options. If you want to compare the 335 against these vehicles (price-wise) then factor in spending the extra money saved in some coil-overs and possibly some anti-sways. The 335xi stock with not outhandle the S4.

I chose the 335xi over the S4 just this past March because I knew I had coils and I wouldnt make full use of the optional LSD on the S4. I also didn't like the steering feel too much on the S4.

[offthewall]

Originally Posted by reprod

Everyone is thinking about speed here but no one is thinking about handling.
What's the point of all this speed if you still have to slow down to 30 before that next turn.

S4 has an option for factory LSD, sports suspension, adaptive suspension.
335xi has none of these options. If you want to compare the 335 against these vehicles (price-wise) then factor in spending the extra money saved in some coil-overs and possibly some anti-sways. The 335xi stock with not outhandle the S4.

I chose the 335xi over the S4 just this past March because I knew I had coils and I wouldnt make full use of the optional LSD on the S4. I also didn't like the steering feel too much on the S4.

Yes, it all matters, speed, feel, handling. Thanks for that input.

[virtualbong]

I absolutely love the look of the S5 exterior...the interior seats are the hotness but the dash and steering wheel look horrible. I would still get it if I could but you better be ready to shell out a lot of money in gas...supposedly the S5 guzzles gas.

[Nic123]

I am considering the same question and asked some of my driving instructors at the last HPDE I attended. They all say the S4 is a great car but you're not as connected to the road as you are in the 335.
Disclaimer: I haven't test-driven an S4 so I can't give an opinion and oh yeah they are all BMW drivers so perhaps not unbiased...

[hmmcolor]

You're lucky to be in a position where you can make this choice.

You really can't go wrong. But in my opinion, if you want AWD, go Audi. They were designed for it.

[offthewall]

Originally Posted by hmmcolor

You're lucky to be in a position where you can make this choice.

You really can't go wrong. But in my opinion, if you want AWD, go Audi. They were designed for it.

Well the S5 would be pushing the budget a bit. but s4/335x are in the range

[Kolyan2k]

All nice cars. Test drive them and pick one. If you pick S4/5 make sure to get sport diff.

main things to keep in mind are: 335xi does not have sport package and in too high. S4/5 AWD system is much better then X-drive. Also all engines are different: N/A vs S/C vs Turbo.....pick what you like.

If I wanted coupe, 335i/S5 would be my choice, if sedan, then S4 for sure. I think S4 looks better then e90 335xi. 335i is probably more sporty then S5 and has better MPG, but S5 is more luxury, V8, and kinda rare.


EDIT: not sport package, sport suspension i mean

[scarzie]

Originally Posted by greek335xi

my friend has a b8 s4 with apr tune. If you want speed though you get a 335 not an s4. Thats why i got a 335. But if you want a little higher class in terms of looks and finish and still have relatively fast speed then s5 ftw


Edit: b8 s4's are around the same price as s5's nowadays

Word, plus if the s5 (non convertible) came with the SC 3, mmmmmmm

[Noah@CamberToe]

after having both, granted i had a b7 s4 (with the v8) and having a FBO stage 2 335 xi....get the s4...(some) people on this forum are gonna hate on audi just b/c they have a bmw i really feel that quattro is a superior awd system...i love both but if right now, at this very second, someone asked me to pick...s4 over 335 x drive....


and that new LSD on the audi s4 is amazing

good luck...i'd hate to be in your position lol

[offthewall]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

All nice cars. Test drive them and pick one. If you pick S4/5 make sure to get sport diff.

main things to keep in mind are: 335xi does not have sport package and in too high. S4/5 AWD system is much better then X-drive. Also all engines are different: N/A vs S/C vs Turbo.....pick what you like.

If I wanted coupe, 335i/S5 would be my choice, if sedan, then S4 for sure. I think S4 looks better then e90 335xi

It's funny how that works. I like the 3 sedan styling better than the coupe and the Audi 5 coupe better than the 4 sedan. I mean I like them all but... ah, I've got a six months to a year to decide.

[reprod]

Originally Posted by offthewall

It's funny how that works. I like the 3 sedan styling better than the coupe and the Audi 5 coupe better than the 4 sedan. I mean I like them all but... ah, I've got a six months to a year to decide.

So if you've got this amount of time will you be looking at the F30 or the E90 for comparisons?...

[offthewall]

Originally Posted by reprod

So if you've got this amount of time will you be looking at the F30 or the E90 for comparisons?...

I guess that depends if the F30 sees the light of day by that time. I need to get rid of the 328xi before the warranty gives out.

[williewonkerz]

I've driven both and there are couple things, get the sports diff and leave it in dynamic. Auto behaves inconsistently in my opinion.

I didn't like the S4 brakes and steering. The brakes had a first 25% mush that felt like it didn't do anything, but I understand that the S4 stops faster. For me, BMW braking felt more linear, which I like.

The Steering I hated. It softens up at low speeds and stiffens at high, but I did not like the adjustment in between and it just feels weird.

Things I liked on the S4 was nice interior, I liked the MMI (think of all the nav goodies without having to buy the nav), trunk space. The sports diff is nice in dynamic, but the car still felt "big" to me when moving through traffic.

My whole problem with the S4 was that I liked the 3 series exterior styling and sport seats, steering, braking, it seemed to do better in MPG. Plus, the 335 with sports exhaust is intoxicating.

Here in canada, I was able to get a fully loaded spec edition sedan with nav, in manual, perf power kit and exhaust for 7k less, and financed at 1.5% less.

I also couldnt decide on the color for S4, none seemed quite right.

Regardless, its an AWESOME car, at this point, you're trying to decide between candice swanepoel or Alessandra Ambrosio, seriously, they're both hot Victoria Secret models, just be happy you can have one.

[SpmnE9zero]

My buddy just bought an S5, let me tell you..... I drove it last weekend for an hour or so, what a great car!

[1997gtx]

They all have their subtle differences. They are similar enough that you have to drive them to see which you like better. But you're talking about coupes v sedans, so you need to figure out which you prefer.

Do you want to "feel" like you have good handling, or do actually want good handling when it's raining?

Everything being equal, I'm taking the S4.