[HyperM3]

"Weird" is the first word that comes to mind. I cant believe I was so happy with that car for so long. Dont get me wrong, its a fantastic car, but WOW, the BMW is so much better put together.

First off, the clutch on the Audi is IMHO better because its not springy. You can find the point of where it catches better. I almost stalled the 335 when I got back into it because the springy clutch pushed my foot up so fast.

WTF is with the brakes on the Audi. I mean, I know they were terrible but i almost slid into an intersection. It felt like I was stopping by using paper pads. If I stuck my feet down it would have been better. I forgot how great BMW brakes are.

Ill give one more point to the Audi for throttle response. There was no hesitation when I put my foot down, it just WENT. With the BMW it seems that I have to push the throttle down more than partway to get some power going. And at that, in first gear the pedal feels very heavy and not willing to move. I tend to shift into second rather quickly to avoid this.

As much as I thought I felt connected and could do no wrong in the handling with quattro, it didnt feel as good as it used to. The steering feel was very light. I like the heavy feeling of the BMW steering and the ample feedback I get from the road(not including the severe tramlining from the RFT's).

Every day I realize how much more I like my BMW and that it truly is the Ultimate Driving Machine.

[jimmyc]

You didn't mention which year and make Audi? Is it an RS4 or a 5000 custom with 191K miles?

[335Mat]

Originally Posted by jimmyc

You didn't mention which year and make Audi? Is it an RS4 or a 5000 custom with 191K miles?

+1^

[AndrewAZ]

Get the CDV removed and that will fix your clutch problem.

[NoMods]

I have the same issue with the Audi TT and 330

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by jimmyc

You didn't mention which year and make Audi? Is it an RS4 or a 5000 custom with 191K miles?

He has the exact Audi I use to have. To be honest...the 2004.5/2005 Audi A4 1.8T does not have good brakes at all..however Audi fixed that for 2006/2007 with the B7 A4 2.0. Much bigger/better brakes. BMW did the brakes right on the 335i. I feel no compulsion to upgrade them like I did with the Audi (to the Stoptech 355mm BBK). Also to be honest...his old Audi only cost about $35K...comparing his 335i to it just isnt fair...at $45-46K. I got my old 2005 Audi A4 1.8T Ultrasport for only $35.5K. I definitely miss quattro..especially when I hit the rain a few days ago..the BMW is definitely not as sure footed as the Audi was. Having all four wheels pull is different than having the BMW with only one wheel driving the car. There are good and bad points of each car...not having a spare tire is a big deal for me...especially since I am removing the run flat tires. This 335i definitely needs a limited slip differential...and I am definitely shopping for one. Another bad point about the BMW is that 1) you cannot rotate the tires..and save them ...and 2) The wheels/tires are bigger..and therefore replacement tires cost more...

Anyway, I could go on and on with the merits and deficiencies of Audi vs. BMW..but I will leave that for another day...its time to go wash my car again.

[Ryan 330i]

i just make the compromise, and drive both, daily. lol.

[TRZ06]

I will be buying a 335I later this year and just test drove one today.

Compared to the S4 I had, the 335I feels waay faster.

My wife and I had a baby so the Corvette Z06 had to go, and I figured the S4 would be a good comprimise of practicality and sport. Boy what a dissapointment. That thing weighed a ton and felt like a 6.5 sec 0-60 car and not a 5 sec car that Audi claims and the handling was weak as it weighed almost 4,000 pounds, scrubbed the front tires when pushing it in the corners, and majorly understeered.

After my test drive in the 335I, now that feels like a 5 sec car that handles AND brakes.

Maybe it's the power curve of a turbo motor compared to the linear curve of Audi's 4.2 , but I swear tha Audi feels slow compared to the 335I.

My wife has a VW Jetta 1.8T and the S4 felt just a little faster than that, the 335I feels waaay faster than that.

Anyways I came away very impressed with the power of the 335I, as well as the handling and braking.

I can't wait until purchase time.

Ok sorry, maybe I went too far into detail for my first post, but when I read this I just had to tell my story.

Oh and hello everybody, glad to be a part of this forum.

[HyperM3]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

That thing weighed a ton

Funny you say that about the Audi. I feel the BMW weighs A LOT more than the Audi. Actually its about 50lbs heavier than my A4. But it feels like a solid tank. For me it doesnt feel as tossable as my A4. This is just my findings. Nothing Im compring here feels as tossible as my 3200lb M3.

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by HyperM3

Funny you say that about the Audi. I feel the BMW weighs A LOT more than the Audi. Actually its about 50lbs heavier than my A4. But it feels like a solid tank. For me it doesnt feel as tossable as my A4. This is just my findings. Nothing Im compring here feels as tossible as my 3200lb M3.

I can't tell back to back about HOW they felt weight wise cause I didn't have both at the same time, but I know that my S4 weighed in at 3900+ lbs +, while I think the 335I is somewhere around 3400 - 3500lbs?

[HyperM3]

07 335i 05 S4 05 A4 1.8 T quattro

Curb Weight - Manual (lb.) 3593 3825 3406

Looks like it was more about 180lbs difference. No wonder it was noticable.

[STE92VE]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

Oh and hello everybody, glad to be a part of this forum.

Welcome!

[flush01]

Originally Posted by TRZ06

I will be buying a 335I later this year and just test drove one today.

Compared to the S4 I had, the 335I feels waay faster.

My wife and I had a baby so the Corvette Z06 had to go, and I figured the S4 would be a good comprimise of practicality and sport. Boy what a dissapointment. That thing weighed a ton and felt like a 6.5 sec 0-60 car and not a 5 sec car that Audi claims and the handling was weak as it weighed almost 4,000 pounds, scrubbed the front tires when pushing it in the corners, and majorly understeered.

After my test drive in the 335I, now that feels like a 5 sec car that handles AND brakes.

Maybe it's the power curve of a turbo motor compared to the linear curve of Audi's 4.2 , but I swear tha Audi feels slow compared to the 335I.

My wife has a VW Jetta 1.8T and the S4 felt just a little faster than that, the 335I feels waaay faster than that.

Anyways I came away very impressed with the power of the 335I, as well as the handling and braking.

I can't wait until purchase time.

Ok sorry, maybe I went too far into detail for my first post, but when I read this I just had to tell my story.

Oh and hello everybody, glad to be a part of this forum.

im not biased or anything like that, but I felt same way.... i was expecting that v8 to pull hard, but it didnt

[gIzzE]

I absolutely adore Audis, I love the image, the design and the interiors, over the last 4 years my wife and I have owned an A4 avant, A3 S-Line, A4 cabriolet, A2, A6 sport avant, I then bought a 535d m-sport touring a 120d M-Sport and an M3 CSL. Then I sold the 535 and the M3 and bought an S4 avant, trying to get into something fun and practical.

What a fukin' joke that car is!!!

The interior is OK and......yeah that's all the positives.
Where do I start??

Gearing - absolutely dire!! sat crusing at only 85mph and it is doing over 4000rpm and only returning 18mpg (UK so around 15mpg US).
Also the gearing so is short, you can't pull away smoothly in first, so I just used to use 2nd, 4th and 6th, and then moan about 6th.

Pedal position - the pedals are so fucking hire!!!! I used to get cramp after 30 minutes of driving, if you sit on the sofa now and try and get you toes to touch your shin you will see what I mean, it is crap!!

Throttle - The throttle is set up to be far too sharp, so again this combinded with the high gearing makes driving through traffic an absolute nightmare.

Handling - it doesn't!! simple as that.
If you want a nice safe car for the wet months or snow then yeah it is fine, but you would be better with a 2.0T Quattro, the car understeers like mad, the suspension is wallowy and crashy at the same time, how the fuck do they manage that!???
And when you lift the hood you can see why, there is a big heavy V8 block sat in front of the front axle, not over it, it is actually in front of it!! No wonder it handles like a boat.

Steering - no feedback whatsoever, far too assisted so it feels really light, and the steering wheel is massive, feels like something off a bus not a sporty car.

The sound system - it uses Bose and it is absolutely dire, very bright and extremely harsh.

Seats - It uses Recaros, but they are hard, don't lift up at the front enough you you feel like you are sliding off them and the bolsters seem to be designed for fat bastards as they don't hold you in place at all.


I managed to live with it for nearly a month, but then it had to go, absolute tosh, you have to need quattro or be an Audi fan boy to say it is a good car. I took out a couple of RS4s and they are better, but still pretty dull. So in the end it was back in a BMW, beautifully balanced, great handling, comfy seats that position well, pedals in the right place, a smooth throttle map that means you can drive it relaxed or press on when you fancy, steering feedback so you know what your car is doing, far quicker and just a much better all round package.


Oh, the guy I sold it to had come from an X5, he sold it last week meaning he managed to keep hold of it for just under a fortnight!!

[scm6079]

Hmmm... I disagree. I loved my '04 S4. One of the best cars I've ever owned. I'd buy it again... Some things I didn't like about the car, but overall a wonderful vehicle.

Some things I like better about my 335, others the Audi... The 335 definately handles better, and has better steering (I *love* my active steering!).

Oh... and yes, the MPG of the audi sucked... I average 26MPG in my 335i, and only received 19mpg in my audi... same routes, same driver.

_Scott

[gIzzE]

See, now I think active steering is the worse option that BMW have offered on their cars ever, with its varible turning circle you never really know what it is doing, ok for the motorway, but taking the tight twisty roads at speeds where the back kicks out it just isn't for me.

I wonder how much you would like the S4 if you went back to it again now?? Was yours an auto though?? I think because of the gearing and weight of the car the tiptronic suits it far better, more of a motorway cruiser.

[DrGP]

Originally Posted by gIzzE

I absolutely adore Audis, I love the image, the design and the interiors, over the last 4 years my wife and I have owned an A4 avant, A3 S-Line, A4 cabriolet, A2, A6 sport avant, I then bought a 535d m-sport touring a 120d M-Sport and an M3 CSL. Then I sold the 535 and the M3 and bought an S4 avant, trying to get into something fun and practical.

What a fukin' joke that car is!!!

The interior is OK and......yeah that's all the positives.
Where do I start??

Gearing - absolutely dire!! sat crusing at only 85mph and it is doing over 4000rpm and only returning 18mpg (UK so around 15mpg US).
Also the gearing so is short, you can't pull away smoothly in first, so I just used to use 2nd, 4th and 6th, and then moan about 6th.

Pedal position - the pedals are so fucking hire!!!! I used to get cramp after 30 minutes of driving, if you sit on the sofa now and try and get you toes to touch your shin you will see what I mean, it is crap!!

Throttle - The throttle is set up to be far too sharp, so again this combinded with the high gearing makes driving through traffic an absolute nightmare.

Handling - it doesn't!! simple as that.
If you want a nice safe car for the wet months or snow then yeah it is fine, but you would be better with a 2.0T Quattro, the car understeers like mad, the suspension is wallowy and crashy at the same time, how the fuck do they manage that!???
And when you lift the hood you can see why, there is a big heavy V8 block sat in front of the front axle, not over it, it is actually in front of it!! No wonder it handles like a boat.

Steering - no feedback whatsoever, far too assisted so it feels really light, and the steering wheel is massive, feels like something off a bus not a sporty car.

The sound system - it uses Bose and it is absolutely dire, very bright and extremely harsh.

Seats - It uses Recaros, but they are hard, don't lift up at the front enough you you feel like you are sliding off them and the bolsters seem to be designed for fat bastards as they don't hold you in place at all.


I managed to live with it for nearly a month, but then it had to go, absolute tosh, you have to need quattro or be an Audi fan boy to say it is a good car. I took out a couple of RS4s and they are better, but still pretty dull. So in the end it was back in a BMW, beautifully balanced, great handling, comfy seats that position well, pedals in the right place, a smooth throttle map that means you can drive it relaxed or press on when you fancy, steering feedback so you know what your car is doing, far quicker and just a much better all round package.


Oh, the guy I sold it to had come from an X5, he sold it last week meaning he managed to keep hold of it for just under a fortnight!!

Me thinks, ye be a little harsh toward the Audi S4. I currently am driving an S4 (at least until I get my 335i in about 10 days.). I really love the S4 and hope that I will find the 335i to be as good or hopefully better. I will miss the AWD. But I really wanted the coupe not the Sedan. The AWD gives the driver a sense of confidence that is hard to live without. Some of your comments are valid but I disagree with some of your comments. Almost everyone gives Audi credit for having the best interiors in their class. Your comment on the gearing is spot on. But I have fond the Recarro seats to be superb. I believe you are selling the S4 short.

[gIzzE]

Do me a favour would you and give me a totally honest comparrison 2 months after you have owned, and got used to the BMW??

I thought that Audis were wonderful, until I owned a decent BMW and I can honestly say, hand on heart, with the way they are at the moment I will never buy another. It wasn't until I went back to the S4 after the 535d m-sport and the M3 that I realised just how bad they are.

Please, do come back to this thread and give an honest opinion, there are loads of S4 owners who have done the move now, mainly to 335d though to be honest, and not one of them has regretted it, and they have all said they would not make the move back.

[fusionchicken]

i completely agree with teh OP's descriptions of the Audi's clutch...

back when i had an integra, i drove my friend's newly bought a3 for 4 hours, and afterwards couldn't drive my teg right because the clutch felt so damn stiff in comparison to the Audi's

[eelton]

I also came from an Audi A4 (a 1999 2.8 quattro manual) to a 335i (6MT). I kept the Audi, although I lent it to a friend for the last month. I just drove it yesterday for the first time since then.

While the BMW is certainly faster and handles better, I'm struck by how much more smoothly the Audi's transmission shifts. I'm getting better with the BMW (after 800 miles in city driving with lots of shifting), but it takes a constant concentration and it's still inconsistent. Also, the shifter is somewhat balky and notchy. The Audi, on the other hand, shifts like butter.

Maybe it's the BMW's clutch delay valve. Maybe it's the lighter flywheel--leading to the revs dropping like lead when you take your foot off the gas. Whatever it is, I have to say I much prefer the Audi's transmission.

[gIzzE]

Try and S4 then, probably got the worst clucth of any car on the market, it is the one thing every S4 owner in Europe moans about, which is weird as the clucth on just about any other Audi, including the RS4, is sublime!??

[gIzzE]

Can I ask you guys what sort of roads you take your cars on?? Do you have lots of tight twisty roads??
I am sort of thinking out loud, but the one thing I always notice in the States is your roads seem to be alot wider, and not so many sharp bends like we have, I am sure this is different if you live up near the Mountains, but that is when you really start to see the differences getting the car to be balanced makes.