[ZTZ1010]

So as I'm writing this, I can only envision the comments that will undoubtedly be posted flaming me for what I'm about to say.

I've had my 335i (FBO, meth kit going on this week) for about 8 months, and been driving BMWs for the past 4 years. I love the cars and the brand, and think they make a fantastic product for people like myself who really enjoy driving and being "in tune" with cars. I'd consider myself a fanboy, as I've often joked with friends who are Audi/Mercedes owners about when they're going upgrade and ditch the training wheels (read:quattro) for a "real" car (read:BMW). While I can appreciate the aspects of other cars, although mostly german, most still seem to fall short in my mind compared to my 335. I truly believe that within this price range, there are very few other cars that drive as well and do as much as these cars.

That being said (and telling the short version) a good friend of mine has an APR tuned 2011 B8 S4. the times that we've been in each others cars we both gushed about the differences, and fought about which is "better". He just moved out to Arizona and hasn't shipped the car yet, but before Waterfest, wanted to have his new pulley upgrade installed by a friends shop. I offered to take the car for him so the work would be done by the time he came back for the weekend, and he told me I could pick the car up Thursday and drive it until I dropped it off Monday.

You can click the back button right now if you don't want to hear the good things I'm about to say about an Audi.

long story short, I love it. It's fully loaded with dual clutch gearbox and rear sport diff. All that's done mod wise is the Stasis suspension and APR tune. I've been playing with the dual clutch and pounding the car through the twisties for the past few days, and all I can say is wow. I am truly very impressed with the drivability, power, and handling of this car.

But I wouldn't buy one, and I don't know why. At the end of the day, I found myself choosing only to drive the Audi places because I knew I would only be able to for a short time, not because I preferred driving it. When we went out for a cruise with some of my friends on bikes, I chose the 335. I have no doubt with the gearbox being as fantastic as it is that with some work it could keep up with the 335 (definitely not as quick or torquey, but it just doesn't feel as good as my 335.

It feels like I didn't have a part in the driving experience. Like the car could essentially drive itself without me. With my 335, I know that the moves I make have ramifications and the car won't always take over and say "no no, don't do that" and correct itself, whereas the Audi felt like it was babysitting my every move.

Though I can't put my finger on it, and I don't have any really negative things to say about the Audi's actual performance, ( I hate everything about the interior and navigation except for the sound system, though) it just doesn't appeal to me as much as my 335.

I know this has been a dilemma in deciding for a lot of people between the 335/M3 and S4, so I guess I was trying to help those who may be considering a switch. Any potential/new Audi owners or those who were deciding between the 2 feel the same?

Zach

[chucktang]

little confused... you seem to have a lot of precautions about how we should stop reading if we don't to hear good things about Audi yet the end of the story concludes with you still thinking the BMW is better...

[TheAcAvenger]

You're just confusedly saying what I and others have concluded

Deep down, you know the S4/S5 is a better car, but you like the 335 more. It's okay. You're not the only one. There are tonsss of threads on this.

[username604]

Originally Posted by chucktang

little confused... you seem to have a lot of precautions about how we should stop reading if we don't to hear good things about Audi yet the end of the story concludes with you still thinking the BMW is better...

lol seems like OP is a little confused himself.
335i

[plague]

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

You're just confusedly saying what I and others have concluded

Deep down, you know the S4/S5 is a better car, but you like the 335 more. It's okay. You're not the only one. There are tonsss of threads on this.

came from a manual v8 s4 into my 335. the audi was certainly not as fun of a car to drive. it was an great car dont get me wrong, if i had to compare it to my 335 i would conclude that it is slower, and feels like a tank next to the 335 in overall feel. a tank as in, big sturdy and more weight, much more body roll and waiting for car to 'catch up' with the driver around turns. the s4 gripped like crazy BUT that quattro gives you tremendous amounts of understeer. the 335 feels much more precise and direct. i can understand the OP.

[TheStigsTwin]

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

You're just confusedly saying what I and others have concluded

Deep down, you know the S4/S5 is a better car, but you like the 335 more. It's okay. You're not the only one. There are tonsss of threads on this.

I didn't get that from his post.

[ZTZ1010]

Originally Posted by chucktang

little confused... you seem to have a lot of precautions about how we should stop reading if we don't to hear good things about Audi yet the end of the story concludes with you still thinking the BMW is better...

can't tell you how many posts I've read where someone gets flamed for DARING to compliment another car. Kind of depressing we can't appreciate other cars from time to time on this forum.

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

You're just confusedly saying what I and others have concluded

Deep down, you know the S4/S5 is a better car, but you like the 335 more. It's okay. You're not the only one. There are tonsss of threads on this.

Originally Posted by davidkneiber

lol seems like OP is a little confused himself.
335i

[dos]

I love the B8 S4. I had a friend just pick one up. If I was buying a new car soon it would be on my very short list.

[TheAcAvenger]

Originally Posted by plague

came from a manual v8 s4 into my 335. the audi was certainly not as fun of a car to drive. it was an great car dont get me wrong, if i had to compare it to my 335 i would conclude that it is slower, and feels like a tank next to the 335 in overall feel. a tank as in, big sturdy and more weight, much more body roll and waiting for car to 'catch up' with the driver around turns. the s4 gripped like crazy BUT that quattro gives you tremendous amounts of understeer. the 335 feels much more precise and direct. i can understand the OP.

the b7 and the b8 are absolutely nothing alike.

[335Power]

Allow me to voice my opinion please. The B7 S4 being a V8 sounds awesome although I'm a little disappointed at the power, a 335 will stomp it with a $300 tune. Same with an S5 since it is the same motor minus a few differences. The B8 S4 however is a whole new car, I believe it is very underrated and stock for stock would put up a fight against a 335. With that being said, a tune is a whole new machine for a 335 and without replacing the pulley on an S4 you don't have much of a comparison performance wise. I do love the re-designed interior of the S4 and I know why BMW does it but I think it is time to get rid of the all orange dash and add some contrast like Audi did. If I could pick a stock S4 vs a stock 335i I would probably pick the S4 for the all year round driveability in our winters and the comfortable interiors but the 335 for the overall bang for the buck performance it provides. This coming from an owner of both cars...

[mike-y]

sounds like the OP likes a lot of things about the S4, even though in the end, he still prefers his own 335i..

OP, it's OKAY. really, you are allowed to like other cars, even though you drive a BMW. Though many may smite you for voicing such an opinion, it's really okay, and quite normal actually.

[Nalod]

I get speed, and somtimes a car "feels faster".

Im more intune with how a car feels.

I have a non sport A4 Avant (B8) and its not as connected with the road feel, and its better and more comfortable. Its our long trip car and its great for what it is!

Really, its the S5 vs. 335 and I'd have to spend time behind the wheel of the S5. My feeling is its going to feel bigger and a a bit more plush. For what I do, a good "tourer" is ok!

I got one of each, Im good!

[ZTZ1010]

Originally Posted by mike-y

sounds like the OP likes a lot of things about the S4, even though in the end, he still prefers his own 335i..

OP, it's OKAY. really, you are allowed to like other cars, even though you drive a BMW. Though many may smite you for voicing such an opinion, it's really okay, and quite normal actually.

you are one of the few who get the point of my article. much

[JaSSon]

A friend of mine has a brand new B8 S4 with the DCT. I look forward to lining up with him.

[Syndicategt]

Sounds like you are a little Bi-curious

[TheRox]

Originally Posted by ZTZ1010

So as I'm writing this, I can only envision the comments that will undoubtedly be posted flaming me for what I'm about to say.

I've had my 335i (FBO, meth kit going on this week) for about 8 months, and been driving BMWs for the past 4 years. I love the cars and the brand, and think they make a fantastic product for people like myself who really enjoy driving and being "in tune" with cars. I'd consider myself a fanboy, as I've often joked with friends who are Audi/Mercedes owners about when they're going upgrade and ditch the training wheels (read:quattro) for a "real" car (read:BMW). While I can appreciate the aspects of other cars, although mostly german, most still seem to fall short in my mind compared to my 335. I truly believe that within this price range, there are very few other cars that drive as well and do as much as these cars.

That being said (and telling the short version) a good friend of mine has an APR tuned 2011 B8 S4. the times that we've been in each others cars we both gushed about the differences, and fought about which is "better". He just moved out to Arizona and hasn't shipped the car yet, but before Waterfest, wanted to have his new pulley upgrade installed by a friends shop. I offered to take the car for him so the work would be done by the time he came back for the weekend, and he told me I could pick the car up Thursday and drive it until I dropped it off Monday.

You can click the back button right now if you don't want to hear the good things I'm about to say about an Audi.

long story short, I love it. It's fully loaded with dual clutch gearbox and rear sport diff. All that's done mod wise is the Stasis suspension and APR tune. I've been playing with the dual clutch and pounding the car through the twisties for the past few days, and all I can say is wow. I am truly very impressed with the drivability, power, and handling of this car.

But I wouldn't buy one, and I don't know why. At the end of the day, I found myself choosing only to drive the Audi places because I knew I would only be able to for a short time, not because I preferred driving it. When we went out for a cruise with some of my friends on bikes, I chose the 335. I have no doubt with the gearbox being as fantastic as it is that with some work it could keep up with the 335 (definitely not as quick or torquey, but it just doesn't feel as good as my 335.

It feels like I didn't have a part in the driving experience. Like the car could essentially drive itself without me. With my 335, I know that the moves I make have ramifications and the car won't always take over and say "no no, don't do that" and correct itself, whereas the Audi felt like it was babysitting my every move.

Though I can't put my finger on it, and I don't have any really negative things to say about the Audi's actual performance, ( I hate everything about the interior and navigation except for the sound system, though) it just doesn't appeal to me as much as my 335.

I know this has been a dilemma in deciding for a lot of people between the 335/M3 and S4, so I guess I was trying to help those who may be considering a switch. Any potential/new Audi owners or those who were deciding between the 2 feel the same?

Zach

Dude BMW is OK....I'm here in Toronto, and I see one at every goddamn corner...

There is nothing overly special about them...they drive well but they are not smooth cars. A Benz is way smooth than a BMW...if you want a smooth car with sporty feel, only Porsche can deliver that to you


Audi is ok....their cars feel smoother because they are...their steering is lighter, you feel less...like a benz it will drive smoother and its more effortless


nothing wrong wiht that


who gives a crap about BMW...gotta get over it; its way better than a CVIC no doubt...but its not the end of the world

[cliverman]

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

You're just confusedly saying what I and others have concluded

Deep down, you know the S4/S5 is a better car, but you like the 335 more. It's okay. You're not the only one. There are tonsss of threads on this.

"...you know the S4/S5 is a better car, but you like the 335 more"??? WTF? Why would he or anyone like an inferior car more?

[cliverman]

Originally Posted by TheRox

Dude BMW is OK....I'm here in Toronto, and I see one at every goddamn corner...

There is nothing overly special about them...they drive well but they are not smooth cars. A Benz is way smooth than a BMW...if you want a smooth car with sporty feel, only Porsche can deliver that to you


Audi is ok....their cars feel smoother because they are...their steering is lighter, you feel less...like a benz it will drive smoother and its more effortless


nothing wrong wiht that


who gives a crap about BMW...gotta get over it; its way better than a CVIC no doubt...but its not the end of the world

Ferrari is much better than Porsche...blah..blah..blah. All this bs is subjective. I hated my Benz b/c it was f^ boring. Yeah, it was smooth but it was too smooth. The Audi is nice for x, y, or z reason.
"...who gives a crap about BMW..." We should all just drive a Prius.
http://priuschat.com/

[TheAcAvenger]

Originally Posted by cliverman

"...you know the S4/S5 is a better car, but you like the 335 more"??? WTF? Why would he or anyone like an inferior car more?

the same reason people like french fries more than brocolli. The same reason half the oscar winning movies are ones no one looking for any ounce of entertainment would actually want to watch. The same reason lamborghinis exist?

I could run off a lot of reasons I think the S4/S5 is better than a 335.. it feels more solid, it's loads more stable at high speed, the sound system is infinitely better, the seats are nicer, it's better looking, mmi is awesome, fastest laps will tell you that the s4 is just as fast at every track similar laptimes exist, and the s5 is just as fast at all but VIR (which is strange, because I thought the S5 would fare better there). You can run off about "reliability" but it's kind of a tossup. The S5 has had electrical gremlins, but nothing to the obnoxious tedium of the DSC malfunction I had that took away my ABS and cruise control until I got it fixed or the auto tranny leaking on itself. (all under 45k miles, mind you). At least you can get LSD from the factory on a S4/S5...

but like I said in the other thread, it's just not as fun as my car is. (Although, I do recall being extremely unimpressed with the driving dynamics/handling of my car when it was stock (comparing it to the previous gen E46/E39)). The 335i isn't my daily driver, so the fun factor gets the swing vote. But I would be lying if I told someone that I thought the 335i was a better car than the S4. The aftermarket just isn't there and their carbon buildup gets to become a huge problem in losing power on the S5. So if you want a comfortable, will equipped car that you can do some things to, get the tail out on, and push it to 450+whp, the 335 it is.

[ZTZ1010]

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

the same reason people like french fries more than brocolli. The same reason half the oscar winning movies are ones no one looking for any ounce of entertainment would actually want to watch. The same reason lamborghinis exist?

I could run off a lot of reasons I think the S4/S5 is better than a 335.. it feels more solid, it's loads more stable at high speed, the sound system is infinitely better, the seats are nicer, it's better looking, mmi is awesome, fastest laps will tell you that the s4 is just as fast at every track similar laptimes exist, and the s5 is just as fast at all but VIR (which is strange, because I thought the S5 would fare better there). You can run off about "reliability" but it's kind of a tossup. The S5 has had electrical gremlins, but nothing to the obnoxious tedium of the DSC malfunction I had that took away my ABS and cruise control until I got it fixed or the auto tranny leaking on itself. (all under 45k miles, mind you). At least you can get LSD from the factory on a S4/S5...

but like I said in the other thread, it's just not as fun as my car is. (Although, I do recall being extremely unimpressed with the driving dynamics/handling of my car when it was stock (comparing it to the previous gen E46/E39)). The 335i isn't my daily driver, so the fun factor gets the swing vote. But I would be lying if I told someone that I thought the 335i was a better car than the S4. The aftermarket just isn't there and their carbon buildup gets to become a huge problem in losing power on the S5. So if you want a comfortable, will equipped car that you can do some things to, get the tail out on, and push it to 450+whp, the 335 it is.

EXACTLY the point I was trying to convey.

Originally Posted by Syndicategt

Sounds like you are a little Bi-curious

Originally Posted by TheRox

Dude BMW is OK....I'm here in Toronto, and I see one at every goddamn corner...

There is nothing overly special about them...they drive well but they are not smooth cars. A Benz is way smooth than a BMW...if you want a smooth car with sporty feel, only Porsche can deliver that to you


Audi is ok....their cars feel smoother because they are...their steering is lighter, you feel less...like a benz it will drive smoother and its more effortless


nothing wrong wiht that


who gives a crap about BMW...gotta get over it; its way better than a CVIC no doubt...but its not the end of the world

My father had an 05 CLK55 AMG, my exgirlfriends father had a CL65AMG. thoroughly not impressed. The fact that you seem to argue the benz (between comfort and performance) is the greatest thing since sliced bread makes me doubt your judgement.

[cliverman]

Originally Posted by TheAcAvenger

the same reason people like french fries more than brocolli. The same reason half the oscar winning movies are ones no one looking for any ounce of entertainment would actually want to watch. The same reason lamborghinis exist?

I could run off a lot of reasons I think the S4/S5 is better than a 335.. it feels more solid, it's loads more stable at high speed, the sound system is infinitely better, the seats are nicer, it's better looking, mmi is awesome, fastest laps will tell you that the s4 is just as fast at every track similar laptimes exist, and the s5 is just as fast at all but VIR (which is strange, because I thought the S5 would fare better there). You can run off about "reliability" but it's kind of a tossup. The S5 has had electrical gremlins, but nothing to the obnoxious tedium of the DSC malfunction I had that took away my ABS and cruise control until I got it fixed or the auto tranny leaking on itself. (all under 45k miles, mind you). At least you can get LSD from the factory on a S4/S5...

but like I said in the other thread, it's just not as fun as my car is. (Although, I do recall being extremely unimpressed with the driving dynamics/handling of my car when it was stock (comparing it to the previous gen E46/E39)). The 335i isn't my daily driver, so the fun factor gets the swing vote. But I would be lying if I told someone that I thought the 335i was a better car than the S4. The aftermarket just isn't there and their carbon buildup gets to become a huge problem in losing power on the S5. So if you want a comfortable, will equipped car that you can do some things to, get the tail out on, and push it to 450+whp, the 335 it is.

ZTZ1010 - good post. Fair enough. I agree with some of what you are saying. The one thing that I believe is that given the choice of the BMW or the Audi, we both chose a BMW. I'm on my third one ('01 330, '08 335, and '11 335). In between the first and second, I had a G35 Coupe, C32, and a IS350. All had good aspects but just didn't have the same % of everything. I drove the S4 and RS6 and felt that something just wasn't right. The S4 would have been okay but as the OP stated the other factors beyond the drive were less than satisfying. It handles better than my 335 but that was the only thing that I thought was better. Looks are subjective. Lap times rarely come into buying a DD and I agree that reliability is a toss up.

[churchillps]

I'd pick the S4 if I had to drive in winter, 335 if I live in warmer climates.