Anyone driven a new s4

[F1 fan]

My lease is almost up and for fun I drove a new Audi s4 and was pretty amazed at how good it was. I drove a dsg and a manual and prefer the manual. The torque was awesome and the throttle response was amazing in almost any gear. It felt faster than my m3 in some ways. The question is if you were getting a sedan would the s4 be a option over doing a m3 sedan? I know it is a m3 forum, but that s4 was pretty nice and it is making me think about getting one.
Any unbiased input would be great. Thanks

[1MOREMOD]

probably not gonna get much unbiased opinions here.

[F1 fan]

I figured as much. But hey we are all enthusiasts and was really curious to see if anyone else has driven a s4 and was as impressed as I was.

[CAPSGOD]

The question is, where do you get unbiased info? The Audi forum will be just as bad. I suppose a Prius site would be unbiased but they probably know nothing about cars. I liked the S4 with sport diff and the manual shift action was much better than M3's. However I didn't notice much improvement with drive select. And I love the feeling of the S65 at redline.

[AngelinIsRich08]

I'd take the Audi for its awesome AWD but in non inclement weather it'd be the M3 for me. Never driven the S4 before though, the S8 I drove a couple years back was pretty bad ass though. Oh, and the M3 is way faster and better handling.

[pbonsalb]

I would certainly consider an S4. I like AWD. It will be nearly as fast as the M3, but feel faster since it has low end torque (which will make it faster in daily driving when you are not wringing the car out to redline). It won't handle as well. Test drive both. There is a very recent magazine test of the S4 against another car. Maybe the current issue of Motor Trend or Automobile or Car & Driver or Road & Track (I get too many magazines). Stop by a magazine store to look.

[F1 fan]

[QUOTE=pbonsalb;10029116]I would certainly consider an S4. I like AWD. It will be nearly as fast as the M3, but feel faster since it has low end torque (which will make it faster in daily driving when you are not wringing the car out to redline). It won't handle as well. Test drive both. There is a very recent magazine test of the S4 against another car. Maybe the current issue of Motor Trend or Automobile or Car

[F1 fan]

Yep, 4.4 to 60 and 12.9 in the quarter. Pretty quick an feels every bit that fast. Cool car but I love my e92 m3. I think it would be cool to do something different after three years of having the m. This is the only car that I am considering.

[Scoobe]

I actually cross shopped the S4 and C63 with the M3 and drove them all. In my situation it came down more to money. The S4 was going to be roughly 10-15k less than the M3. So it became a simple decision of how much I wanted to spend and I ended up going with the M3.

I too was impressed with the S4 though I liked the DSG. The steering in the S4 suprised me as I didn't think it felt as numb as some people say. It also was very fast and I think the 333hp V6 is underrated, feels closer to 350. I actually liked the interior better in the S4 (had the two tone red/black) and the navi I liked better than the iDrive. But the M3 had something that really hooked me and that was in the settings. While the S4 had comfort, normal, and sport the M3 had the ability to adust each setting individually so I could dial up the sportier transmission setting and throttle response without stiffening the suspension on some of these Texas roads. My wife liked the S4 better and is scared to drive the M3. That might be a selling point for the M3.

The M3 had the wicked V8 which I just had to have. 8400rpm in a V8 is rare on all but supercars or race cars so I just had to have it. The M3 seemed to provide more feel and feedback to the S4, but on these dusty Texas roads the M3 has traction issues. The MDM mode is a definate plus, best traction control I've ever experienced. I have grown to prefer it on. Even though this M3 is nearly 6 years old, I still love the styling. The S4 is a very close second but the M3 curves and bulges won me over.

C63 has a great motor too but I ended up crossing it off my list. I liked the M3 better in styling and also the individual settings gave the M3 the edge. So if I was going to spend that kind of money, I was going with the M3.

Bottom line is I thought of the S4 as cheaper alternative to the M3 (at the time there was no 335is or DCT in the 335). I would not have been disapointed in the S4 if the finances had not worked out.

[matthewk]

While I have not driven the current model S4, I can offer this. I OWNED a B5, B6, and B7 S4.. All of them were complete service disasters, one was lemoned and I finally gave up on the B7 after it spent more time in the shop than I owned it. All of these were bought new, I am not terribly hard on my cars. I am a driver, not a racer and for an example I couldn't even tell you how to use the launch control on my e92. I will never buy another Audi product again. These were my experiences, I am sure there's lots of happy Audi owners out there, I just wasn't one of them...

[stefan]

Performance aside, my biggest problem with the S4 (and A4, A3 for that matter) is the steering feel. The way it feels at low speeds and its lack of intuitiveness transition into high speeds is a departure from BMW steering feel.

I don't know if I'm just used to BMW's steering feel or genuinely prefer it, but the Audi steering feel alone was enough for me to discount them when I cross shopped.

[ThunderMoose]

Originally Posted by CAPSGOD

I suppose a Prius site would be unbiased but they probably know nothing about cars.

awesome!

[fuzzybam]

I honestly have a difficult time picking out an S4 from an S-Line A4, which is enough to not make me check it out more. Well that and having had two VWs that were so horrendous they scared me off of most VAG products for life.

[MAERD TEW]

S4 is a 335i competitor not an M3 one...

With the sport diff it makes it just as bad in the snow as a M3... very tail happy...

Like the car, but nothing quite has a driver-centric car like a BMW...

[snowboarder]

I wanted to buy one (I owned the previous gen S4 Avant)
and drove it recently. Pushed it quite hard.
Like the engine, was really surprised, my S4 had a V8, this one
feels quicker, although no exciting sound to be honest...
The interior is nice, but it's borderline startreky to me, really appreciate
the simple M3 interior much more.
Didn't like the steering as much.
But the biggest thing for me were the horrendous Audi lease numbers.
S4 was almost 15K less expensive than my M3, but the lease was
actually almost $100 more per month with the same money down
and same everything! I was in touch with Audi NA, they really
wanted me to get one (a long story thanks to Audi Santa Monica - avoid
like a plague), but I simply couldn't do it, made no sense to me.
Also M3 is just another level of performance, it's not even close.
The joy of driving it is on another level. My S4 was great, especially
in snow conditions, but didn't have the same level of excitement.
I have to actually thank Audi, if not for those terrible lease deals,
I would have never considered an M3

[Undertow]

I like the S4, but the 335 is a closer comp than the M3...and even then I like the ride of the 335 more than the S4. As far as value goes, the 335 is at a much better price point. The S4's interior wins out but overall, I think the 335 is a better car.

If your worried about reliability (fuel pump), the S4 has had a ton of problems as well.

[BMoney]

Originally Posted by m3inwaiting

I like the S4, but the 335 is a closer comp than the M3...and even then I like the ride of the 335 more than the S4. As far as value goes, the 335 is at a much better price point. The S4's interior wins out but overall, I think the 335 is a better car.

If your worried about reliability (fuel pump), the S4 has had a ton of problems as well.

It's the water pump not fuel pump that fails on the S4. I had my 2010 S4 for a year (just sold it) and had no issues. As for price point my S4 was 56K and a 335 with similar options was basically the same price. I really liked my S4 but it didn't give me the warm and fuzzy feeling that the M3 or C63 gives me. It's not quite up to those standards but it shouldn't really be since it's in a different class.

[mdosu]

In terms of performance alone: S4 in no way will be faster than the M3 Sedan. No in a straightline, not on a track, no way jose.

But if you're looking for intangibles...maybe the S4 will be more comfortable, cheaper, and have a better Navigation system than M3. And if you must have the AWD, then it's the logical choice.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by AngelinIsRich08

I'd take the Audi for its awesome AWD but in non inclement weather it'd be the M3 for me. Never driven the S4 before though, the S8 I drove a couple years back was pretty bad ass though. Oh, and the M3 is way faster and better handling.

The AWD system in the Audi is no where near as "awesome" or complex or capable as those of the Evo or STi.

[AngelinIsRich08]

Originally Posted by mdosu

The AWD system in the Audi is no where near as "awesome" or complex or capable as those of the Evo or STi.

Don't mean to jack the thread but is the Evo a fun and reliable car?

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by AngelinIsRich08

Don't mean to jack the thread but is the Evo a fun and reliable car?

I'd bet my M3 that the Evo is a ton more fun to drive than the S4.

[JonnyM3]

Ok

My ex had a 2010 Prestige DSG S4. I loved that car. With the sport diff the car could get pretty tail happy and safely too. Though I will say it's no M3, unfortunately, as I really wanted to stay in the Audi family. The S4 isn't a bad choice, it's fast very capable around turns and very understated (could be a pro or a con). The car with a tune will BLOW our cars out of the water, and thats just a tune. I've ran her a few times and the DSG just doesn't shift as fast as our DCT's and I would definitely get the car in manual as one of those gave me some trouble until about 70. If you do get the S4 realize that the car isn't in our league in terms of price, but it's got TONS of potential without necessarily breaking bank. If I were you I wouldn't go down to an S4, but thats cause I just got my car. I really don't know where my mind would be had I had my car for over 2 years. Good luck with your decision...you really aren't going wrong either way.