08 M3 or 08 S4?

[ViviTheMage]

I have been contemplating a new car, and I want to keep it German...only ever owned German (minus first beater), love em. I am looking to replace my 06 A4 with something with more power.

S4
PRO :
AWD, I love the QUATTRO setup
Bit cheaper then M3

CON :
Less power then the M3

M3
PRO :
More power then S4
It's an M3, always been a dream car

CON :
RWD - bad for snow
bit more expensive then S4


I have driven my friends 06 CTS-V in the winter, and it was...rough. This would be my daily driver, so I think I might really be hosed...and forced to take the S4...which is still an awesome car. I COULD mod it, but I really like to stay stock.

Anyone have any comments?

 

[exdeath]

Life is hard.

I can't decide either; probably M3.

 

[thescreensavers]

M3, you have an A4 so its similar to the S4. M3 would be different

 

[ballmode]

Toughie

I say drive both. Unless you need the 4 doors then m3
However, if this is your only car is go Audi for all seaso

 

[ThatsABigOne]

I would personally get the M3 and a very good set of winter tires.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Do you live in an area with snow?

I do agree it would be nice to have a change..S4 is pretty darn similar to my A4.

Any major issues with the 07~ M3?

 

[manimal]

Since your in Minneapolis the S4 would be the better choice. If you lived in socal not so much.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Since your in Minneapolis the S4 would be the better choice. If you lived in socal not so much.

In SOCAL, RWD would be a no brainer...

I am thinkin E90 M3

 

[DaTT]

I have a RWD and drive in snow. It is not hard. People always blow it out of proportion. If the M3 is your dream car, go for that one. Otherwise scrap it all and get an S5

 

[amish]

what about the 335xi if you are worried about AWD. it should come with a 6 speed manual transmission too. throw in a chip and have some fun.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I have a RWD and drive in snow. It is not hard. People always blow it out of proportion. If the M3 is your dream car, go for that one. Otherwise scrap it all and get an S5

No S5, or E92, I don't really like the look of coupes.

It's not hard, but it really adds some trickiness to driving in snow.

Maybe i'll just pick up a 1k jeep for the BAD days.

what about the 335xi if you are worried about AWD. it should come with a 6 speed manual transmission too. throw in a chip and have some fun.

I thought about it, but from what I read only 220HP? That's no more then my current A4 (chipped about 234HP)

 

[ViviTheMage]

Well isn't this just perfect ...

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...=b&num_records=25&cardist=1025&standard=false

 

[mc866]

No S5, or E92, I don't really like the look of coupes.

It's not hard, but it really adds some trickiness to driving in snow.

Maybe i'll just pick up a 1k jeep for the BAD days.



I thought about it, but from what I read only 220HP? That's no more then my current A4 (chipped about 234HP)

E90 335Xi should have 302HP or better. It's a twin turbo I6.

I think the M3 would be fine, like stated earlier just get a set of snow tires and wheels that you can swap out.

If you want to stay with AWD S4 would be great. Oh and from what I've read the B8(09 and later) now only have supercharged V6's which some don't seem to like. Supposedly the new RS4 is more on par with the newer M3's

Have you driven either of them?

 

[mc866]

Well isn't this just perfect ...

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...=b&num_records=25&cardist=1025&standard=false

Going to ship it to MN or fly out and drive it back?

 

[ViviTheMage]

I think I want to stay away from turbo's, it's such a mess...a lot more to go wrong on a higher end car too.

The RS4's are in the 40k range still, which would be out of the range I want to hit (30k-35k)

Going to ship it to MN or fly out and drive it back?

I would fly out to pick it up and drive it back. I have done it twice before, but they were from upper NY and Texas.

 

[mc866]

Could maybe go drive a couple of these:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/searc...e=b&make=AUDI&keywordsfyc=&sort_type=priceASC

 

[alkemyst]

didnt know there was a 2007 m3

 

[exdeath]

I think I want to stay away from turbo's, it's such a mess...a lot more to go wrong on a higher end car too.

Not at all. This isn't a Japanese turbo car of the 80s. 335i is for the most part 100k maintenance free like any modern car.

And easier to make much faster than a M3 even with light mods if you get the itch.

 

[RavenSEAL]

If you don't mind the mess that comes with damaged/popped tires and AWD. I'm all for it, most AWD cards drive like a champ.

I loved driving my friend's Evo for a week...

 

[ViviTheMage]

Not at all. This isn't a Japanese turbo car of the 80s. 335i is for the most part 100k maintenance free like any modern car.

And easier to make much faster than a M3 even with light mods if you get the itch.

My old 1.8T's were a mess...failing turbo on one, surging-leaks in hoses that took way too much time to fix.

 

[PricklyPete]

M3 hands down. No competition.

 

[alkemyst]

If you are serious about these two cars, I'd look into the direct injection issues the Audi has prior to making any decision on that car.

A S5 would be a closer match to the M3, but the M3 is far better for a sports type car.

The S5 is very plush though.

 

[ajskydiver]

I would personally get the M3 and a very good set of winter tires.

+1

The M3 is pretty docile if you keep the RPMs low and picking it over the Audi would be an easy choice for me

The torque isn't overwhelming by any means and the car doesn't show its true nature until you take it higher into the rev range -- some people like high revving cars, some don't.

FYI: If you go DCT, it has a snow/ice setting (D1) that uses 2nd gear instead of 1st for just starting out.

Disclaimer: I'm biased. I've got an '11 E90 M3 and find it's a great compromise between performance and practicality. It's a fantastic car and other than the (lack of) fuel efficiency (avg. 18 MPG), very, very balanced and fun to drive.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I live in Minneapolis too, so am more than familiar with winter driving here. I am admittedly somewhat biased in that I drive two RWD BMWs, an E90 330i and an E46 M3. Personally I have found that with good snow tires, traction is much less an issue than ground clearance. The S4 will unquestionably be somewhat more sure-footed on snow, but the modern BMWs have traction/stability control that make them very controllable on snow. On balance my 330i, with Blizzak LM-25s, is the best winter car I have ever owned, with the possible exception of the AWD Tercel SR5 wagon (63 BHP!) I drove in college.

I love both BMW and Audi but to me the current S4 lacks a certain . . . specialness. It's a nice car but feels a little humdrum for what it costs.

 

[child of wonder]

Do what my friend does in MN -- drive the M3 in the late spring, summer, and early fall then get a beater Jeep or other 4x4 to drive in the winter.