I am a very versitile car guy, I appreciate alot of cars for what they do well and what they cannot do well I learn to accept. I live in Maine, we are a four season state so AWD has been more and more of a need unless I want to sacrafice time spent behind the wheel due to season changes. I am comming from a very clean 2005 Dodge SRT-4. I put down 255whp and 302lb ft of torque with it and ran a 13.1 1/4 mile. The car contrary to popular belief handles very well with little aftermarket suspension modification. I am no stranger to a quick car, I have driven anything from a new 2007 BMW M5 V10 500hp 6spd... to Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR's... you name it I have driven it, minus Lambos and Ferraris. I need a car that can do the trick for me in the power catagory, and yes I am willing to sacrafice a little bit of straight line grunt for a well rounded package. What catches my eye about the S4 is the AWD, how well it handles (I've never driven one but top gear says it's right on par if not better than the E46 M3), the SOUND with an aftermarket exhaust considering you wouldn't expect an LS1 Camaro exhaust note of a 4 door Audi... basically how well rounded the car is. The direct competition for the S4 in my opinion is the E46 M3, I will buy one or the other. Here are my pros and cons list.

E46 M3:

Pros...

-Looks amazing
-Smoooooooth power
-RWD is awsome for highway pulls or just breaking the rear end loose, fun factor
-It's faster
-Coupes are more appealing to me
-Looks amazing, oh yeah I already said that
-Seems to be less finicky and a bit more reliable then Audi
-I can get an 01 and it still looks almost just like the 05 considering BMW doesn't change much in styling over a long period of time
-Sounds nice still
-Higher resale value

Cons...

-Rain, Snow, Sand or even wet ground make the power it has... USELESS
-A bit more expensive than the Audi, a few thousand or so used for the same mileage
-Umm? There isn't much going against it in comparison

B7 S4

Pros...

-AWD allows me to have fun no matter whats on the ground, and I can drive it 12 months instead of 8
-4 Doors is alot easier to work with
-Cheaper
-Attracts less attention by state troopers? Or does it?
-Recaros

Cons...

-I question Audi's reliability, finicky nature and down right potential to be a PITA, I have heard far more maintinence, gremlin and other horror storys from Audi and VW then BMW, I want a car I can enjoy with longevity in mind and not a ton comming out of my wallet because stupid crap or more expensive stuff doesnt hold up! It's more than the motor strength that is the issue with cars like these, it's transmissions, clutches, electrical stuff etc... I really don't feel like buying a headache... I want to drive the car how it's supposed to be driven without worry about "Oh what was that noise?" or "Oh hell what's this light mean"

-Styling compared to the M3 is bland
-AWD sucks from a roll

What do you guys think?
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Like you I have driven many different cars, In the last 7 years I went from a Honda S2000 to Porsche Boxster S to BMW M3 SMG to a Maserati Spyder GT. Also I live in MA so these were seasonal drivers. Got sick of having 2 cars so sold the Maserati last year and got a Lexus GX 470. Was a nice vehicle but did not take long for me to start missing a sporty car. Then a little over a month ago I read a review in the Boston Globe on the S4 and got very interested when I read you could get in a Cabriolet. The thought of a drop top sports car that I could drive year round sounded great. Went toa local Audi dealer who had no Cabriolet's. They told me they would find me one, After a week they were having no luck, I found this forum and posted my problem and someone told me that a dealer in Norwell might have one. Called right away and bought the car over the phone and picked up next day. I absolutely love the car, It is by far the best overall package. Only M3 I would get is the newV8, I hated mine, SMG sucked and even after trying 2 different aftermarket Exhausts the sound was horrible, Sounded like an out of control weed whacker. also got one of the bad engines and it blew up on me. BMW quality is not good, Audi has gotten much better. Also if you go with a new S4 and get a stick they now have them 60% rear 40% front power, I don't notice much difference in take offs that I did in RWD cars

 

I have noticed that the M3 exhaust note was kind of funny, almost sounds like an exhaust leak in a Honda but I watched a couple of videos on streetfire.net and they sounded pretty good at WOT... almost F1 like. I need versitility, though it is easy to buy one on impulse and tell yourself that you will cross that bridge when you come to it (getting a winter beater)... you end up kicking yourself during snow time. Though my SRT-4 was pretty decent in the snow even with the power I was making, it was still sketchy... almost that I'd rather be 100% sure I wasn't going to die instead of "Oh this is alright,,, AHHH WHAM!"... The Audi is my perfect car besides the need for a bit more aggressive in the styling dept but the aftermarket can help that... the reliability that is OH so questionable... and the aftermarket and mod response. I'd want to be a bit faster than a 13.7 with a 5k clutch dump. By the way, how strong is the drivetrain in these cars?

 

Are you planning on buying new? My concern is I don't want to do any mods for fear of voiding my warranty. I feel my car is fast right out of the box, So no need to mod. Also most of my driving is done top down which makes it seem like you are going faster. If speed is your thing how about an RS4? I am thinking of putting a deposit in for the RS4 Cabriolet that is coming out soon

 

Drive both, buy what YOU like the best.

The Audi has a much nicer interior, & has a little more on the luxury side. It also does NOT handle as well as the E46. Power wise the S4 is a little better, but not much. The powertrain is SOLID, very solid. It's all the stupid sensors that kills you. Maintaince is just a little higher then the E46.

If you want to keep it stock the S4 is good car, if you want a beast to play with the E46 has lot more out there.

 

This would be a used B7... $25-30000 range. RS4 is way out of my league. I want the car that I can enjoy weather it is in warrantee or not... A car that is only good if it's covered by a safety blanket is a head case problem waiting to happen if you ask me.

 

I would like to know where you are finding used B7 S4's for $25-30k. B7 = 2005.5-Present. From the money factor I'm pretty sure the B7 would be a lot more expensive, but I'm really not sure what the M3's are running.

Another thing to ask yourself is if you want a sleeper, or another M3 that most people know about. At least in my area S4's tend to be rare while there are plenty of A4's cruising around. The S4 is a lot more of a sleep, has a lot more class, and is truly more on the luxury end of the spectrum.

The M3 for me would be a Sunday driver if I were to buy one, definitely would not make it a DD. Sure its a blast to drive but would you always want to be restricted to a coupe?

This is an Audi forum, so most people will vote for the S4.

 

I understand that the S4 will win in regards to votes here but thats not the point. The point is, to find out why people love it so much and chances are many considered the M3 and didnt end up with one, or sold it. My bad maybe a B6 is what I meant... the first years of the non turbo S4. I do see what youre saying about the not so common factor and that IS a bonus

 

Ahhh, the age old question. I think it comes down to driver preference. Top Gear puts them on par with each other in most cagetories. I have had an E36 M3 and now the B5 S4. I don't know about the newS4's so maybe this isn't helpful. Although I have driven an E46 M3 and they are very fast. The BMW is kind of raw and raspy with lots of low end torque. The Audi is quieter at speed and a bit smoother. Again, it comes down to driver. The reason I sold my E36 and bought the B5 was because of the easy 60hp with a $499 chip. Now I can smoke any E36 and lots of others that I couldn't before.