Hi I'm new to the forms and I am currently trying to decide on what car to get next. Right now I'm looking at an S4 or a BMW 335i. I'm not looking at mercedes because my dad has a cls 550. I love the look of Audi. I'm a daily driver with close to 100 miles a day all freeway. I was looking at the 2010 to present models with the V-6's. I know that German cars have a tendency to have high maintance costs and I'm prepared for that. I also saw that power is about the same for both. My main concern is depreciation values and if the S4 would be the right choice for a daily car. Thanks.

 

Maintenance cost is usually much less on the Audi, much of it can be done by you or a local shop. The BMW requires maintenance that can only be done at the dealer. Also the S4 is AWD and is a beast in all weather conditions and has much better styling than the new BMW's

Remember you are on an Audi forum, we are bias

 

Ya I'm in southern california so no real weather conditions. I know that this is more biast towards Audi I just like to get all points of view. My main concern is if this car is built for everyday use. I read that it had a high rev line for the V-8 at 75mph is that the same for this new generation.

 

I have 1000 mi on mine.....45mi commute....think the car is awesome for commuting...suspension/turning/stereo/quietness/excellent bt/power(genlte when needed and can hit the holes when necessary)...bout the only think i can say negative is the DSG trans can be a bit clunky in really slow stop and go...e.g. <5mph...not horrible, but not like a tq converter trans either....and still better than a mt for commuting...

 

As the former owner of 3 BMWs including an '07 335i I just came over to the Audi S4 (after looking very hard at the new F30 335i).

First--styling. I tried to love the look of the new F30...but just could not. The F30s looks so much the 5 series...that you can get dizzy out on the lot trying to tell the 3's from the 5's and I have a well trained eye after driving BMWs the last 10 years. Also, do you want your 335i in sport, modern, or luxury? They want the 335i to be all things to all people. Why would you want a "luxury" 335i? Why not just get a 5?

Second--turbos. The N55 is inferior to the original N54 twin set up. After driving the '07 335i with the twins--there is no going back. The turbo lag is more pronounced in the single set up--trust me. The whistle is also louder. I understand the change--I just don't like the result.

Third, pricing--the new 335i is exemplar of how BMW has turned option pricing into price gouging. Yes, the base MSRP of $43K is lower than an S4. However, by the time you get the 335i with the same options as the S4--the 335i will cost you more. That is because BMW will charge for each option.
It use to be that you had three basic option packages--sports pkg, premium pkg, nav. If you checked those 3 packages you were pretty much done. Not anymore.

My S4 Premium Plus stckered for $56,200. By the time the 335i had similar options is was at an eye popping $57,900!! That is a lot of dough for a 335I. BTY--that did not include X Drive.

Fourth Styling--you cannot tell a 328i sport from a 335i sport. BMW has done away with many of the visual cues that distinguished the entry 3 from the premium 330i and 335i.

The S4 separates itself from the A4 in a far more pronounced manner than the 335i does from the 328i.

All in all I bought a 2012 S4 over new F30 335i as you simply get MORE for LESS.

I think BMW has lost their way on Styling and Pricing.

As a result, a lot of BMW tried and true are moving over to Audi.

The styling is far sharper with a tech edge and the pricing is still sane.

Good luck in your choice!

 

Thank you, I was looking at the interiors and I think the Audi's look a lot better than the BMW's I'm not ready to buy yet but ive been looking and they are still expensive haha. I I can find one with close to 20k miles with navi and the keyless entry then I'm sold. Also what are the best inteirior color combination? I saw a video with the black and white seats but the reviewer calls it horrible and I can't find any for sell with it, are the pictures decieving?

 

I think its purely a matter of taste. However, if you do the two color seats it is essential they match the outside of the car.

The black with the "pearl" as Audi calls it needs to be matched to the right color car. While this is a matter of taste, I think Phantom black, moonlight (dark blue), maybe red but perhaps risky. In short you want the pearl color to be a nice accent to the color of the car.

For example, I think white with the black/pearl seats would be too much black and white. I also do not think pearl contrasts well with lighter colors like silver and grey. For those three colors I would go with the black/red seats.

I have seen a few red S4's/S5s with the black/red seats...Yuck!!! Too much red. A German dream car turned into a nightmare!!

Reminded me of Michael Jackson's red/black outfit from Thiller.

I also would not do Phantom black or Super black with the black/red seats...the last car to pull that color combination off was the Batmobile.

But I think Phantom Black or Moonlight with the black pearl might look amazing.

The other thing to consider with pearl is "dirt"... pearl will be a HUGE challenge to keep clean.

Me....I am a traditionalist....I went Phantom Black with Black.

Simple, timeless, no problem on resale.

 

I just traded my 2012 S4 - monsoon grey with mustang and black interior for 2014 S4 monsoon grey with magnum red and black interior, with tinted windows and flat black audi 19 wheels from TT and window tint. I love this color combo. I am using the dark wheels for winter and Blizzaks, then will use stock 19 during summer. I will post photo when weather improves....car constantly dirty.