I'm looking for something a little more fun to drive around in. I currently have a 2002 Nissan Maxima in a 6spd and it's a blast to drive, but its still lacking in some ways.

My options are a G35 coupe or an S4 or maybe a 3.0 X5 and supercharging it. The G35 being RWD won't help me much during the winter months in NYC. Since I can only afford one car, I wanted something that would be the best of both worlds when it comes to comfort, power, etc. The S4 seemed like a good mix.

What are the disadvantages or advanatages of getting a 2001-2003 S4 over a 2004 S4? I know tha the 2k4 has a 340HP V8 which would be awesome, but also carries a much higher price tag. What about maintenance? Pricey? Owning a Japanese car, maintenace is relatively inexpensive. What about size? Is is really cramped in the rear? I occasionaly have to take my parents around. Any problem areas to look out for? Are the bi-turbos troublefree? Any additional insight would be great.

Thanks

 

Hi max6spd, welcome to the forum. Yeah a S4 will be a bit more expensive to own than a japenese car. The turbo's are not troublefree typically. Depending on the previous owner they may need replacing as soon as 80k miles. All in all though the car really isn't that bad maintenance wise. They are a blast to drive and own. There is a huge tuning world for them too. K04 turbos, exhaust manifold and a few other goodies and you can have a 450 hp beast!

 

Go with the V8. There is no comparision, it is worth every penny. This article (Car & Driver comparo test S4 vs M3 vs C32 AMG) says it all:


Audi S4 vs BMW M3 vs MB C32 AMG

 

The v6 can spank the V8 easilly with a few mods my friend.

 

I was referring to stock vs stock. If you want to talk mods, V8 can be transformed into a beast easily too, for $3K or so it will pump out 420HP without a sweat, so I am not so sure about the spanking part. Not to mention that this V8 will "survive" the upgrades much better (just look at the RS6 which uses the same engine as a base). To me, there is no replacement for displacement, there is no way that the V6 can ever produce the same amount of usable torque that is on tap at any given time.
But hey, at the end of the day, we are on the same side of the fence, so if you believe in V6 abilities to be superior to V8, I respect that. Either way, it is a thrilling experience!

 

i say V6 more fun to mod. V8 there isnt much u can do

 

Sure the potential is there, but I havn't seen any out of the box solutions to the V8 HP problem. I've heard of a 10k dollar supercharger that is in development and that's it.

 

damn 10k supercharger.....crazy *** $$