Our test-driving adventures continue. My wife and I had previously driven a 328i M-Sport 6MT and a 335i Lux Line. From that drive, we preferred the 328i but also wanted to find at least a 335i in Sport Line or M-Sport to drive. We also wanted to do our due diligence and give the 2013 S4 a shot. That's exactly what we did today. Up first was the S4...
2013 Audi S4
The car we drove was equipped with the S-Tronic autobox. Sadly, not MTs or DSG cars at our local dealer. The car was driven in Dynamic and Auto modes. In terms of the drive itself, I thought the autobox was actually quite good. Not as quick as the BMW's, but really nothing that called attention to itself. Car felt tight and handled nicely. The S4 seats were very nice, about the same as the BMW's sport seats. Interior design was also pretty nice...nothing really to complain about. In fact, we thought it was nicer than the one in the A6 3.0T that we were ferried around in. That was about it for the S4. My overall impression was that it's a fast, competent car, but did nothing for me on an emotional level. Nothing that made me feel I really needed to have this car. The supercharged V6 is so quiet as to be essentially character-less. Also, I was bothered by some creaking coming from the passenger side window when going over bumps around rough city roads. I'm not a huge stickler for creaks and rattles (I own an E46 M3 for crying out loud) but this was really annoying in a brand new car that cost $59K+.
2013 335i M-Sport
We would've loved to have found a 6MT to drive, but no such luck. The good news for us was that this car was optioned exactly the same way that the 328i we drove a couple of weekends back. Only difference was in the transmissions; even the colors were the same (EBII). We got into the 335i about 15 mins after driving the S4, so the comparison was really, really obvious. The 335i just felt right-and that was before even starting the car. I guess we're just BMW people. But even accounting for that, the interior just looks and feels a notch up from the Audi's. Surprising for me, because I'd always thought very highly of Audi interiors. On paper, the S4 is faster. In real life, we felt the 335i gave nothing up to the S4. We drove the 335i in Sport mode at the request of our dealer-some customer recently drove an M5 in Sport+, lost control and totalled the car. The 335i M-Sport also came with DHP and that made it a lot more fun versus the 335i Lux that we drove before--much sharper response. The N55 also sounded much nicer to me than the V6 in the S4. The 335i also seemed way more dynamic feeling than the S4. Maybe it's the character of the twin turbos versus the supercharger? Either way, the 335i definitely got my pulse moving. Can't say the same for the S4.
Incidentally, the S4 also comes with electric steering now. Big mistake if you ask me. That car is only drivable in Dynamic-Auto and Comfort are just terribly light or terribly variable. Ugh. The steering wheel in the S4 also felt much less nice to handle versus the one in the 335i. That said, I wish the BMW could default to last user setting instead of Comfort, but I've been wishing for this for a very long time. Someday.
Apples to apples, I just can't imagine why anyone would pick the S4 over the 335i. Unless you shop for a car based only on specs, the S4 just doesn't make sense to me. It's less inspiring to drive, costs more (the one we drove came in about $1000 more than the 335i) and consumes more gas. I guess Audi is just going to suck it up until the next generation S4 comes out. My wife-whose car this or the F30 would be-declared herself a non-Audi person after these drives. Her words: "The S4 is so far off the table, it's crashed and burning on the floor, in a corner." :rofl:
2013 Audi S4
The car we drove was equipped with the S-Tronic autobox. Sadly, not MTs or DSG cars at our local dealer. The car was driven in Dynamic and Auto modes. In terms of the drive itself, I thought the autobox was actually quite good. Not as quick as the BMW's, but really nothing that called attention to itself. Car felt tight and handled nicely. The S4 seats were very nice, about the same as the BMW's sport seats. Interior design was also pretty nice...nothing really to complain about. In fact, we thought it was nicer than the one in the A6 3.0T that we were ferried around in. That was about it for the S4. My overall impression was that it's a fast, competent car, but did nothing for me on an emotional level. Nothing that made me feel I really needed to have this car. The supercharged V6 is so quiet as to be essentially character-less. Also, I was bothered by some creaking coming from the passenger side window when going over bumps around rough city roads. I'm not a huge stickler for creaks and rattles (I own an E46 M3 for crying out loud) but this was really annoying in a brand new car that cost $59K+.
2013 335i M-Sport
We would've loved to have found a 6MT to drive, but no such luck. The good news for us was that this car was optioned exactly the same way that the 328i we drove a couple of weekends back. Only difference was in the transmissions; even the colors were the same (EBII). We got into the 335i about 15 mins after driving the S4, so the comparison was really, really obvious. The 335i just felt right-and that was before even starting the car. I guess we're just BMW people. But even accounting for that, the interior just looks and feels a notch up from the Audi's. Surprising for me, because I'd always thought very highly of Audi interiors. On paper, the S4 is faster. In real life, we felt the 335i gave nothing up to the S4. We drove the 335i in Sport mode at the request of our dealer-some customer recently drove an M5 in Sport+, lost control and totalled the car. The 335i M-Sport also came with DHP and that made it a lot more fun versus the 335i Lux that we drove before--much sharper response. The N55 also sounded much nicer to me than the V6 in the S4. The 335i also seemed way more dynamic feeling than the S4. Maybe it's the character of the twin turbos versus the supercharger? Either way, the 335i definitely got my pulse moving. Can't say the same for the S4.
Incidentally, the S4 also comes with electric steering now. Big mistake if you ask me. That car is only drivable in Dynamic-Auto and Comfort are just terribly light or terribly variable. Ugh. The steering wheel in the S4 also felt much less nice to handle versus the one in the 335i. That said, I wish the BMW could default to last user setting instead of Comfort, but I've been wishing for this for a very long time. Someday.
Apples to apples, I just can't imagine why anyone would pick the S4 over the 335i. Unless you shop for a car based only on specs, the S4 just doesn't make sense to me. It's less inspiring to drive, costs more (the one we drove came in about $1000 more than the 335i) and consumes more gas. I guess Audi is just going to suck it up until the next generation S4 comes out. My wife-whose car this or the F30 would be-declared herself a non-Audi person after these drives. Her words: "The S4 is so far off the table, it's crashed and burning on the floor, in a corner." :rofl: