[T111]

Originally Posted by hobo1

hello all. I bought a 2011 335i xdrive coupe in may of 2011. msport package, premium audio, navigation, etc. 6 speed. at the time I was debating between the 335 and an S4. I ended up choosing the 335 because of some aesthetic concerns, as well as a sort of emotional loyalty to BMW. my first car that I cared about was a 1974 2002. the next car I cared about was a 2002 325 wagon. I still miss that car. even with the turbo the 335 reminded me of the balance and poise that I loved so much in both of my other bmws and honestly the S4 felt artificial and too.. insulated. evn the exhaust sound seemed like it was faking. the steering felt like an arcade video game from when I was 12. I could tell with my eyes that the car was handling well but I didn't feel anything.

these past few months I realized I need four doors and I thought maybe I would take the opportunity to switch brands and try a new engine rather than just get a 335i sedan. so I tried the S4s again. now this is not a comparison between the new 335's and the 2013 S4, so perhaps irrelevant to this thread. but from what the rest of you are saying, many of the strengths of the 335 were lost in the new iteration. what I can say tho is that my first testing of the S4 was an unfair comparison to the 335 because the cars I tried didn't have the sport differential or drive select. what I can say now is that if you are considering an S4 you MUST drive it with these options. the adaptive suspension is cool too but I think a little unnecessary as I plan to lower my suspension and have it set up to be in responsive sport mode all of the time. if you need to be able to adjust it to suit other situations perhaps it's a good option for you.

what I feel now, after 19 months of owning and loving a 335, and now owning an S4, is this:

they are very different cars. but set up properly, the S4 is WAY more fun to drive it sounds better, the power delivery has a much more pleasing (to me) arc, the brakes are better, the navi and iPod interface are better and make more sense, the leather is nicer, the steering wheel is better, and the handling is much better than the xdrive. my complaints are these:

the looks are perhaps less consistent thru the car as the bmws are. the front and rear look slightly menacing and burly while the profile is a little too 'grocery getter' for me.

the suspension is super competent and doesn't sway the car around but I'd like a little bit more road feedback. it feels slightly numb. hoping lowering it a bit will help this. and perhaps some bigger rims with low profile tires will help too. that being said I have to say I now know for sure that I HATE run flats and really recommend swapping them out if you do go with the 335.

the steering is taking some serious getting used to. this will likely be an issue with the 2013 bmws too.. I can't say I don't like it, but the lightness at low speeds makes the car feel cheap. once the revs go up tho and I get to speed it is one of the best steering inputs I've ever had. I guess my only point on this applies to both BMW and Audi: don't be too quick to judge the electronic/mechanical steering. it's just different NAND perhaps those of us who feel loyal to the hydraulic just need to give it a little time.

and last: I still think the comparisonv is unfair. properly set up (and I must repeat: an S4 without sport differential and drive select isn't an S4), the price difference is almost $10k. the HP is NOT an inconsequential difference. my S4 feels and is much quicker on the street than my 335 was. and the engine is the same in the '13s. the looks are totally different. only people who know what an S4 is look at my car. to anyone else it's a family sedan and not exciting. almost everyone looked at my 335. with the 19" IS rims it was undeniably eye catching. frankly that's part of what I like about the S4 but this is a totally personal thing. so, if you like the aesthetics, an the money difference is not an issue, I think the S4 is a better car. but $10k is nothing to sneeze at and I think if you aren't going to go for prestige package and all the bits that the BMW may be a better choice. and to echo many people on these kinds of forums: they are both excellent cars. I feel very very happy about both, and I hope that my opinions are helpful to you guys as I've been able to drive the 335 for a year and a half and now two weeks into my S4 I feel like I have a handle on what the differences mean TO ME. maybe not to you.


drive safe but fun.

N

+1, after owning 2 F30 335i's (first trade assisted, second bought back, both for steering vibration) I completely agree with you. The S4 is simply a better performer. I was especially unimpressed by both of my 335's brakes (the 2nd was an M sport). They lacked feel and felt poor in contrast to the E90 and the S4. S4 pulls harder (and all the way to redline). Overall a much more exhilarating driving experience. Plus its extremely annoying that so many of the F30s are ruined by the steering vibration.