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      07-10-2008, 09:30 PM   #1
stockwizard
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Audi Vs. M3. Please Help!

Hello gentleman. I am a new user here, but I have observed the sight on a regular basis.

I have just started making the kind of money where I can justify buying a car that will make me proud. I live a 15 min. walk from work, so I only will be taking a car out a couple times a week.

My first choice was the M3. The high revving engine, the cache, etc...
However I am going to the Audi dealership this Sat. to test drive the S5. $10,000 cheaper, and I have to say a gorgeous car. I never thought I would ever favor an audi over a bmw, but this car is something else.

I was never a big fan of the rs4. I thought overpriced. The s5 is basically in a price point between the 335i and m3. 335i are on every street corner where I live. Not rare enough for me.

My major concern is I might not get the most use out of the m3 around town here.

What do you guys think? Is the extra $10,000 really worth it?
What do you guys think of the s5?
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      07-10-2008, 09:38 PM   #2
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Allow me to remind you that you are on an M3 forum.

That said, it is clear that the M3 will perform better. If you don't care about that, then it is a subjective call...
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      07-10-2008, 11:05 PM   #3
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Get the S5.
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      07-10-2008, 11:43 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stockwizard View Post
My major concern is I might not get the most use out of the m3 around town here.
You answered your own question.

I am a big BMW guy. But I will admit the S5 is beautiful.

Great GT car, with good performance.

Very good buy.
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      07-11-2008, 06:50 AM   #5
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Round town driving - S5 - it's engine output is better suited for this. To really enjoy the M3 you need to rev it hard - not so easy or wise in daily driving situations...
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      07-11-2008, 06:12 PM   #6
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The S5 is beautiful and plenty fast for around town driving. Only time you would miss driving an M3 is if you are pushing the car to it's limits. This is where the better balance, RWD, and Limited Slip Diff are really going to shine. I do think that the S5 interior is one of the best designs ever.
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      07-11-2008, 06:14 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lucid View Post
Allow me to remind you that you are on an M3 forum.

That said, it is clear that the M3 will perform better. If you don't care about that, then it is a subjective call...
But boy is that S5 a looker.
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      07-11-2008, 06:20 PM   #8
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I love the S5, but need 4 doors. Otherwise I'd be driving one now.
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      07-11-2008, 06:21 PM   #9
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S5 goes in snow M3, not so much.
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      07-11-2008, 06:36 PM   #10
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Different cars for different situations, the S5 will almost be as quick on the back roads as an M3 purely because for most people it gives added confidence and it's understeering nature means pushing it gives an easier controlled recovery than the M3 would have. Like someone else said the M3 to get the full enjoyment requires to be driven to the full, but even at 6/10th you can appreciate it's balanced chassis and finer steering feel, in comparison the S5 though quick is a dull witted.

There the S5 really scores is it's creature comforts, the seats are superb, the steering wheel is a joy to hold, the interior design is among the best at any price and the B&O stereo is brilliant. It looks smart and classy, it ticks all the right boxes and yet here I am an S5 owner about to take delivery of an M3.

What does that not say.
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      07-11-2008, 06:47 PM   #11
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I will be shocked if your dealer has an S5 in stock and unspoken for at MSRP. With that said, they are both amazing. Bro in law has S5 and it is beautiful and actually quite wide. He got blk/blk with premium sound as only option. I have no options (except SSII) on my sedan and I paid $300 more than him.
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      07-11-2008, 06:50 PM   #12
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i will put it simple. i test drove a S5 when i had a 335.
good stuff: interior is amazing, backup camera/navi was nuts, beautiful exterior for sure. looks PHAT

bad stuff: car cant haul and cant handle for shit even compared to my humble 335. test drive the M3 after the S5 and tell me what u think

bottom line do not pay the gas for a V8 that performs less than a I6
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      07-11-2008, 06:55 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mixja View Post
To really enjoy the M3 you need to rev it hard - not so easy or wise in daily driving situations...
agree

if you see my post -->>http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155195, both S5 and M3 are worthy cars. It's subjective but simply put imo the M3 more fun to drive the S5 great all around car and if not pushing the cars past 8/10th they probably are very equal in performance the M3 has the edge at the 7000+ rpm range.

I would say some will prefer one more thaqn the other. after driving the S5 for me it can't hold a candle for absolute road-work. But then the M3 is not the best sports car either but they both are all-around cars with the Audi nice AWD which some prefer.
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      07-11-2008, 11:35 PM   #14
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Thanks boys for the input.

I don't want to come on an m3 forum and pimp another car. Like I said, the m3 is a legend and something I always wanted and respect.

The audi Dealer tells me it will be a 6 month wait for the s5.

My decision is still up in the air, but I will test drive both and make a decision.

The only time I will be able to push the m3 would be every couple of months when I take it on a 4 hour drive to my families cabin, but everything else would be just around town.

The s5 does have great colour combinations, and it does have that muscle car engine sound (which is a prerequisite for me)
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      07-12-2008, 05:57 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stockwizard View Post
The only time I will be able to push the m3 would be every couple of months when I take it on a 4 hour drive to my families cabin, but everything else would be just around town.

The s5 does have great colour combinations, and it does have that muscle car engine sound (which is a prerequisite for me)
Well if it's mainly town and inner city driving then unless you get the M-DCT M3 I would place the S5 comfortably ahead of the M3, it's creature comforts are better and it's a much nicer place to be.

May I throw a spanner in the works and suggest waiting until the S5 gets DSG, that would not only make it quicker and more economical but easier to drive in traffic.
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      07-12-2008, 02:17 PM   #16
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If you have to ask then the S5 is for you.
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      07-12-2008, 05:47 PM   #17
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Just came back from Audi:
Put a $2000 (refundable) deposit on the s5 2009
-It will be a 6-8 month wait
-Has not been confirmed but 2009 will likely have DSG.
-RS5 will be priced very competitively to the M3.

When more details of the RS5 come out I may switch my deposit towards it.
If people think the s5 is pretty, the rs5 will be on fire.

Will go to BMW next week for a test drive. If I am impressed I will ask for my deposit back and put it down on MPower.

WILD CARD RS5 450+Horses
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      07-12-2008, 10:29 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stockwizard View Post
Hello gentleman. I am a new user here, but I have observed the sight on a regular basis.

I have just started making the kind of money where I can justify buying a car that will make me proud. I live a 15 min. walk from work, so I only will be taking a car out a couple times a week.

My first choice was the M3. The high revving engine, the cache, etc...
However I am going to the Audi dealership this Sat. to test drive the S5. $10,000 cheaper, and I have to say a gorgeous car. I never thought I would ever favor an audi over a bmw, but this car is something else.

I was never a big fan of the rs4. I thought overpriced. The s5 is basically in a price point between the 335i and m3. 335i are on every street corner where I live. Not rare enough for me.

My major concern is I might not get the most use out of the m3 around town here.

What do you guys think? Is the extra $10,000 really worth it?
What do you guys think of the s5?
Is this your first "rare" car? Sometimes it's difficult to find a competent mechanic to fix a rare car and I believe that would be harder if you don't know much about cars. Audi doesn't sell as many cars as BMW so there will be fewer mechanics familiar with them. It may not be a big problem with an NA V8 but it might be something to think about.

Audi offers one free service at one year or 12,000 miles. BMW offers free maintenance for 4 years or 50K miles. You will need to find an Audi mechanic you can trust and afford if you don't know your way around cars.

Neither of the above is likely to be an issue if you only keep your car for a few years.

JD Powers rates BMW (Lexus, MB) slightly better than Audi.

As commonly measured in the media the M3 is the better performing car (in any trim). I think that from the perspective of the vast majority of drivers, both cars would be equally fun to drive. There are very few locations outside a track where you can get the most out of the S5 but not the M3. This might be a reason to save $10,000 dollars but you are still spending money on the S5 that could be shifted to cars with more luxury and less performance (assuming that you rank spending less higher in priority than how rare the car is).

If none of the above facts seriously sway you then drive both and buy the one that fits you best. It would be hard to get a "rare" version of a model line with the quality of the S5 and at the S5 price point. You might get a better deal (slightly less/similar luxury, similar/better performance, lower price) on a base car line (IS series, C class, 3 series, CTS series, etc...) but the car would be "on every corner". You can get a much better car with any of those cars performance tags (ISF, C63, M3, CTS-V) but you are happy with the S5. Thus, the sweet spot (if you like the car) is the S5 with the cache of the performance tag for less money and only sacrificing the (to you) unusable performance. Good buy, enjoy your car!
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      07-12-2008, 11:50 PM   #19
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S5 vs. M3

Quote:
Originally Posted by stockwizard View Post
Hello gentleman. I am a new user here, but I have observed the sight on a regular basis.

I have just started making the kind of money where I can justify buying a car that will make me proud. I live a 15 min. walk from work, so I only will be taking a car out a couple times a week.

My first choice was the M3. The high revving engine, the cache, etc...
However I am going to the Audi dealership this Sat. to test drive the S5. $10,000 cheaper, and I have to say a gorgeous car. I never thought I would ever favor an audi over a bmw, but this car is something else.

I was never a big fan of the rs4. I thought overpriced. The s5 is basically in a price point between the 335i and m3. 335i are on every street corner where I live. Not rare enough for me.

My major concern is I might not get the most use out of the m3 around town here.

What do you guys think? Is the extra $10,000 really worth it?
What do you guys think of the s5?
To me, yes it's worth it. Hard to know what pushes your buttons. My M3 is a daily driver in a medium-sized metropolitan area (Portland, OR). It gives me a lot of grins for that use alone. If you're only driving it a couple times a week, then you want to have fun with it. While the S5, I'm sure, is reasonably fun for normal driving, the M3 is another dimension.

You need to decide what the car's main purpose and your needs/wants are. And be sure to test drive both, if you can. And don't forget the Bimmer's 4 years free maintenance in the cost comparison.
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      07-13-2008, 12:05 AM   #20
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I agree the Rs5 should be hot. but you can have an M3 today.
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      07-13-2008, 01:21 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stockwizard View Post
Just came back from Audi:
Put a $2000 (refundable) deposit on the s5 2009
-It will be a 6-8 month wait
-Has not been confirmed but 2009 will likely have DSG.
-RS5 will be priced very competitively to the M3.

When more details of the RS5 come out I may switch my deposit towards it.
If people think the s5 is pretty, the rs5 will be on fire.

Will go to BMW next week for a test drive. If I am impressed I will ask for my deposit back and put it down on MPower.

WILD CARD RS5 450+Horses
Did they give you a timescale for the RS5 because my dealer said end of the year 2009 at the earliest, that is why I jumped for the M3 now, knowing that I had two year with the M3 and would still be one of the first with an RS5.

P.S.
The salesman do talk the talk, lets hope the car can walk the walk.
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      07-13-2008, 01:51 AM   #22
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Anyone know when you can get a RS5 and for about how much? If it's going to be about the same price as a M3, then I might actually wait for the RS5 since I think it will be better than the M3; if not it will atleast have 450hp, and the amazing 500+ torque!!! O.O To die for!!! stockwizard u got any ideas since you went to the dealers?
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