BMW 440i xDrive or Audi S5?

Discussion in 'Cars, Motorcycles, Boats, Airplanes Talk' started by luckybaer, Feb 15, 2019.

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  1. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    If anyone has had experience with the cars listed in the subject I’d appreciate it.

    If no experience with the exact model(s), I’d still be interested in hearing your BMW- or Audi-specific experiences.

    I could be in a position to be buying a new car in the next 3-6 months. After a lot of research, these two stood out, and I’ll be scheduling test drives as soon as my financial picture achieves clarity.

    Always appreciate comments from members.

    Thanks.
     
  2. Ntbm3

    Ntbm3 Friend

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    I would not recommend asking a car questions in an audio forum :)

    But you are in luck.. I am an expert...

    What kind of car are you looking for?? Commuter? Like to take it on twisty roads on the weekends? Auto-x, track days? Plan to mod it? Fuel economy matters?

    Seems like you must have AWD?

    Big differences are:
    - S5 is going to be a little bit more harsh, loud, sporty.
    - Audi is FWD first... BMW RWD first.
    - BMW will hold it's value more than the Audi (you plan to buy or lease?)
    - These cars are like vanilla and chocolate, both great. Just a preference thing.
     
  3. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    I have a 335i xDrive. It's my third one so needless to say I like them. With 4 snow tires it is a blast to drive in the winter too. With the traction control off you can slide it around just like a rear driver if you are so inclined. Having said that, the 3 (and now 4) series keeps growing bigger with every new generation. My 3 is about the same size as a 5 series from 15 years ago, and the new 5 is likewise as big as a 7 used to be. With that in mind I think my next car is going to be a 2 series.

    I've driven an S4, and it is a really fun car too. I need the utility of a sedan but the coupes should drive much the same. As @Ntbm3 says, it is just going to come down to personal preference.
     
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    The 4 series the ugliest good-looking car on the road today.

    The original S5 with the V8 from ten years ago was the best.

    Test drive them. Add up options too to get real cost. These cars don't come base. Stuff like windshield wipers or seats is extra.
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2019
  5. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    One thing they have in common is they both ride like the shocks are filled with concrete, even at the softest setting.

    You can somewhat work around it by taking the smallest possible diameter wheels but still, I hope you like spinal column compression.

    The only one that rides halfway decently is the A5 (the non-sporty) with 17" rims and adjustable suspension.

    For comparison, the Cayman S is a softer, more comfortable ride than a non-sporty BMW 2-series.

    I'll take a Giulia Q, thanks, its not like modern BMW and Audi are any more reliable, sadly, and it's a much better drive.
     
  6. murphythecat

    murphythecat GRU-powered uniformed trumpkin

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  7. rott

    rott Secretly hates other millenials - Friend

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    I had an F30 335i (RWD) which was fun, but no steering feel. It was an M-Sport and the optional adaptive suspension helped offset the spine-jarring 19" wheels when suspension (only) was in comfort mode for most of my work commuting.

    I have a current-gen A4 which I'm happy with, all things considered, and I think the S5 will have not that much better steering but will obviously be faster. Test drive an A5 and an S5 (or S4, whichever is available) and see if the difference is worth it to you.

    The G20 3 series is supposed to get some of that magic steering-feel back, will need to test drive sometime.

    I would seriously consider the Porsche Macan if within you budget, have read that it drives better than the BMW/Audi you're looking at.
     
  8. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Nice steering and aero on the lexus, engine is a bit eh though.

    I mean, it depends on what you want. Lexus and Infinity have the best comfort.

    Giulia has the steering setup and engine (minus 2 cylinders) of a ferrari 488, so nothing else comes close, but the brake pedal is awful. Since the Stelvio is just a Giulia with a different shell and upright seats, it also beats all the sedans in steering and engine. But the driving mode system of both makes negative sense. Also its only RWD, which can be a pro or a con.

    The Kia Stinger GT2 is comparable to Audi but cheaper. Rides better, but the steering is light, though not BMW light.

    They all suck pretty hard one way or another, the only way not to shaft yourself is to try them all and see which one bothers you the least.

    I value steering feel and engine the most, hence the car I'm looking at - unless I go for a boring a5 highway cruiser.
     
  9. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    I fully intend to test drive a Giulia when I start shopping in earnest for a replacement. I have heard many good things about them and they sure look sweet.
     
  10. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I was going to say that you are a wimp, but seriously on the Cayman? I thought the Cayman was already a pretty rough ride with excessively stiff shocks (no compliance to bumps) with the only "compliance" in the plush cushy Porsche seats. Don't get me wrong as my Charger SP isn't much better with the stiff shocks and stiff sidewalls (20" wheels), but the long wheelbase and massive weight do help a lot in terms of comfort.
     
  11. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    Just be aware the driving mode system is typical Italian sports car fare insane.

    The only way to disable auto-shift-up is to put in race mode, and you have to do that every time you start the car, then manually set the suspension to soft or medium. Then you can have fun.

    I bitch about the krautsedans but at least they have the driving mode thing mostly done right, and BMW has dropped the turning indicator stick that goes to center after selecting and can't be turned off in the latest models.
     
  12. Taverius

    Taverius Smells like sausages

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    The latest sporty bmws have taken the nurburgring tuning to an absurd degree.

    The grip is unreal for such relatively heavy cars, but I felt like I was 16 again and riding cheap plastic bobsleighs on hard-packed snow on January 1st all over again (this being sort of a tradition where I go skiing, and the bobsleigh course is in town and the snow always terrible and hard like concrete).

    YMMV, the b roads here are in bad shape different from over there, the imperfection amplitudes can sometimes play a big role depending on the fast/slow shock settings.
     
  13. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Ugh. That sounds like Mitsubishi Evo where I could feel a coin on the road, but with newer crappy electric steering that requires no effort.
     
  14. Ntbm3

    Ntbm3 Friend

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    Do not consider Giulia or Kia stinger... devastating reliability, depreciation and over all quality. They are currently neck and neck for lowest sales in the segment. Alfa sales in the US are so bad they will probably pull out of the USA market like FIAT was forced too.

    The Lexus is soul sucking, but a lot of people are into that.

    Stick with the Audi or BWM, you have the highest chance of enjoyment.

    Also forgot you cannot get the Audi in a manual, only the BMW.
     
  15. Ntbm3

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    Are you in Italy? The euro suspension is stiffer than the US spec.

    They soften things up for the lard butts here who just cruise on the hwy in the left lane.
     
  16. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    Here's my thought on the "premium" Japanese brands:

    Acura - Used to have great looking, fun-to-drive cars (loved my Integra, and earlier TLs were to my liking), but now, they are neither here, nor there. Just boring. At least they aren't as ugly as Lexus.

    Infiniti - Best looking, love the V-6 engine, but geez... a decent, AWD Q50 w/V-6 costs $50K. Maybe I can beat the dealer down, but... I probably will look at the Q50, though. Love my 2007 Altima with the V-6. Got 180K on it, and it is time for it to get a little love (wear and tear stuff addressed) and then be handed down to my oldest son.

    Lexus - Ugly. Not interested.

    Genesis - I don't know much about them. Their cars look OK. Not sexy. Not ugly. Inoffensive. Good warranties, though.
     
  17. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    I'm one of those lard butts!

    Well, actually, not much lard in my butt (5' 10", 163 lbs), but I pretty much do just cruise daily, as all I do is drive to work. Now, when I get out on some of the state roads... things can be more fun.
     
  18. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I'd just lease an Audi or BMW or Maserati in the USA and get a new one every three years. They lose 20% of their value the minute you drive them off the lot and after three years have lost more than half their value, putting them on par with the discontinued Chrysler 200.

    And the thing is, you really don't want to be fixing German (or Japanese cars) anyway. Parts are too expensive.
     
  19. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Acura - The kids' grandpa-mobile or mild-mannered H1B tech worker
    Infiniti - Gang-banger or wannabe
    Lexus - Asians who drive 10mph below the speed limit trying to find the street address (my mom)
    Lexus F - Didn't work to lure in the euro car buyers
    Hyundai (Genesis) - Korean expats in USA who hate all things Japanese, but secretly admire Japanese stuff
    Hyundai (lower lines) - Hourly workers who drive like crazy because they are late to work
    Kia - Surprisingly good cars, but embarrassing to be seen in one unless it's your first car
     
    Last edited: Feb 15, 2019
  20. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    Ex GF had a G35. Basically the same as a 350Z at that time. I'm not even sure if the 370 has changed much since then, but as Japanese cars go it was high on my fun to drive list. I think the more interesting models today are in the non-premium segments. I'm not an FWD fan but the Mazda 3 is pretty nice. Couple friends with Subarus as well that seem pretty well made.

    I don't think they have anything that can really compete with the Germans at the OPs price point though.
     

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