Few cars have rules their class like the BMW 3 Series. There have been countless challengers over the years, yet they always fell short in one way or another.
No one has tried harder to break the stranglehold than Audi. It's A4 had been getting closer with every redesign and refresh, but was never quite there. The latest challenger is the 2010 S4, a newly supercharged, all-wheel drive sedan that has been realigned to better match up with BMW top 3 Series four-door.
So has Audi finally cracked this code? see for yourself in our latest comparison test.
Comparison Test: 2010 Audi S4 vs 2009 BMW 335i
1487 says:
09:01 AM, 10/13/09
exact same cars from C&D and same result. S4 is nice but that price is steep. It was only a few years ago when Audis would give you more for your money than MBs and BMWs.
alman08 says:
09:22 AM, 10/13/09
how about a comparion of a S4 vs. M3?
sevenbob says:
10:43 AM, 10/13/09
You can buy a new M3 sedan with a premium package for less than the cost of the S4 in the test. So even though you have an M3 in your fleet you go out and get a less expensive 335 and then marvel that the BMW gets beat? I smell a rat....
huyracing says:
11:02 AM, 10/13/09
Did Audi give auto journalists these cars to compare? LOL.
inlinesix says:
12:02 PM, 10/13/09
Thats a bunch of pesos for the Audi. I like the 3L supercharged motor though. But still can't see spending the $46-60 grand on it when its bumping into M3/IS-F price territory.
cr_driver says:
12:19 PM, 10/13/09
So spending the $46-60 grand puts you as well in the bmw 335i territory...so thats a bunch of pesos for the bmw as well, not only for the Audi.
A nicely equipped M3 will set u back $70 grand....
Now is Audi playing the bmw game, just as bmw plays that game to the infinity G37. Simple as that.
But now Audi is the winner.
compliance says:
12:31 PM, 10/13/09
I think I still want the BMW
sevenbob says:
12:56 PM, 10/13/09
CRcr_driver I just went to the BMW site and put every option on it for $70,770 you can get it with the double clutch transmission and premium package for $60,075. You really have to work and put a lot of things on it that do nothing to make it drive better to spend $70,000 on an M3 sedan
hondacura4 says:
02:09 PM, 10/13/09
"how about a comparison of a S4 vs. M3?"
Why? The S4 is a direct competitor to the 335. If you want to see a direct Audi vs BMW M3 comparison you will have to wait until the Audi RS4 debuts.
hondacura4 says:
03:51 PM, 10/13/09
I actually like both cars but I wouldn't pay $60K for the Audi or the 335 if it were that expensive. I can get a 335i 6MT sedan the way I want it for around $46K, which I consider pricey. The Audi may be the better performer but it's not worth the extra coin in my eyes.
bankerdanny says:
03:51 PM, 10/13/09
According to Car & Driver, when you option the BMW up to match the standard equip on the Audi, then add the sport package to both cars they are within a few hundred dollars of each other, and the Audi has AWD (a $2k option for the BMW).
So you have to take the as-tested price difference with a grain of salt.
DLu says:
05:44 PM, 10/13/09
you can't get an M3 for less than $65-70k in the Boston area; the early S4's out now are between $55k to $60k here. the "fair" comparison is not that easy; S4 may be between 335 and M3 and not necessarily a direct competitor to either. what i got out of this (and C&D's) article is that the AWD is easier for someone like me to exploit its abilities and get more fun out of. earlier reports hinted that the S4's supercharger might make it slow off the line -- this comparison test made me a fan of the new S4
alman08 says:
07:08 PM, 10/13/09
I like how hondacura4 has to define "direct competitors" for every car. Sure... everyone wants to sound like an expert...
hondacura4 says:
08:09 PM, 10/13/09
Alman, I never claimed to be an expert but if you would care to compare the trims of the A4 and 3 Series, the S4 vs 335 comparison is perfectly logical and valid. Do you see a pattern here?
Audi 2.0T = BMW 328i = Merc C300 = Lexus IS250
Audi 3.0T = BMW 335i = Merc C350 = Lexus IS350
Audi RS4 = BMW M3 = Merc C63 = Lexus IS-F
I never said you couldn't compare the 2 but its obvious the M3 would have the advantages right out of the box.
estreka says:
10:49 PM, 10/13/09
When Audi builds a real RWD sedan, then you can make a real comparison.
hondacura4 says:
12:00 PM, 10/14/09
"When Audi builds a real RWD sedan, then you can make a real comparison."
Ordinarily Estreka, I would agree. However, the Quattro Audi just punched the RWD Bimmer in the gut as validated by this comparison test. It won fair and square. The S4's performance is impressive but its price isn't. I'd have to sample both to make a decision.