awesomeaudi

That says a lot. What is it you like about your Audis over the BMWs you've owned?

superswiss

I see. Yes, the C43 along with the whole AMG-light series is relatively new. If you are shopping in that price range you are looking at the B8/.5 S5 and honestly I would go for the S5 then. AMG/Mercs really didn't do it for me until the current generation and in particular the 2019 C-Class facelift, so I can't recommend an older generation Mercedes. After all, I picked the RS5 over the C63 back then.

As far as the S5 is concerned, be aware of the differences between the MYs 2012 and older and 2013 and newer. They are very different cars. MY2012 and older have a naturally aspirated V8 and came with manual transmission or traditional automatic. MY2013 switched to a supercharged V6 and came as manual or with a dual-clutch transmission. The V6 has better driving dynamics and is the better car overall.

-=Hot|Ice=-

The C-Class interior leave more to be desired. Not as impressive as the Audi's. I agree with the driving experience though. Better balanced car overall.

-=Hot|Ice=-

They're not as sporty. As a DD, the S5 is awesome. Better than the C43 and the 3 series. The C43's suspension is VERY stiff.

superswiss

Obviously personal taste, but historically I agree, Audi's had better interiors, however the MY19 interior IMO is way more impressive than the B9 interior. Leather dash and doors with contrast stitching (I believe the dash is faux leather, but still much better looking than the soft plastic Audi uses), the multi-tone leather interiors, fully digital cockpit and the center screen is now a widescreen like the B9 and about as integrated. Certainly looks better than the previous iPad form factor and the UI and system is totally overhauled. The all-new steering wheel puts all the controls right in front of the driver. Driving modes, etc. and the complete Infotainment system can all be controlled from the steering wheel. It's like the street car version of a Formula 1 steering wheel, and last but not least my favorite part, the AMG Performance Seats.

This is what my C63 S interior is gonna look like. Audi uses plastic everywhere. Shift paddles are even cheap plastic instead of anodized aluminum. Even the R8 has cheap looking plastic paddles.

-=Hot|Ice=-

I've been a critic of the plastic controls since day one. I agree. I just don't agree the implementation of the layout is better than the Audi, other than the cupholders. Still, the S5 errs more towards the GT side.

For some(me included) it errs on the GT side too much. I've only had my car for a year, though. Depends on how bad the itch gets to get into something sportier gets. Not sure I'll be back in an Audi after this lease is over.

P.S. C300 uses plastic paddles.

SCarGuy

Derboy

Owned BMWs. Owned Audi's. Owned a Maserati and a couple of VWs. Brand Loyalty is for the weak-minded and you get nothing in return. Try things and go with what you like, regardless of the badge on it. AMG for me next I think. Never had one of those yet.

Glisse

You don't say which model series Audi S5 cabriolet you drove, but sounds like it is most likely to be the B8 series, which was replaced in 2017 (late 2016 in Europe, you don't say where you are) by the B9.

The BMW 435i cabriolet is a very heavy car, which bears little relationship, dynamically with "the ultimate driving machines" that are becoming IMO a very distant memory. The N55 in-line 6 engine is very sweet, and marries very well to the torque converter transmission but lacks torque which is even more obvious in the cabriolet body. Unless you are buying one with M Performance power kits, suspension, wheels (18" with real tyres) and LSD (half of which is not available on the even heavier xDrive version) then the S5 is a much more sporty car. The 435i cab is more the boulevard cruiser, the S5 more sporty.

As you found when you drove them both

I suspect the steering in the S5 was in Dynamic mode. If you have another test drive, have the MMI drive mode put to Individual, then within Individual mode set steering to Comfort mode. And be aware on Audi you can change the engine/transmission mode from D to S and back by pulling back on the transmission lever. Regardless of what MMI Drive Mode the car is in. This is fundamentally different from BMW.

Superswiss has already mentioned the benefits of the Sport differential option, and you should check if the car has it (In Individual mode, there will be a setting to adjust it if fitted). It is quite an expensive option, so many who were buying the car new convinced themselves they didn't need it. But on the used market, most buyers are looking for cars which have the Sport differential. So they tend to get snapped up more quickly.

Do plenty of due diligence on the used S5. Full service history, including whether the s tronic (dual sequential) transmission has been serviced (transmission fluid change around 40k miles) or not. It seems many do not get this done, and repairs are expensive if something goes wrong. It was also a popular model for cheap chip tunes which increased torque way over the torque ceiling limit for the transmission. Not always easy to know if a previous owner had put a tune on the car or not, and check the car hasn't been flagged within the ECU as having been modified (TD1 code).

Maybe do a bit more reading within the B8 S5 forum to give you a bit more background on the car, if needed.

Glisse

I fear you have been infected by AMG fever

The C43 uses a fixed 31:69 front to rear torque split, and has open diffs. You need to buy the V8s before you get the good AWD stuff, as your description above fits the system in the E63.

No offence, but I don't think you can have compared an S5 cabriolet with a Sport diff, S adaptive suspension and Dynamic steering against a C43 cab, because we tend to be in the ballpark on views and "The C43 is also a lot more responsive and more fun to drive." doesn't compute at all. I have not driven the updated 2019 version, but the main change is using the larger turbochargers from the E43, which is a good thing as I preferred the feel of the E43 over the C43. The brakes in the S5 always felt a lot better than those used on the C43 as well. Where the C43 is more responsive is when in Comfort mode vs D mode on the S5 - but I would never drive either car in those modes myself.

And the C43 feels crude compared to the S5, apart from that I quite liked it ...