nugent

after 18 months and 16K miles, i have parted with a car that i absolutely loved, when it was not in the shop. after a week with the e92 m3 with 6 speed manual, here are my thoughts.

the bimmer is harder to drive at maximum for the average driver than the rs4. the rs4 almost never felt uncomposed in my hands, but the bimmer just begs for it. it is both a scary and exhilirating experience. this is with DSC enabled in both cars mind you. for example, nailing the accelerator while turning from a standstill at a corner in the bimmer always engages DSC after the back end gets thrown out. in the rs4, unless there was water on the road or the tires were not warm, this never happened.

on the flipside, i may finally learn how to properly heel-toe because the pedals are more appropriately placed in the bimmer.

the newer electronics are more fun to play with in the bimmer, what with customizable suspension, butt adjustments and whatnot.

the bimmer is instantly recognizable. which is good and bad. the rs4 was truly a stealth animal.

overall, so far, i am happy, just because it is a new toy.

i'll be back here i'm sure when mr. rs5 finally shows up. until then, happy motoring all!

grendelswr

AH!!! hope to see you back soon. Enjoy that car... it was my #2 choice behind the rs4.

Nicht ein A4

It was my #2 as well. I am now nearly 6 months and 7K miles into the E90 M3 M-DCT, about where I was when I parted company with my RS4.

Observations.

When they both run right, the RS4 is a superior machine for the street. Quattro will flatter even the worst driver. I looked so good in that car. It is hooked in a way the M3 can never be. The M3 with the electronic nannies turned off will try to kill you. As a purely mechanical platform, the RS4 is more stable.

That said, the "wildness" of the M3 is fun. In MDM mode, the nannies actually let you have some fun but save your bacon when it gets out of control. I gotta tell you - MDM makes me look so much better than I am. It really does.

The M3 is more common, although not by much where I live. My M3 has (thus far) been bulletproof. Everything works, everytime.

The NAV in the M3 sucks. The new generation I-drive actually doesn't suck. The stereo is better. Ergonomics are just fine. The adjustable suspension (magnetorheological)is superior to DRC, which just plain sucks. Listen up Audi. You have this technology in the R8 and S3. time to use it in other cars. If Chevy is able to offer it for the past 5 years, so an Audi. It is smoother on the highway and can be set to firm up with the touch of a button. I find the adjustability of the M3 very nice.

A bit more interior room in the back seat (E90), slightly smaller trunk. I like the look of the M3 (subjective). As my RS4 was Daytona with Titanium and my M3 is Interlagos blue, the stealth factor is gone. I gotta admit, the Daytona Titanium was not real stealth as a rumbly mass of East German Uncolor coming down the road, but the Blue M3 gets "the swivel" from our friends in Law Enforcement.

I miss my RS4. More torque, awesome exhaust note, gorgeous over-run. The M3 runs flawlessly, everyday. This is a daily driver for me. If it doesn't run well and spits and stumbles and stalls and throws CELs while clunking and knocking and bobbing all over the road, it is not a daily driver. I need reliable.

Producing ~100bhp/liter normally aspirated is rarified air for any vehicle. BMW has made a product more reliable than Audi, and that is sad for Audi. I miss my RS4. When it ran well (rare), it was an awesome car. The M3 is number two on my list, but it does it everyday - no exception. It was almost $10K cheaper, too.

LeeJR

The M3 is more reliable so far in your particular situation. My RS4 has 45k and other than needing a new clutch (my fault) it has run flawlessly. Subjectively, to me, the M3 is not that special looking compared to the ubiquitous 335i (very, very common). The 3 series is a good-looking car; but in my opinion the M3 doesn't look much different. The E46 M3 was arguably better looking. Look at an RS4 and it's way different than the B7 S4 or A4. I think the M3 is great but let's be frank the interiors not all that special.

LeeJR

Historically, previous M3s have also had serious production mechanical issues. I don't know the details, but I've heard the double VANOS variable valve system was a major issue for early E46 M3s. I recently saw a beautiful silver blue M3 four door with a red interior, 19 inch wheels, IDrive. It was stickered at 68000 but marked down to 58000. An M3 optioned out as similar to an RS4 as possible is not significantly cheaper by sticker price. The huge markdown is all about overproduction and poor demand in this economy; BMW is great at the nickel and dime game. I loved that the RS4 had only two options: sunroof delete and the luxury package (navigation).

Sorry if I sound negative. I'm a little biased against the M3 because of how Car and Driver sucks up to it all the time. I hope it works out better than the lemon RS4 you had.

STALKIN RS4

It was not the VANOS system. It was a bearing recall, it was a major issue, but BMW offered a quick and complete solution.
I had a 2003 M3 with over 140K on her. Car was flawless. It also had about 30 track days on her, but I maintained the car very well, much better then the average M3 owner.

STALKIN RS4

Congrats.
Mine is on order.

ArthurPE

the e46 also has VANO's issues...more than a few fragged...
along with subframe issues...tearing the body apart at the mounts...
and the rear diff was prone to failure, there was an SIB...
also a coil SIB...
and a AFM SIB...
also safety recalls for the parking brake and radiator cap...

and they were not quick to resolve the SIB issues, in fact they initially blamed owners and made them buy engines...on cars with as few as 3000 miles...and they never reimbursed these owners...

in fact, some of the replaced engines blew (rods thru the block), even after the 'fix', I know this for fact...

the engine was overstressed, the ZM's never had the issue because their redline was lower...the crank whipped/wobbled at high RPM loading the center rod bearings up...one patch was the switch from 5W30 to 10W60 oil...this band-aid took up some of the slop and prevented more engines from fragging, but they still wore the bearings out but it got them thru the extended 100k warranty period...

STALKIN RS4

I had my RS4 for a short time and it spent just as much time in the dealer then it did in my driveway unfortunately. It was my first Audi and was not happy with the reliability.
My BMW on the other hand was fabulous. BMW dealers were not any better then Audi dealer I dealt with.


Each to his own....

ArthurPE

I still have my e46 M3, 145K miles, good car, but not without problems...
my RS4 (my first Audi) has close to 20k, not a single issue yet, but it's early...

any hipo, hi HP/liter, car, with lots of electronic systems will have issues...
the owner has much to do with it:
maintenance
driving style, ie, mechanical sympathy...

there have been more than a few e9x M3 engine failures...the joint between the iron main bearing girdle and block appears to be a weak point...but only time will tell...two dissimilar metals, expand at different rates and are prone to corrosion...

but even considering all the issues with either car, they are both great cars, but I'm not expecting Honda simplicity/reliability lol