Timmay

Yeah Lexus is going to be much more sterile in comparison.

sjuhawks19

I've had 3 VWs (Jetta and 2 GTIs), an Audi Q5 and now the S4. Never really had an issue with any of the cars. The most miles I've put on any of them is 85,000 miles though to be honest. I did think my Q5 was starting to eat oil at 28,000 miles, but that was the 2.0t engine, not the 3.0 V6.

Make sure you drive the cars to see what you like. I'm sure the Lexus has better overall reliability numbers, but I've driven plenty of Japanese cars and they just don't do it for me. I'll trade an occasional repairable issue with a great sould over 0 problems but little soul to the car. But everyone has their own opinions. Good luck!

OUGrad05

Yeah tough to say given the new F Sport packages. Lexus powertrains aren't as good though. Yeah they might make similar numbers on paper but bloodyhell the 335i (which I have a lot of experience with) just delivers power all day any spot on the tach. Just a great drivetrain. While I've only driven the 3.0T once I remember a similar thought process...but first drive in a car like that is always a bit foggy because I was hyped big time to drive the S4.


A good friend of mine also has an F30 328i and honestly that 2.0 is impressive. Makes good torque and power through about 5,500 or maybe even 6,000 rpm. Taking it to lunch again weds so I'll get a refresher

DrGP

I really don't think a 328i is a good comparison to the S4. Maybe to the a4. A couple of months a go C&D did a comparison between a 2 yr old S5(basically a 2 dr S4) and a new 435i. S5 beat the 435i in almost every category especially the performance aspects. I have to agree that the 335i did have really good power across the rpm band. BUT IMHO, the S4 is similar. . I have found that the 335i was better in highway gas mileage by 3-4 mpg..

Timmay

If it matters, and it kind of does to me, you will see much fewer S4s on the road compared to 3 or 4 series Bimmers.

Digital_Bees

When I was deciding between the 335i xDrive, the IS350, and the S4 I found they were dramatically different cars.

The IS was almost bereft of feeling -- really overengineered and kept me feeling like I wanted to be closer to the road.

The 335i was fine, though I didn't love the cabin environment. Part of it is my height (6'3), and the other part was it was just flat out simple. Like the opposite of the IS. It did push hard though throughout the band...

The S4 just felt right. Good for my height, snug in how the seats fit me, outstanding power, and just techy enough to boot. I was sold as soon as I drove it.

It also should be noted that I owned an X5 in the past and had a dogsh*t experience with little ticky tack repairs...I was predisposed to staying away from the BMW. I think they're a little more temperamental than the Audis. Neither one comes without its little nuances, but having owned a 2004 S4 I kind of knew what to expect...

Timmay

Agreed. I think the S4 is a perfect combination of luxury and performance with some cool technology to boot. Personally I think the newer generation IS350 (incl. F Sport) is way overrated and too much $$. Interior is over the top and too gimmicky looking to me. Lexus really needs to add more power to that engine in the IS series. Can't believe it's still the same powerplant.

I don't like the 3 or 4 series because they are just too bland interior wise, so-so externally. No one will disagree about BMW's well balanced 50/50 weight and "feel" of the cars but again, Audi's IMO have just the right amount of everything. Because I wasn't looking for a stick shift this time around I was really enamored with the S-Tronic 7-speed. Nice, quick and smooth shifts.

4wdFan

Unfortunately, there are lots of A4s around, and most people cannot tell and S4 from an A4.

SpeedTriplemark

That's ok, its definitely a "driver's" car.

Timmay

That's one of the things I actually like about it!