Traded in a 2009 M3 for a 2013 S4...
 

Greetings everyone. I recently traded in a 2009 BMW M3 sedan for a 2013 Audi S4 and I couldn't be happier with the decision. Since I live in Washington, DC where most of my driving has 35 MPH speed limits, I think the S4 suits my needs better. For most of my driving, I would say I like the S4 much more. I only have 1 car at a time and I just don't think the M3 is a great "only car." The S4 just seems to be a great total package...I love it! Sure, maybe it's not as fast as the M3 (or C63, etc.), but it's fast enough for me. Maybe I'm getting older, but I don't feel as much of a need to get one of the fastest cars out there anymore.

Pictures of both rides attached...

Here's my take on the S4 versus M3 (in no particular order):
1) Gas consumption (S4 hands down): I averaged 12.7 MPG with the M3 in the city and I didn't drive very aggressively. I'm averaging about 18 MPG with the S4. I know the M3's V8 is thirsty, but the tank isn't very big and gassing up all the time annoyed me.
2) Daily driving (S4 hands down): Maybe not the best comaparison since the M3 has a 6-speed, but the S4's dual-clutch transmission is awesome and super smooth. In the city, the S4 is better with more low-end torque. I find it easier to pull away at a stoplight with the S4. M3 is fast for sure, but you need to really rev the engine and it gets loud... Quick story: 3 weeks after getting the M3, I got pulled over. I was at a stoplight and gunned it when the light turned green. I get pulled over by a US Park Service or Secret Service Cop (can't remember which one...wasn't a DC cop) because he said he heard me accelerating although he didn't clock me. He said I was probably doing 50 MPH in a 30 MPH zone...get off with a warning, but the bottom line is that the M3 gets loud at high RPM. The M3 engine sounds great, but the loudness did get somewhat annoying if I was just running errands.
3) Spirited driving: somewhat of a toss-up (I'm no weekend racer and don't go to the track). While the handling/feel of the M3 seems superior, I love the Audi transmission and quattro. There's no doubt that the M3 would probably crush the S4, but in terms of "driving satisfaction," they're both really fun to drive. M3 is probably faster and pulls harder, but you need to really rev the M3 hard (and on public roads, you can't do that much)
4) Exterior styling (toss-up): both beautiful in their own ways, although I had the Metallic Jerez Black with the M3, which was gorgeous. S4's grey is somewhat common, but I do like all the LED lights.
5) Interior styling (S4 hands down). M3 was pretty basic...
6) Features (S4, but not a fair comparison): my M3 didn't have too many options, while the S4 has the NAV, back-up camera, etc. Living in DC, it's awesome having a rear back-up camera and that's not even an option with the current M3.

Congrats! Both are great rides!

I have my S4 on order, I'd like to ask if you can comment on interior size. Is the difference evident? Not counting gadgets - which one is more comfortable for driver?

I made the same transition ('09 M3 sedan to a '12 S4) and have many of the same reactions. The M3 was great to have (I was stationed in Europe) on high-speed roads (esp in Germany) and was a great all around family car, but thirsty and the small tank was a PITA.

I took the S4 to the track for the first time this weekend and had the chance to push it more. I was very impressed. Highlights were the skidpad (amazing how much the character of the handling changes with the sport-diff between comfort and dynamic--with dynamic it was a breeze to induce oversteer. Like no AWD that I have ever driven). The ability to acceleate out of turns with the AWD is addictive.

For some reason my exhaust (stock) sounded much louder than the 4-5 other S4s and S5s (2013 models) that were there this weekend and on track at the same time...the only thing I can think of is that I did have mine in manual shift mode, which my instructor recommended for the track even over the auto S-mode.

congrats on the new ride! looks great! since you're in the DC area, you should check out the Cars and Coffee that is held every Saturday in Great Falls...

The S4 definitely seems to be roomier (it's a slightly bigger car), although I found the M3's seats more comfortable than the S4's.

The only major complaint I have so far is the stock exhaust note, or lack thereof. The M3's exhaust is so much better (although I know it's like comparing apples and oranges with the V8). I do like the sound of the gear change though.

Thanks for the info about the "Cars and Coffee." Sounds great, although I looked at pictures and an S4 would be completely outclassed...

Great information!! Interesting comparison. We have a new S4 as well, having just traded up the family 2004 A4. Most of the comparisons I have seen are with the 3 series and this one adds a new perspective.

I suspect that on a clean dry track, that the you are correct that the M3 will clean house on the S4 with equal drivers. Through in a less than perfect surface, and the situation will probably be seriously reversed. The S4 pulls hard when other cars are spinning their tires.

I have also found the ride in the M3 to be significantly more oriented toward performance driving on dry pavement and tends toward harness on the street. I love the M3 paddle shifters on the track; but, the shifting is unpleasant when driven slowly although, I don't have a lot of street driving experience with the M series. The manual transmission in both cars is wonderful.

Now add a tune and an exhaust and it beats the M3 in almost all catagories.

Love the look of your new ride congratulations. To me the four door M3 looks like sh$t. The two door M3 however is a beauty as is the S5. But when comparing these sedans the S to me is a beauty. Have fun.

At a future date perhaps as your warranty expiration nears, you may want to consider chipping the car. You get approximately ~80-90HP additional (advertised crank HP by the tuners) and it goes a long way toward meeting the M3's straight line performance.

GTP I actually did the exact same thing for the exact same reasons. I live in Washington DC area as well (Arlington VA to be exact) and just needed a better daily driver than the M3 which tended to not do well in the poor weather. I traded my 2009 M3 coupe in for a 2012 S4 and haven't even thought twice about it since. You hit the nail on the head with the comparisons for sure. The M3 is hands down a more performance oriented driving machine, but with that being said its also not as comfortable a ride, gets worse gas mileage, and is terrible in the weather. The way I bridged the gap and satisfied the small vacancy in my heart for power was to go APR Stage 2. I swapped the supercharger pulley out and gave it a tune and now it is absolutely comparable to my M3 in terms of power. It pulls hard all the way through the powerband which is nice and it is incredibly quick. Next up will probably be an exhaust because I agree with you it is a little bit too suppressed for my liking. I will probably go with an APR exhaust as well due to its ability to limit drone. Those are my two cents. We should meet up for a drive sometime if your ever across the river.