BMW 440i xDrive or Audi S5?

Discussion in 'Cars, Motorcycles, Boats, Airplanes Talk' started by luckybaer, Feb 15, 2019.

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  1. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    I just texted the Audi sales rep and asked to add adaptive steering. lol... he said 99% sure they could add that on. I'll find out tomorrow.
     
  2. EraserXIV

    EraserXIV Friend

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    I have a current-gen A4 (identical to A5, except styling) and I can't agree more. Audi perfected the 2.0L turbo and it more than exceeds what anyone would need from a daily driver that is primarily driven on the street. It's quick with no turbo lag, and the Quattro is exceptionally confident in all conditions. In Comfort mode, it's so smooth and quiet you can pass cars on desert highways at over 100 mph, and it feels like you're going 50. On the weekend, its a blast on mountain roads in Dynamic mode. Rear seats are comfortable for full-size adults and the cargo space is more than adequate. The crazy thing is you get all this power and speed with minimal trade-off in fuel economy. I'm averaging 28 mpg local, 38 mpg highway. That's Toyota Corolla level fuel economy (think about that twice).

    The B9 Audis (A4/5, S4/5) also come surprisingly well equipped in the base trims, and more things have become standard since its introduction in 2016/17. To get a comparably equipped BMW, you had to add several thousands in options (though the new-gen 3-series has improved on this a bit). Not to mention the fact that Audi reliability seems to have turned a corner in the past half-decade. Since 2015, they've consistently scored 4-5/5 across the board in reliability, compared to BMW's consistent 2-3/5 (Consumer Reports).

    You can get a used B9 A4 with low mileage for less than a Subaru. Not only do you get a better interior, but you get a real drive-train with a dual-clutch transmission as opposed to the CVT junk they put in Subarus. With equivalent fuel economy and reliability. There's really no reason to buy a Subaru in my mind. In regards to Mazda, I do like their styling a lot and the new interior is much improved. If they get that 2.5L turbo in the new-gen Mazda 3 with AWD, we might have something to talk about. I'm guessing we'll see that in the next 2-3 years.
     
  3. rott

    rott Secretly hates other millenials - Friend

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    Right on, the A4/A5 is a smooth operator with just enough power on tap to keep me happy. Was pleasantly surprised the dealer went down to 12% discount on a 2018 right at the beginning of that model year, and they were able to quickly locate the color combo + options I wanted (at very least Sport pkg for the seats & slightly lowered suspension). Granted, my kids wanted the Q5 but it was a brand new gen model + SUV premium so hardly any discount on that.
     
  4. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    Q5 is sweet. When I’ve paid off the S5, I’d like to get one for my wife. She always expects me to buy her a vehicle (she works full-time, so I’m perplexed). I’m telling her I’ll buy one, but I’m going to have a big say on what is purchased - I want to enjoy it, too. So... no Honda Pilot, sweetheart!
     
  5. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    I could get 25 mpg local with my Evo 7 with 360+ HP. I too got Toyota Corolla level fuel economy back in the day. Highway sucked though.

    That car had the worst aero though. Lifting the gas at 110 mph was like hitting the brakes on the BRZ.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2019
  6. iDesign

    iDesign Almost "Made"

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    You optioned the car very well.
     
  7. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    Anyone here ever give their cars a ceramic coating? Interested in hearing real-world experience.
     
  8. iDesign

    iDesign Almost "Made"

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    Opti-Coat is the only brand to consider if you want the very best.
     
  9. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    There is a dealer near me. I’ll talk to them to get an idea of costs and benefits. I’ve got 10 weeks, so I can get educated on what my options are before the car hits our shores.
     
  10. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    I factory ordered my previous 335. I presume Audi is the same in that they should be able to make changes for a while, the order itself is mostly just reserving your place in the queue. I was also able to check the progress of my build status online I assume you can too.

    Now as Tom Petty said, "The waiting is the hardest part". ;)
     
  11. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    Timeframe is mid-May, but sales team said they wouldn’t be surprised if it arrived near end of April. We were able to change the car’s exterior, interior, and options this past Saturday. Hopefully, time enough to put in the change tomorrow (Monday).

    Will be a long 8-10 weeks... time enough set aside $$ for paint protection of some sort. I’d like a full PPF, but that’s gonna cost me... I’ll talk to detail shops nearby and get a better idea of the pain... uh... cost involved.
     
  12. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    I know everyone is holding their breath and waiting to find out if Dynamic Steering was added, so here's the update:

    Yes. It was added to the build as of this morning.;)
     
  13. Ntbm3

    Ntbm3 Friend

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    congrats! I am sure you will love it :)
     
  14. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    My all-too-obvious attempt to work music/audio into this thread...

    Those Teslas are hella fast, but there's just something about internal combustion that gets the blood flowing. I hope I can instill a love of internal combustion engines in my two boys. Both boys love this song, and they both DISLIKE authority for authority's sake, so hopefully, I've got them on the right path. lol...

    Red Barchetta
    Rush
    My uncle has a country place
    That no one knows about
    He says it used to be a farm
    Before the Motor Law
    And on Sundays I elude the eyes
    And hop the Turbine Freight
    To far outside the Wire
    Where my white-haired uncle waits

    Jump to the ground
    As the Turbo slows to cross the borderline
    Run like the wind
    As excitement shivers up and down my spine
    Down in his barn
    My uncle preserved for me an old machine
    For fifty odd years
    To keep it as new has been his dearest dream

    I strip away the old debris
    That hides a shining car
    A brilliant red Barchetta
    From a better vanished time
    I fire up the willing engine
    Responding with a roar
    Tires spitting gravel
    I commit my weekly crime

    Wind
    In my hair
    Shifting and drifting
    Mechanical music
    Adrenaline surge...

    Well-weathered leather
    Hot metal and oil
    The scented country air
    Sunlight on chrome
    The blur of the landscape
    Every nerve aware

    Suddenly ahead of me
    Across the mountainside
    A gleaming alloy air car
    Shoots towards me, two lanes wide
    I spin around with shrieking tires
    To run the deadly race
    Go screaming through the valley
    As another joins the chase

    Drive like the wind
    Straining the limits of machine and man
    Laughing out loud with fear and hope
    I've got a desperate plan
    At the one-lane bridge
    I leave the giants stranded at the riverside
    Race back to the farm
    To dream with my uncle at the fireside

    Songwriters: Alex Lifeson / Neil Peart / Geddy Lee Weinrib
    Red Barchetta lyrics © Core Music Publishing, Ole Core Music Publishing, ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT GROUP OBO CORE MUSIC PUBLISHING
     
  15. Greg121986

    Greg121986 Almost "Made"

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    I have a 2017 Camaro 2SS that has Opti-Coat pro and Xpel paint protection film. I think Opti-Coat did make a difference. Most importantly, I instructed the dealership to DO NOT WASH my car when they received it. The Opti-Coat guy also did paint correction which was the most important step. I went with Opti-Coat because I was living in an apartment at the time so hand washing the car was never an option. I have never waxed the car. It does not look quite as good as my buddy's Audi S3 when he hand waxes, but I'm OK with that because I am too lazy to deal with it. Would I spend the $2200 to have this done again? No. It would be better spent on wider wheels to accommodate ZL1 sized tires. Or pay 85% of my annual insurance. You may feel differently for your Audi, but I know Audi does a much more thorough job with their paint than GM does.

    I drove a 2018 S4 recently and I super duper want one. I prefer their current interior design language to anything else out there. In the real world, the Audi S4 performs almost as well as my Camaro. I'm at 45,000 miles now and the creaks and rattles are audible well above the exhaust and intake noise. I was pretty committed to trading in for an S4, but then I had a long drive in the Camaro again and it is wonderful to drive. I am keeping my eye on the used market almost daily, though. Lease turn ins are slowly trickling in.

    For someone who stated that Audi is basically a Skoda, I can assure you that this is not the case. I work for a supplier and we are very engaged with the German automakers and several others in Europe. It's all in the final calibration and the sum of all parts. They are not created equal, regardless of how the brand hierarchy may be conceived.
     
  16. Kernel Kurtz

    Kernel Kurtz Friend

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    Good choice. I fear that song may be unfortunately too prescient, but I'm pretty sure I won't be alive when driving is outlawed (except for "authorities" of course).

    And I could afford a Tesla if I wanted one, but for all the wonderfulness people say they are, sorry. Meh. Same reason I wear a mechanical watch and not a more accurate quartz one. I love technology, but technology is not everything.
     
  17. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    Not to mention that Tesla's are under-engineered, expensive crap right now. Serious reliability issues.
     
  18. luckybaer

    luckybaer Friend

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    Did you do a full body wrap or a front end and side mirrors wrap? Did the Opti-Coat get applied on the XPEL wrap?
     
  19. Greg121986

    Greg121986 Almost "Made"

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    I had to work with 2 shops who were near each other because one shop specialized in Opti-Coat, paint correction, and detailing. The other shop was a window tinting, vinyl graphics, Xpel shop. The car went in for paint correction in shop #1 first. Then they delivered the car to shop #2 for the Xpel application. Finally, the car went back to shop #1 for the Opti-Coat. So, Opti-coat goes on top of the Xpel PPF.

    I had Xpel done on the parts of the vehicle that are not replaceable, or not easily repaired. I had the A pillars and first 14" of the roof line done. I think this is actually a valuable option. This section cannot be repainted without doing the entire vehicle. I also had the inside of the door sills and rocker panels done. This section extended up into the rear quarter panels quite a bit. Again, main parts of the vehicle frame which cannot easily be repaired without repainting the entire vehicle. Finally, I had them do a small section at the trunk opening just because it's the only part of the car that has any utility and I use the trunk a lot.

    They talked me into doing the headlights as well. This is probably fine and it didn't cost very much. I don't think it was entirely necessary. I explicitly did not do the hood or front bumper/fascia. The Camaro has a very complex bumper shape so they wanted $800 to do the bumper. I can buy a new one and have it repainted for that much. As it turns out, I had to have the bumper repainted last year due to a crash anyway. I did not do the hood, and I am finding a lot of pretty nasty paint chips in the front section of the hood. I think PPF could have protected against this. I did not do the hood because I thought one day I would get a carbon fiber aftermarket hood. Unfortunately, I don't like any of the aftermarket hoods that are out there right now. So I just have to deal with the paint chips.

    I want to add that ceramic coating companies love to talk about how you can just go to a touchless car wash and your car will be perfectly clean because nothing sticks to the ceramic. This is not true. If you get your car dirty enough everything will stick to it. I do consistently use a touchless car wash and I have no swirl marks in my paint. This is the real reason you want to use a truly touchless car wash. They're difficult to find, but if you want to avoid swirl marks in your paint you must never allow yourself to use a car wash with those bristle and rag type machines inside!

    If we want to talk about chemicals, I have actually found some unique solutions that are very effective and highly satisfying to use. Chemical Guys Honeydew Snow Foam is my go to wash. Adam's interior cleaners have also removed the blue jeans stains from my kalahari seats which I thought was impossible.

    You can see some pics where I outlined the location of the Xpel on my car. https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9246632&postcount=61 and here https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9246655&postcount=63
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2019
  20. dark_energy

    dark_energy Friend

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    Maybe Mr Musk should inject some space bux into Tesla
     

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