BMW 440i xDrive or Audi S5?

Yes, A5 is a fine choice.

 

Sure, if you don't need to see out the back window...

 

I had one of those in dark green and 5spd, loved it until it got stolen, and replaced it with a 97 Prelude (another great Honda before their slow demise from sporty rides). Awesome touring coupe from days gone by. I was, and still am fan of BIG GT coupe's.

I would still rip an early 90's 300CE-24v or better yet the AMG Hammer version.



EDIT: to add a little ditty on stiff BMW suspension on shitty highways...

http://digg.com/video/bmwhoops?jwsource=cl

 

Closed on a made-to-order S5 today. Built in Germany. Shipped to Houston. Delivered to my dealer.

Should be here in 10 weeks.

1st time I’ve ever purchased a car that had everything I wanted and nothing I didn’t want.

I did all my research, boiled it down to the S5 and the 440i xDrive. Once I test-drove the S5, I was sold. No need to test-drive the 440i.

 

I almost waited for the new M340i to come out, but it seems like a try-hard, and as though it is playing catch-up with A5/S5 and C300/C43 AMG. Also, one review I read stated they moved the shifter and knob used to control the infotainment back, making it awkward in some cases to use. Bad ergonomics!

Audi seems comfortable in its skin. They hear all the stories about how their designs are dull, etc. They obviously don’t care! The A4 IS a little plain compared to a 3-series or C Class, but their Sportbacks (A5/S5, A7/S7) are great looking, as are the SUVs.

In a few years, I wouldn’t mind picking up a Q5 or Q3 for the wife. They’d be a nice upgrade for her. Hell, the S5 is a hella upgrade for me. I feel guilty treating myself nicely.

Gonna be a slow 10 weeks.

PS
Glad to still be a part of the family.

PPS
Automobile preferences are probably like music or headphone preferences. What isn’t impressive to one may be WOW! to another.

 

Bangle's designs are an ongoing source of, er, discussion in the BMW community.

 

The "Bangle Butt" He was quoted as saying in response to the outcry "Sometimes you have to take people where they don't want to go." Sounds like a better tag line for a cop than a car designer.

 

I passed on Black Optics package ($2,200) and Adaptive Steering ($1,150). Didn’t get the extra 2 airbags ($350), and didn’t get warm weather package (would have to drop the Nappa Leather diamond pattern seats). Also passed on cold weather package (heated steering wheel and heated back seats). I would have had to give up on the flat-bottomed steering wheel, and that wasn’t going to happen.

Went with the Prestige trim level, S Sport package, Adaptive Steering, Nappa Leather seats, Carbon Atlas inlays, Daytona Gray pearl paint, and prepaid for scheduled maintenance.

When I took my test drive, I tore through a roundabout near my home. ZERO body roll and no sense of understeer or traction loss. I also aired it out on a brief straightaway, and the exhaust burble was sooooo intoxicating. I was sold.

If anyone doesn’t care about the performance factor of an S5, I can say that the A5 is a good choice. It handles well, is more than quick enough, and has all of the interior tech stuff. Not sure if it has the seats that massage the driver and passenger, though. Need to check on that...

 

As opposed to the next-gen G20 3-series interior designer. He re-did the interior and said something like they pushed the envelope as far as it could go without scaring the customers. Lol...

 

Audi still includes a CD player in the glove box...

 

Funny that Chris Bangle and the then chief designer for BMW Motorrad David Robb were both Americans. Both had their styling excesses panned and both turned out to be right. Now Motorrad is back to a German in that position with Edgar Heinrich. The car group can't decide between Canadians of Lebanese extraction or Slovakians. Hopefully they won't next hire a Japanese designer who used to work for Lexus.

 

It was really hard to get an S5 in Prestige trim w/out the 20" wheels AND summer tires. Summer tires are a no-go where I'm at. I don't want to have to screw around with keeping 2 sets of tires and having to swap them out, etc.

Luckily, I could be patient and have them build one to spec at the factory. I opted for the standard 18" wheels and all-season tires.

While on the test drive, I toggled between comfort and dynamic Audi drive select settings (most cushy vs. most aggressive). There was a noticeable difference. The car I drove had 20" wheels, and while my area is notorious for crappy roads, the S5 wasn't bad on either setting - not perfect, but I'm not sure there's a suspension in a "sport sedan" that can tame our potholes, anyway.

 

I test drove both the A5 and S5 in the same day. Sales rep and dealership let me drive a lot, so I drove on the surface streets, highways, and twisting neighborhood roads. I don't know if I NEED what the S5 gives vs. what I could get with the A5, but after the test drive, I sure as heck knew I WANTED it.

The A5 is super competent. Very quiet, quick, comfortable, and practical - if a $55,000 sedan with a turbo-four can be considered "practical." I recommend it to anyone thinking about a German vehicle.

The S5 is crazy-ass fun, and will be a blast to drive to work 4x a week and to zip around in on the weekend. I don't know if I'm having a mid-life crisis (thankfully, my wife and sales rep said, "NO RED CAR."), but I haven't been this pumped about a car I've purchased since my 1997 Acura Integra.

 

Congrats on the car! Was going to reply with a strong vote for the S5 without a second thought, but you already picked it.

If you still want to know though:
Current BMW I prefer the M2 and M240 and the 6 series over similar competitors from Audi and MB. For the M2/M240, definitely over other European and probably Japanese competitors as well (although the Miata, while much slower and less practical, is still more fun to me to drive on local roads than the M240/M2). I don't think any existing American cars directly compare/compete. While not that common on the road, the few other M240 and M2 owners I've talked to are very happy with their choices too.

The 7 isn't bad IMO if you want something a little different in a larger sedan but it's probably not what I'd go with.

For smaller/mid size sedans, not a real fan of 3/4/5. I'd pick current Audi over BMW any day for a smaller to midsize sedan. Like what purrin said, 3/4 they seem to be missing that magic something and are boring/bland, not to mention they don't drive as well as they used to, also don't feel as "nice" inside or out. For A6 (or S6/RS6) vs E series, they're different enough that it would just depend on what I'd want, 50/50, but definitely no 5 series. Drove a 2018 540 for 2 weeks last year and didn't like it at all. I could talk about Lexus, Jaguar, etc as well, but that seems off topic.

I don't like any of the current BMW SUVs. All of the modern BMW SUVs save maybe the diesel X5 (notice use of word maybe) just feel like money grabbers built to take people's money who just want to buy a BMW b/c BMW.

Preference is based on both driving all of the above here and there the last several years and in 2018 when I bought a car and also tried most of the above back to back. Lastly, while I haven't driven them very much, the new Camaros (multiple models/engines) appeal to me as well. WRX and some of the new Dodge muscle (ex Charger 392) appeal too, but for me the Hellcats aren't anything I'd hold on to for that amount of $ (ex. drive for one year or two, then get something else like a 997.2 911 or Nissan GTR to hold on to longer... not that I have extra money for any of this right now though).