E46 M3 v S4

Now, I know that this comparo has appearently been done all over here before, but I cant find it. I'm in the market, and right now, I'm looking at both the S4 and the M3. The problem is, I'm torn. So I'd like your opinions. I know the siggy says ///M3, but I had never looked at S4s till recently, so its a toughy. But heres the thing.

I dont go alot, but every now and then I pay a visit to the local street race scene. But I also do quite a bit of daily driving. So I want a car that can hold its own on the street, but also be able to serve as a daily driver. I want something fun as hell to drive, but also functional. So, can I get your opinions on the matter? And please, be logical, Id rather not have any OMFGZZZZZ!!1111!1!!! B/\/\W Est derrrr UUUUUUBER, or w00t11111 Owdie=teh winnerz! Thanks.

pluses for audi: AWD, V8, great looks, nice interiors, IMO feels more refined than the bmw, more people and cargo room which means it's the more practical of the two,

minuses for the audi: weight, reliability is questionable, 4 doors (which can be both good and bad), very little road feel so you feel a bit more disconnected from the road thant he bmw - not as sporty or fun to drive.

pluses for the bmw: faster, it's an M3 for cryin out loud haha, the sportier car of the two, just the funner car to drive

minuses for the bmw: 2 doors (can be a good and a bad thing), no AWD but that's not always bad either, if the skyline gtr is every "ricer's" wet dream, then the M3 is the german equivalent. :p.

haha. anyway, although i drive an audi myself and would love to have an S4, i would choose the M3. how bout the MB C55?? that could stir up some debate in this comparo. hehe

with everything u have listed s4 all the way, pretty much a sleeper when u pull up to "the scene" alot more practical in bad weather AWD does have an advantage. more rear seat room for your buddies to fit in. only a little bit slower than the m3, but theat can be changed with ease.

Thanks for the responses, keep 'em comming. And I checked on teh MD Dealership near my house...WAAYYYYY outa my price range.

S4.

in avant form.
another reason to buy it over an M3.

but then if the avant doesn't appeal, then maybe you shoud choose the M3.

This is one of the most common comparos ever...

I, as an owner of an E46 M3, am going to be incredibly biased on this, the M3 is simply an awesome car. I love everything about the M3. This car is faster, handles better (imo), looks better (imo), and is generally a better sports car. The M3 is the most fun you can have in a car that isn't over $100,000 (or possibly the new M5). The M3 has a bigger aftermarket, and is more reliable. SMG is great for almost all driving situations.

The only that you should consider the S4 over the M3 would be if you needed the added traction of AWD for bad weather, wanted a wagon..., or wanted 4 doors to make it easier on your friends. But lets face it, screw the friends and get the M3 :)

Theres a reason that German children dream about the M3.

In the end, whose after market is cheaper. Being a student, I'm not gonna have a ton of cash left over in the end, and Dinan M3 S2...that is my dream ///M3 in your profile.

both cars are expensive to mod. most german cars are like that. i'm not quite sure which is more expensive but you should be prepared to spend some good coin on either car for aftermarket.

Agreed, modifying German cars gets very expensive. The Dinan packages are a prime example of this. I love what they've done to my car, but it cost a bit much for the modest power gains. Im not completely sure about this, but I assume Audis will have similar issues. The best deal that I see in the market right now is the AA Supercharger for the M3. About $6,000 (I may be wrong on price) it will increase HP at the wheels from 272hp to 360hp, a pretty nice increase if i do say so myself.

Nice....of course, I have a bit of a hard on for turbos. Do they have turbo kits for the ///M3...if you say yes, then my decision has been made. If you say no, well, I've reserved a test drive time tommorow for an S4, and one on saturday for an ///M3, and we'll go from there.

At the moment, there aren't all that many turbo E46s out there. This is the only one I could find.

http://www.atpturbo.com/root/monstermate/bmw3ser.htm

I honestly dont know enough about it to suggest it, but it seems to be one of the few turbo options out there. I wouldn't be suprised if Dinan or one of the other major BMW tuners came out with a Turbo package soon. So yes, there is turbochargers for the E46 M3, but it isnt that common.

Good luck with the test drives. Let me know how they go. Make sure you test both a manual and a SMG M3.

Gotcha, I will do that. Thanks for all the advice.