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Introduction
Given all the praise heaped on the BMW 3 Series over the years, we can't blame you for thinking there's more to the story. We've heard all the conspiracy theories, most of them involving checks in large denominations from Munich.
This might seem believable to a certain segment of the population, but there's a far less interesting truth behind all those wins: The BMW was the best car. Sure, certain rivals often upped their game in one area or another, but the 3 Series always put it all together in a way that made it better.
So now the 2010 Audi S4 is here to take another shot. It's all-new this year and the old V8 is gone. There's now a supercharged V6 in its place, along with a lower price designed to better align the S4 with the BMW 335i.
The BMW 3 Series received a face-lift of its own last year. It was mostly minor trim changes and the like, but we're told that iDrive thing was tweaked again, too (oh, lovely).
Sounds like a fair fight, no?
Hope You Got a Bonus This Year
Probably best to get the cost issue out of the way up front. These are not the entry-level sport sedans their names might suggest. The BMW 3 Series may start just below $34,000 on the low end, but once you add the 300-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine — and you do want to do that — the base price jumps to $40K.
That doesn't include much in the way of features, either, so our 2009 BMW 335i test car includes extras like a Sport package and a Premium package and a Cold Weather package and various other options. Final sticker price: $49,320.
And if that number sounds steep, then consider that the 2010 Audi S4 is just getting started at nearly $46,000. Of course, Audi likes to point out that the S4's base price includes a long list of standard features, and it does, but our test car also had a Toyota Yaris worth ($12,425) of additional features, which pushes the grand total to over $59K.
All this makes for a considerable price difference between the two cars, but on paper they actually match up quite well. Both use 3.0-liter engines with forced induction and both get standard six-speed manual gearboxes. The Audi also adds all-wheel drive, of course. There's an all-wheel-drive version of the 335i, too, but you can't combine it with a sport suspension, so the standard rear-wheel-drive version is a better choice for performance.
And Now for Some More Interesting Numbers
At those prices these sedans better do something special, and they don't disappoint. Say, for instance, you like to go very fast in a straight line. These sedans do that quite well. We know; we tested them.
The BMW is the slower of the two, yet it still turns in a 0-60-mph time of 5.3 seconds (4.9 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and runs through the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds at 103.8 mph. That's what 300 hp and 300 pound-feet of torque in a 3,607-pound sedan will do for you.
The Audi is saddled with an extra 377 pounds, so it helps that its new supercharged V6 produces a healthy 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. This is enough to deliver a 0-60-mph time of 4.9 seconds (4.6 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and a 13.2-second quarter-mile at 106.1 mph.
How impressive are these numbers? Consider that the quickest of the new American muscle coupes, the 426-hp Chevrolet Camaro SS, turns about the same numbers down the drag strip as the Audi.
Fast in a Nice Way
You don't spend $50K on a European sport sedan to embarrass Chevys at stoplights, though. OK, maybe you secretly dream about doing just that, but for the other 99 percent of the time you want an ultra-refined, indestructible engine that makes all the right sounds.
We've noted in the past that BMW's twin-turbo inline-6 is just such an engine. Surprisingly strong at low rpm and dead solid all the way to its redline of 7,000 rpm, BMW's force-fed straight-6 has no real faults. Or at least, it feels that way until you drive the S4.
The Audi V6 is also staggeringly refined and full of torque, yet it delivers its burst of power even quicker than the BMW. It jumps off idle thanks to its fast-acting supercharger and doesn't fall flat once all the boost is dialed in. Instead, it charges all the way to its own redline of 7,000 rpm on a big flat mountain of torque. There's no buzzing or coarseness along the way, either. It feels like the BMW engine, only with an aftermarket chip already installed.
Couple the nearly flawless engine with the S4's nicely weighted clutch and finger-light shift action and the Audi couldn't feel more perfect running through the gears. OK, a deeper and less raspy exhaust note would be nice, but we're nitpicking.
Full Story and Video: Edmunds - Comparison Test: 2010 Audi S4 vs. 2009 BMW 335i
For me the sad thing here is that there is no Mercedes C-Class variant worthy of this contest.
M
Right now S4 is one shoe to big for the 335i. Yes, 335i has a better exterior design than S4 but a pretty face isn't enough
