What made you go for an S4 over a M340i?

[UWbadger91]

Hi all, I'm a long time VW/Audi guy and I'm considering switching over to BMW. I currently have a 2016 Audi S3 with 40k on the clock that I bought new. It's tuned and has AWE exhaust. It's honestly the most fun car I've owned. Naturally I was holding out for the 2022 RS3 and have thought about the S4 a lot, even early on in my time owning my S3. Now that the RS3 redesign has happened, I can’t get over the looks of it as it makes me think Honda Civic rather than sports sedan so I'm either going to keep my S3 or go with something else.

Anyways, today I was going through the car lots and fell in love with a 2022 M340i xDrive that must have just come in. I've been going back and forth on the RS3 looks, but with this it was immediately love at first sight. I like the looks of the S4 too though.

Only experience I have with BMW is my Mom had an e90 328i xDrive, which was amazing. I've loved BMWs for most of my life though, just always wanted an M2 or M3, but living in WI, I need the AWD since I travel a lot for work. Also back in 2017 when she got her A4 I drove a 335i/340i and it was pretty meh compared to the e90. I'm curious though, why S4 over M340i? I live and breathe Audi so naturally the S4 would make sense, but there’s always been something about BMWs that I love. Any help would be appreciated!


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[Trentimus]

It sounds like you really like the M340i and you can’t go wrong.

My choice really came down to the interior. I don’t like the iconic styling of the BMW exterior and the interior was underwhelming to me by comparison.

The BMW is a more raw car overall, a bit faster and more dramatic. I loved driving it, but I am not into BMW styling personally.


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[obeykube]

Obviously this is all personal preference, but I test drove both an S4 and an M340i and I just like the way audis drive. The BMWs (again imo, and who the hell am I?) just feel less refined, almost like more of a track car, versus the S4, but it doesn't feel any faster or better handling than the S4, just rougher and stiffer, for no benefit. I have a good relationship with my audi dealership, and the owner also owns a BMW dealership, so they let me take both cars out back to back, and without a salesman in the car, for about 30 minutes each, so I really got a feel for both and again, just can't get over the "train tracks" kind of feel you get with Audi. Just so reassuring and stable and planted. The BMW reminded me of a faster, nicer, heavier version of a miata, while the Audi feels like a slower, more nimble, lighter version of a bentley, am I making sense? Probably not.

My neighbor owned a BMW and obviously, this is also a local problem, but my local Audi dealership's service department is bonkers. It really is the best experience I have ever had at a dealership for service. He was much less thrilled with the BMW service, but again this is on a case by case basis.

I would test drive both, ideally on the same day if possible, to get the best apples to apples comparison, and see. Not sure if you can get info on dealership service for both, but that's also huge and can really help/hurt car owning experience (depending on how much you do yourself) I am a DIY guy, but again the service being so good and actually pretty fair price wise, sometimes it doesn't make sense for me to do it.

Just my two cents. Both are great cars, and you can't go wrong. Obviously, I own an Audi and am on the Audi forms, so you know the decision I made :) (I do think Audi has the clear win for the community though, again IMO)

[obeykube]

It sounds like you really like the M340i and you can’t go wrong.

My choice really came down to the interior. I don’t like the iconic styling of the BMW exterior and the interior was underwhelming to me by comparison.

The BMW is a more raw car overall, a bit faster and more dramatic. I loved driving it, but I am not into BMW styling personally.


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Second the interior, completely forgot to mention that, Audi's interior have been best in class, and honestly I feel like better than some cars above it's respective class, for a while now. Functional, simple, high quality. BMW's just feel confused to me.

[crhh95]

Second the interior, completely forgot to mention that, Audi's interior have been best in class, and honestly I feel like better than some cars above it's respective class, for a while now. Functional, simple, high quality. BMW's just feel confused to me.

I second this second. The BMW interface isn’t as intuitive and straightforward like the Audi MMI is. The interior quality alone is years ahead of BMW AND MB (cheesy, fast as fuck boi design language on the MB). I also don’t like the look of their VC, it’s ugly to me and is shaped awkwardly just like the beaver grille on the new M3/M4. Although there’s at least a technical reason for all the grille space considering all the cooling on that beast.

This is all subject and solely my opinion though, go with whatever you enjoy the most and whatever meets your needs!


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[RajSQ5]

I cross shopped the S4, S5 & M340i back in May and managed to drive all three on the same day. While the BMW drove well and is probably faster than the S cars, I just didn't enjoy the experience of being inside the car. I didn't care for the interior at all, felt lacking compared to the Audi. The feel of buttons and switches was not for me. The virtual cluster also drove my OCD nuts, couldn't get over the speedo and tach going in different directions, again Audi's VC for me is leaps and bounds better.

Drove the Audis after the BMW and just felt at home & in love again and ultimately ordered the S5.......now only if it would show up.

Oddly enough, a coworker who is a BMW lifer, test drove a few Audis and felt they were very nice but hated the interior which was a deal breaker for him......go figure. The point being, every has different likes / dislikes, so I suggest you spend some time looking at both and go with what feels right. Either way, you end up with a BMW or an Audi, not a bad problem to have.

[NoSuchSol]

Had a F80 M3 that I sold prior to buying the S4. I thoroughly enjoyed the M3 and I really wanted a more comfortable car and not a BMW this time. I do like the new G-BMW interiors compared to the F80. I'm going to look at the new M2 when it finally arrives.... if I could talk myself into a 2 door car for DD.

[AA1]

I drove the M340i, C43, even the Volvo S60 Polestar. Couple of things. I am coming from an 2018 Golf R. So the S4 is for sure more luxury and a better ride without giving up anything on handling or performance in the real world. As others have said, the M340, and C43 are just not that comfortable, even in their "comfort" settings. And another thing that always bothers me about road tests, comparison videos is the whole drag race thing. Unless you regularly go to a drag strip or track, it really has no bearing in the real world, beyond the fact that to get the times they do involves many runs and abusing the crap out of the cars. I found as others have said the Audi just more of a complete package. Better ride, better interior, for me and of course styling is subjective, better looking. And in the real world, as other have said you really don't notice the difference of less than a second in acceleration. As Obeykube said so well, the m340i is just stiffer and rougher with no benifit. What is interesting is that between the M340i and S4, considering the BMW is newer, it still doesn't have as good as an interior, especially the digital dash.
Just for fun, I also drove an rs5 sportback back to back, and the same thing, for all the hype, it didn't wow me for the extra cost. Blasphemy I know in these parts, but what can I say. An extra turbo, 95 horsepower and not that much different styling just wasn't for me worth the extra cost, and it's also something like 200lbs heavier than the S4.
If you do regularly go to the track, or live in the country, then maybe the M340i will be better. For me I'd rather have the better ride, for me interior, and exterior, and forego the 0.5 sec in the 0-60 time. Good luck.

[Dubfound]

I was looking at both and I’m getting an S4. Even though the m340 is faster it just is not as good looking as the S4. IMO. And plus I'm on my third S3 so I'm a little Audi bias.

[obeykube]

I drove the M340i, C43, even the Volvo S60 Polestar. Couple of things. I am coming from an 2018 Golf R. So the S4 is for sure more luxury and a better ride without giving up anything on handling or performance in the real world. As others have said, the M340, and C43 are just not that comfortable, even in their "comfort" settings. And another thing that always bothers me about road tests, comparison videos is the whole drag race thing. Unless you regularly go to a drag strip or track, it really has no bearing in the real world, beyond the fact that to get the times they do involves many runs and abusing the crap out of the cars. I found as others have said the Audi just more of a complete package. Better ride, better interior, for me and of course styling is subjective, better looking. And in the real world, as other have said you really don't notice the difference of less than a second in acceleration. As Obeykube said so well, the m340i is just stiffer and rougher with no benifit. What is interesting is that between the M340i and S4, considering the BMW is newer, it still doesn't have as good as an interior, especially the digital dash.
Just for fun, I also drove an rs5 sportback back to back, and the same thing, for all the hype, it didn't wow me for the extra cost. Blasphemy I know in these parts, but what can I say. An extra turbo, 95 horsepower and not that much different styling just wasn't for me worth the extra cost, and it's also something like 200lbs heavier than the S4.
If you do regularly go to the track, or live in the country, then maybe the M340i will be better. For me I'd rather have the better ride, for me interior, and exterior, and forego the 0.5 sec in the 0-60 time. Good luck.

Thanks AA1, I can second that, I drove my buddies RS5 and him paying the extra 20k for the RS, it certainty doesn't feel like a 15k-25k difference depending on options.

[TheLizards]

My dad owned BMWs starting in the 90s and I learned to drive stick on an e36. I used to love them and wanted one of my own for years. I loved their interior and exterior design. They truly felt like The Ultimate Driving Machine. Then I owned an e90 that was somehow completely unreliable and gave me so many issues during and after the CPO warranty that I traded it in on an MK7 Golf for a solid commuter and later upgraded to an MK7 GTI, then to the S4 I currently have 4.5 years later.

I would never own another BMW again. They’ve lost their way. They no longer have the interior and exterior design and material quality they used to. I cross-shopped the M340 as well just to see and the S4 won hands down. It’s a comfortable, has a better interior, looks much less crazy is and plenty fast enough for me as daily driver.

As an aside, we have a close family friend who founded DesignWorksUSA (later renamed to just DesignWorks https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designworks). After BMW eventually acquired part ownership of the company and he later co-designed the E46, part of the deal was that he got a new BMW every year as a lease. He lets his wife have that car, which is usually a 3 or 4 series.

I’m saying this because He has a great condition C5 A6 bi-turbo that he keeps as his daily driver in SoCal. My dad or I drive it whenever we visit. I’d love to get the car from him one day and keep it running.

Audi FTW.

[Buckyoufuddy]

I'll never buy anything with VANOS again.

Good luck if you go that way.

[crhh95]

I'll never buy anything with VANOS again.

Good luck if you go that way.

Lol don’t they still use the VANOS stuff in the new models? I feel like I remember seeing something about it on the G80 M3 and remember hearing of the woe that those have caused in the past


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[Spacegrau]

Don't like the design direction BMW went. Especially that interior.

Also wanted real quattro

[torinalth]

I was in one for just over 2 years, and left to come back to the b9.5 s5. The interior is not as nice or comfortable in the bmw, it doesn't drive as nice, and I didn't like the feeling at the limit. Plus the inline 6 sounds like garbage. That said it'll be much faster, especially if you plan to upgrade it, and it'll be cheaper to do it. I'll get to where I'm happy in my s5, but for the same money I'd be faster in the bmw. If you need max power, go bmw. If you need good power without being #1 but a better package, it's audi.

[VTA S5]

The M340 is nice! I was considering it too. However I really want the luxury with the sports car and bmw interior seems too basic for me at least. I feel like the S3 and rs3 are the same basic interior.. BMW does push more power stock and that’s a plus. However, I really like my audis and went with a B9 S5. I would say pick the one you like best, either one will be good choice


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[Goonz]

For me it was money - My lease was up on my Infiniti Q50 Red Sport and I was tired of having Infiniti's for 12 years. I loved the value, got a lot of gadgets for the money but didn't enjoy the drive as much anymore even with stock 400hp twin turbos. Re-designed M340i just came out in the fall of 2019, it was impossible to negotiate. Really wanted the M340 due to its packages being very similar to my previous car (remote start, all around cameras, etc). Ultimately no cigar, went to Audi for an S5 SB but the one I wanted was sold, test drove an S4 and loved it, interior was simple and classy and the car felt solid. It was hard to give up remote start and all around cameras but I'm happy with my decision for my first ever German car.

[Darksol80]

Lol don’t they still use the VANOS stuff in the new models? I feel like I remember seeing something about it on the G80 M3 and remember hearing of the woe that those have caused in the past


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I am a service advisor at a local BMW dealer. Yes, they still use VANOS and yes, when they fail, they fail to at least $1500 it seems and sometimes north of $3000. I get asked by customers what I drive. I tell them I have an Audi. They ask why and tell them I like the interior more but after spending time in our loaners, quality checking work on customer BMW's and having access to a lot of cars in general, I like that my S4 is comfortable and relaxed when I want to just listen to music in traffic with my seat massager on and can run with a M3 with a tune. If I had to have a BMW I would opt for an M550.