[bmw-nj]

I just went and test drove an 2014 Audi S4. I received a letter in the mail for $75 to stop in and test drive the car so I figured I would give it a try. I wanted to see how it compared to my F30 335xi M sport.

I know it sounds trivial but I really liked the Audi flat bottom steering wheel in the S4. It was much smaller than the one in my car and had a great feel to it. I wonder why BMW has not decided to go with flat bottom steering wheels. Any ideas?


I looked up the steering wheel online and they retail for $2,700 aftermarket. Is the cost the issue?


Besides the steering wheel which I clearly really liked the S4 was a great car. It had a great interior (two tone seats) and the handling was on par if not slightly better than my car I felt. The exterior seemed boring for a performance model. It was over 90% a basic A4. The navigation system was difficult to use and cumbersome in my opinion. To go into sport mode (they call it dynamic) you had to go through a few screens. Even to change the temperate the salesman was going through various screens.

Overall great car but for I need to lease for business purposes and their residuals are awful.

[bmw-nj]

Example

[Holset]

Some people don't like it doesn't feel natural when doing big steering inputs or drifting seen a couple of test were they criticize it.

They do look good though.

[m5m3mc]

As in my C63, not as extreme as the Audi.

[blegroswro]

They do look good though.

[inChargeOfIT]

There are similar options from BMW for our cars.. http://www.shopbmwusa.com/PRODUCT/38...IPPED-VEHICLES (you can find online for ~$800).

You can also have your stock wheel turned into something more substantial. Check out AutoCarbon wheels: https://www.bimmian.com/STW/30#tabs

Not quite as flat bottomed, but our cars do not sit the same as the Audi's, so the geometry will need to be a little different.

[bmw-nj]

Originally Posted by inChargeOfIT

There are similar options from BMW for our cars.. http://www.shopbmwusa.com/PRODUCT/38...IPPED-VEHICLES (you can find online for ~$800).

You can also have your stock wheel turned into something more substantial. Check out AutoCarbon wheels: https://www.bimmian.com/STW/30#tabs

Not quite as flat bottomed, but our cars do not sit the same as the Audi's, so the geometry will need to be a little different.

That is interesting. Great find. The audis wheel still looks better and is smaller in my opinion. I felt like I was in the cockpit of a plane or playing a video game. It was small in a good way and allowed for easy control.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by bmw-nj

The navigation system was difficult to use and cumbersome in my opinion. To go into sport mode (they call it dynamic) you had to go through a few screens. Even to change the temperate the salesman was going through various screens.

Overall great car but for I need to lease for business purposes and their residuals are awful.

The only thing that annoys me about the nav is that if you're on the map when you turn the car off, it'll default back to the address entry screen when you restart the car. The actual navigation function is infinitely better than that of my 2010 iDrive(135i), which I found to be criminally bad. The rest of the system is a little slow compared to BMW of the same year but I got used to it.

The Audi Drive Select (dynamic, etc) is a button on my dashboard right above the temp dials. Maybe they changed it on newer models but mine is easy-peasy [See picture below].

Temp, even on the current model, is just a turn of the dial. Your sales guy sounds like he doesn't know his way around the car. No screens required [See picture below].

I don't know why the residuals are so terrible. They seem to hold their value quite well. Certainly better than the 135i that I came from (which had a pretty good residual).

[bmw-nj]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

The only thing that annoys me about the nav is that if you're on the map when you turn the car off, it'll default back to the address entry screen when you restart the car. The actual navigation function is infinitely better than that of my 2010 iDrive(135i), which I found to be criminally bad. The rest of the system is a little slow compared to BMW of the same year but I got used to it.

The Audi Drive Select (dynamic, etc) is a button on my dashboard right above the temp dials. Maybe they changed it on newer models but mine is easy-peasy [See picture below].

Temp, even on the current model, is just a turn of the dial. Your sales guy sounds like he doesn't know his way around the car. No screens required [See picture below].

I don't know why the residuals are so terrible. They seem to hold their value quite well. Certainly better than the 135i that I came from (which had a pretty good residual).

Thanks for the info. The salesman was a total moron and I don't expect them to know everything but all he would say is it's all very simple just go through the screen and you will find it. He seemed to click through 5 menus in order to find anything. He also tried telling me the car had two turbos in it.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by bmw-nj

Thanks for the info. The salesman was a total moron and I don't expect them to know everything but all he would say is it's all very simple just go through the screen and you will find it. He seemed to click through 5 menus in order to find anything. He also tried telling me the car had two turbos in it.

I got so annoyed with people commenting on my car being turbocharged that I took the V6T badges off and replaced them with ones that say "Supercharged".

[bmw-nj]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

I got so annoyed with people commenting on my car being turbocharged that I took the V6T badges off and replaced them with ones that say "Supercharged".

People are so dumb. I just fully debadge my cars and get a good laugh in when people say my 335 is a 320 328 5 series etc and I just nod and say yup.

[KingOfJericho]

Well, in the defense of the general public, "V6T" makes absolutely no sense for a supercharged V6. "V6K" makes more sense to me but the current naming convention is confusing - at least in the US.

[newoldbeemer]

Hows ths S4's handling compared to an F30 MSport? Body roll?

[bmw-nj]

Originally Posted by newoldbeemer

Hows ths S4's handling compared to an F30 MSport? Body roll?

Honestly I didn't get a good enough feel of it after a 10 minute test drive. Also the s4 was automatic and my 335 is manual.

I would say that it feels heavier than the 335 and is a little stiffer with less body roll but not noticeably better.

Also the b9 s4 is coming out soon so I wouldn't buy it now anyway. It should be loosing a few hundred pounds.