[kukri]

Will be looking at new daily when I get back to the states as one and only car (for now).

Both can be had for about the same price and same horsepower levels, after few upgrades on the S4. I like the M5 more as a car looks wise and feel wise, however it's a bad car to take to go snowboarding in the winter and also it doesn't have the cargo room of the Avant. Maintenance is also more $$ than the S4 I believe.

The S4 I can also take to the track with tires in the back and sleep in it as well.

Should I go for what I really want or choose more 'practical' S4?

 

[xiaolong]

after a few upgrades on the S4, your S4 is now no longer stock, and the M5 is. German cars are expensive to fix out of warranty.
Here is what I would look at:
M5: Rwd V8, sounds bloody awesome.
S4: all wheel drive, turbo.
Maintenance IMO is probably equal, if not more for the Audi, as if the AWD or the turbo has an issue, you are in some.....
while I love a turbo, you said you wanted a daily driver, to me that is an attempt to point at the most "reliable" car. So when I think practical in this situation, I think M5, as you already said you want to modify the S4 to get it "up to" the performance of the M5. Well, the S4 isn't a 2J, and even if it was, you are modifying a used car vs keeping a stock one stock.
Now, weather wise, obviously the audi will fare better in snow, but I live in Texas, so its easy for me to say dont drive in the snow much. That and I'm sure there are M5s and other non-AWD cars that do just fine in your climate.
M5 for me.
That and at the end of the day, it's a used car. In the wise words of Forrest Gump, (a used car) "is like a box of chocolates".

 

[01silveraltezza]

I would choose the M5 over the S4. My brother just picked up a E39 m5 and that thing sounds and handles amazing. As much as he beats on it, it feels unbreakable. Replacement parts and performance parts are going to cost you thought. I currently have a B5 a4 as a daily, and it sucks. It looks nice inside and out, but I have replaced so many parts on it that it is not worth it. If you choose an S4, make sure it has low miles. I had to replace my manual transmission because the 1st gear was making noise and it only had 75k miles. Also replacing parts on it is simple but complicated. Simple as in it was made to be taken apart, but a lot of bolts rust out quick and take forever to remove.

 

[WS6Fanatic]

If you're looking at cost of maintenance as a purchasing factor for a european car, you probably shouldnt buy a european car.

 

[kukri]

Cost maintenance is not a purchasing factor, it's just one of the factors between these 2 examples.

Good point on the Audi, turbo, aftermarket and AWD do not help it for the maintenance value. I would also be looking at taking either one to the road course track maybe a few times a year, but not beat on them too hard.

 

[bimmerfreak 555]

m5.. then again i drive an m3 so I might be a bit biased.

 

[ZishanM]

To me this is easy. Go for the M5.

The S4 has been a reliability nightmare. The M5 is not. The m5 will hold some value the S4 will not. You can also get improved replacement parts from other, newer 5 series cars.

 

[Malloy]

M5. To me, its one of the finest cars BMW has ever produced. It is a gas hog, and maintenance is not cheap...but Id take it any day over the S4.

 

[T66Dawg]

M5. To me, its one of the finest cars BMW has ever produced. It is a gas hog, and maintenance is not cheap...but Id take it any day over the S4.

:stupid:

Also BMW's can have electrical issues but Audi's are horrendous when it comes to quality.

 

[flubyux2]

:stupid:

Also BMW's can have electrical issues but Audi's are horrendous when it comes to quality.

This

What about a Volvo s60r? Are those any better?

 

[Stevenh]

I'm not sure where the M5's are trading, but you can probably pick up a 6spd Avant S4 for about ~12.5K... upgrade the turbos/fuel system/exhaust/clutch and do the typical maintenance mods (water pump, cv joints, 02's, etc) and you will have a car that stomps the M5 for under $25k. The big ticket items to replace are usually the stock K03's and the transmission, outside of those you will probably just deal with smaller items like sensors and misc electronics which will probably be the same story as the M5. I love the E39 M5, but I have a real soft spot for B5 Audis as well.

Also, I remember reading a while back that some M5's were experiencing motor failures with higher mileage... does anyone have any more info on this?

 

[a4ringss]

Seems like alot of people who are responding to this thread don't have much experience with either of these cars.

For the m5 read this:http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e3...n/56642-m5-common-problems-running-costs.html

in short they have oil consumption problems and vanos selenoid issues.

m5 replacement parts are going to cost significantly more than the s4...we are comparing 45k msrp to 80k msrp.

A for the s4 you should look for a car that already has the k04 turbo upgrade (from the euro b5 rs4). there are alot of these on the used market because it is a very very common upgrade both for performance and reliability. The k04 turbo upgrades are much more reliable than the stock k03 turbos. As far as straight line performance goes:

Bolt on stock turbo s4< stock m5 (the s4 should be as fast as a e46 m3)
k04 only s4= stock m5
Full Bolt k04 s4>>> full bolt on m5
Full bolt k04 s4 = sc m5
GT turbo s4 >> pretty much any m5, except maybe the 2jz m5 swap i saw

And people keep bringing up the idea that the quattro system in the s4 may give you issues. In general the system is very robust and the differentials should give you no problems.

 

[SuprakillerAudis4]

S4 if its stage 3 (k04s or bigger) M5 if you dont need the wagoness...

 

[Fairlady]

didn't realize they were in the same price range. Are we talking a mint S4 vs beat-to-shit e39 m5 here? Anyways the M5 will be better in every way: power, handling, interior space... Not sure how much snow you will be encountering, I daily my e46 m3 here in missouri and never have any problems with snow... just drive slow and let the TC handle any problems taking off from a stoplight. Go with what you want, speed isn't everything as ridiculous as it sounds. Just ask yourself "can i wake up and look at this car and be happy every day?"

I've never driven a b5 s4, but i did drive a B6 and the steering feels dead compared to an m3.

 

[flubyux2]

What is this I hear about the Audis using plastic bits in the steering rack that costs $2000 to replace? Isthat only inthe older generation? My friend just got rid of his quattro because something failed and it had power assist turning one way but not the other... So he traded it in on an ml55 amg

 

[kukri]

Yeah I just hear both good and bad about both cars. My buddy was an Audi mechanic and praises the S4s... other people praise the BMW... can go either way I guess

 

[BlackWindEXE]

I was very close to getting an m5 last year. I loved the car when I test drove it. But I eventually backed out of it because of gas and potential maintenance. This specific car still had warranty left on it, low miles, and everything had been replaced, though I was still scared of the thought of it once the warranty ran out. It was simply a financial choice. The forums really did scare me but there are people who go without major issues and you could be one of them. If you are looking at saving money, maybe it is not the wisest choice.

It is still by far one of the best cars I have ever driven. I had a friend with me when I drove it. At first I was casually driving slow and he was thinking "ok this isn't that great", and then the owner told me to give it some gas and I looked in the rearview and saw my friend hit the backseat and grab on to a handle.