Test drive : Audi S5 vs. Bmw 335i

spandrei submitted on 05/21/2007 Official AutoSpies Timestamp: 8:58 AM
from: 4wheelsblog.com

Tags: bmw,audi,test

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Test drive : Audi S5 vs. Bmw 335i

As predicted the Audi has the better interior of the two thanks to its combination of quality materials and strong, sensible design with switchgear and instruments familiar from elsewhere in the range. Read Article

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TheSailor - 5/21/2007 9:13:00 AMView My AgentSpace

+4 Boost

Well... Nothing new here... Audi has the better interior and feels more exclusive, but the BMW wins performance wise... And it is significantly cheaper... It's a hard choice this one!

BTW: Audi has obviously looked at the BMW when they designed their interior layout. Right down to the placing of the light switch... But the Audi interior looks better! Maybe except for the crowded center console, I don't like that many buttons.

But I still think I'd take the Audi... I think it looks better.

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IamEvilHomer - 5/21/2007 1:09:57 PM

+2 Boost

the light switch has been there in audi from 2001 as a 2002 model sorry
before that it was on the stock

Agent63 - 5/21/2007 9:14:57 AMView My AgentSpace

+6 Boost

These two great German cars has got both got my respect. Their are beautiful and very similar in ways too. However I think the Audi interior will have to win but performance both are great.

Owning these two is a win win situation! Great German engineering.

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amazinBimmer - 5/21/2007 10:19:03 AM

-10 Boost

amazing.. which idiot would buy the s5?.. oh these two.. sorry.

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Neverfollow - 5/21/2007 12:29:03 PM

+6 Boost

Add me to the list of S5 orders. I expect to have mine before the end of he year.

IamEvilHomer - 5/21/2007 1:07:29 PM

+4 Boost

me to amizingidiot

TheSailor - 5/21/2007 1:41:51 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

Me three! Get over your bias you moron!

TheSailor - 5/21/2007 1:44:24 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

BTW, do you have enough mental capacity to guess which car I will choose it over if I buy an A5... Here is a hint, it has a 3 liter TT engine and is a german coupe... Because unlike some people (YOU) we are a lot of people who can look beyond the badge when we look at cars!

1995e34 - 5/21/2007 10:53:30 AM

+2 Boost

tough choice!!!

a test drive would CERTAINLY be needed before i could choose here. both have great interiors.

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moto - 5/21/2007 12:42:44 PM

0 Boost

I've not driven either car yet, but let's not gloss over the differences:

- BMW = rwd or awd and better balanced for better handling (objectively judged)
- Audi = fwd or awd and better everything else (subjectively judged based on current Audi and BMW design and reliability data)

99% of drivers wouldn't know the difference on the street. On a dry track, the BMW has the edge. Porsche is ahead of both by a big margin, because it is better refined as a sports car and far lighter.

Oh, and because no post on this site is complete without the Lexus reference, I am not ashamed to say that the Lexus IS, which is a smaller car than these German coupes, should do well too, in the hands of the right driver and some additional modifications -- tires, suspension, and more HP are all easy mods to any car.

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drakarula - 5/21/2007 12:54:59 PM

+2 Boost

I was a huge BMW fan for many years but they have lost me on the stark interior to the controversial styling in recent years. The styling alone the Audi wins hands down!!! Living in the northeast AWD is a huge +. I have an Infiniti M45 Sport and my biggest complaint is poor handling in the snow. I am sure that the BMW is not much better. As far as driving I will hold my thoughts until I get to drive them. I would not consider myself an Idiot to but a VERY STYLSH coupe that I can drive all year that will make me happy. I am not a Brand snob like some I just say it as I see it and I see that the Audi is the one that catches my eye.

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S4cabriofoxone - 5/21/2007 1:07:37 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

I agree with Agent63 and Sailor... both are some of the most beautiful designs to come out of these two brands in years, and both are also great GTs. The interiors are fairly close, but of course, the Audi is better on the inside. I can't honestly say which one I'd choose, but I do love the exclusivity of owning an "S" car.

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TheSailor - 5/21/2007 1:41:16 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

I know it isn't the first Audi with that kind of light switch, but they've definately borrowed it from BMW, my brother had an E36 M3 with that exact kind of light switch.
What I was trying to point out, was that though BMW have caught a lot of heat for their recent interiors with comments ranging from bland and boring to ugly, they must have done something right since the interiors in several Audis and Mercedi(?!) have had very similar layouts. Both have tried to make their designs different from BMW, with some mixed results, but the similarities are unmistakeable! Just look at the display placements in the new S-class, the A6, the A5 etc. and then compare it to that of the 7, 5 and 3 series... And if you look at the air con cluster in the 3-series and the A5, they aren't just placed roughly in the same place, they are also very similar in design (Audi used to have those bush button things in the buttom of the console, which btw. they borrowed from BMW as well).

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TheSailor - 5/21/2007 1:45:44 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

^^^^ Response to Homer ^^^^ Am I the only one who get those stupid Server errors?!

S4cabriofoxone - 5/21/2007 1:54:58 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

No, I do, too. It just so happens that the reply button worked... THIS time.

I actually would've liked current Audi interiors more if they were along the lines of the A8, and less like the A6. The A8's interior is the best example ever of simple beauty- it uses no complex curves or surfaces, just beautiful symmetry, with leather, wood and aluminum covering every surface. The pop-out screen just adds to the beauty, and I think it should've been incorporated into at least the A6, if not more of their lineup.

I'm not saying A5, A6 and Q7 aren't nice on the inside, I just prefer the more simple design. Knowing Audi, the new A8 will not look like the others on the inside, and hopefully, it will set a new design trend for the brand.

TheSailor - 5/21/2007 2:39:06 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

Ohh yes... The A8 interior looks wonderful! It looks sort of like a supercar interior.
The A5 and 6 have nice interiors as well, but they sort of remind me of a Twin engined Piper I flew this weekend... Very functional, but also very tall and quite "loomy"
I like the interiors (i like air plane interiors as well but for different reasons), but they fall short of the elegance of the A8 or the R8 which have a similar interior layout...

TheSailor - 5/21/2007 2:57:29 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

I haven't driven the A5 yet (obviously), however, I have driven the 335Ci and that is (As you would only expect) phenomenal to drive. But I like the lines of the A5 better... And after looking closely at that Infiniti, i can say that it won't be one of those anyway.
But I can't wait to try the A5, just read a danish article (on the S5) where they claim that it is almost as good as the E92 when it comes to handling... But I guess it all comes down to preferences in the end... That and minute differences in the cars.

Fanboy, yes, those annoying errors... And they always appears when you've just spend 15 minutes on a post. VERY ANNOYING!!!

S4cabriofoxone - 5/21/2007 8:59:36 PMView My AgentSpace

+3 Boost

Go FanBoy! S4 Cabriolet rules.

But you have to see the S5 in person. Audi's press release pictures suck- AutoWeek's picture on the first page of their article made it look like the most beautiful coupe on the road. I did see an S5 with light camo in L.A., but it was too fast for me to take a picture with my phone.

Agent63 - 5/22/2007 7:26:39 AMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

Sailor,
I agree with some of the points you've made but we all have to keep in mind that in the world of designing there can only be so many ideas that float in the mind of the artists who create these interior layouts. However I do believe minor adjustments can change the feel and look of a cars inside. Audi is one of the best in doing so. BMW seems bland but people come back to buying 3 series after 3 series. It may not be the most exciting interior but the handling & performance more than makes up for it.

Audi have all around great cars. The A5/S5 will be great performers and handlers.

I think the A5 will be more exclusive than the 3 series. Again like I said before owning either one of these is a win win situation. Great engineering it's just cosmetically the Audi's interior is a little better.

TheSailor - 5/22/2007 5:34:19 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

I still think that the resemblance is more than just a pasing one... And it is pretty obvious that it is because of the unrivaled ergonomics of a BMW that Audi have begun using the same layouts.

I do have to say, that with the iDrive, I actually prefer the 3-series interior to the A5 interior... It is true that without that screen, it looks very boring and plain, but the iDrive makes all the difference in my mind.

WickedRabbit - 5/21/2007 3:34:26 PM

-1 Boost

I'd pay the extra thousand for the Audi despite it's "performance differences" for the simple reason that BMW interiors are cheap as hell. BMW/Benz are two luxury brands that prove that you're buying the icon on the hood mostly because their cars look great outside, but are extremely cheap on the inside. Audi's are beautiful cars and drive great too. Every time I get in a BMW (unless it's a 7-series or higher) I just look at the person that bought it and wonder if they actually bought it because it rides well or because of the logo, cause their interiors ARE CHEAP AS HELL. Not only are they ugly, but they feel cheap too. Mercedes does a slightly better job in this area, but this is definitely one area more german car manufacturers need to address. But, then again, their customers aren't concerned with the interiors. Their customers want the badge and to be recognized. :p

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Bighead255 - 5/21/2007 4:09:05 PM

-3 Boost

BMW's arent that bad if you put the right wood package in them most people get aluminum thats why they seem so cheap. If you opt for premium leather and burl wood they look great

S4cabriofoxone - 5/21/2007 9:03:45 PMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

WickedRabbit, the only BMW interior I'd call "cheap" or "ugly" is the E60 5 Series... and the refreshed version is a HUGE improvement. I guess the 5's initially bland interior design made such an impression that that's what people think of when talking about BMW interiors. The 3's interior is attractive and well-built, especially in black with aluminum trim, as are the X3's and X5's. No need to mention the 6 or 7, as they are just as sumptuous as any other cars at that price.

As for Mercedes, anything including the E-Class and above is very well-done on the inside. E, CLK, CLS, R (much better inside than out), ML/GL, S (!), CL (!) and SL have beautiful interiors. The S and CL are leading the brand's new interior designs, and wow, do they look amazing.

TheSailor - 5/21/2007 4:15:17 PMView My AgentSpace

0 Boost

Why the hell did a picture of an S4 just end up there instead of an S5 or 335i!?

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Will_ - 5/21/2007 4:46:53 PM

+2 Boost

That looks like a photoshop of what the next S4 might look like based off the S5.

WickedRabbit - 5/21/2007 11:02:06 PM

+3 Boost

Just got one thing to say: leatherette standard on a $40k car... umm...wtf?

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Neverfollow - 5/24/2007 4:10:47 PM

0 Boost

for those of you who don't know, he's referring to the standard interior of a BMW!

MunichRob - 5/22/2007 5:14:10 AMView My AgentSpace

+1 Boost

I gotta say looking at the pictures side by side, the BMW interior is more appealing in my eyes at least from a design point of view, however not from a material standpoint, & therefore it does look considerably cheaper.

On the outside though the Audi definitely looks stronger & more exclusive than the Bimmer, but we all know which one is more capable.

I'm sure glad I'm not out shopping for these two car's, it'd make my head spin trying to just choose one.

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gsh23 - 5/22/2007 3:11:52 PM

+1 Boost

oh so now everyone agrees the 3 series interior sucks donkey balls...i was fooled into thinking that german car fans were all about performance only. my bad...

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Neverfollow - 5/24/2007 4:31:30 PM

+2 Boost

German cars are about more than just performance in my book. When I plop down any large amount of money for anything, I want the highest build quality, the highest grade materials, the highest performance, the most user friendly features, and the best design that that amount of money will get me. As far as other people are concerned? I could care a less about what others feel or think about my choice. I buy the machine, not the image.

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