2003/2004 Audi S4 or BMW M3

S

sinbadsailor

Registered User
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Thinking of importing one of these from the UK next year. Anyone have any experiences with ownership? Servicing and fuel economy especially?
 
If fuel economy/service is an issue there is no point getting one. If you cant afford to drive it and run it don't buy it.

Service cost High! Fuel cost high! Insurance High! Tyre cost high!
 
Mr2 said:
If fuel economy/service is an issue there is no point getting one. If you cant afford to drive it and run it don't buy it.

Service cost High! Fuel cost high! Insurance High! Tyre cost high!
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Agreed; don't spend €40'000 on a car if you can't afford to put an extra €20 petrol into it every week.
 
I assume you know and appreciate what both of these models are capable of in terms of performance (over 300bhp or thereabouts). Personally, I don't think the Irish road network offers a sufficiently big playground to do these cars justice or to justify the high acquisition and running costs.

I'd agree that if fuel economy is a consideration, then it's not a good idea.
 
I'd go for the M3, the S4 is basically just an A4 with a 4.2 V8 shoehorned in but the RS4, now that's a brilliant car. The M3 is a purebred driver's car and will be a little less subtle than the S4.
 
Old
M3 V S4 -> M3 all day long

New
M3 V S4 -> S4.


Too many people here reminding you that it's expensive (oooh) or the roads aren't good enough (utter tosh). Even if you can only keep it for 6mths and have to sell it, who cares....you'll enjoy those 6 mths !!
Enjoy you lucky beggar !!! I'm very jealous.

Giz a go, will ya ?
 
Mr2 said:
If fuel economy/service is an issue there is no point getting one. If you cant afford to drive it and run it don't buy it.
Service cost High! Fuel cost high! Insurance High! Tyre cost high!
Click to expand...

The price of the above are not deciding factors in purchasing the car, but don't you think that it is wise to understand the full running cost of something? Being able to afford something doesn't mean that money is no object.

I'm purely trying to get to a budget total on average thats all, and the only decision is the Audi vs BMW overall in this case really
 
Pique318 said:
Too many people here reminding you that it's expensive (oooh) or the roads aren't good enough (utter tosh). Even if you can only keep it for 6mths and have to sell it, who cares....you'll enjoy those 6 mths !!
Enjoy you lucky beggar !!! I'm very jealous.
Click to expand...

That's basically it really, I want to get something from the heart rather than the head before I have a kid in the near future I suppose.

The Audi nudges it I think as the BMW is not as subtle as people say. I don't want to stand out too much as the ownership is more for me than the outside viewer.
 
Fuel costs are the least of your troubles on either of these fine vehicles.
 
true...service costs are gonna be high...and scrotes trying to nick it, people smacking their door into it in carparks etc...

Still .... Who cares, huh ?


If all that (plus the depreciation) puts you off, why not get a well maintained E36 M3 Evo (96-99) (without VANOS trouble...ensure that) for a lot less and have much less of the worries of owning an 03/04 M3/S4 ?

Or if you do have kids and still want performance, get an E39 M5...
 
Pique318 said:
...and scrotes trying to nick it, people smacking their door into it in carparks
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That can happen with any car as I can testify. Collected brand new car on a Friday earlier this year. By Sat it had a dent from some gob****e in a supermarket car park!

By the way both excellent machines but if I had the choice I'd have the M3 or even better the M5!
 
Cheers for the comments, I guess the only thing now is getting to wait until Jan 08 and get searching.

Anyone know if this satelite tracking is worth the cost for cars here in Ireland. In other words, is it a quality service and will it actually recover your car!
 
safest way of stopping your car being nicked is to remove the Distribution cap (assuming of course that you have one).

Doubt that would work on something like an E46 M3 however.

You could always have a secret cutoff switch installed in the boot hidden under a panel or something. Simple but highly effective. It cuts off the fuel pump (in the fuel tank) so your car ain't starting unless (a) you know it exists and (b) you know exactly where it is.
 
sinbadsailor said:
That's basically it really, I want to get something from the heart rather than the head before I have a kid in the near future I suppose.
Click to expand...
I have a A4 soft top and 3 kids so don't think the fun stops when they arrive.
There's not much room in the back but so what; you don't sit there.
 
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