mcipseric

Just wondering the thought from RLs about the differences between the S4 and the E AMG 55 or 63 for a daily Driver.

shadow993

e63 then e55 then S4...

Salespunk

I find the E class too big. The new 2010 S4 is incredible and has one of the best interiors available today.

Chuck W.

I would have to test drive the S4 and C63. The E63 is a mid size.

boulderbobo

I have done some research on all of these rides and if I lived in climate w/o snow it would be a very difficult decision. That said, the S4 would be my no. 1 choice. I would also throw in the 2011 BMW 335i into the mix. Also all wheel drive. The new 335i has a single turbo, previous versions had twin turbo's. It is supposed to be a very nice car. I agree with Salespunk, the interior of the S4 is incredible, but I am not a big fan of the grill on the new s4. It's a little too much for me.

I am no expert on MBs but I like the looks of the E55 AMG the best. You can get a E55 AMG one with very low miles in perfect condition for $35k ish. That was a $85k car just a couple of years ago. The downside of this car is that the mpg sucks. I still love it!

GL!



Bob-

shadow993

audi makes trash..... go for a e55 or an e63.

Why would you go for an s4 when you get a big fat e55 or a super e63. Audi is trash, they don't hold up. Look at the resale of a S4 vs a e55 or e63

VMXWinn

Well if Audi makes trash then what does Porsche make? After all they are all in the the same big happy VW family.

So I beg to differ with your statement. After owning 2 A6's, 2 S class Merc's and one 7 series BMW I think I have first hand experience with all of them and Audi makes a great car and most car mag's will agree with my opinion. I woul like to know what you base your opinion on? But after all I own a Range Rover and love it too!!

And as far as resale value that is based on public conception. Hell Honda Accords and Toyota Camerys have great resale value but what utter mindless, basic transportation P.O.S., crap they are but they have great resale value because Joey public idiot thinks they are good transportation so they must be a good car. I on the other hand I prefer to be out of the norm. Either way you are going lose money with anyone of them and that does not make one better than the other.


As far as the original question drive all three and buy what you like best, not what other people think.

goofballdeluxe

Not only does Audi NOT make trash, they have the best interiors around, among other great attributes. Personally, I'd take one every day over a Mercedes. The Mercedes 6.3 is a great mill, but that's about all I love about Mercedes.

chris walrod

I would vote Merc if they were of the late 80's to early 90's quality -- Audi for the interior 100%. I do like the looks of the late model Merc's -- just know too many people who have so much trouble with the late model Merc's.

Canyon56

fwiw, I have a 2009 E63 as my DD. My take is that it makes for a great DD since it's so super comfortable. In addition, it has the AMG tuned suspension, transmission (7 speed) and of course, the 6.2 liter V8.

It's not as "sporty" as an Audi, but it was never meant to be. It's a mid-size, luxury, Autobahn cruiser. Bigger than the C63 but not as huge as the S63. It's a good fit for me, personally. Despite that it's a mid-sized car, it has exceptional turning radius. It feels a lot more nimble than it looks.

I find that it's a great compliment to the 993. They are so far apart that it makes sense to have both.

As far as reliability goes, MB had a bad period from 2000-2005. And so did Audi. But both brands have overcome that, imho. A new MB and a new Audi should be as trouble-free as one can expect from a modern German car with major high tech electronics. fwiw, mine has been flawless for the 20k it has on it so far.

And with all the modern amenities (the 2009s have the newest HDD COMAND nav and voice control system), the car makes for a really excellent long distance cruiser. The seats have nice Nappa leather and are heavily bolstered (and great electronic lumbar support.)

The air suspension has variable settings and on comfort mode it simply eats up potholes. In Sport II mode, it handles pretty well for a big sedan. The massive binders (360mm composites with 6 pots up front) allow for hard braking into the corners and the 465 lb-ft torque (torque comes on fairly early even for a n/a motor) gets you out fast.

If you drive like an old lady (not from Pasadena), you can actually get decent mpg. I've had 19 city and 23 highway with the tranny in non-sport mode.

The current S4 would be a great choice especially for AWD. And if you can live with the smaller cabin. But I will say this: I thought the Audi 4 felt it had a much heavier steering and chassis feel than the E63 (AWD?)

The E63 is for pure comfort and slamming your passenger into the seat just for fun. There's no question that the E63 is very, very quick off the line.

jenskleis

I would go for an S4.

My 2003 Avant has covered more than 230.000 km without anything going wrong, apart from a couple of blown lightbulbs. It is as tight, precise and solid as the day it left the dealership.

It is compact, comfortable, practical and very quick. And it is very discreet. It might not be as agile on the twisty stuff as an M3, but it is incredibly well equipped for wet or slippery roads. Living in Switzerland, having 4x4 makes the S4 about the best DD I can think of.

The only down-side I can think of is its fuel consumption. It is very thirsty, particularly when you are doing stop and go driving in town. And, of course, if you let it stretch its legs on the Autobahn :-)

About the Mercs, I have never owned one. But I know plenty of people who have, and they to talk a lot about poor reliability, plus build and material quality not being up to Audi and BMW standards.

Either way, don't forget that you are facing a "luxury problem". having to choose between an S4 or an AMG is a privilege. Good luck!

s4for5

with the S4 you can get a 6spd manual transmission.
I don't think the merc has that feature.
My S4 has been super reliable and I smile every time I drive it.
If there is any snow involved, the s4 will blow away the mercedes for sure

boulderbobo

So...what is the basis of your statement?

Quadcammer

I've had an A4 and an older E Class.

The S4 has entry level interior materials. Cheap hard plastic like every other car in that range, including the C-class. Nothing at all impressive there, including the design.

The 211 E-class has nicer interior materials, build quality should be the same, but the Mercedes is far more car. Superior engine, more space, smooth transmission, etc etc. Take advantage of MB's poor resale value.

As stated, MB had some issues for about a 4 year period. After that, they have been much better.

lot of ignorance and anecdotes here.

Academictech

Is that back seat really that big in the E63??