Hello everyone,
I recently joined the forum and have been in the market for a new car. Wife has the family hauler so I get to pick a car for myself

I have been doing some research and have narrowed it down to the S5 and the M3 coupe. I realize that the M3 may be better compared to the RS5, but given the price range, I think these cars are aiming for the same consumer. I think the S5 is beautiful but have not test driven one yet. The e92 that I drove was addictive and well balanced. I appreciated the responsiveness and agility....I did not think BMW could improve on the previous generation, but it appears they did.

I am looking for objective comments from anyone who had a similar decision recently.

Thanks!!

 

I am a huge Audi fan. I have to warn you before you test drive the S5.
your bar is already high after driving the e92 M3, anything less than that i feel you will be disappointed.
the S5 is a great car. the engine is very solid but not as great as the M3 motor. the handling is not a BMW M handling.
imho however, S5 looks so darn sexy inside and out. the interior is drop dead gorgeous. the exterior is spot on sexy. the DRL LED lights make me drool everytime I see them.
Personally I drove the S5 6speed on a race track before, it feels heavy, not as agile as a M3 of course.
if it was up to my decision, I would pick the S5 and get a E46 M3 both 6speed.
it's a tough call. you will be happy with either cars at the end of the day.

 

Couple of points:

- the pricing may have been 'aimed' at similar consumers, but in no way do they reflect what's happening in the real world. Every E92 M3 I've seen on a dealer lot has been discounted, or at least the salesperson was willing to haggle or offer very aggressive financing. Not so with the S5 -- a lot of dealers are still even charging market adjustment on top of MSRP.

- the S5 even after all currently available engine mods (downpipe, cat-back, remap) cannot accelerate like the E92 M3. It's more like a bolt-on modded E46 M3 in terms of acceleration.

- the S5 stock handling is much softer than the E92 M3, but after a good set of coilovers and sway bar(s), I'm equally as confident in the S5 as I was when I tried out the M3. It makes a world of difference. Can't comment on the effect of Audi Drive Select because I elected not to have that option (since I was going to use aftermarket suspension anyway)

- the interior is night and day difference. If you are going to daily drive this car, then it's worth noting that the S5 interior is infinitely more comfortable and overall a much more pleasant place to be.

- though subjective, I would say most people think the S5 is a better looking car from the exterior.

- the S5 is certainly more unique because even the lower A5 model is priced high enough that they retain a lot more exclusivity than the M3, whose 328i and 335i brethren are extremely common.

So really it depends on what you want out of the car. If you must have the best all-around performance German coupe for the money, then get the M3.

If you want a civil daily driver which will get more attention than most cars double its price because of its beautiful design, whose engine isn't a slouch, but probably not going to blow any doors off... then get the S5.

My 2 cents.

 

agree with you, m3 is much more fun to drive S5 is pretty slow

 

our streets can't be turned to race tracks. so I prefer S5 over M3.
when I was younger, cough, i am only 23, cough. I used to go to twisty roads all the time, now I am so busy with work, I just want to put my *** on a nice and comfortable seat and then go home. barely have time to drive hard.
so S5 is my pick

 

e92 imo

 

Some pics of my S5 in case it helps the decision any. I don't know how much the aesthetics mean to you, but to me it sold the S5 for me and I'd rather deal with less performance. And of course the interior speaks for itself.

 

The S5 is indeed a beautiful car and it definitely a head turner. Although the M3 is not ugly, the S5 is definitely more pleasing to the eye and probably one of the most attractive cars <100K. I have seen the S5 prices remain stable, while there is definitely more wiggle room with M3. But the price is close enough that this decision wont be a financial one, but rather a decision based on long term appeal. I plan to do an extensive test drive in the near future and will post my reviews. Nevertheless, please keep up the great points!

Much appreciated

 

I currently drive a 335 and although it is no M3, it is certainly a performer and very similar to the S5 in acceleration - roughly 5 secs 0-60. I'd also say the 335 handles slightly better than the S5 stock. I love the car and it is an absolute blast to drive.

All of that said, I am on the hunt for an S5. To me, it is a more passionate car. Given you are using as a daily driver, I don't think a .5 second difference between the M3 and S5 in 0-60 is going to matter much, and you certainly aren't going to be getting the thing sideways getting on and off the freeway or going to the mall so the handling difference is a non-issue.

I know when I see both cars up close, one excites me while the other is "pretty cool".

It's definitely a gut call and I doubt there is a right answer....

 

I had the same dillema. M3 or S5? I finally decided on the S5 for the follwoing reasons.

1.The exterior is simply just sexier than the M3.
2.The interior design, quality, fit, and finish is IMO better than the M3.
3.The DRL lights are just too sexy on the S5.
4.Too many M3's out there. It's too common.

After making the purchase, here is my opnion.

1.The stock suspension is too soft. I'm glad I went with a non-Adui drive select car. Changing out to coilovers and proper alignment tranformed the cars handling charactersitics.

2.The car is not that fast and I wasn't looking for a rocket either.

3.With BBS wheels, H&R coilovers, H&R spacers, and Stasis exhaust, the car is sexy as hell.

4. I get more compliments in my S5 than in my highly modified 997tt. I kid you not. More people give me props for a car I spent $60k including mods than on a car I spent over $180k with mods on.


Everywhere you go, this car is a head turner. Hope this helps a bit in your decision making process.

 

Indeed, it is extremely helpful. I do like the exclusiveness of both cars, but I agree there are fall less S5 on the road. I have not seen a whole lot of either in Chicago, but I know that M3 are usually everywhere. I am certain that if I get an S5, the suspension will have to be swapped for something much tighter.....

I agree there is no wrong decision, but man this is hard!!

 

Tough decision, I know. I have an S5 with a modded suspension, wheels, and exhaust. In hindsight, I personally would prefer the M3 because I think it is more livable. Let me explain.

It is much easier to get in to and out of the M3. The door opening is taller and the coupe doors are actually shorter, so they don't swing out so much. The interior on the S5 looks nice, but it rattles, A LOT. If you want to mod the suspension, plan on an increase in rattles. The fit and finish on every BMW I have owned or test driven is better than the S5. Also, you can get extended leather with the carbon leather finish on the M3, which gives it the stitched leather dash making it look like a high end sports car. The leather on the M3 is much softer and nicer feeling than the standard feeling leather in the S5. Assuming you mod the suspension, the ride will get bouncier. On the M3, I have ridden in one with the most aggressive RDC springs and the ride seemed smoother and less jittery than the KW V2s on my car. Finally, the road noise on the S5 is more than I was expect. The M3 will be quieter on the highway than the S5 because the S5 lets all kinds of wind noise and road noise into the car.

Now, it might seem like I am bashing the S5, but that is not my intention. I like my S5. It gets lots of attention and better gas mileage (though barely) than the M3. I just wanted to give you a few non-performance points of comparison where I think the M3 exceeds the S5.

 

I was in the same position with you a few months back.
It's simple, get whichever one that keeps you up at night thinking the most about.

GL

 

s5 fo sho

 

+1 all the way. The S5 might not be as powerful but good god it is better looking.