Have driven both, love both. M3 is harder edged, S4 seems like a higher quality car (materials, like interior). For the same money, S4 would be $5k cheaper and 1 year newer.

Anyone here owned both? How are maintenance costs compared to each other?

 

I haven't owned both, but i have ridden in both for a significant amount of time, and i definitely prefer the m3

 

i have driven both and just curious what year models are you looking at?
i find the cabin of the new m3 based on options to be quite nice///
wheras i find that of the old s4 to be dated and bland.
i would take the m3, but the quattro on the s4 is nice,

 

I'm looking at a 2004 M3 and a 2005 S4. Budget I'd like to say is $30k, but I'm having trouble finding M3s at that price, whereas the S4 is easy.

 

S4 convertible seems like a womens car. Stay with the M

 

agree, that the s4 cab is not the most manly of options...at all.
also personally find it ugly.

 

I had a love/hate relationship with my E46M3 vert. The top rattled all the time over bumps...drove me insane and was not fixable by the dealer. Other than that the car was pure joy and I would take it any day over a S4. Be sure to take the car on a washboard street to see if the top is solid.

 

I would go with the M3, having said ive owned 2 Audi's, but driven Stock M3's to Supercharged M3's.....the M3 is just a more awesome car. The only thing that the audi has over it is the All wheel drive (you may need it, idk) and of course that V8 sound (when coupled with an exhaust, its sooo mean). The m3 will always have that raspyish sound

 

M3 over audi any day !

 

S4 vert has become bloated and soft. M3 all the way.

 

+1, but get a rasp terminator and the rasp is gone.

 

The Rasp is the .. signature sound

 

This is true...but why BMW chose a sound akin to 10 cats in a sack going to the river I will never figure out.

 

totally dude. the e46 m3 convert is one of the best looking verts on the street today.

great value now. slammed on 19" BBS LMs with a little bimmian rear spoiler attachment, add a nice exhaust... game over. incredibly good looking.

the examples i see are either too krauted out or bone stock. someone should really do the above for the perfect look.

All S4s... bleh. even the rs4 is now bleh. that's the issue with audis in general. bleh.