Audi B5 S4, BMW 330, Alfa 3.0 GTV....you guessed it.

[waterwonder]

Hi,

Considering the above, basically i'm after something that is vaguely practical and a little more special/quick than the average bogo car. Something with similar or better economy and performance to the ST would be ideal. Budget is £0-£5k. Keen to avoid money pits as well - i don't mind spending good money on servicing and i understand at this age some bits and pieces will go wrong.

Anything i should know about the Audi or the Alfa except the usual FSH, belts etc. (done a fair bit of reading on the E46 BMW)? Other suggestions welcome as well.

Thanks

[mattnoss]

had one of the last b5 s4 avants , full history and one previous owner . averaged about 25 mpg , always felt quite special to drive but cost a fortune to run , every bill was over a thousand pounds and sometimes alot more . replaced it after 5 years with a subura legacy estate 3.0 r b spec which so far has been faultless but no where near as much fun or rapid as the s4

[robsco]

I'm not sure that the GTV is "vaguely practical". The rear seats are pathetic and the boot has enough space for the spare wheel and that's about it. If you do start looking, check that the rear suspension has been overhauled, preferably with Powerflex items as the standard suspension is quite weak.

Make sure that the water pump has been replaced when the cambelt was changed, along with all auxiliary belts, tensioners, pulleys etc. The Alfa schedule is 72k/5yrs, but those in the know change them much sooner. 48k/4yrs seems to be the norm on the V6.

Check for uneven tyre wear, GTVs are very sensitive to alignment.

[rich85uk]

Would love an s4, few years ago i worked with a guy who owned one on fairly highish milage and ended up getting the engine rebuilt to rs4 spec when the turbos needed replacing along with routine maintenance. sounded fantastic and was said to be quick before the turbos needed replacing, and insane after the rebuild. seem to remember the car did cost a fair bit to run though

as for 330 i have had one 2 years now and its been 100% reliable but its a petrol and manual so no swirl flap or gearbox issues. reasonable running costs and 35mpg can be had if you drive carefully. mines a coupe m sport and perfect for long effortless drives on SMOOTH roads, i would class it as quick(although it doesnt feel as quick as it is) on powerflex bushes it handles pretty well for a heavy coupe

[waterwonder]

I did have my heart set on a 330ci (although may up the budget for that one) but now very tempted by the s4 as it's quicker and a bit more unusual however it seems like it's A fair bit more expensive to run.

[PMKeates]

I'll discount the GTV as it's not really the logic choice, so it'd totally have to be a decision of the heart if you were to get one.

The S4 is obviously quicker than the 330i as standard, and will be even quicker if you have it mapped. However, it will likely be significantly more expensive to run, and is also a significantly less modern car. If we look around and see what £5k gets us:

Audi S5

Not a bad looking car, but definitely quite dated now and it looks its age with the very square headlights. The interior is also quite dated with the triple-vent centre console.

http://cdn.images.pistonheads.com/aimg/2741/274145...
http://cdn.images.pistonheads.com/aimg/2741/274145...

BMW 330

Doesn't look like it's just been penned in the concept room at BMW, but it does share styling traits with modern BMWs such as the 'fangs' on each side of the bumper, and has a contemporary curved headlight cluster with xenons. On the inside the design is years ahead.. as it was created years after the B5.

http://cdn.images.pistonheads.com/aimg/2684/268459...
http://cdn.images.pistonheads.com/aimg/2684/268459...

It depends if performance is a huge factor for you. If it is, the S5 is going to win out regardless. If it's just one of many key factors, the E46 330 is likely to be the nicer car and the better all-rounder that causes you less trouble.

[rich85uk]

its worth remembering the s4 will be older and have higher milage. unmodified,A1 condition,low milage examples fetch a premium. i would only buy the s4 if i had a few thousand set aside for a engine rebuild for more power (nearer rs4 spec) and for peace of mind.not that s4 engines get to a xx milage and need a rebuild but things like turbos etc will need replacing at some point so while they are down there...

both cars standard im not sure that the s4 would be that much faster if you went for a petrol,manual 330.

[Mr Whippy]

330Ci

[waterwonder]

Hmmm looking like a 330 is back at the top of the list then.

The whole point of this is is to save some money, so keeping a big contingency fund is counter productive.

I was hoping the S4 would be a good purchase, but although the performance would be nice it seems that i'll be lucky to escape without a big bill. Not too bothered about it looking dated in fact i think in a S4 Avant in the bright blue still looks really smart.

Thanks for your input.

[waterwonder]

The Crack Fox said:

I've got a manual 330CI Sport, has been reliable, quick and cheap to service via a decent Indy.

Bit bored of it though....

I've not forgotten about it, despite my best efforts at prudence i'm experiencing significant budget creep so it maybe in reach before too long.