Audi RS4 or BMW M3 CS (or an E90 330D?)

[gsrgeoff]

For the last 12 years i've had a company car and an Evo of 1 variety or another for the weekend.

Costs are going up and i've recently sold the Evo.

I'm considering opting out of the Co. Car scheme and just running 1 car to do everything. (Co car is a boring new Passat tdi, costing about £2k in tax).

I do approx 25,000 miles (very few are business so i have to pay for 95% of that in fuel, which is about £1800 on diesel & £1100 on SUL).

I've always loved 4WD and hence the (06 plate) RS4 is my "dream" car. Good one's can seemingly now be had for £18k ish.

However it looks like the E46 BMW M3 CS (another favourite of mine) is an even bigger bargain at around £14k.

And just to throw a "wildcard" in, I know a lot of people rate the BMW E90 330D (remapped) highly.

I haven't driven any therefore would like any advice you can offer on the above choices?

Thanks in advance.

[After_Shock]

The 330d is an impressive tool both mappend and stock, is it fun, no. Well to me anyways.

The RS4 would be very impressive all around and also the engine is excellent, the M3 a different type of fun being RWD and that highly strung straight 6, both very good cars.

[leeson660]

From my year of owning a CS I cannot rate it highly enough.

This video sums it up nicely:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgF_0H4WVPw

May be a higher quality version available!

Both fantastic cars - good luck

[mat205125]

gsrgeoff said:

....RS4 is my "dream" car ...

Whatever the measurable merits or compromises of other alternatives, I'd highly recommend living your dream, and ticking your desire off of your bucket list.

With your mileage, I wouldn't advise keeping hold of any private car for much more than a year as the depreciation will be heavy, and UK drivers seem to have a deep seated fear of high mileage metal, ultimately limiting your market audience.

Go for the RS4 for a year .... Take a CS for the year after that .... then more onto something completely different, or consider an IS-F as a left field choice.

[leeson660]

mat205125 said:

gsrgeoff said:

....RS4 is my "dream" car ...

Whatever the measurable merits or compromises of other alternatives, I'd highly recommend living your dream, and ticking your desire off of your bucket list.

With your mileage, I wouldn't advise keeping hold of any private car for much more than a year as the depreciation will be heavy, and UK drivers seem to have a deep seated fear of high mileage metal, ultimately limiting your market audience.

Go for the RS4 for a year .... Take a CS for the year after that .... then more onto something completely different, or consider an IS-F as a left field choice.

Very sound advice

My dream car (realistically achievable) is / was the CS hence why I went down that route. I think I would have regretted getting anything else.

[Timbola]

RS4 for the V8 lump and the better looks, were it me.

[wilbo83]

Another vote for the RS4 here, you will only regret anything else

[gsrgeoff]

Great advice guys!

For info the other alternative is to keep the Co car and go for a Porsche 944 for the weekend (hence my other thread here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

But after years of doing this I really fancy a change and actually driving a car that I cherish everyday instead of once a week.

Obviously the £2k tax saving will be immediately used up with the extra cost of fuel (on the RS4 or M3 CS).

[AdamTheTrader]

RS4 every time... 5 years strong with mine and still loving it

[billywhizzzzzz]

had an M3, then a e91 330d, now a V8 S4. I loved the idea of the 330d - on paper my perfect car - but it was a car for my head, not heart so sold it after a couple of years and suffered enormous depreciation. The S4 has the most amazing engine - and whilst the chassis isn't perhaps as accomplished as the 330d (sublime) it's a better car for the poor, wet and slippery rural roads I spend my time on...

[gsrgeoff]

mat205125 said:

Whatever the measurable merits or compromises of other alternatives, I'd highly recommend living your dream, and ticking your desire off of your bucket list.

With your mileage, I wouldn't advise keeping hold of any private car for much more than a year as the depreciation will be heavy, and UK drivers seem to have a deep seated fear of high mileage metal, ultimately limiting your market audience.

Go for the RS4 for a year .... Take a CS for the year after that .... then more onto something completely different, or consider an IS-F as a left field choice.

Thanks - although the CS prices seem really low, so it maybe better doing it the other way around for lesser depreciation while RS4 prices continue to drop?

[mat205125]

leeson660 said:

Very sound advice

My dream car (realistically achievable) is / was the CS hence why I went down that route. I think I would have regretted getting anything else.

Same reason there's an E46 M3 sat on my drive

[mat205125]

gsrgeoff said:

mat205125 said:

Whatever the measurable merits or compromises of other alternatives, I'd highly recommend living your dream, and ticking your desire off of your bucket list.

With your mileage, I wouldn't advise keeping hold of any private car for much more than a year as the depreciation will be heavy, and UK drivers seem to have a deep seated fear of high mileage metal, ultimately limiting your market audience.

Go for the RS4 for a year .... Take a CS for the year after that .... then more onto something completely different, or consider an IS-F as a left field choice.

Thanks - although the CS prices seem really low, so it maybe better doing it the other way around for lesser depreciation while RS4 prices continue to drop?

Perhaps ..... Just pray that the RS4 prices don't settle, or rise during that period.

I never ticked the E30 M3 off of my list "back in the day", and don't think I'll ever get to now

[Baryonyx]

If you can, drive the RS4 and the M3 and then see which you prefer. I'd probably lean towards the M3 despite my love of fast Audis. But you won't know unless you try. If you have a real emotional leaning towards the RS4, why not get one and enjoy it?

[RobCrezz]

I expect the rs4 will be great, but don't expect it to be any quicker than the evos. With that in mind, go for it, in lots of areas its miles better than an evo.

[gsrgeoff]

RobCrezz said:

I expect the rs4 will be great, but don't expect it to be any quicker than the evos. With that in mind, go for it, in lots of areas its miles better than an evo.

I'm not one for massively (power) modded Evo's anyway. In fact my last VII was completely standard (276bhp), and my II before that was 300bhp, so I do expect a 414 bhp RS4 to be slightly quicker than them.

[RobCrezz]

gsrgeoff said:

I'm not one for massively (power) modded Evo's anyway. In fact my last VII was completely standard (276bhp), and my II before that was 300bhp, so I do expect a 414 bhp RS4 to be slightly quicker than them.

Rs4s struggle to make that power apparently.

[jwo]

Just listen to the RS4....

[Munich]

I would go for the CS now and then the RS4 next year. You will lose money on both, but as the CS has already lost more of it's inital value I think the damage to your wallet will be less this way round. Also, if you wait for your dream car, you are more likely to actually swap cars after a year.

[NadiR]

I am definitely not an Audi person (look at my post history), while I think BMW is perfection on wheels. But I'd go for the Audi, it is in my opinion a better car then the E46 M3, as its a little newer, has good handling, and a fantastic engine, to balance things out, the E46 also has a nice engine, and will be good to drive, but the RS4 will be just that bit better.

E90 M3 vs RS4 though...