Fifth Gear: Audi S5 vs BMW 335i shootout

Why doe eveyone insist on comparig the great 335i to the abosulte POS VWAudi?

BMW wins on stylin, power, steerin, value, relibablty, interior ans prestige as usual. Stop embarassing the VWAudi with thees comparison

Wow! Great video. I expected the 335i to win at the track, but it definitely highlighted both coupes' strong points.

Surprising. The video was fun to watch and well edited. She was haulin'.

both cars same speed not much difference a tenth of a second, there is also not much difference in performance between the V-8 360 hp BMW 550i and the inline 6 BMW 535i.

Wow! to be honest I thought the new Audi S5 would win because it had a V8 and 54hp more than the BMW 335i. Nevertheless, great performance by both cars.

the bmw was lighter and audi's quattro makes the car heavier but more stable on the road however it was a very close run. both good cars

BenzW124 is lying like he always does. BMW wins on styling is your opinion. Yes, it wins on steering. Value it also wins on. Audi wins in reliability, Audi wins in interior, Audi wins in prestige.

BMW please stop having your M3 embarassed by VW/Audi.

are you kidding me? Audi does not win in prestige on any day.

Pass me what you're smoking.

Or reliability. A tie, at best!

Audi also wins on power, luxury, style, exclusivity. These two are very different but I'd take either, at any price under $100K to be honest. They're both tremendous values.

Audi has a bit to go before they're viewed in the same light as BMW in terms of driving dynamics. Style is subjective.

In terms of reliability BMW has been doing well of late, Audi is still down the table: http://www.autoblog.com/photos/j-d-power-2007-vehicle-dependability-study/346679/full/

S4

Thats abit too far.
Audi may win in a straightline but the power in the 335i is nothin short of amazing, plus the S5 is marketed above the 335i and still the BMW handles better. You can have the luxury, but imo the interior in the BMW looks more modern, but Audi wins on quality of the materials. Style... Just because the S5 looks understated doesnt really make it look better. But its your opinion after all. I personally prefer the sharp lines on the 335i, all thanks to Bangle! Exclusivity, well the Audi costs more, so what do you expect? They are not even direct competitors!

I'm guessing the S5 is allot more softly sprung then the old S4.

When Sport Auto magazine tested the S5 on Hockenheim it was 0.5 seonds slower then the old S4.

audi wins in prestige, few people would agree with that, in order to have prestige a company shoulds have a tradition of making fine cars, in the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's BMW was making M cars when Audi was lucky to market various rebadged Jettas and passats called the Audi 80,90,100, 5000, first A4, A6, TT.

That was the dark ages of Audi. Before then they were fabulous vehicles, as they are today. Remember Horch? That company was up there with Maybach in terms of luxury and exclusivity in its day, and was actually the first German manufacturer to have a V-8.

Audi unnofficiale started their s line with the 1968 Audi 100 S Coupe. Their first official S car was the Audi S1 quattro.

In 1984

ah man, new season of fifth gear is running now? gotta go get it...

Imagine BMW 335i with performance package!

Both cars are awesome, but for me it would be the S5. Just like the looks better and need the quattro living in the northeast.(US)

335xi Coupe, arriving at a dealer near you in a month...

yeah you need the quattro b/c it snows 5 days out of the year.

Quattro is not only for the snow, incase you haven't heard. Quattro helps handling...

"Quattro is not only for the snow, incase you haven't heard. Quattro helps handling... "


One would think that this video made clear that Quattro is useless on dry pavement.

CS- also cause i go sking almost every weekend of the winter.

CS, Star -

If you don't live in the Northeast, then you probably don't understand. The winters here -- even without snow -- are harsh on the roads. We simply don't have the perfect asphalt that people from warm climates enjoy. Yes, quattro is very much appreciated year-round up here. Necessary? no, probably not... but you sure don't see many BMW's around here 9 months out of the year either.

haha your funny. i live in Vermont, and i manage to get around just fine with rwd.

The S5 is also more luxurious and sexier. I don't know... it just does it for me. The 335i offers 90% of the S5's core virtues for 85% of the price, but both are very good values.

funny there are 0 rwd cars in Park City

you see SUV's, Trucks, Audi, Subaru, A few MB and BMW Xdrives and some FWD but not to many RWD

jrob if you are getting a 335 that is one thing but a 335xi? come on get an Audi

Homer, I'm not getting either, I was just pointing out to the guy who says his only choice is the Audi because he needs all-wheel drive that the all-wheel drive 335xi coupe will start arriving next month. He does in fact have a choice.

jrob- I didnt say its my only choice, I said between these 2, one has AWD and the other doesnt.

I could get an SUV if I wanted, but i was picking between these 2.

C4- yea you might get around, but I dont like driving 10MPH around holding up traffic, just so i can drive a BMW. Also Quattro is far superior to X Crap!

Good to see 5th Gear is back.

But for comparison sake I would like to have seen that 335i WITH M-sport package. It makes a HUGE different really.

Why wasn't the Toyota Solara included in this test? It would have gotten my vote.

this one was actually funny 989.

cause the solara is FWD?

hey, this is for real david... how old are you? I'm 23, you seem like you are 16, getting your first car soon...

Audi has amazing prestige. It is older than BMW and has been producing cars for a longer period of time. Furthermore, Audi was near extinction and now look at it about to surpass Mercedes in global sales this year or next.

Ford is older than BMW germannut, does that mean its more prestigious?

BMW is like the Lakeers SOOOO 1990's

lakeers=lakers

Audi doesn't have more prestige than BMW, not over here in Europe, and certainly not in the US. The BMW badge has more cache than the 4 rings, and thats been earned through years of making excelent products, cars like the 507, 635csi, and pretty much every M car ever built.

david989-Do I detect a bit of sarcasm in your remark?

I sure do hope he is being sarcastic. The Solora is an ugly, boring POS.

unfortunately he is not.
his continuous comments about Lexuses and toyotas have long proven that he is:
a- completely ignorant
b- a 10 years old kid
c- a trouble maker that likes to start flame wars and he should be banned...

1evlaudi, he has you. Those are not his true beliefs- if you think those things about him, then sorry, he's far more clever than you are.

He's a German car fan posing as a Lexus fan. Honestly, david989 hates Lexus.

The S5 is a great car but it's not a sportscar, it's more of a GT. The MLB chassis is still not fully exploited. The S5 still has a bit of that nose heavy Audi feel, but according to Audi marketing it's what people like. The real grunt should come with the RS5. Just compare the S4 with the RS4, yes the difference will be that big!

Yes, I read that the engineers were slightly disgruntled to have to make the S5 slightly less exciting than it could have been. Of course, nobody normal would notice the handling difference, but with that extra effort it could have been more clearly cut that the S5 is just better than the 335i. I can't wait for the RS5 to see what they can do with this chassis...

why do people still keep comparing these 2, lol. i can imagine when the new a4 is released and the tests of the 335i sedan and top a4 begin, the 335i is going to blow it off the road. if its running with the s5 with a 354hp v8

Because they are close in both performance and size.

WOW, nice video

Both are great cars but price makes the BMW the better choice.

I don't know... you get a lot for the price of the S5: more standard luxuries, sexier style, exclusivity, the irresistible torque and sound of the V8. It's something that can't be measured.

But, like I said, I probably wouldn't be 100% sure with either decision. Both are so good, I would just take both: S5 coupe and 335i convertible, perhaps.

From what I see in this video the Audi doesn't offer enough to justify the difference in price in my opinion. But I can accept that somebody might have a different opinion.

335i being 10,000 dollars less i think is the better choice BUT the S5 is alittle more exclusive and you will see much less of them so therefore will turn more heads.
when a car does 0-60 in 4.5 or 5.0 .5 seconds is sooooo little you guys have no idea it really will come down to the winner being the better driver.

anyone who can afford these 50,000 dollar cars will be happy with either one and still look at eachother with envy when side by side at a red light.

great video. I love the 335 engine but I think the audi looks better. I wouldn't buy either though.
T

just curious...what would you buy in the $45,000 range?

He has a CLK550. So nothing- that car is pushing 70.

another odd comparison...335i inline six should be compared to A5 six. S5 v8 should be compared to M3 v8.

despite that (and a $10,000+ price advantage), the BMW wins.

and did anyone notice the grins on that woman when she was driving the BMW? ; ) not the same in the audi.

And so, I guess, the 6 cylinders in Porsche should NOT be compared to any V8, eh ? Nice, cause Porsche's little engine can kick some ass in the V8 department. Hahaha

Did it ever occur to you, enthusiast, that Audi did not design this car to compete directly with the E92? It is strange how these comparos are aligned, but the A5 is slightly better than the 328xi, the S5 is a little better than the 335xi and the RS5 will be a little better than the M3. They're all in-between. It's interesting, how that works.

i'd never compare the porsche to a 3-series. completely different class of car in terms of size and price.

Nice tie, I bet if she took another lap in either the results would be within a couple of tenths but completely different. All depends on how intensly she took each lap.

Yes, they will, bulldogz. It's called supply and demand. Both the RS4 and R8 have been selling out, but they're only slightly increasing demand. They're not going to over-produce; it's profitable and smart. It keeps the car more interesting.

"You just can't beat there sound and immediate power delivery. Now this would require they SIGNIFICANTLY increase the current RS4's power output as to not encroach on sales, so is it gonna happen? Probably not."

Well, the thing is, that IS the RS4/RS5. They're the super-powerful, top-of-the-line ones. They'd have to eliminate the S4/S5 and push the RS4/RS5 slightly downmarket for that, but that would be sad. The S4 has a name, it has a past. I love how they position the S/RS cars-- just out of reach for top-end, non "M" BMWs (S cars), and just a bit better than the "M" models (RS cars), with pricing to match.

3=300hp (turbo'd six) S4=400hp (V8) S5=500hp (turbo'd V8) (see the trend?) RS4=470hp (turbo+superchargerd V8) RS5 & RS6=600hp (turbo'd V10) Mmmmmmm

S5 is the coupe version of S4, so it won't be necessary to serve them with different engines.
RS5 is the coupe version of RS4.
RS6 is a class up on the RS4/RS5.

i like both. the 3 is a bit more sportier but the s5 has a richer interior and a more sophisticated exterior.

to date in so cal, ive seen a lot of 3s primarily driven by women or college kids. it almost looks like kids are getting them for graduation presents. lol. i have seen a few that had wheels and looked very nice. the higher cost of the s5 alone will make it more difficult for younger folk to acquire one and thats a pretty good reason in itself for choosing a s5 over a 3.

the cabin and motor in the new a4 are supposedly pushed back to better balance the nose weight bias. it should be a great performer with awd.

I agree amazinBimmer, or why not pay more for the almighty Audi RS that has already smacked and defeated the new M3 in RS4 sedan form twice.

Just look at those RS6 avant leaked pictures amazinBimmer. 580 horsepower 0-100 km/h .2 seconds faster than the BMW M5 and 0-200 km/h a full second faster than both the M5 and E63 AMG.

If the old Audi RS6 plus managed to pull off 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds look for the new avant to go 4 second flat and the sedan....that thing will be in the 3's

wow, a full second faster 0-200kph? That'll be totally useful next time I am drag racing an M5 or E63 at a redlight on a city street from a stop to 124mph.

this usually also means a faster 100-200kph (62-124 mph)...

There is truth to BMW being THE Ultimate Driving Machine...

...and Vicki is HOT!

"...and Vicki is HOT!"


Not from where I'm looking..

any women look hot when driving BMW and smile.

Thank you 5th Gear! Your reviews show the real differences between these cars!

BMW clearly wins this. Anything that the Audi has over the BMW is offset by the 5,000 pounds ($9000 US dollar?) difference. The BMW is lighter, more nimble, more driver feedback, less expensive, and arguably quicker. The BMW also was first to market by almost a year.

And those giggles that Vicki had as she was kicking the rear out on the BMW clearly illustrate which car is MORE FUN TO DRIVE!

And isn't that why enthusiasts buy cars - because they are fun to drive?! Great job, BMW.

I knew before the start of the race the BMW would outperform the Audi.BMW "ALWAYS" out performs cars that have a substansial horsepower rating.They do it by balance and by the knowledge of building great sports cars that "kick ass".Nobody touches BMW!.

We don't know how long the straights were, or how "fast" the curves were, on this racetrack. We also don't know whether these cars were Euro-spec or American-spec. Were the two cars provided by their respective manufacturers, or did one marque provide both cars (like a recent BMW 330i-Infiniti G37 match), with possible conflicts of interest affecting the outcome? Finally, is the S5 a pre-production model or the "final product"? All of these factors could have affected the outcome. I for one will wait until the S5/A5 is available in the U.S. before I pass judgement.

"It's a triumph of handling over power."

I'll take the lighter, better handling car every time. I think Audi will always play second fiddle until they can get the weight down (losing a good 500 lbs).

On top of that I can keep the extra $9k in my pocket and have the prestige of owning a BMW. Heck, if you're going to look at an S5 for the dough, you should certainly take a look at the M3. I'm guessing the M3 would crush the S5.

335i

Audi just released pricing...

S5 model will start at $50,500.
BMW 335i 40,800..

to me BMW is the clear winner

I want to see the price of them fully loaded with the same options. I bet the S5 comes standard with alot of things that you will have to add to the 335. I could be wrong, but lets wait and see.

I find it interesting how the BMW fans all talk as if they were professional race car drivers. What percentage of 3 series drivers can actually fully tap into the performance their cars are capable of? Probably not many. Yes it's fun to watch a car doing 4-wheel drifts on a race track but that's not real world driving. Audi on the other hand makes cars that can be more readily driven to their limits by the average driver, which is probably most people on this board.

Wow. Interesting video. both cars performed well in their own different ways but let's live that on the race track and focus more on safety.

I just thought of something. The BMW's lap time was 0.06 seconds shorter than the Audi's. However, Vicki began her timed laps in both cars when she was already running at full throttle part-way down a straightaway. If she had begun her timed laps from a standing start, the Audi would have won. How, you might ask? Well, Vicki said that the Audi beat the BMW's 0-62 mph time by roughly 0.5 seconds, and considering the S4's superior horsepower and torque, I suspect that the Audi would have maintained or expanded its advantage in reaching even higher speeds. Thus the Audi's lap time would improve by 0.5 seconds, putting it ahead of the BMW. Think about it.

The one thing I kept thinking about is this:

On track: 335 vs. S5 -> 335 wins by narrow margin
On track: 335 vs RS4 -> 335 wins by narrow margin

What does Audi have (today) that will squeeze out a 335 around a track? I'm not sure a RS6 would even do it.

Just because you don't drift your car, doesn't mean the "average person" doesn't appreciate a "Fun to drive" car over a "less fun to drive car".

Give the buyers some credit.

That's the main reason why BMWs are almost always market segment leaders.

I just know too many BMW owners who are definitely not high performance drivers and have no clue what drifting means. They just bought their car for the name. Just look at the average 3 series driver out there.

Just to be clear. I am not saying BMW's are not good cars. I am responding to this nonsense that BMW is for enthusiasts and Audi is not.