Test Driven New E92 M3 coupe and 2007 RS4 - R32OC

psg001 · 23rd January 2009, 03:01 PM

I had a few days off this week so thought I would try out these two cars. They have both come down in price a lot, and probably will continue to drop in price this year which could tempt me into a buy.

Before driving both I honestly had no preference for either car. Afterwards there was a clear winner for me. I tried out the RS4 on Thursday and the M3 coupe this morning. They were quite different to be honest. I graded them on my silly 5 point scoring system (exterior looks, interior looks, engine / exhaust note, performance and finally handling). I guess you could add image and value for money to these, but the five major things for me are the ones stated. I felt my R32 ticked all the 5 boxes for me, hence why I bought it. (it also has a decent image and value for money!)

Exterior - The RS4 I think looks good, a little more pumped up than the normal A4 but not too offensive/extreme. The BMW looked more aggressive than the RS4, was a bit smaller being the coupe. I'd have to say the M3 looks the sportier . Its down to personal taste really, both cars in my opinion look good. If I had to pick a winner, the M3 but only just.

Interior - here is where the two cars are most different. I absolutely loved the interior of the RS4. It was so special and unique. The seats and buttons / sat nav / centre console and wheel were all excellent. The cabin had a compact and snug feel to it (felt smaller than my R32 if you can believe it). I cant fault it in anyway, I'd give it 10/10. The BMW on the other hand was compact (bit smaller than the RS4 cabin) but was so plain and boring, with the same crap plasics in any other 3 series. There was nothing at all to make you feel like you were in an M3. I think thats not a good thing in a car you spend so much money on. For me it would score only 6/10. I would have been happy sitting in the RS4 for half an hour and just playing with all the buttons, it would certainly be a nice place to be and cover lots of miles in. I've been in a few porsches, the E46 M3, a C32 amg and a C63 amg and in my opinion the RS4 has the best interior of any car I've sat in. SO the winner, clearly the RS4 for me.

Sound - both have V8's, the M3 was louder and more obvious, especially on hard acceleration. It sounded more metallic and raspy. The RS4 has a classic V8 rumble / whirl (almost like a baby SLR engine), its quiet when in town (so is the M3) but the best way to describe it is, it makes the right noise at the right time and had the right level of intrusion into the cabin, I really liked the sound of the RS4. Again its a personal thing but I found the RS4 to be nicer to listen to so it wins this for me.

Performance - Both cars are quick, the M3 feels more urgent and twitchy on the throttle. The RS4 seems to be smoother and fast, you feel like the M3 is quick, the RS4 hides it better but is equally fast. Interestingly neither car feels miles faster than the E46 M3 or even my R32! I wasnt blown away by either, I didnt think my god I'm in a rocketship now. They are definitely quicker than the E46 M3 or R32, above 70 they are making real steady progress and are definitely noticable faster here. Overtaking was easy in both cars. The RS4 has a smoother power delivery, the M3 feels a bit twitchy like the old M3. I dont think there is anything between them in terms of speed, so this is a draw.

Handling - both cars were easy to drive and civilised in low speeds and in town. The RS4 has a clutch almost as light as the R32, the M3 is a bit heavier but not as bad as the old M3. The gearbox in the RS4 is smooth as silk, you can fire through the gears with no problem, it glides through the gears. The old M3 had a very clunky gearbox and 2nd was tough to engage, as was 3rd. The new M3 is better than the old M3 but not as smooth or nice as the RS4 to get through the cogs. They both had a quite soft ride, handling bumps and imperfections in the road easily. I was impressed with the RS4 because i drove it hard on B roads I know well with poor road surfaces and it took it all in its stride with no problems. The best way to describe the RS4 is that it is able to handle the road conditions with ease and always made me feel secure and in complete control. You never feel like there is going to be an emergency in this car, and it gave me the confidence to push it hard. The M3 feels a bit more urgent and twitchy than the RS4, its not as smooth and effortless. You have to be a bit more careful in it, but maybe it feels a bit more sporty because of this. The tail never got out of line so it handles well too. Which is the winner, for me the RS4 because it was felt more usable and safe, perhaps that is because I am used to 4wd now, but I can see people liking the way the M3 drives too.

Conclusion - I can honestly say I would much rather have the RS4 having driven them both. It wins in most areas for me and as an all round driving experience I feel it rewards much more than the BMW. I'm surprised at that having been such a BMW M3 fanatic for many years. Neither car is worth is original 50k price tag in my opinion. I think they were artificially overpriced by 10k by both companies. Neither car blew me away, I still love driving the R32 after both these just as much as before.

All of the above is just my opinion and many of you may think its complete rubbish so feel free to comment! I wanted to see what a factory 400bhp car felt like compared to a turbocharged R32 (am sure Jackie will scare the life out of me in his turbo R32 sometime this yr.)

hope you enjoyed the read!

R32Dom · 23rd January 2009, 03:05 PM

I agree, I will be going with the RS$ too for a next car...

cccc32 · 23rd January 2009, 03:36 PM

did you drive your r32 straight after testing these pair and if you did, did it feel slow ?

jaysR32 · 23rd January 2009, 03:43 PM

Nice comparison fela. Two more years of PCP before I can consider an RS4 unless I want to loose money BIG time getting out the deal!!!

Rupo · 23rd January 2009, 03:43 PM

did you try a 997?

s3 sohrob · 23rd January 2009, 04:14 PM

Good write up which i would tend to agree with, my brother had the new m3 as a courtesy car when he e46 was being repaired. To me you could certainly feel that the m3 was a quick car and definately makes an s3/r32 feel slow.

Having said that we did have the car for a few weeks and were able to get used to it and using the m mode really made a difference.

The rs4 is still a great car and the 4wd would be a big attraction to me but imo the m3 just goes to that next level and the engine is incredible.

EdHoskins · 23rd January 2009, 04:19 PM

Nice review.

I had a look at en E92 M3 a couple of weeks ago, very nice cars.

Rhys · 23rd January 2009, 04:28 PM

Meh Beemers don't interest me every man and his dog has M3's I see about 4 going to work every day, RS4 sexy sexy car, but as said above i'd never give 50 grand for it, for that sort of money you can get a very nice very big SL AMG Merc, which are my fave cars! glad you still love the R after them :P

s3 sohrob · 23rd January 2009, 04:31 PM

used 56 plate rs4 vs used 52 plate sl55 both for around £30k.

I would take the Audi everyday thanks.

psg001 · 04:38 PM

I drove the R32 straight after each of the two cars I tested and it didnt feel lots slower. Yes its not as quick aove 60-70 mph but you would be surprised how quick the R32 still feels upto 60 mph. Its definitely feels lighter and more nimble on tight corners, the V8's show their power at higher speeds.

Not tried a 997 porsche, this will be a car I have to try as they are also in the sub £35k bracket and are supposed to be absolutely terrific drivers cars. Straight line acceleration I dont think the carrera S is going to be any faster than the M3 or RS4.

I've driven my friends C63 AMG a few times now, its a very fast car but the autobox felt a bit slow to change and the car felt a bit heavier than the M3/RS4. Its a quick car, maybe feels a bit quicker than these two, particularly at even higher speeds but there isnt much in it.

I can see the appeal of the E92 M3 and why many people will choose one. For me though its the RS4. I will be watching their prices with much more interest this year.

Rhys · 23rd January 2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s3 sohrob

used 56 plate rs4 vs used 52 plate sl55 both for around £30k.

I would take the Audi everyday thanks.

i'd take the RS4 probably too mate for that price, but i'm just saying I prefer a SL merc, it's each to their own, I'm sure there's plenty on here who love their beemers, personally, I wouldn't touch one.

s3 sohrob · 23rd January 2009, 04:38 PM

How long was your test drive in the m3 and rs4?

psg001 · 23rd January 2009, 04:39 PM

had a good 30-40 mins in the RS4, maybe 20-30 in the M3 and yes I got to give them a good workout! Took them on the same roads for a more fair comparison. Must have driven the C63 for a couple of hours but on different roads.

s3 sohrob · 23rd January 2009, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhys

i'd take the RS4 probably too mate for that price, but i'm just saying I prefer a SL merc, it's each to their own, I'm sure there's plenty on here who love their beemers, personally, I wouldn't touch one.

I agree although the problem with cars like that (i know many people who haven fallen into this trap) is that the sl55 was a £100k car new so to get one for decent money it will be quite old and they arent cheap to run and service.

Its easy to think wow i can buy a car that delimited will hit nearly 200mph but then can bankrupt you if they go wrong.

Something like an rs4/m3 etc etc can be had quite cheap and still quite new and shouldnt cost an arm and a leg to run.

i often look at ferrari 360's and think hmmmmmmmm tempting but could i afford to service it!!!

s3 sohrob · 23rd January 2009, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psg001

had a good 30-40 mins in the RS4, maybe 20-30 in the M3 and yes I got to give them a good workout! Took them on the same roads for a more fair comparison. Must have driven the C63 for a couple of hours but on different roads.

20-30 mins is not enough, again not wanting sound patronising but you really need to get used to cars like the m3 etc with over 400bhp especially coming from the safety of a 4wd.

Unless your the stig you will not have got anywhere near the m3's capabilites on a test drive with a saleman.

16vTej · 23rd January 2009, 07:48 PM

most people don't want to drive like the stig to get the most from a car...

and most people don't want a car that needs stig drivin style to keep on top of it...

good right up Priyan...definitely two cars that are in the limelight due to falling prices!! although i think the 997 is the one to go for!

Jules86 · 23rd January 2009, 08:07 PM

mmmmm

AUTOPRESTIGE : MASSIVE SPEC MTM EXTRAS STUNNING

R32Dom · 23rd January 2009, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rupo

did you try a 997?

997 Carrera 2S like I had for the day at Porsche woul dbe my choice though I need 4doors now..

Ar's R32 · 23rd January 2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jules86

mmmmm

AUTOPRESTIGE : MASSIVE SPEC MTM EXTRAS STUNNING

These are falling very quick!

s3 sohrob · 24th January 2009, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 16vTej

most people don't want to drive like the stig to get the most from a car...

and most people don't want a car that needs stig drivin style to keep on top of it...

good right up Priyan...definitely two cars that are in the limelight due to falling prices!! although i think the 997 is the one to go for!

You missed my point by about 20 years, a 20 minute test drive doesnt really tell you what an m3 can do.

Macdaddy · 25th January 2009, 10:46 AM

Nice read that Pryian,

I'll be looking to an RS4 when the Mk5 is changed next...... Unless the S5 wins me over.

Vtec Abuser · 25th January 2009, 08:17 PM

Nice right up mate.. I have also driven both on a few occasions (but on my own and gave both a good seeing too). This is why (im guessing) you probably didn't think they felt mega fast over the R if you had a salesman with you. Thing with both of these cars (especially the M3) is they need to be taken to near enough the limiter to extract it's full potential. The M3 was a quick car, but once over 6-6500rpm it took off and the sound!!!! Sex wee....
Oh and once up and running, the M3 is a fair bit quicker too (although you may not feel it whilst driving to e fair)..

YouTube - m3e90board.com: BMW M3 E92 V8 vs Audi RS4, both standard

Rupo · 25th January 2009, 08:43 PM

so the BMW is qwicker on the straights and the Audi gets it on the corners?

16vTej · 25th January 2009, 10:08 PM

driven at the limit the M3 will prbably be quicker round the bends too... although if it's wet, crappy, etc then the RS4 will have it as it can still use most of it's power

Vtec Abuser · 25th January 2009, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rupo

so the BMW is qwicker on the straights and the Audi gets it on the corners?

M3 has been a fiar bit quicker round the bends (track) too. From the tests i've seen.. Even on Top Gear..