Quick Drive E92

[likewater]

Test drove my friends E92 M3 yesterday and man what a car. First impressions really stick in your mind, and this car made a good one. I was able to take it through some nice twisties that included a couple of long sweepers as well. The car has power for sure, but the thing that struck me the most was how it handled. It stuck to the road in such a confidence inspiring way that it almost felt effortless. Very smooth, balanced and controlled, seemingly unaffected by the little undulations in the road as it squeezed its way through the turns. I found myself entering a few turns really hot, and the car handled it without any drama, making me feel as though I could have gone even faster. It just wanted more gas. It’s definitely more civilized than the M3 it replaces and this could be a negative in some people’s minds. I happen to like civility but with an edge. This new M car gives you that for sure.

Here’s the most interesting part of the story though. Almost immediately after the drive, I got back into my S4 expecting that it was going to feel sluggish in comparison and handle like a barge. To my surprise, this was not the case. The M3 definitely has more power, it’s obvious and you can feel it. But, although not as strong, the S charges very hard and I was pleasantly surprised that the difference between the two didn’t seem greater. On top of that, even after 4 years and almost 60K miles on her, the S still feels really solid and handles very well in comparison; money well spent. Then I asked myself, would I consider moving into the M3? From a pure driving prospective, absolutely, but here’s the thing. After running the two back to back, I really couldn’t see myself justifying the expense to get into the M. To me, the difference between the two just isn’t great enough. However, being that I am a true Audi guy, had I just driven an RS4, it’s possible this story may have ended differently.

If any of you have driven the E92, I'm curious to hear your impressions as well.

[mioStile]

FINALLY, an unbiased review and you still included your love for audis -

thanks for the writeup and glad you had some safe fun!

[Beelzeebub]

thanks for sharing. im an S4 guy too. but i would put the s4 on a stand alone category/class. IMHO, M3s, especially the newer ones should be compared to RS4. Not because the RS4 has more horses under the hood compared to the S4, but rather, the RS4 was for all intents and purposes created by Audi to specifically target the M3. But thats just my .02 cents.

[bsrpilot44]

Well put Gordon!

I myself have taken the E92 M3 out on a few occasions, and can't believe how much more "tame" it is compared to its predecessor.

Thanks for a great review bud! Canyon run SOOON. [:D]

-B

[Maverick]

wow, great review

[turbo4s]

great review. I like how you put everything into perspective. Its nice to know that the S4 still puts a smile on your face after u test drove the new M3.

[likewater]

thanks for sharing. im an S4 guy too. but i would put the s4 on a stand alone category/class. IMHO, M3s, especially the newer ones should be compared to RS4. Not because the RS4 has more horses under the hood compared to the S4, but rather, the RS4 was for all intents and purposes created by Audi to specifically target the M3. But thats just my .02 cents.

Totally agree with you man but since I don't own an RS4 and have never driven one, it's hard for me to make that comparo.

[likewater]

Well put Gordon!

I myself have taken the E92 M3 out on a few occasions, and can't believe how much more "tame" it is compared to its predecessor.

Thanks for a great review bud! Canyon run SOOON. [:D]

-B

Thanks Brandon. Yeppers to the canyon run. I was leaning towards the weekend of Nov 1st. Let me know if that works for you or any of the other guys.

[91gl]

i didnt drive the new M but i was at Park Ave BMW here in NJ the other day for shyts and giggles. the whole experience was very nice and unlike the Audi dealers around here, the salesmen at Park ave are very polite and dont leave you waiting around for half an hour before someone actually feels like assisting you.
Anyway, heading there i felt that i was going to get a sense of the new m and really want to get rid of my car. I went all through the floor model m3 sedan they had there and sat in it for a while and just tried to picture myself driving the thing. I couldnt. For what great driver's cars they really are, they really are bland. The interior feels cold and not a very nice place to want to be in for longer periods of time. The trim options are a disgrace, they dont offer carbon fiber, they offer carbon leather which is leather with a carbon pattern somehow incorporated into it. from far it looks like dry-layed carbon, which is nice, but then once you are sitting there, it just looks like cheap oxidized carbon fiber that guys with sentras use for their hoods, very awkward looking. the seats dont hold a candle to the Recaros and the i-drive would just drive me nuts. Oh and really believe the coupe has more rear leg room than the sedan. how they managed that is beyond me.
Getting into the b6 after was really a breathe of fresh air. It was like she welcomed me back with open arms. Recaros hugging me ever tighter and that wonderful exhaust note blaring as i took off making sure the bimmer guys heard what Audi is all about.
Another thing i noticed just sitting there shifting through the manual box on the m3 is how clumsy it feels. it clunks through unlike how my S's glides through with confidence. Also the thin leather shift knob and boot on the bimmer is so cheap feeling. Nothing like my RS4 unit.
The worst part of it all, the price. I could not justify spending 70,070 on a car like that. with a 20k downpayment over 5 years i was looking at 960 a month with 0.9 % apr. Ummm, no thanks. Ill look for a second hand rs4 in a few years (gotta love audi depreciation) and keep my S as well.

[Fuffler]

thanks for sharing. im an S4 guy too. but i would put the s4 on a stand alone category/class. IMHO, M3s, especially the newer ones should be compared to RS4. Not because the RS4 has more horses under the hood compared to the S4, but rather, the RS4 was for all intents and purposes created by Audi to specifically target the M3. But thats just my .02 cents.

Most people give their full 2 cents when giving opinions. Where's your other 1.98 cents?

[moroblues4]

i have a b6 s4 i work for audi i have drivin them all i think that the m3 is a blast to drive but overall its acar that will make you tired fast because it beats the hell out of you the rs4 is still a better car overall even if the m3 is a lil faster its not worth the daliy driver rs4 is a more freidly car

[nycmalu]

i have a b6 s4 i work for audi i have drivin them all i think that the m3 is a blast to drive but overall its acar that will make you tired fast because it beats the hell out of you the rs4 is still a better car overall even if the m3 is a lil faster its not worth the daliy driver rs4 is a more freidly car

Punctuation could, quite possibly, be your new best friend. Sorry, don't mean to be the grammar police but blatant examples need to be called out.

[Sharkfin]

great non-biased review and your point stuck, now if you got in an rs4....haha

[billyblooshoes]

to the OP: you nailed it pretty well. i share the same thoughts on this as well. i've driven quite a few E46 M's as well as E92 M's and IMO there is a HUGE difference. the new M is just so much more refined in almost every way. i had a similar situation a couple months ago where i had been driving an E92 M3 earlier in the day, and then found myself in a B6 S4 later on that day. i remember thinking about how proud of audi i was because of the fact that it didnt seem like the E92 blew the S4 out of the water all around like some people might argue. but then again in a way comparing these two cars is somewhat like comparing apples and oranges. M cars are built for a purpose...pure sport. the S4 is not exactly built for that specific purpose.

i agree though. i would take an RS4 over the M3 any day.

[EuroB6]

i drove the M3, and I was not surprised to see how well it handled. I used to own a 3series before I jumped on with Audi. The handling on the 3series was just awesome, so, you just knew the M would be that much better. I love the acceleration, sound and shifts in the new M, it's just beautiful. I also, had the opportunity to drive a RS4, with 20k miles, a couple of weekends ago. Honestly, the M and RS4 felt very similar in acceleration and handling. To me, the quattro just reassures that I am planted to the ground. The M was more nimble. In the RS4, you can definitely feel it's heavy weight, but it handles it nicely. To me, these two cars are on the same par with each other. I would love to have a RS4, but after having my B7 S4, I would like a change in scenery. Right now, Im thinking S5 or new S4. I just bought a new B8 A4 and all i can say about it is WOW.

[PenguiN]

excellent write up! My impressions are close to yours although I did love the grunt of the E92. It felt like it was tearing through the streets. Very fast car, although compared to the lambo its got NOTHING haha

[c4racer]

i drove the M3, and I was not surprised to see how well it handled. I used to own a 3series before I jumped on with Audi. The handling on the 3series was just awesome, so, you just knew the M would be that much better. I love the acceleration, sound and shifts in the new M, it's just beautiful. I also, had the opportunity to drive a RS4, with 20k miles, a couple of weekends ago. Honestly, the M and RS4 felt very similar in acceleration and handling. To me, the quattro just reassures that I am planted to the ground. The M was more nimble. In the RS4, you can definitely feel it's heavy weight, but it handles it nicely. To me, these two cars are on the same par with each other. I would love to have a RS4, but after having my B7 S4, I would like a change in scenery. Right now, Im thinking S5 or new S4. I just bought a new B8 A4 and all i can say about it is WOW.

Just curious why you would have both an A4 and S4? Seems redundant to me.

[StillclaimngDP]

This is a great call, I had the same experience when I bought my porsche. I was like "wow this is what a car is supposed to be like!" got back in my S4 and couldn't believe how much it still impressed me after being totally sick of it's day to day mediocrity. I was expecting it to feel totally sluggish but it didn't. Almost didn't buy the x51 porsche because of that but pulled the trigger because at the time I was making enough to do what I wanted.

I can rationalize an e92 335i but not an M3... My E92 335i with the Procede V3 Piggyback was just SO much more fun every time I drove, never got boring like the B6 S4's have gotten in time. I love turbo cars and the torque was just mind boggling at 420+lb/ft on the V3 335i compared to the 302lb/ft offered by the 4.2L V8 S4. Plus the V3 335i gets MUCH better gas mileage than the S4 and that is just a healthy charactertic in today's enconomy, not to mention it was nice beating almost every car on the road, I literally never lost in that car, even pulled C6 Vette's and SL55 AMG's in a number of freeway 70-140mph+ pulls. The tuned 335i with intake is such a commanding challenger in that regard:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w88/stillclaimndp/335i20side20resize.jpg

[dreamcar=rs4]

This is a great call, I had the same experience when I bought my porsche. I was like "wow this is what a car is supposed to be like!" got back in my S4 and couldn't believe how much it still impressed me after being totally sick of it's day to day mediocrity. I was expecting it to feel totally sluggish but it didn't. Almost didn't buy the x51 porsche because of that but pulled the trigger because at the time I was making enough to do what I wanted.

I can rationalize an e92 335i but not an M3... My E92 335i with the Procede V3 Piggyback was just SO much more fun every time I drove, never got boring like the B6 S4's have gotten in time. I love turbo cars and the torque was just mind boggling at 420+lb/ft on the V3 335i compared to the 302lb/ft offered by the 4.2L V8 S4. Plus the V3 335i gets MUCH better gas mileage than the S4 and that is just a healthy charactertic in today's enconomy, not to mention it was nice beating almost every car on the road, I literally never lost in that car, even pulled C6 Vette's and SL55 AMG's in a number of freeway 70-140mph+ pulls. The tuned 335i with intake is such a commanding challenger in that regard:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w88/stillclaimndp/335i20side20resize.jpg
LoL did you sell that car on craigslist? I remember seeing one exactly like that awhile ago.

[Beelzeebub]

Most people give their full 2 cents when giving opinions. Where's your other 1.98 cents?

ur smart. im not. [:D]

[Audi S4 Turbo]

I know this car. It was the one in my rear view right? Haha jk.. Gordon, lets meet up this week.

[MTLA4]

The thing is a lot of audi lovers will fall in love with the e92 because its smooth. The diehard bimmer fans dont like the soft e92s. I for my part had to choose between an s4,135,335,m3. As much as I love audi and dislike bmw(especially the prick stigma) I went with the bmw. The rwd feel that you get makes you feel more manly and the resale value is 10 times better than the Audi. However if I had to go with 1 car only it would be an RS4 nothing else. On an other I agree with StillclaimngDP the 3.0TT is in an other league Ive never driven a car that had so much torque(besides my friends GTS-ACR). In second if I drive 30 mph nail the gas in straight line the rear will loose traction and go from side to side and tires will spin by themselves. Ive learned to use that techniques with tailgaters.

[likewater]

I know this car. It was the one in my rear view right? Haha jk.. Gordon, lets meet up this week.

That would be the one. No joke though, that car can't hang with yours at all. Yep I'll give you a buzz.

[cotmfk]

This is a great call, I had the same experience when I bought my porsche. I was like "wow this is what a car is supposed to be like!" got back in my S4 and couldn't believe how much it still impressed me after being totally sick of it's day to day mediocrity. I was expecting it to feel totally sluggish but it didn't. Almost didn't buy the x51 porsche because of that but pulled the trigger because at the time I was making enough to do what I wanted.

I can rationalize an e92 335i but not an M3... My E92 335i with the Procede V3 Piggyback was just SO much more fun every time I drove, never got boring like the B6 S4's have gotten in time. I love turbo cars and the torque was just mind boggling at 420+lb/ft on the V3 335i compared to the 302lb/ft offered by the 4.2L V8 S4. Plus the V3 335i gets MUCH better gas mileage than the S4 and that is just a healthy charactertic in today's enconomy, not to mention it was nice beating almost every car on the road, I literally never lost in that car, even pulled C6 Vette's and SL55 AMG's in a number of freeway 70-140mph+ pulls. The tuned 335i with intake is such a commanding challenger in that regard:

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w88/stillclaimndp/335i20side20resize.jpg

How much does the Procede V3 cost (+a link to get it if you have one)? I am thinking of getting a 335i and am wondering just how tunable they really are.

[MTLA4]

procede sucks people have had all kind of problems with it. I have Active autowerke processor its reliable but not enough power. Go with Juicebox 3 its the best out there. Skip the Dinan. JB3 goes for 549$ http://www.burgertuning.com/

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y296/soonmp/DSC02928.jpg

I had to choose between the 135 and 335 went with the 135. Its not as nice but cheaper,more rare,lighter,true sleeper,better brakes etc.

[cotmfk]

Thanks for the quick response! That is a lot of power for the money...