From the April 2014 issue.



Conspiracy theorists will tell you that BMW’s payroll got a little lighter when the current-generation 3-series appeared. Our early reviews were tempered with disappointment because the car wasn’t as involving as its predecessor, confusing those readers who believed our affinity for the 3 was based on monthly cash payoffs rather than the vehicle’s intrinsic goodness. And then the 335i lost a comparison test. To a Lexus. Even so, the collective merit of the full 3- and 4-series family landed it on our 10Best list. A 3-series in structure, but with additional chassis gusseting and tweaks to the suspension geometry, the 4-series contributes a substantial share of the model line’s desirability.

We figured the 4 would be indomitable in any comparo, but because we wanted to put its best foot forward, we lined up the baddest example available—a 435i with the $3100 M Sport package, which includes firmer dampers, springs, and anti-roll bars. The $1000 Dynamic Handling pack adds variable-ratio steering and adjustable dampers. With a 300-hp inline-six, the 435i starts at $46,925, but ours totaled $57,225 after $1900 in lighting upgrades, the $2200 Premium pack (satellite radio and keyless entry and start), and a few other nickels and dimes.

View Photos GREG PAJO

Audi’s aging S5, introduced for the 2008 model year, still represents the 435i’s greatest threat. It was born with a rumbling 4.2-liter V-8, but a transplant for 2013 traded two cylinders for a Roots-style supercharger. Its V-6 displaces just one cubic inch more than the 435i’s straight-six but makes 33 more horses and 25 more pound-feet, for totals of 333 and 325. Quattro routes the power to all four wheels, and $1100 of this example’s $59,220 asking price goes toward the sports differential that varies torque distribution between the rear wheels for sharper handling.

Both cars here wear what their respective makers call “Estoril Blue” paint. Estoril is a breezy little Portuguese parish where the phrase “the blues” refers to a hypnotic, deep-ocean hue rather than music of the my-woman-left-me variety. We didn’t test this pair in Portugal, instead opting for the hills and high deserts around a breezy little parish on our own west coast known as Los Angeles. But no matter—somebody’s going home singing those Memphis-style blues.

2nd Place:

2014 BMW 435i

View Photos GREG PAJO

Highs: Intriguing and artfully detailed styling, isolation-chamber ride.

Lows: Feels distant, the only pricier stripper is the one who phones your wife.

Verdict: BMW is going soft on its old priorities, just as others are zeroing in.

In spite of Audi’s reputation as a style leader, it was the BMW we couldn’t stop ogling. TheMotoren Werke’s designers nailed the surfacing, and as our test went on, we remained intrigued by the way changing light brings out the bulge and sinew in the 4-series’s shape. Cruising from Hollywood to the start of our mountain route, the 435i was perfectly serene—hushed inside, with barely a hum from beneath the hood—and it delivered a relaxed ride. But in the presence of the Audi, even its stiffened springs, shocks, and anti-roll bars failed to fully rouse this M Sportiest 4-series. Comparatively speaking, the driver is isolated from wheel and suspension movements, and the slow steering seems so numb that it’s the pulsing of the inside-front brake rather than any feedback through the wheel that indicates you’ve reached the cornering limit. At 0.90 g, that limit is handily topped by the Audi, which feels like the better balanced and ­livelier car. This is especially surprising given the S5’s greater forward weight bias. The BMW’s numbness saps driver confidence, as the car doesn’t provide enough information to form a complete picture of what’s happening at the tires.



That isolation extends below the hood, too. BMW’s turbocharged 3.0-liter has the same even power delivery and stirring sound here as it does in other applications. But you have to roll up the windows, turn off the music, and make sure the climate-control fan isn’t blowing too hard if you want to enjoy that sound. For years we’ve lauded the smoothness of BMW inline-sixes, to the point that the adjective “silky” long ago became hackneyed. But it’s getting ridiculous. This engine approximates an electric motor in its polish and subtlety. We’d prefer that engineers didn’t go to quite such extremes to isolate the driver from the machinery. With the exception of Porsche, however, nobody does manual transmissions—both shifter and clutch—better than BMW.

View Photos Color-coordinating the brake calipers and interior trim is a cute touch. Sadly, the 435i isn't as engaging to drive as the S5.. GREG PAJO

And, as beautifully turned out as the 435i’s interior is, it’s surprising what $57,225 doesn’t get you. We had a $16,890 Mitsubishi Mirage in the office immediately prior to this comparison test, and we found ourselves marveling at what the Mitsu had that the BMW didn’t: navigation, Bluetooth audio, a backup camera. These things may not be necessities in life, but they are awfully close to necessities in a $57,225 car. It’s only fair to note, though, that Audi charges $1075 for its Estoril Blue, $525 more than BMW.

In isolation, the 435i is a very satisfying car—fast, smooth, and beautiful. None of our complaints come into stark relief until you spend a fair bit of time in both it and the S5. If the S5 didn’t exist, the 435i would feel great. BMW’s problem is that the S5 does exist.

1st Place:

2014 Audi S5

View Photos GREG PAJO

Highs: Burly engine, engaging chassis.

Lows: Lumpy seats, styling that’s growing awfully familiar.

Verdict: Audi stays on the right side of the line between insulation and isolation.



Now in its seventh model year, the S5 casts a harsh light on the BMW’s dynamic gaps. Where the BMW is aloof and isolated, the S5 feels alive and vivid. There’s more sound and more sensation in the Audi driver’s chair than there is in the BMW’s. Its suspension filters out less of the road surface without being harsh. The heavier brake pedal offers a more consistent, natural feel. Its steering reacts more quickly, with a degree of feedback that’s absent in the BMW. At all times, the S5 feels like a car, not a simulation.

Despite its forward weight bias, it dives into turns more adroitly and feels better balanced than the BMW, its torque-vectoring rear differential making it easy to adjust the car’s attitude. Off throttle, the nose tucks tighter. But as soon as you brush the gas, the rotation stops and the S5 hunkers down on its new line. Even with a 225-pound weight handicap (and carrying an extra 281 pounds on its front tires), the Audi pummeled the 4-series in every performance test, launching harder, turning sharper, and stopping shorter.

View Photos Nearing the end of its life, the S5 remains the superior sports coupe. Its subtle detailing and pinstriped trim are dead sexy, too.. GREG PAJO

We never thought we’d see the day when we preferred a supercharged V-6 to a BMW inline-six or, for that matter, four-wheel drive to rear-drive, but we never thought we’d see dogs speak, either, and there are millions of such videos on YouTube. Audi’s blown six is so responsive that it exposes a microsecond of lag you’d otherwise never notice in the 435i’s engine. And, while the sound devolves into an uncivilized moan above 6000 rpm, below that it’s all Rottweiler with a dash of blower whine. As opposed to the 435i, there’s no forgetting that the S5 is a mechanical device. Its drag-strip victory is even more impressive considering the condition of our high-mileage test unit. At about the same engine speed that the sound began to fray, the shifter noticeably tightened, as if something were twisting more than it should. And beyond that rpm, it took a disconcerting amount of force and a little bit of patience to get a shift. At the track, we ended up short-shifting at 6000 rpm.

After six years, the S5’s interior still looks great, and Audi is keeping it fresh with cool innovations in materials. Instead of wood or aluminum trim, how about wood and aluminum? For $1100, Audi presses fine strands of aluminum into black wood for a snappy pinstripe finish. It’s not just an appearance upgrade, but a tactile one, too. The aluminum bands are ever so slightly raised, giving the impression that you might be able to strum a few chords. And MMI, Audi's infotainment system, remains the industry’s gold standard. No competitor makes it easier to navigate the growing list of electronic systems and functions in a modern car. But buy now, because a wholly redesigned MMI system is poised to go into production starting with the 2016 TT.

Then again, Audi continues to demonstrate a propensity for doing things right—from chassis tuning and engines to styling and ergonomics. If the company keeps this up, the conspiracy theorists will assume there’s a new source for all these sacks of cash we use as ottomans.

Specifications Specifications 2014 Audi S5 PRICE AS TESTED

$59,220 (base price: $52,895) ENGINE TYPE

supercharged DOHC 24-valve V-6

Displacement

183 in3, 2995 cm3

Power

333 hp @ 6500 rpm

Torque

325 lb-ft @ 2900 rpm TRANSMISSION

6-speed manual DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 108.3 in

Length: 182.7 in

Width: 73.0 in

Height: 53.9 in

Curb weight: 3846 lb C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 4.6 sec

100 mph: 11.5 sec

150 mph: 31.7 sec

Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.1 sec

Top gear, 30–50 mph: 6.8 sec

Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.9 sec

¼-mile: 13.2 sec @ 107 mph

Top speed (governor limited): 155 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 163 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.95 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 18 mpg EPA FUEL ECONOMY

City/highway: 17/26 mpg – 2014 BMW 435i PRICE AS TESTED

$57,225 (base price: $46,925) ENGINE TYPE

turbocharged DOHC 24-valve inline-6

Displacement

182 in3, 2979 cm3

Power

300 hp @ 5800 rpm

Torque

300 lb-ft @ 1300 rpm TRANSMISSION

6-speed manual DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 110.6 in

Length: 182.6 in

Width: 71.9 in

Height: 54.2 in

Curb weight: 3621 lb C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 5.2 sec

100 mph: 12.2 sec

150 mph: 32.8 sec

Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 6.0 sec

Top gear, 30–50 mph: 7.2 sec

Top gear, 50–70 mph: 6.9 sec

¼-mile: 13.7 sec @ 105 mph

Top speed (governor limited): 155 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 170 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.90 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 20 mpg EPA FUEL ECONOMY

City/highway: 20/30 mpg Expand Collapse

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