kdphan

I'm deciding on a 3rd car for the family since we're expecting our 1st later this year.

not selling my Z4M coupe since i've always loved it and it's my 2nd time around owning it. Can't let go of it this time.

Wife drives the GS350 F sport
I will need a 2nd 4dr, so i've been looking at S3 and M3

M3 has been a bit difficult to find for a decent deal. So i'm almost giving up on it.

S3 on the other hand, i've been able to negotiate down to 11% off MSRP.

Has anyone test driven the S3 and how would you compare it to your IS350 F Sport?

I've driven the S3, but not for a long stretch and I seem to like it vs. the IS350 F sport. Not as luxurious compared to GS or IS IMO.

drbazing

IMO: S4>IS350>S3>IS250

There are going to be pros and cons to each but I'm not really going to post all the details.

kdphan

I had the S4 before trading it in for the GS350 so I agree with S4>S3

drbazing

I'm trying to find the Audi threads in here. Can't find the one I wanted to link you but it is about the guys trading in their IS350 for an S3. Problems in less than 24 hours, etc.

evident

There are a few threads here about people getting s3 and s4 . I wouldn't consider the s3 but the s4 sure makes a good competitor to the is.

kdphan

S4 is in another league compared to the IS

bayarea3is

iTrader: (1)

Very true, i actually thought about an S4 before purchasing the IS... but heard about audi reliability steered me away from it

Same boat with you about M3's, im actually planning on trading in my IS for the M but dealers are not budging in on discounts with sticker eventhough LCI 2016's are coming. It doesnt help that BMW is supposedly having shortages on Carbon Fiber, so M's with carbon fiber roof have an automatic markup due to supply and demand.

NVMarkus

iTrader: (2)

S4 is also $20k more than the IS350, I would hope that for that much money it would be a better car. I have also heard horror stories about the Audi engine and all the chains that drive it, definitely doesn't have the reputation of the Lexus

JDR76

Congratulations!

Check the back seat dimensions. The S3 is smaller than the IS, and an infant seat is a tight squeeze in the IS (and I would know ).

kdphan

after owning the S4 for about 2.5years, the only issue I had was the DSG transmission hiccup. That got me scared so I traded for the GS350.

No issues with the engine whatsoever.

FPerform

Have a friend with an A5 that was consuming a ton of oil and needed an oil change every 1K, he had to have all the pistons replaced recently, know someone else who had to do likewise in her Q5...twice.

Personally, I would never touch Audi.

aIRpeACE

if you are going to have a new born, go with SUV. NX is a pretty good choice if you dont want full size SUVs.

kdphan

I don't remember the last time I owned a car with less than 290hp

It's hard going from M3->Z4MC/S4->SUV

I was looking at the SQ5 but it's still too big for me. And that's the reason why I've looked at 4dr sedans.

ExSrAaron

The only problem with the S4 is it's old! The remodel should be out now but will probably take another 6months to 1.5 years to hit dealers I'd imagine. If it were out now the choice would be very easy: S4>S3>IS350. Even the current S4 motor is a beauty though, perfect amount of hp and torque. But I really like the smaller size of the S3, much like my older B5 A4, and the simplicity of the interior design is great. I think Audi has nailed it with their newest generation vehicles (most that aren't on sale yet) but they need to get them to customers now!

nabizzy

Modern Audis are amazing, the S4 is in another league than this IS350, however the S3 is not that great IMO (Audi fanboy). The transmission is a dog in daily driving, S4 is just much better. I am considering trading this IS350 in for something else, just bored of it, not enough power for the car IMO and I didnt really consider how little space it has in it. Not ideal for me.