Your opinion please? A5/335

MarkN · 19-08-2007 3:36pm #1

Lads, would value a lot of your opinions on these two cars and which you would go for.

I've done up a poll - wheels on both cars are the ones I would spec on each one. I would also go for the colour of the 335 but would spec meteor grey on the Audi. Just to clarify, the Audi is the 3.2 petrol and the BMW the 335i.

Please don't start the "you could buy this with that money", I just want to know, of these TWO options, which you would go for and briefly why?

Henry Ford III · 19-08-2007 3:50pm

Octavia

conneem-TT · 19-08-2007 3:50pm

Thats a tough one. But a nice choice to have. Hmm.

What engines are we talking about, 335d or 335i, A5 3.0Tdi Quattro, 3.2Fsi or S5 4.2Fsi (probably a bit pricey compared to a 335)

The 335 would probably suit a younger person better that the A5.

I'd have a hard time choosing one, however I have been tempted by the 3 series coupe but I promised myself I wouldn't give in to the dark side

MarkN · 19-08-2007 3:54pm

conneem-TT wrote:

Thats a tough one. But a nice choice to have. Hmm.

What engines are we talking about, 335d or 335i, A5 3.0Tdi Quattro or S5 4.2Fsi (probably a bit pricey compared to a 335)

The 335 would probably suit a younger person better that the A5.

I have been tempted by the 3 series coupe but I promised myself I wouldn't give in to the dark side just yet

Engines are 3.2 petrol and 335i petrol. S5 is too much for me, we're talking around 90k by the time you put the essentials on it (a 335i with what I want is list €76,000) so my options are the above but I would 'drop' to a 325 too but would like the out and out performance of the 335.

I'm not actually not too familiar with the trim of the A5 (I know there's an S Line but that's about it) but the BMW would be an M sport.

Biro · 19-08-2007 4:23pm

I'd go with the 335i. You're getting a brand new engine, fresh from the design sheet, with twin sequential turbo and the vanos variable valve timing to give consistant power delivery from well below 2000 rpm all the way to the red line, and it's 300bhp rear wheel drive. It also looks the better of the two I reckon.
The Audi will have the exclusivity factor over the beemer, due to the fact that everyone with money seems to go for the beemer, but the drawbacks are less power for more road tax, and the engine while nice isn't mind blowing.
The fact that it's 4WD would make it sure footed, I haven't driven it but I'd be willing to bet that it won't be as sharp as the beemer. I'd also reckon that the beemer will hold more value simply because Audi fans tend to think about nothing other than the diesels, where as you do find plenty of petrol beemer drivers.

ninty9er · 19-08-2007 4:24pm

BMW

If it was my money I'd have to go with the Audi....it's just an aesthetically beautiful piece of engineering, plus with a 3.2 it's not going to be difficult to overtake safely

:D

ninty9er · 19-08-2007 4:41pm

BMW

Only downside being an S5 is €86k list and a 335d M Sport is only €74k in comparison

Mister-M5 · 19-08-2007 6:06pm

hope you've loadsa money for petrol

lol

MarkN · 19-08-2007 9:26pm

My current car would be the same on petrol as the A5 and the 335 only slightly heavier than my car. Anyway, if petrol was a concern, I wouldn't be looking at these cars

conneem-TT · 19-08-2007 9:36pm

Have you gotten bored of your S3 already

The 335i would be a step up in performance and the 3.2Fsi A5 would be a step down in performance and fun factor compared to what you have.

However the A5 does seem to be the classier of the two.

It's totally a personal choice in my opinion, but both are very good cars.

ciarsd · 19-08-2007 9:42pm

The 335i gets my vote - it looks so much better IMO and the engine is without doubt the best addition to that class of car.

bazz26 · 20-08-2007 4:47am

I'm not gone on the looks of either car but that's a personal choice here and not the question asked. Given the choice between the two I think engine wise and driving pleasure the 335i would get my vote. The BMW's 3.0 litre twin turbo would surely top the VAG 3.2 FSi though? Has to have the M Tech kit though.

I would actually consider buying the TT Quattro with the same engine over the A5. Better looking and a bit cheaper allowing you to choose a few more optional extras.

Andrewf20 · 20-08-2007 5:21am

335i because it won engine of the year 2007. 29mpg and 305bhp aint bad, hardly any turbo lag apparently etc etc. I think the 335i looks nicer too. Road tax slightly cheaper too. 4 wheel drive I think is a little pointless in the A5, and it will punish the mpg's and adds to repair bills and overall weight.

E92 · 20-08-2007 7:32am

BMW. BMW. BMW. Get the picture?

Havent driven either, but I just know that a straight 6 offers better refinment(to a V6), plus no amount of twisting can deny that the Beemer will be a much faster car. Since you are an S3 owner, which has 265 bhp, the A5 will be a step backwards(252 bhp), whereas the Beemer has an additional 41 bhp on top of the S3. And any car, particularly a petrol, that can produce 295 lb ft at 1300 rpm right through to 4900 rpm is going to make very short work of overtaking. Indeed the 335i is so fast they say it hits the limited top speed of 250 km/h with remarkable ease. Hence why presumably the speedo reads to 280 km/h. Another reason to choose the Beemer is that they are much more common than an Audi, and are easier to sell on. I've never seen a 6 pot Audi larger than a 2.4 in this country(last year apparantly Audi sold the grand total of 0 3.2 litre A6s, I've seen plenty of 530is in this country, and already I've seen 5 335i's in this country)

Lastly, even though this is hardly on the list of priorities, the new Efficient Dynamics technology will mean that when driven sensibly:D the 335i will deliver fuel consumption equivalent to many rival diesel cars. Talk about having your cake and eating it:D .

IMO, and as you can tell from above, I not biased at all:D , the Beemer looks better inside and out too, just make sure you avoid the Godawful iDrive.

galwaytt · 20-08-2007 9:13am

BMW

....an quite apart from me being unbiased, either, I'd say..........

A5.
335 is super, no doubt, but it'll suffer the 'is it a 1.8 with a bodykit' syndrome at some time in it's life.

And, leaving out the exterior for a mo, Audi make the best interiors, full stop.

And contrary to what it says up above, but you probably know this already, but there is no penalty for having quattro, and in the real world, it's a big plus - don't mind the cortina/rwd club thing......:D

Saw an S5 in June.........yummmmmmmm, I'll have two, thanks......:rolleyes:

OTH, though, I wouldn't pay extra for the A5 over the BeeEmm. Essentially there the same market, so, all else being equal, price is a factor. If the price difference is as big as you say in favour of the BeeEmm, well no contest, really............

MarkN · 20-08-2007 9:43am

Don't worry GalwayTT - It'll take more than a few opinions on how much fun RWD is to sway me from Quattro, it's fantastic and makes my car far quicker than the 265bhp it has in the real world when it comes to corners.

That said, maybe it'll be time next year to try something different.

Audi do make lovely interiors but I felt a little let down by the interior of the A5/S5.

Yes, lots of bits are lovely but some are not. The centre console is not quite right. There's too many shiny plastic bits surrounding the climate buttons and there's a slot for a CD and that's it. The only way to avoid this is to spec the better radio. The indicator stalks are the same as my car, the electric window switches feel cheaper than my car - all not what the car is about, or is it?

Is it the power and driver enjoyment plain and simple or moving into this class of car, is it the overall package?

I suppose it's not fair to compare the M sport to anything less than the S Line in the Audi but Audi are not exactly open when it comes to prices on their new A5 - even the website doesn't have a price list from what I can see.

BTW, just from a few comments people have made, am I not right in saying road tax levels off at 3.0L so the two cars are the same in that aspect.

Dish · 20-08-2007 9:55am

I picked the 335 because I dont really like the Audi. The BMW wheels are nicer also you can get M-Tec kits for BMWs haha! Saying that there is probably the RS kit for the Audi. But still the BMW lol!

jayok · 20-08-2007 10:09am

BMW

Well I'd pick the A5. And that's me with a 325Ci. There is motoring life beyond BMW people.

Don't know, I think a poster here was right. The 335Ci while a great engine will be eventually dragged down to the 318Ci level later in the cars life. It just won't "look" special - even though its quicker.

The A5 seems to be a classier looking design and the whole quattro system really swings it for me. TBH 265 vs 305 (40bhp) bhp at this level isn't the real difference - both cars will move quick enough.

On a real shallow note, I prefer the Audi "L-eyes" (or whatever they are called) to the BMW Angel eyes. But that's just me.

Ice_Box · 20-08-2007 10:23am

BMW

Buy the Audi if you want people to allow you to change lanes and get out of side roads.

RobAMerc · 20-08-2007 10:39am

I picked that BMW because I believe its a better drivers car than the Audi (magazine reviews). But I wouls have to say the Audi looks better and from what I have seen the interior looks better and feels of better quality - which is Audi's forte.

I don't think either would be the wrong decision.

Theboinkmaster · 20-08-2007 11:16am

BMW

Mark I've been in both but haven't driven them so all I can comment on is the aesthetics not driving experience.

I agree the audi a5 interior is a massive letdown, it's like a step backwards - I actually prefer your s3 interior so that immediately would put me off. On the other hand with the right alloys I think the exterior is great looking - better than the BMW.

So to surmise I can't help

Just know the A5 interior would put me off a bit - especially for that money (eg what happend to the cool round air vents - they've gone backwards to the rectangular ones - makes the interior seem a bit dated IMHO) but compared to the BMW I still think it's much better.

I voted for the audi

MarkN · 20-08-2007 11:28am

Yeh I agree with you re the things about the interior.

However, on the A5 I love the dials, the vertical needles, the way the centre console is slightly biased to the right to the driver - 1980s BMW style but at least they got there

The BMW has lost that, it's completely straight.

After the Audi launch in the IFSC I drove a 335i in Keanes the following weekend. Now it was a soft top so the car was a little wobbly but the pull and the sound off the exhaust was just gorgeous and the interior, although not as special around the dials etc did feel the nicer place to be.

I specced up a 325i M sport and with the paint, M sport, auto and bluetooth it came to 71k. Drop the bluetooth but keep rest of the above on the 335i (adding paddles for nothing) comes in at 5k more - before discount and I'm fairly sure I could hammer a deal with a dealer outside of Dublin who I spoke to on the phone so initial purchase price over the 325, the 335 is not that much more.

E92 · 20-08-2007 12:45pm

I forgot to mention that the Beemer will be cheaper to tax too, its in the 2901-3000 cc category(at 2979 cc), whereas the Audi will be in the 3001 cc + category.

And also, I wouldn't be seen dead in a BMW with an M Sport bodykit, unless its the real thing. It has ginormous wheels and if the E60 5 series is anything to go by, the M Sport has a vastly inferior ride. And the M Sport bodykit to me suggests that someone is in a midlife crisis.

I had the 335i SE model in mind. I'm not so sure if I'd want the 335i over the A5 if its the M Sport model. I'd probably still choose it(the Beemer), but it would be very difficult indeed. Give me the SE anyday over an A5. But still, all that said, giver me an A5 over a CLK, or any of its rivals(apart from the BMW).

If I were buying an A5, I'd be buying the 3.0 TDi Quattro. For the sake of 23 bhp, the superior torque and better fuel economy makes it. Apparantly the 335i sounds like a V8 at low revs too. I know I definately would choose a TDi A5(3 litre V6) over an M Sport 335i. But I'd still have the SE version of the 3 series.

Gatster · 20-08-2007 12:47pm

335i. Having now seen a few A5's (two of them S5's) I'm still not convinced. If it was the S5, it would be more difficult, as they do look very good but from what I've read the dynamics of the 335 are better than the 'lesser' (3.2) A5's, and the pricing of the S5 is IMO excessive, to say the least.

MarkN · 20-08-2007 12:52pm

E92 wrote:

I forgot to mention that the Beemer will be cheaper to tax too, its in the 2901-3000 cc category(at 2979 cc), whereas the Audi will be in the 3001 cc + category.

And also, I wouldn't be seen dead in a BMW with an M Sport bodykit, unless its the real thing. It has ginormous wheels and if the E60 5 series is anything to go by, the M Sport has a vastly inferior ride. And the M Sport bodykit to me suggests that someone is in a midlife crisis.

I had the 335i SE model in mind. I'm not so sure if I'd want the 335i over the A5 if its the M Sport model. I'd probably still choose it(the Beemer), but it would be very difficult indeed. Give me the SE anyday over an A5. But still, all that said, giver me an A5 over a CLK, or any of its rivals(apart from the BMW).

If I were buying an A5, I'd be buying the 3.0 TDi Quattro. For the sake of 23 bhp, the superior torque and better fuel economy makes it. Apparantly the 335i sounds like a V8 at low revs too. I know I definately would choose a TDi A5(3 litre V6) over an M Sport 335i. But I'd still have the SE version of the 3 series.

Why so anti M sport and pro SE?

I know you can spec the sports seats and sports suspenion on the SE but do you not think the M kit from BMW suits the car and makes it look a bit more special?

E92 · 20-08-2007 1:35pm

I dont like the look of the M Sport. It is supposed to resemble an M3 to a certain degree, and at even the faintest glance, it looks so different. I dont think it looks special enough, or perhaps more to the point, different enough. I know from the E60 that M Sport models have a vastly inferior ride. Now admittedly, this was in part due to the fact that the non M Sport E60 was on 16 inch wheels, which have non run flat tyres, and the M Sport has I think 17 inch wheels and most certainly does have run flat tyres. But nevertheless, a non M Sport model does have a better ride. I think that the money spent on the M Sport model could be saved to get something like the Bluetooth preparation, an extra that is still expensive, as Bluetooth kits are available for as little as €45. If it were me, I'd just save the money, or buy some of the other nice extras like the memory seats, and the upgraded upolstery.

I also like the fact that a 335i SE is a complete wolf in sheeps clothing, I dont like the idea of shouting about the place that I spent just under 4 grand, so that my car can resemble 'an M3'(in any case anyone who's even remotely interested in cars will know straight away the difference, as there are so many areas on the outside that are different). Now of course, each to their own, some people dont like the idea of the 'wool in sheeps clothing' phenomenon, and I have no problem with that.

I'm just giving my €0,02 worth:D

Dwilly · 20-08-2007 1:36pm

I agree, 3.0 TDI would be a much better option than the 3.2 petrol if you're going for an A5 and not stretching to the S5.

I think I saw 4 or 5 beemer coupes yesterday in the space of 40 minutes, only time will tell if the a5 becomes as ubiquitous (I doubt it). I think they're evenly matched visually (though the S5 would be the clear winner).

Out of the two you listed though Mark I'd probably go for the BMW as much as I'd hate to admit it. I'd only drive it after dark though on empty roads where no-one knows.. :rolleyes:

MarkN · 20-08-2007 1:48pm

Dwilly wrote:

I'd only drive it after dark though on empty roads where no-one knows.. :rolleyes:

LOL.

E92 - thanks for the detailed reply. It's mad how other people view things, I would never have thought the M sport pack tried to make a car look like an M3.

I would just be interested in it for the suspension, the big chunky steering wheel, the little bits of trim, the alu dash, nicer wheels, the sportier looking version. At lot of the above can be added to the SE but if you are doing that then why not get the M sport anyway.

The M sport has 18s as standard, I'd be going for the 19s. I drove a 320i M sport last week and the car is firm but I can't say it was too firm.

Mr. Larson · 20-08-2007 3:14pm

Easy choice for me - the Beamer. Love the shape and the Audi, in fairness while quite pretty, is a bit of a cog on the Beamer shape. Plus the Beamer I'd imagine, is way better to drive, certainly more powerful.

byrner1 · 20-08-2007 3:29pm

Having driven btoh S5 and A5 3.0 tdi Quattro, I would recommend the 3.0 tdi quattro

Cyrus · 20-08-2007 4:26pm

mark id go for the bmw, the audi is an overly fussy looking car.

so what if there will be a raft of 318 sports, most the a5s sold with be 2 litre or lower aswell. the noise off the 335i is immense and i reckon it will hold its value better.

for me it has to be the 335

Your opinion please? A5/335

A5 3.2 or 335i coupe? 77 votes

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