I love the interior and the tech of the 2018 S4, but there's a lot of raving about the C43. I've driven them both and they both are really fun cars, so I'm looking for a little help: If you considered both and went with the MB, what was the decider for you?

 

For me it was a life long goal to own a amg and this car allowed me to do it.

Plus the sound and aggressive nature of the c43 apposed to the muted feel of the s4

 

This was exactly me. I've been an Audi guy since I bought my first one in 2004. I snowboard here in Utah 100+ days a year so having the best AWD was essential; which at the time Subaru & Audi were the best. I was thinking WRX but then I learned A4's were the same price and German built cars are FAR superior in quality than Japanese (obviously).

I really like how the 340i/440i's drive on dry but if the dated interior wasn't bad enough, the primitive xDrive system just doesn't come close to Quattro. When you have a top tier AWD system, anything else just won't due. And now that MB's 4MATIC has caught up, the Audi had competition. I love everything about Audi's. Really underrated in the 2000's and now their 'Virtual Cockpit' is a trend setter. But they are understeering, nose-heavy pigs. I was still excited about the new B9 coming out but when I saw the pics and watched the reviews (it wasn't available when I was car shopping), it was completely underwhelming. The exterior was boring; hardly a difference between it and the A4. And even though the VC is cool, I think the rest of the interior is boring. Great quality and feel, but boring. So when all the reviewers were less than thrilled, I started to look into what MB was offering these days. Luckily, they had just come out with the C450. I drove it and LOVED IT. It ticked all my boxes. I reasearched the recent improvements to their 4MATIC and found out they are up in the Subaru/Audi neighborhood. Pretty much sold at that point but then when I watched the same reviewers that liked the S4. They all pretty much loved the 450 and even just their body language could tell you that they had way more fun driving it. Even though numbers are all basically the same, it's the experience that I think is important.

So long story slightly shorter, I still am and always will be an Audi fanboy, but I'm loving what MB is doing so much lately, that I'm becoming a Benz fanboy as well. I definitely feel that MB did better in this segment than Audi. Especially if you compare the new RS5 with the C63s. Holy crap did Audi ever blow it on that one!?

But if I lived in a warm climate and didn't have snowy mountains to deal with, I'd be driving a RWD 440i gran coupe. Possibly in a manual...possibly

 

I was convinced I was going to like the S4 the best when test driving cars and only looked at the C43 for comparison purposes. I did not expect to like the C43 as much as I did. What did it for me was ultimately the driving experience and the performance exhaust. Driving the Audi even with the torque vectoring rear differential did not feel all that special or sporty. To be honest the handling did not feel significantly better than my previous Mazdaspeed3 that the C43 replaced. The Mercedes cornered much flatter and had better steering feel, and with the performance exhaust felt like something special.

 

If you're keeping the car stock/unmodified and are okay with the possible quality issues most are reporting about, then the C43 is the way to go.

If you're modifying anything about the car, go with the Audi. They have 10 times more aftermarket support and you can easily remedy any lack of soul/character the audi may lack compared to the c43.

They are really neck and neck in terms of straight line performance. The audi launches better but the c43 has more in it at the top end. (HFC/exhaust has 0-60 times for the s4 at 3.5 seconds to 60 - just wait for stage 1 ECU tunes to come out, it's going to be seriously quick and probably run 11's much more easily than it has proven to be in the c43. FWIW - stock s4's are running 12.6 1/4 times stock, consistently.)

 

I think you're a bit aggressive on the stock times for a 2018 S4. They're around 4.2-4.4 0-60 and 12.9-13.1 1/4 mile.

 

Audi's interiors and fit and finish have fallen behind over the past generation. They were leaders in the late 2000s/early 20teens but Mercedes has blown them out of the water. Even BMW has nicer interiors now in my opinion.

Performance is great but I'm not the type to put heavy merit into it if the interior cabin is lackluster in comparison to the competition. The C43 checked all boxes for me and with some minor mods it will satisfy me from a performance standpoint as well.

 

Have you sat in a 2018 S4? The interior is beautiful, and more options than the C43. I wish our C43 had the massage chair option.

 

Price was a major factor for me. The Audi had just arrived on dealer lots when I was shopping and with the high demand, the dealers weren't very willing to negotiate on pricing. I ended up getting a C43 with a higher sticker price for a much lower cost compared with the S4. I like the diamond stitched massaging seats and VC but the overall interior layout of the C43 is way better. Those A/C vents in the Audi are hideous IMO.

 

I was considering S4 or S5 but the aggressive sounds that AMG makes and the interior compared to Audi just sold it for me. I drove them all and ordered C43 but after driving my friends C63 I ordered C63s and very happy with my decision

 

I purchased my wife a 2018 s4 and I have the 2017 c43.. I drive her car consistently back to back with mine and I have noticed that the c43 actually feels more powerful..the c43 also sounds much better and seems built more solid.. the Audi has some strange rattles and seems cheaper made..and as far as looks I think the c43 looks better and the interior is much better .. the Audi dash board looks very plasticy and the long air vents are downright ugly..she wanted a c43 but settled for the Audi just so we both don’t have the same car..the thing that sticks out most on the Audi about the interior is there is no cup holder cover which makes it look unfinished.. and also no option for stitching on the dash board or doors which make them look very plasticy..I’m debating on giving the wife my car eventually and selling the S4 and maybe go to an e63s for myself.. but the hit of selling the s4 now is holding me back

 

Nope, real world data is better than what the reviews have been reporting.

The car is seriously quick and has a launch control program you can enter which helps it get off the line tremendously better than the c43.

Here is the video of the HFC modified car (only v-box, so take with salt):


Here's the stock 1/4 time:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...6#post12618846

There is another post where a guy went a couple of times and got an even better time, repetitively. I can find it if you are still not convinced.

 

Their interiors are superb. First of all, the V.C. is fantastic. But the feel of everything is really nice and I love how they designed their climate controls, but I just think it's so boring. Especially on the latest B9's. Diamond stitched seats are cool and I would love a massager, but it's all so bland. Mainly the center console area. We may not have had too many choices in our interior (unless you opted for the $4,000 Designo pkg), but I love my interior. I think the aesthetics of the interior is extremely important. For me, it's not ever going to be a deal breaker when choosing one over the other, but it will heavily influence how much you enjoy the car in the long term as it's what you look at and interact with more than anything else. And I don't mind staring at my interior all day long

 

Thanks for all the input. I will admit, the C43 sounds and looks much more aggressive than the S4. However, that's not to say the S4 doesn't sound good. Regarding the interior, the MB certainly looked luxurious, no doubt. However, I think the Audi looks pretty classy too, so perhaps it's a slight advantage to the MB (until you consider the virtual cockpit which tips it back to the S4 for me). Some of the complaints about build quality on the US-built 4-door C43 were a bit worrying too.

Anyway, after all was said and done I ended up putting a deposit down on the S4. Honestly, I don't think I would be disappointed in either of these cars, but at my age a sleeper like the S4 is probably more appropriate.

 

Congrats man! You nailed it and I've said the same thing many times, you can't go wrong with either one. There is just no substitute for these Germans. One car may do something a little better here or there than the other but at the end of the day, the overall experience is always great and you'd be an ******* if you complain about anything on them

 

I was between a C43 coupe and S5. In the end, I felt that the C43 looked nicer (aka flashier) on the outside, and the option of a switchable exhaust really pushed me over. I love the interior of the Audi, the cabin feels more open than the C-class. The S4 feels more business-like, C43 felt "funner". They're both great cars and it was very close, if you buy either you can rest easy knowing there isn't a wrong option.

 

I was between the C43 Coupe and S5 Coupe. It was a really difficult decision but I ended up going with the C43 because of the following reasons:
- S5 cabin is modern and clean, C43 interior looks like something that can be showcased at a museum.
- S5 has great exhaust system, C43 Performance Exhaust sounds insane when activated.
- The C43 feels faster and more powerful.
- Last but not least, I'm all for the full experience. AMG's heritage and its community really makes owning one enjoyable (e.g. AMG Private Lounge, events, etc).

 

Bought my first Mercedes, 2018 C43, CPO off-lease 3 yrs ago. Performance is outstanding. I love the aggressive looks. But…in the time I’ve owned it, I had to replace the trunk closing motor, the entire pano sunroof because a piece of the plastic from the closing assembly broke off, (all covered under the CPO warranty…whew!)
And now, a cup holder lid bracket piece is broken off.

Again, the car looks, sounds and drives so sweet! Put it in Sport+ mode and boom! It’s just that the vendors MB used for those parts seemed to have cheap plastic parts. I’m afraid to ever open my sunroof again.

 

S4/S5 is so boring, it has absolutely NOTHING going for it other than maybe reliability out of the 3 (incl. M340i).

It might have some tech that you like better like the digital dash but the C43's have a very nice analog cluster.
Yeah it might have gimmicky massage seats, but whatever -- you'll rarely even find it optioned. They don't hold you into the seat well either.
If you want a sleeper than it could be the way to go.

Performance wise, the acceleration and top speed is about the same as the C43 with the S4 being a hair faster. Steering, dynamics, sound, engine, interior design, and drive modes are all better on the C43.

Straight line speed = M340i
Everything else = C43
Boring, but quick = S4/5

 

This is a classic "grass is greener" scenario. It's not like Audi has the most stellar reputation when it comes to interior longevity.

I drove an A8 for a decade, and by the time I traded it in almost nothing electronic in the interior worked. No multi media, no sun roof, no AC, no TPMS... It met the bare minimum qualifications to still pass inspection and that was about it.

The drivetrain was still fantastic, but the air suspension was constantly on the fritz.

Oh, and don't get me started about the sunroof drains clogging.