Keep MY15 F80 M3, or get MY18 Audi S4 loaded and cheaper?

[hekki]

For me it would be simple, choose an Audi S4 and when you have more money in your pocket then you can simply get back to next generation M3. You are not choosing a car for the rest of your life.

[nicknaz]

Hi, please do searches for the sticky about why you shouldn't put a prepayment on a lease. Security deposit is ok, but not a prepayment or "down payment"

What's the point of '18 f80 when you have a '15 f80? Seems like a lot of money for different headlights and tail lights

[rexb16]

I just want to say hats off to OP for understanding what so few people seem to forget about life, if something makes you happy then you should do it!

[quattr0]

wow... down payment on lease? Could i negotiate the lease for you and you will pay me the down payment? i will be cheap, $2500

[ssabripo]

Originally Posted by quattr0

wow... down payment on lease? Could i negotiate the lease for you and you will pay me the down payment? i will be cheap, $2500

Sure, get me the same (or lesser) payment of $535/mo on a fully loaded S4, with 0 down lease payment, and I will gladly send you a check

[UGADawgFan]

Originally Posted by ssabripo

Sure, get me the same (or lesser) payment of $535/mo on a fully loaded S4, with 0 down lease payment, and I will gladly send you a check

By the way, we have a HUD in our S4 (you mentioned it was missing) .. If you want that you have to get the prestige not premium plus.

[Takumi587]

Just read through the thread and wanted to say sorry to hear OP about the divorce.

The Audi S4 is not a bad choice at all for another car to drive the next 3 years. Any reason you didn’t want to find an M3 with just competition pack and a 6-MT? I feel that would be a different feel for you coming from your current M3.

Personally, I would get an M3 because you have this great forum to ask questions, meet with other M enthusiasts and it’s just that much more fun to drive than the S4. The seats in the M3 are better too. S4 to me is for cruising and it won’t feel as sporty or stiff as your current M3.

It may be about $2-4K difference but it’s totally worth it for the M3. Which one would make you feel happier? Money comes and goes so $2-4K to me is not that much of difference considering you are already in this high price point of vehicles.

Keep us posted on if you sign the deal on the S4 and a proper review!!! Good luck man.

Edit: Just going to post this here as a reminder why the F80 M3 is so stiff and sporty (old video but totally worth watching again) :

[ssabripo]

Originally Posted by UGADawgFan

By the way, we have a HUD in our S4 (you mentioned it was missing) .. If you want that you have to get the prestige not premium plus.

yeah, I found out yesterday. One of the downsides

But there are no Prestige S4's right now in broward county, so I gotta get what I gotta get. Also, apparently there is a slight difference in residual and MF on the Premium plus vs Prestige, so even if I found one, the increase of base price plus MF/Res, would increase the lease monthly substantially and wouldn't make this attractive at all any more.

I'd love a HUD, i've gotten use to it, but even the M3 I found didn't have it so I guess it's a wash anyways.

[ssabripo]

Originally Posted by Takumi587

Just read through the thread and wanted to say sorry to hear OP about the divorce.

thanks Takumi, it's been a horrible experience, and one of the toughest times i've ever faced

Originally Posted by Takumi587

The Audi S4 is not a bad choice at all for another car to drive the next 3 years. Any reason you didn’t want to find an M3 with just competition pack and a 6-MT? I feel that would be a different feel for you coming from your current M3.

The problem is that there aren't many M3's left, much less to pick and choose options like that. The ones left at dealers are pretty pricey, and this one I found was a "deal" thru a good Car broker contact I have, out of state.

So yes, I'd love a base M3 with just Comp (or even no comp), 6MT, with HUD (ei, exec package).... for mid $600's range lease, but it's been impossible to find.

[REDEV217342]

Not making light of a few thousand dollars but something just does not make sense here. You are talking about driving a $60-70K vehicle where $2K up front and $135/month is meaningful.....and you "like" one car and "love" the other. I'm thinking you ought to be looking at another price point in cars.

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by REDEV217342

Not making light of a few thousand dollars but something just does not make sense here. You are talking about driving a $60-70K vehicle where $2K up front and $135/month is meaningful.....and you "like" one car and "love" the other. I'm thinking you ought to be looking at another price point in cars.

If we are switching price points, an LCI e90m3 for mid $30k with exhaust mods is very interesting, as are base 997 and 987.2 S

There's also the f10 m5 for low $40k price if the image of driving a recent model year is needed (frankly, few non car people can tell a 997 and 991 apart though)

[JoeFromPA]

I just ran the numbers on this from what was shared.

In either scenario, you are SPENDING $24k over 3 years to drive a new m3 or S4 for 10k miles a year in a lease. There's no equity at the end, this is a utility payment of ~$675/month to drive one of these cars.

I'm not a big fan but either option looks fine to me. If I was going to simply blow $24k over 3 years on driving a car less than 30k miles, I'd probably go Porsche. There are plenty of good Porsche options that will depreciate $24k or less over 3 years and 30k miles.

Remember monthly payment is meaningless unless you are living paycheck to paycheck, which I certainly hope you aren't while considering this type of vehicle.

Total spend or total cost of ownership is your true "monthly payment"

[nicknaz]

With the old Porsche, the repair and maintenance can get you. I've dropped $9k on my 6TT in last 12 months. Known history for most of its life, got from a friend and it had no deferred maintenance and was drive less than 4.5k per year.

Limited depreciation and great value for the performance level but there's definitely a cash cost anyway to keep one around.

I'm not disagreeing, Joe,but definitely need to know what you are getting into and be ok that you might end up paying more (e.g. GT car appreciate with low miles and no accident but get into a fender bender and ??? on how your resale will be)

[JoeFromPA]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

With the old Porsche, the repair and maintenance can get you. I've dropped $9k on my 6TT in last 12 months. Known history for most of its life, got from a friend and it had no deferred maintenance and was drive less than 4.5k per year.

Limited depreciation and great value for the performance level but there's definitely a cash cost anyway to keep one around.

I'm not disagreeing, Joe,but definitely need to know what you are getting into and be ok that you might end up paying more (e.g. GT car appreciate with low miles and no accident but get into a fender bender and ??? on how your resale will be)

Put aside old porsche.

Let's look at a 2015 Porsche 911. 20k miles, about $71k retail or maybe $65k-$70k after negotiation.

Drive it 3 years and 30 miles and it becomes a 6 year old Porsche 911 with 50k miles. If I look at a 2012 911 with 50k miles, it goes for about $53k. So you'd pay ~$18k depreciation for 3 years/30k miles on a 3 year old 911.

And considering it was CPO, that leaves you $6k to pay for maintenance for 30k miles on 911.

You'll need 2-3 sets of tires, a few oil changes, etc....

You'd wind up ahead over 3 years on a 3 year old 911 than leasing a brand new m3. Not much ahead, but a little.

So now the question is: Get a new m3 or a 3 year old 911 for the same total cost of ownership?

[Stryder]

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

Put aside old porsche.

Let's look at a 2015 Porsche 911. 20k miles, about $71k retail or maybe $65k-$70k after negotiation.

Drive it 3 years and 30 miles and it becomes a 6 year old Porsche 911 with 50k miles. If I look at a 2012 911 with 50k miles, it goes for about $53k. So you'd pay ~$18k depreciation for 3 years/30k miles on a 3 year old 911.

And considering it was CPO, that leaves you $6k to pay for maintenance for 30k miles on 911.

You'll need 2-3 sets of tires, a few oil changes, etc....

You'd wind up ahead over 3 years on a 3 year old 911 than leasing a brand new m3. Not much ahead, but a little.

So now the question is: Get a new m3 or a 3 year old 911 for the same total cost of ownership?

Your math here is misleading because for example for us CA folks don't forget the tasty 9%+ sales tax "penalties" without the possibility of rolling over between vehicles purchases.

The rest of the logic is solid- I just needed to point out the $6k~$7k CA buyers need to piss away to the wind on top of the operating costs.

[Habber]

So basically we went from M3 vs S4 and now 911.

Best thread in a while!!

[adc]

OP, enjoy the S4. If you like the way it drives then you should be fine for another 3 years time in which the automotive landscape can change significantly, so you will reevaluate as the S4 lease draws to and end.

I have followed your Euro delivery story since the days of your E90, and enjoyed it tremendously. I hope things do improve in your personal life, they say time heals all wounds.


I’m in a similar boat as you with my M3, and BMW is making things difficult by no longer providing allocations these days. I’ll start looking at other options too.

[NHman]

OP, I own a 2018 S4 Prestige and had previously leased a 2016 M4 ZCP MT. The S4 is now my DD. Where the M4 was my weekend/fun car. I agree with some of the statements, the S4 doesn't directly compete with the M class of vehicles but it is a solid vehicle that does a lot of things well (especially if equipped with the Sport package).

In the S4, the HUD does not have the full features found in the M. Including media content, phone book and it doesn't have the full color pallet. Also Google Maps is really cool but the complementary subscription expires after 6 months. Renewal cost is $600 for 12 months.

If leasing, consider adding AudiCare. This will cover the core maintenance during the lease term. Cost is around $895 but it adds 1% to the residual. Premium Plus models have the best lease rates but, in general, Audi's don't lease well. I purchased mine at a 2.0% rate from my credit union.

If you want a premium vehicle and will be stepping down from an M car, test drive Infiniti's Q50 Red Line. In general, better lease rates with less $ down. This can be a placeholder until the next generation M is available and you are in a better financial position.

Perhaps I mis-read some of your statements but I thought most of the money down on a M3 lease was tied to MSDs. If so, of course that money comes back to you at lease end (assuming there are no unexpected charges). Where the down payment on the Audi is, in-part, cap cost reduction. Between the two, I personally would go for MSDs and drive a nicer car knowing the additional cost is $100-130 per month. Cut back on cable if needed.

I now have 9000 miles on my S4. It's been flawless. Advice, only drive it with the transmission in S mode. D mode is for extreme fuel savings. However, if I didn't live in an area where it can snow 3-5 months and needed to get to the mountains, I would've gone with a different vehicle. Perhaps the M3 would be my DD.

[JoeFromPA]

Originally Posted by Stryder

Your math here is misleading because for example for us CA folks don't forget the tasty 9%+ sales tax "penalties" without the possibility of rolling over between vehicles purchases.

The rest of the logic is solid- I just needed to point out the $6k~$7k CA buyers need to piss away to the wind on top of the operating costs.

I tend to believe the average person on this forum runs their own, local numbers, but yes. And, for example, I didn't apply the fact that PA-folks (like me) have to pay a 9% LEASE tax on payments.

But yes, you are right, people need to run their own numbers.

[Stryder]

Originally Posted by JoeFromPA

I tend to believe the average person on this forum runs their own, local numbers, but yes. And, for example, I didn't apply the fact that PA-folks (like me) have to pay a 9% LEASE tax on payments.

But yes, you are right, people need to run their own numbers.

That's horrid. I forgot lease tax was a thing in some states.

[armani335]

I think S4's depreciate faster than m3s. If you don't need the awd, I'd say just put less down on the m and add 6-12 months to the loan term. This would keep payment low and you'd have the option of getting a next gen in 2-3 years as you'd have positive equity.

[Golfster]

Be good to yourself. Get the car that puts a smile on your face and best helps put the divorce situation out of your mind.