Compare the2024 Audi S4VS 2024 BMW 3 Series Sedan

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi S4 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi S4 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the S4 and 3 Series Sedan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The 3 Series Sedan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S4. But it costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

The S4’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

Both the S4 and 3 Series Sedan offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the S4 with Rear Cross-Traffic Assist also has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The 3 Series Sedan’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the S4 and the 3 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The S4’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 94 more horsepower (349 vs. 255) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 295) than the 330i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi S4 is faster than the 330i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S4 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 3 Series Sedan requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

For better stopping power the S4’s brake rotors are larger than those on the 3 Series Sedan:

The S4 stops shorter than the 3 Series Sedan:

For better traction, the S4 has larger tires than the 3 Series Sedan (255/35R19 vs. 225/45R18). The S4’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 3 Series Sedan (255/35R19 vs. 225/40R19).

The S4’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 3 Series Sedan’s standard 45 series tires. The S4’s tires are lower profile than the 3 Series Sedan’s optional 40 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S4 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the 3 Series Sedan.

The S4 Prestige handles at .95 G’s, while the 330i xDrive pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The S4 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the 330i xDrive (25.2 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 26.6 seconds @ .66 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the S4’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (38.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S4 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the S4 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the S4 Premium Plus/Prestige keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The S4 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

The S4 has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the 3 Series Sedan.

The S4 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the S4 will retain 54.86% to 55.98% of its original price after five years, while the 3 Series Sedan only retains 51.33% to 52.95%.