[SummerBoy]

I was just about convinced by all the comments on this site and was gonna place my order for the IS. I was particularly interested in knowing that turbo'ing will be possible soon as the current 200hp will not be enough to satisfy. But I was totally floored when I saw the post re: the cost of turbo'ing the IS (approx. $7500 parts + $1500 labor). Which made me think: I can spend the same on (IS car + turbo mod) or get a factory turbo'ed car instead if I get a S4. So you current IS owners, how do you all feel about the power level and turbo'ing and the economics of it all????

What to do??? What to do?????

ps: I have to say that I love the look of the IS & S4 equally.

 

[fishtail]

Originally posted by SummerBoy:
I was just about convinced by all the comments on this site and was gonna place my order for the IS. I was particularly interested in knowing that turbo'ing will be possible soon as the current 200hp will not be enough to satisfy. But I was totally floored when I saw the post re: the cost of turbo'ing the IS (approx. $7500 parts + $1500 labor). Which made me think: I can spend the same on (IS car + turbo mod) or get a factory turbo'ed car instead if I get a S4. So you current IS owners, how do you all feel about the power level and turbo'ing and the economics of it all????

What to do??? What to do?????

ps: I have to say that I love the look of the IS & S4 equally.

personally, i think that with or without turboing, it is difficult to compare the two... the S4 has the quattro system and a suspension designed for road racing... the IS's is RWD and has a much softer and less 'aggressive' suspension... even with a serious overall of the IS suspension, the S4 is still probably the better car... with a simple chip swap, the S4 is well over 400 HP and near 400 lb/ft torque.. i own a IS300 and have had the opportunity to drive my friend's S4 on a few occasions - my only complaint on the S4 is that it needs a softer shift... but that is a simple modification...

adding big turbos and revamping the suspension of the IS not only costs a hell of a lot, it will in all probability void your warranty...

i was lucky enough to witness see a few S4 with the RS4 engine swap at the American LeMans series race up here in Canada... the modified S4 was keeping up with the Dodge Vipers... keep in mind the Vipers have double the displacement of the RS4 engine and the track was fairly straight...

 

[mrclam]

get an s4

 

[Cal]

If performance is your main goal, I think it's hard to chose another sedan over the S4, let alone the IS300 (or even the BMW 330i). That may change if/when we see a special version of the IS, an AMG C class, or a new BMW M3 sedan!!

 

[bcarter1]

Get whatever makes you happy. To do a quality turbo install cost serious money. Turbos are fairly reasonable but associated costs is what kills. Intercooler, plumbing, fuel system upgrades, ECU, blow-off valve, wastegate...etc. That adds up to serious $$$. That will get you dusting a STOCK S4. But what if he's got mods too? Then it's more upgrades, bottom-end engine work and more money. Eventualy if the S4 guy got power hungry enough he'd have to upgrade his turbos and such so price would equal out. But I think most owners will 'settle' for 400HP with simple bolt ons. So either way you're gonna be spending money. Better to get a factory turbo system and modify that. Get the S4. That's if you're keen on getting a turbo.

 

[toofaust]

I had my heart set on the S4. Always loved Audi A4's but thought they needed more power. Quatrro is amazing, I was thouroughly convinced after a test drive in the pouring rain, hard fast corners on asphalt and brick roads, with no slipping. An incredible feeling, and very secure sense of safety. I found the S4 to be just a little more than I was comfortable with when it came down to payments and their finance dept wouldn't work with me much at all since I was a first time buyer.

Rather than settling for an A4 and always comparing it in my mind to the S4, the IS came along and really seemed to meet my needs. Truly a breath of fresh air in the market that was a little slice of what all the others aren't.

I'm not really into heavy modifications, so I'll likely never build the IS out to near the performance levels of the S4, but it is an exciting, capable car that turns heads and I love the fact that at heart it is a toyota that will run more reliable and longer than the Audi saving me more money in the long run.

If money isn't a factor, the S4 is almost incomparable in what it brings to the table, but the IS delivers more than enough for me to keep me smilin'. I've had mine for just over a month and it feels quicker and smoother everyday, I'm very happy with it.

 

[GPR]

It depends on how much money you want to put into the car. If you really want to go for performance I wouldn't wait for the stick to come out but if the auto is what you want I would get a stronger tranny and a better torque converter. The NA Supra Turbo kit that the Suprastore offers sounds like the best deal so far. If you want serious speed and hp you will need to have some engine work done. I would re-enforce the block if your planning on doing a turbo with 10+ PSI. If you build it up right and get all the right equipment for it you could have a 470+hp moster. I never really liked the Audi's, don't know why but they just don't appeal to me.

 

[Damon]

Money wise... your looking at a HUGE difference..so take that into account.... but if money isn't a question..it's a matter of style vs performance..by far the IS is superior styling..it looks nicer...the S4/A4 design is getting kinda old..... but the S4 performance..... by far will rip the IS.. and the additions of supercharger associated aftermarket products may become troublesome and may have many problems in the long run....

 

[Shoe]

I currently have a 2000 A4 1.8T and can give some info on the S4 and the possibility of putting a turbo in the IS300.

The S4 comes stock with 250hp and torque. People have been taking it to the track and have been hitting in the 14.0-14.3 second range in the 1/4 mile consistantly. With a chip the car has 320hp and 380 torque. It has been dyno proven and people have been hitting mid 13's in the car. With a $500 chip, you car can hit mid 13's. Simply amazing. I put a chip in my 1.8T and the differences is night and day. Honestly, to to hit 12's will be costly $5000++...but its still in development so nobody knows yet but 12's is very possible while retaining all the benefits of a daily driver. I can attest that quattro is amazing but it does take some fun out of it but the grip and the launch is unmatched. It's makes you driving almost too easy. There a few drawbacks...steering feels a bit numb, the shifter is loose but a shortshifter can fix that. It's a 6-speed with a close gear ratio which is excellent, a definite plus. The biggest drawback is weight. it wieghs about 3600lbs. No lightweight but taking it to the track the car can defintely holds its own.

A turbo is300 takes a lot of work and testing. Unless you build the engine up I don't think you can get more than 40-60hp out of the engine and you are still running a risk. Even with the turbo I don't think the IS can hit mid 13's...most likely low 14's. you are bound to have trouble...there are so few is300 turbos out there that its not a tried and true upgrade. There is always an outside chance to also low your engine and that will cost $$$$. I may be biased but check out www.audiworld.com and compare.

I think the question is that if you should get the S4 or E46 M3. The M3 costs about 3-5k more...not bad for one of THE BEST sports car in the world. My vote goes for the new M3

Scott

 

[mrclam]

i think the new m3 will be great against the s4 but what i want to see is the new c32 against the new m3 =) those will be good rivals

 

[Shoe]

The new AMG Mercedes C-class vs. the M3?

In one respect it is an unfair battle. A supercharged V-8 versus a n/a 3.2 liter i-6. If Mercedes finally comes out with a manual for thier AMG cars it will be close. The AMG may have more power but it wieghs at least 300lbs more. I bet in a straight line race the nod goes to the AMG but once you take it to the track ot twisties, the M3 will eat the AMG alive. If I had the choice I would take the M3 in a second...it's a real race bred street car...the AMG is a luxury car on steroids.

Scott

 

[oh-dawg]

I say S4.. just because out-of-the-box, its basically waht you want.. unless you're just into fixing up cars and like the fact that turboing your IS will make it a truly unique vehicle.. and yes, although turboing an IS is not a tried and true concept, turboing SC300s, GS300s, and normally aspirated Supras has been done by many.. I'm sure someone would be able to tell you just how much the 3.0 liter can take.. and I'd almost bet my house on the fact that a turbocharged IS will easily run 13s. In fact, I would bet the house (disclaimer: it has to be done by someone who knows something about turbos).

 

[JW]

What about looking for a MkIV Supra instead? A decent Supra TT should be around 20k (give or take) plus it comes with a 6-speed already.

 

[TEG]

>> The new AMG Mercedes C-class vs. the M3?

>> In one respect it is an unfair battle. A supercharged V-8 versus a n/a 3.2 liter i-6.

Actually the AMG C-Class will have a supercharged V-6 (six) not V-8...

Agreed that the M3 has more true sports car DNA, but the Mercedes may offer more comfort which some people will value...

 

[Shoe]

Well, a turbo IS hitting 13's is possible but at what cost? The car may be unstoppable on the track but will have a jekyl and hyde behavior on the streets. My friend had a 320hp at the wheels eclipse and it had nothing under 3500rpm then after that...BAM you are slammed into the seat. Even though my chipped Audi 1.8T is far weaker but around town its awesome. The S4 can hit mid 13's with only a chip upgrade...no upgrade clutch, slicks, etc is needed. The amazing thing about the S4 is that you have 300 torque at about 1700 rpms and have 380 at 2250rpms.

That is a good point about the is300 engine though...there has been an extensive amount of work done to the supra N/A engines.

 

[TSoich]

Back to the original topic ...

As an IS300 owner (and a pretty happy one at that) if all you are doing is comparing the cars - ABSOLUTELY NO CONTEST ... S4.

As is evidenced by the fact that I am now an IS owner rather than an S4 owner, you can't always compare just the car. Spousal as well as financial pressures pushed me (kicking and screaming I might add) to the IS300.

But hey - thanks for reminding me

 

[AKRY]

Looks like everyone has his/her own opinion, here is mine.

As TEG pointed out, C32 AMG will have Supercharged V6, which will pump out as much HP as E55 AMG, though less Torque(Yet, still somewhere around 360lb-ft).

True M3 and C32 will be a battle to see, but one has to take into account that M3 is a Coupe, and C32 will be Sedan ONLY. Yet, M3 doesn't offer Auto, and C32 doesn't offer Manual. Auto Tranny has advanced so fast, that it's now a simple person preference when choosing manual/auto. Also, one has to take into account that M3 has considerably lower Torque then C32 AMG, which would make up the "disadvantage" of having Auto ONLY on C32.

As for S4, it's a very capable car. True, a simple chip swap can bring up to 300hp/360lb-ft, and there are not many drawbacks regarding A4 design. Vogue shifting and small interior are probably the 2 most criticized area. And with StageIII kit, a S4 can hit 1/4 mile in mid-high 12s, which un-like someone else stated, has been proved that it CAN be done.

If you are very performance oriented, and really wanted a turbo charged Sedan, S4 is the best bet.

Andy Kuo

 

[mrclam]

about your statement with auto's, if they've advanced so far why are they still half a second to a full second slower than manual???

 

[TEG]

Autos have improved in that they now can have about the same # of gears as a manual.

(For instance a 5-speed auto rather than the 4 speed or even 3 speeds that used to be more common).

Also, computer control over the shift logic has allowed autos to shift at more optimal RPMs.

One big reasons why autos are less quick than manuals is that they use a torque converter. The torque converter is inefficient (and hurts max acceleration and fuel economy), but offers some benefits like the ability to creep slowly without slipping a clutch, and the ability to climb hills slowly without stalling the engine.

 

[JW]

Another reason is that automatic trannies need fluid as a medium of transferring power, while manual trannies have a direct connection. The laws of thermodynamics suck!