The S4 also had the twin scroll turbo system.

 

Not technically a "body line" though.

 

Thanks for the corrections Icemark. Now I can finally make my decision on which model to look for specifically.

 

Icemark is having a hay-day with this thread

 

No not a body line, its just that, well it's all opinion and preference, the square tail lights match the sharp body lines of the car better than the translucent round lights, and if the trim is painted to match the color of the car it looks even better. But there are some things you get with the s5 that look better also, like how the different front bumper matches the sharp edges of the rest of the car better than an s4 where it's kind of bland in comparison.

And I would say for 3rd gens that round tail lights match the body lines better than the squarish ones.

 

Tell me about it,you have to be especially carefull taking off any plastic parts on a S5.
The S5 cover tends to buckle in the middle of the cover at the pivot end and then becomes a pain in the ***.It's made from some pressed/molded cardboard with a covering or something along those lines.

 

S5's have the automatic seatbelts which always breaks down but has a lifetime warranty.

I own both a red s4 t2 and blue s5 t2. I gotta say that I will pick my S5 anyday, hands down. People think my S5 is a mid 90s car and it turns heads all the time. The S5 looks better and has more power. Just about everyone thinks so. But I got to admit, I hated the S4 look, until I finally bought an S4 T2. And now I like the look, but maybe because its pretty clean and most s4s are pretty junky. I do think that without the stock S5 wing, the car looks like its missing something. I'll probably leave the S4 body stock but with the S5 wing. Oh yea, the s4s are a lot cheaper. I have bought 2 running red s4 t2s with minor problems for $1000. While I have bought 2 S5 t2 rolling chassis for $2000. So price is a big thing.

 

Exterior:
Different front bumper
Different rear bumper
Different side moldings
S5 had round tailights, S4 had square ones
S5 models came standard with the rounder aero mirrors
88 GTU, Convertible, and Turbo II models had an aero version of the S4 mirrors
Wings were different between series, and depended on which model you had
Rims were different between series, and depended on which model you had
S5 had 18.5 gallon tank, S4 had 16 gallon

Suspension:
S4 had the heavy duty suspension, and S5 just had parts of it

Engine:
S5 had a lighter rotating assembly (better for higher RPM power)
S4 had a heavier rotating assembly (better for lower RPM power)
S5 had higher compression rotors, which were lighter and slightly weaker
S5 had twin-scroll turbo
S5 had an electronically controlled wastegate
S5 had better flowing manifolds
S5 used the more efficient plunger-type AFM
S5 used a faster processing ECU
Mechanical OMP on S4, computer controlled on S5

Drivetrain:
S5 had a different 5th gearing with more ribs on the external case, and had weaker synchros than the S4
S5 had viscious type LSD, whereas S4 had clutch type (personal choice which is better)
S5 had a synchromesh reverse gear
S5 used a lighter flywheel

Interior:
S5 had rubberized radio/logicon surround (cracked less often than the S4)
S5 had rubberized shifter surround (cracked less often than the S4)
Seats
S5 had some dash and trunk pieces that liked to crack more often than the S4 pieces
Door panels
Gauges
S5 had the automatic seatbelts
88 and S5 models had the visor'd idiot light surround
88 and S5 models had the blacked out look idiot light setup which looked similar to the S4 version but had different icons and wired differently
86-87 models had a different idiot light setup and surround than the S5 models
Sticker on the logicon
S5 had a standard cargo cover on some models
S4 models had the dealer option cargo cover which was a foldable design
S5 had a smaller arm rest glove box interior due to the mouse belts
S5 did not have the flocked interior on the glove box
S4 GXL and Turbo II models had the flocked interior on the glove box
S5 had no sport arm rest option (triple height arm rest)

That should be all the differences. It's nice to finally see what's available for the different series. Now, another hard question. What exactly is swapable between the two series?

 

.

 

I'm pretty sure the S5 TII DIDN'T have the twin scroll system, whereas the S4 TII did.

 

Well, now that I know the differences, I can truly decide if I want to search for a S4 or S5 and what the differences are and what I can swap.

 

As far as current subjective differences go, an S5 TII will be a lot harder and more expensive to acquire than an S4 TII.

Which is why I'm converting my GXL, kekeke...

 

my experience also indicates that's true, but since every used car is different anyway, meh

 

Well given comparable condition cars, and the owners have an idea for their value, then the S5 will always cost more. Esp if in good condition.

 

I agree with you guys about the S5 being harder to find and more expensive, but the choice is always out there.

 

The S5 TII has a "completely independent twin-scroll" turbo. This is why the exhaust manifolds are different. The two rotors exhaust ports were separated and hit the turbine blade individually.
The S4 still has the twin-scroll turbo but the exhaust pulses probably mix together in one chamber (does the S4 manifold look like a log?).