Black91n/a

If it's a TII then the lower compression makes it easier to tune, it doesn't necessarily make it so that you can make more power. Don't forget about the weaker dowel pin area, the heavier rotors and things like that that make the S4 engine worse. With higher compression you don't need as much boost to get to a certain power level and you'll have better off boost power with the higher compression. They use fairly high compression in most of the turbo race engines that I'm aware of (I'm talking about factory backed professional series like LMP2).

For the NA's the S5 engine is superior without question, lighter rotors, higher compression, better manifold.

stage3_rx7

S4<S5


The s5 just looks better.Tho the s4 is easier to work and all the s5 just looks cleaner.

RedBOOST87

S4 headlight switch > S5 headlight switch

S4 "speed sensitive power steering" < S5 "RPM sensitive power steering"

I've owned both series and I can tell you that they definitely have their strengths and weaknesses but '91 was the worst year for the FC IMO as they were pretty much cobbled together using leftover parts.

Jpk3200

The S5 had the speed sensitive power steering, though not all S5 trim lines had it. The other S5's had the RPM sensitive one. I'm not sure that the S4's had any steering sensitive mechanism. And yes, with the S5's speed sensitive steering, it is better.

RedBOOST87

My '87 Sport had speed sensitive power steering, my '91 had RPM sensitive power steering and I found it to be a bit over boosted but much more predictable.

BrettLinton7

iTrader: (33)

seriously they were?

Icemark

I guess that makes it better, because you don't know the reality???

All S4's that had power steering had vehicle speed sensing steering.

Of course you could also get several S4 models with out power steering at all.

In the S5 models, only the S5 Turbo had vehicle speed sensitive steering (the same exact vehicle speed sensing steering as the S4 models) in all years, and all but the turbo models had the crappy engine speed sensing steering by the 1990 model year. Hell if I got stuck with the engine speed sensing steering, I would probably just remove the pump and unplug the power steering computer as it was so bad. Nothing like RPMs changing your power steering boost.



but back on thread track:

Hands down the S4 models were better. They were lighter, the S4 non turbos were faster (Car and Driver tested a 86 Sport that they got to do 0-60 in 7 seconds... the best S5 non turbo the GTus did it in 7.3), the cars didn't have the cheap *** short cuts like the welded PD, plastic stabilizer bar end links, or the lame *** power seat belts.

But if I wanted a softer more disconnected supra like ride, and late 80's T bird style tail lights.. then I would probably pick a S5. If I wanted a sports car, then I would pick a S4.

NJGreenBudd

iTrader: (1)

S4 is always gonna be my choice.

I love both, and the other generations as well, but I own two S4's so...

The S4 tails look fine, and actually i really never saw my own tails much cause I was busy driving the car. I didn't even realize the S5 had a different bumper until a few years ago and that was kinda funny, as I looked out at my two S4's I noted that their bumpers were just fine.

S4's just seem original to me while the S5 seems to draw more attention.

876portturbo

iTrader: (4)

S4 Fo Sho

Shainiac

iTrader: (7)

86 Sport ftw

Josh13B

haha, i dream about a S8

S4 FTW. I have a S5 trans :P
My 5&6th ports open up fine with my exhaust

RedBOOST87

To each his own:

"Instead of the speed-sensing electronically controlled power steering of the Turbo and other upgrade RX-7s, the Infini {IV} had the engine-speed dependent power steering from the base model. And although the ratio was slowed from 15.2:1 to 17.4:1, the simpler system, according to Mazda engineers, gave better feel for autocross and racetrack events" (pg 96, Sports Car Color History: Mazda RX-7 by John Matras).

KiyoKix

I'm an N/A guy and that's an easy decision for me S4>S5. The only thing I like more is the S5 bumpers, but definately NOT the tails.

Btw, I'm starting an Icemark for president campaign.

K

Black91n/a

While I respect Icemark, that's just an oppinion. You should decide for yourselves what you like better. I don't think many people think 80's T-bird when they look at the taillights, but I think that quite a lot of people think 80's when they look at S4 lights. The endlinks were plastic, but they had balljoints and not stupid squishy rubber bushings, so they're probably more precise, and both are prone to breaking.

While I don't really have any seat time in an S4 to judge the PS differences I can say that my S5's power steering wasn't the greatest at autocrosses. I was able to overrun the boost and then is got really heavy really fast and screwed up my line. Now this was going quite slow and going from being steered hard over one direction to going hard in the other direction.

No stupid power seatbelts up here in Canada! If we did I probably wouldn't like my S5 quite so much.

S5's are still very much sports cars.

Jpk3200

Sorry Icemark. I didn't realize the S4's had speed sensitive steering as well since it isn't mentioned that it is speed sensitive power steering on the Features and Specifications paper. Of the S4's that I've driven (SE, GXL, convertible, turbo) none feel as good steering-wise as my S5 turbo, so I made a bad assumption.

It makes me wonder why they would introduce RPM sensitive steering in the S5 GTU if you say they didn't have it in the S4. Seems like a downgrade from speed sensitive.

Sorry for spreading misinformation everyone. I got

Spectator

iTrader: (1)

S5 materials are cheap. Just take the dash for example. In the S5, the plastic used is cheap as **** and cracks easily. When I swapped my burgundy S4 dash for an S5 black one, I pulled on the bitch and I had trouble removing it. When I went to put the S5 dash in, I had to fiber glass it (because it was already all cracked) first and then put it in gently was a hassle because i could here it crack just handling it....Now its in and it looks great, but still, it was like todays chineese plastic...

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (8)

Ironic that an s4 owner is talking about cheap plastics breaking when I almost never see an s4 car with an unbroken radio trim, a/c vents, or idiot cluster surround, while low and behold those parts are usually in good shape on s5's.

s4 cars are usually beat to hell. The front ends look like the owner tried to drive through a parking lot blindfolded. The interiors are usually ratty, half the electronics are flashing/beeping/non functional, and the seats look like someone had teeth in their ***. Half the time the console or lid is broken and the shifter feels like one from a mack dumptruck.

Certainly not every s5 is perfect but they are usually in far better condition, despite only being a couple of years newer.

Delicious

Canada = gay.

jarred

Amurika = bushland

RockyZ

iTrader: (8)

The S5 is definitely more eye catching, but I don't mind the styling on my s4, since the colors match pretty well and I put the S5 tails on. I do wish I had 5 lug and a LSD though.

My S4 is the only compact car I've ever driven besides a 94 corolla and that was complete crap. So I don't have much to compare to. As for problems with the car, my chassis has 400K on it, and the engine/tranny who knows how many miles. There are a few problems. The original paint has imperfections and the body trim has a few damages. But for a car that is 20 years old and been through two owners before me. I think it is pretty good.

geeman2

s5

Boosted11

iTrader: (11)

Newbs like you = Gayer then gay can gayly get.

Slow Rotor

S5 FTW!!!! i have never noticed any problems with mine like the ones mentioned above. If s4's are better why is it when something on them breaks everyone looks to replace them with s5 parts

sharingan 19

iTrader: (16)

S5's had better exterior styling -
tails, bumpers, trim, fog lights, wheels (turbo especially) all better on the S5
S5's had better interior parts quality -
rubberized > hard plastic .....in the long run
S5's had a better motor -
N/A was better in every way, and the Turbo motor had a reinforced rear iron, w/ lighter rotors and better tps as well as turbo.
GTUs = S5

but...

S4's had better motor accesories
mechanical omp, speed sensing ps, metal coolant fill neck (and no gay goose neck on the radiator)
S4's have a better interior design/construction (its hard to explain, but S5 interiors just feel cheap and not well put together) auto seatbelts ftl
S4's were lighter (which sorta negates the power increases in the S5)
S4's had a better rear end (seems to be the consensus anyways)
10AE = S4
S4's have Rtek (all versions)

I say S4 chassis + S5 good parts =

eriksseven

iTrader: (6)

Agreed. Great poll (considering it's dead even at 52-52 right now), but Juiceh is right, WAY more s4's out there... I've had both and LIKE both, but you're just silly if you think an s4 is better all around than it's s5 brother... What s5's have burgundy interior? That alone is worth something. Not only that--but the taillights and body are HUGE. The black trim is straight 80's on the s4's and the engine's are better in the s5's. The *only* thing I can think of that would make an s5 more desirable than an s4 is that the s5's can't have their emissions and other ECU controls stripped easily...

That being said, my DD is an s4 with a perfect *classic* look and my Turbo II (fast/crazy) car is an s5... Both good, s5 better by about a 60/40 percentage, lol.