S3 disappointments?!

[RacerBice]

I’m hearing a lot of complaints about the new S3, and that surprises me a fair bit. Especially when looking at the nature of people’s disappointments. Let me therefore remind you of the following.

Looking at the first S3 as well as all S4’s, S6’s and S8’s ever made (in particular the present models), none of them has ever offered styling which has significantly differentiated them from their more ordinary model siblings. Also, none of them has ever really been class-leading performance wise (save maybe for the first S8 for a short period of time). In recent years, they have not even been the top-of-the-line offering from Ingolstadt. The only thing that IMHO has made them really stand out is their price.

And what are we looking at in the new S3? Well, a car that offers styling just as subtle as on all previous S-cars, coupled with enhanced but not outrageous performance. I’m having a hard time understanding where all these totally unrealistic expectations are coming from for the S3 to be so much more than that….?

Remember also that unlike all other S-cars (even the first S3), the new one comes with a reasonable price tag. It’s not that much more expensive than the regular 3,2, it has an almost identical price tag as the R32 (at least where I live), and it’s even cheaper than the 130i banglemobile. And I’m pretty sure that the butts of all those three are gonna get kicked both Sprint Blue and Imola Yellow by the S3.

So what are you complaining about…..?

RB

[markwm]

If you'd like a list....here you go...

No flared arches
No 19" wheels
No Dual exhausts
4 Cyl 2.0T
A3 3.2 sounds better
Turbo Lag
Price of Options
Buckets Seats and Flat Bottom wheel not standard
Interior is virtually same as S-Line
Exterior is virtuall same as S-Line
No DSG
No Magnetic Ride
Cost (nearly 3k more than an R32 in UK)
Only 15bhp more than the A3 3.2
Bad Reviews say no fun
Bad reviews say hard ride
Bad reviews say un-responsive


The UK reviews so far haven't been good. You have to agree that the A3 range is now really a mess, with the S3 and A3 3.2 being so close. I bet there are people who would choose the V6 over the S3 still, can you say that about other S cars?

It's not an S3, it's an A3 with minor styling changes and a bit more power squeezed out of the 2.0T

[AndyBG]

Looks like GOLF R32 is best solution, or R36, if come out.

[Leadfoot]

RacerBice,

I'm not so much disappointed as surprised it's not better than it is. The problem with the A3 series and this carries on to the S3 is the fact that there is so much competition in this bracket, not only from the like of BMW but also from in-house with VW, Seat and so on. Then you have all the sub-premium brands as well and we all know that with cars getting better made every year there isn't really a bad car on the market, which bring me back to the S3.

Without driving the car we are all guessing at how good it will be and when you compare the A3 3.2 Quattro S-Line to the R32, the Audi is without a doubt found wanting. So on that note, will this be the same for the S3, who knows, up to now the R32 has taken a lot of prized trophies a long the way and as such, it's the car to beat. There is no doubt that Audi have given the S3 the right equipment to do the job, a lighter engine for nimbler handling and IMBO it has a better looking body kit an the R32, if not the GTI and as always the best interiors in the business.

I thought that with Audi already producing a 250hp quattro model in the A3 range, with the S3 they would have upped the game to possibly 280hp, but when it was released to have only 265hp this is possibly where all of the disappointment comes from.

[Fab]

Originally posted by AndyBG
Looks like GOLF R32 is best solution, or R36, if come out. I just sold my TT V6 DSG Roadster and I have to say that the 3.2l V6 was good but not great (except the sound on the TT :MTM: ) it could have been more wild and agressive on high rpm. So my choice would be the S3 with this 2.0l rather than the R32. Lets see the R36

Hey 265hp is not bad at all and stage 1 remap will make it fly :revs: This car looks very attractive to me on paper.

P.S. I drove 2-3 times the Gold GTI with the 200hp 2.0l turbo (far less than the S3) and it is already a great and funny engine to drive believe me, so with 265hp it looks interesting.

Just my view though :asian:

P.S. A friend of mine is getting his R32 this Friday so I will have a nice comparison point with my TT.

P.S.(2) I may not be objective as I ordered a GTI DSG for my wife :D

[RacerBice]

Much of what your'e all saying makes a lot of sense. And let me clarify that I'm not saying that there aren't things that I too had wished for in the new S3. I'm only saying that reasonably one couldn't really have expected much more than we're now getting. I mean, Magnetic Ride, 19 inch wheels, bucket seats and a flat bottom steering wheel!? None of that is standard even on an RS4!

I'm the first to admit that Audi have made it a little bit easy for themselves. There are a couple of things they could quite easily have added to the cake. But then development and sourcing costs would have brought the price up even further, especially if we're talking flared arches (which would have been fecking nice, though....).

As for engine layout; the 4-cylinder is definitely going to feel more powerful, it weighs less and provides for better (or not as bad) weight balance than the 6-cylinder. In other words, I'd say it's the sportier choice, and thus it's logical. Also when looking at the 1,8T in the old S3.

I think it's a little early to talk about performance differences, since the S3 has not yet been evaluated in a genuine test (or has it?). Nevertheless, Audi themselves claim it shall propel to 62 mph in just 5,7 seconds. I would be surprised if that figure proves accurate come testing time. But if it does, Audi will in fact have broken the old "tradition" and made the S-version decidedly quicker than its nearest sibling. The first S3 was not much quicker than the A3 1,8Ts, in spite of it being miles more expensive.

All in all, one can't help but speculate if by speccing the S3 this way Audi have deliberately left room for an RS3? I'm guessing that would be a more important model for Audi, and if an RS3 (if there will ever be one) is gonna have a 6-cylinder, flared arches and other more extravagant exterior features, then you can't have S3's lurking around with similar features at a much lower price.

Let me also comment on the R32 remarks. I have made daylong testdrives of both 6MT and DSG cars. And sure, I liked the sound of it, the power delivery was smooth and flexible, the highway ride firm and steady, and the interior was actually quite nice. But put it to some cornering tests and it's not very convincing any more, sliding over the front wheels decidedly more than even my previous A4 1,8 T Avant ever did. And it felt only marginally faster than a stock 200 BHP A4 2,0 T. Especially compared with the old R32 and the first S3, this car simply doesn't come across as a sports car at all. And hey, 8,51 (or was it 8,53?!) around Nordschleife and over 1,20 around Hockenheim, that SUCKS.

My experiences from the A3 3,2 tell me that that's even less sportier and doesn't feel as quick as even the R32. So I maintain that drivers of both R32 and A3 3,2 (being way too slow for the money) won't be seeing much more of the S3 than that new design of the rear diffusor.

RB

Ps. On several occasions, Swedish car magazines have measured only some 225-235 BHP on the wheels of R32's and A3 3,2's. Conversely, the 2,0T engine in various Audi and VW versions have almost always proven more powerful than the official numbers. For instance, Swedish Teknikens Värld compared the R32 with a stock GTI. When measuring output in the same test rig under identical conditions, they got 231 BHP from the R32 and 212 BHP from the GTI.... If this is anything to go by, I think the real difference between the A3 3,2 and the S3 will be more than 15 BHP....

[RacerBice]

Originally posted by markwm
If you'd like a list....here you go...

Bad Reviews say no fun
Bad reviews say hard ride
Bad reviews say un-responsive



I've only read Autocar's first drive impressions. Have you got links to other....? / R

[RacerBice]

Originally posted by RacerBice
I mean, Magnetic Ride, 19 inch wheels, bucket seats and a flat bottom steering wheel!? None of that is standard even on an RS4!


Oooppss, of course, the 19 inchers are.... :-s

[Leadfoot]

The 2.0TFSi is the problem as far as I'm concerned. The S3's engine is a great starting point and is very tuneable :hahahehe: and if this engine is offered in the TT by the time I has to confirm my order with the dealer, I for one will be picking it over the 3.2L model.

The problem I have with the S3 is the little difference between it and a S-Line and the fact they are not offering it with a S-Tronic gearbox. Why promote the S-Tronic box with all the other models and not the S3, it doesn't figure. And as for the styling, you have to spent the extra cash on the seats and the steering wheel to see the difference inside over a S-Line model and the exterior, again the S-Line shadows it with the exception being the front grille and the front bumper.

The same can be said about all S models and in a way this is true, and even if you look at the 3-series M/Sport model and compare it to the M3, the difference is very small to the untrained eye. The same goes for the Mercedes/AMG models. So when you come to think about it, they are all as bad as each other.

[markwm]

Originally posted by RacerBice
Much of what your'e all saying makes a lot of sense. And let me clarify that I'm not saying that there aren't things that I too had wished for in the new S3. I'm only saying that reasonably one couldn't really have expected much more than we're now getting. I mean, Magnetic Ride, 19 inch wheels, bucket seats and a flat bottom steering wheel!? None of that is standard even on an RS4! .

What? so bucket seats, flat bottom wheel and 19" wheels AREN'T STANDARD on an RS4?

Are you sure about that?

[tazsura]

What? so bucket seats, flat bottom wheel and 19" wheels AREN'T STANDARD on an RS4?

They're standard in the UK.

But I don't think they are in the rest of Europe and America.

[Leadfoot]

Originally posted by tazsura
They're standard in the UK.

But I don't think they are in the rest of Europe and America.

Yeah, but over here (UK) we pay for these items in the retail price anyway, that's all.

[SteffeStifler]

Originally posted by tazsura
They're standard in the UK.

But I don't think they are in the rest of Europe and America.

Standard in Sweden aswell..

[RacerBice]

Originally posted by SteffeStifler
Standard in Sweden aswell..

Yeah, you seem to be right. The RS bucket seats are not standard (the old/regular Recaro's are), but there's no extra cost for them as optional.

[Leadfoot]

Who would want the Sports Recaro seats anyway. Unless you can clench your bum cheeks like a straight guy who's gate-crashed a gay orgy, you will find them very uncomfortable on a long journey.:eye:

That's if their are the same as the one in the RS4. Which leaves the bum numb and sore,:vhmmm: I guess just like being at a gay orgy. :hihi:

[RacerBice]

Originally posted by Leadfoot
Who would want the Sports Recaro seats anyway. Unless you can clench your bum cheeks like a straight guy who's gate-crashed a gay orgy, you will find them very uncomfortable on a long journey.:eye:

That's if their are the same as the one in the RS4. Which leaves the bum numb and sore,:vhmmm: I guess just like being at a gay orgy. :hihi:

I wouldn't know, I've never been to one. But it's that bad, is it? :bye2:

[Leadfoot]

Originally posted by RacerBice
I wouldn't know, I've never been to one. But it's that bad, is it? :bye2:

Me neither, but I can guess.

Anyway, why pay for something when the ones already there are prefectly good enough. Save the difference and put it into a chip upgrade.:hahahehe: Now tell me, does 300+hp sound a lot better than sore bum cheeks.:applause:

[RacerBice]

I haven't tried the RS4 Recaro's but if they're anything like the ones in my old S3 I would simply love them. Best seats I've ever had in any of my cars. Perhaps I have a little more comfort enhancing "natural" foam in my bodily resources than you have...? :-s