which to buy?...

[limbo118118]

il be buying a 1.8t a3 next year, im goin to try and get it to the 230bhp mark as thats the tops by the sounds of that model of turbo. but what should il be looking at a sport... or a quattro sport?. i realise its four wheel drive, but which would be better for me iv not noticed a lot of people on here with the quattro?. many thanks James..

 

[DaveA3]

the reason u dont see many quattro is that the extra weight makes it slower than the 2wd even though it has more power and that the s3 is alot faster with 4wd so ppl just get them instead.

so its kinda spend more n get an s3 or buy a newer a3 (2001ish) with the k03s turbo which is the same as the one in the quattro and get ur 230ish with a remap n few mods

 

[Ian_83]

Depends on what you like really. have you ever driven AWD before? FWD isn't as bad as some people make out, nice and predictable with less weight and less transmissions losses. If you can afford the extra for a quattro, try it out first, see what you think. Or save some cash and put it into the other!

 

[DaveA3]

oh forgot to mention ive had both. and i prefer my normal sport 2wd it is alot nippier and seems to handle better in my opinion

 

[Dane]

If you want that power I think it makes more sense to get an s3.

 

[8YA335TDI1STED]

An S3 is your best option if you can stretch the budjet , its not just the power its the overall package and what you spend getting the 1.8 quattro to do 230 will get you 260 from the S3 , also I must add the S3 is my first haldex 4 wheel drive and what a god send with the weather lately , U wont regret it if you go this route, also dont be too concerned about whether you get an amk or bam version they handle the same and map to the same

 

[Ian_83]

You will get more from the S3, but from what I've seen (but I'm new too this) an S3 will set you back 3+k more then a 1.8T, with the extra cash, you could easily thrash a bog standard S3.

 

[s3dave]

There are insurance costs, to think about too and maintainance slightly more on an s

 

[8YA335TDI1STED]

Maintainance is high on an S3 but probably higher on a car tuned outwith its design peramiteres hence u need to upgrade all the running gear as well as the engine , also a bog standard S3 with a decent map n a Miltec etc is still above a highly tuned 1.8t quattro and has similar insurance costs, where the sport will have a big increase in premium after modding, as it may move up a few groups IF you declare the mods, think the 1.8t quat was old group 17 and the S3 a 19 , but when i did my homework it equated to a £40 difference on a fully comp policy think a faclift S3 is now a group 33 dunno about the other models , lets face it the 8L facelift is the teenager of the Audi a3 full of bravado and ready to go in all combat, the the 1.8t is the nipper , the 1.8t quatt is the gettin a first **** stage , and the 8p is the daddy .. so why buy a car and try to make it do what its older brother does when he has already learned the mistakes of its sibling ... S3 is the dogs ill be having me an 8p very soon

 

[Dane]

Its very budget dependent, I originally had a 1.8 Turbo quattro sport because i didnt think i could afford an s3, a few months later it turned out I could so I sold up and got the s3 - loosing some money in the process. Its defo worth holding out and saving that extra few bob if you can.

 

[limbo118118]

well thanks for the replies so far people!. well i would be 20 when i will be getting it and so i think il be getting the 1.8t a3 not the quattro . i am aiming to save enough for the 2001 onwards to get the ko3s turbo model. because i am aiming for the 230bhp mark jw my friend has a 172 cup clio and i find that fast, how would a 230bhp a3 stand up against it ? and yes i do delcare my mods i have done on my a3 atm and will do on the 1.8t many thanks james.

 

[jcs356]

Another difference with the 4wd models is that they have fully independent rear suspension, unlike the front drive models which have a simpler setup at the back.

 

[DaveA3]

Another difference with the 4wd models is that they have fully independent rear suspension, unlike the front drive models which have a simpler setup at the back.

best thing is u know what its going to do.

in reference to ur mate in the clio u should pull away abit on straights but hell have u in the bends

 

[Dane]

best thing is u know what its going to do.

in reference to ur mate in the clio u should pull away abit on straights but hell have u in the bends

True that, I was three up and fully laden - clio pulled to begin with but keep your foot in it and the clio will run out of puff.

 

[Welly]

Depends on what you like really. have you ever driven AWD before? FWD isn't as bad as some people make out, nice and predictable with less weight and less transmissions losses. If you can afford the extra for a quattro, try it out first, see what you think. Or save some cash and put it into the other!

I had a high powered FWD AS 1.8T Sport. Once you break the 200 BHP barrier, goodbye traction.... Fun, don't get me wrong, and I enjoyed it a lot, BUT it is a bit of a pain.