Considering buying an S3 - Advice please!

[Rich1275cc]

Well howdy all you Audi folks.

At the grand old age of 25 I have decided to give up my teenage toy of a Rover Mini Cooper and am now about to plant some serious cash into a car more suited to long motorway blasts and with some poke to go. I'm thinking Audi A3/S3 - but am a bit worried about the running costs! Work pay for my gas, but on top I'm thinking of putting aside £1000 a year for servicing / tyres etc - looking at doing around 16000 miles a year. Does that sound reasonable, or too lean?

I used to own a Clio 16V (which in its day was sweet as can be, before all the young tw@ts started making them into aesthetic mistakes) - so I'm hoping the S3 will top my Clio experience. maybe evenn in running costs?!

Also, could someone give me an idea as to how much S3's are to service - when the big bills come around, how oftern they need a trip to see the bloke at the garage, and what to look out for when buying one!

At the moment I'm torn between an S3 or a Volvo S40T4 - but being me, the looks of the Volvo are doing it no favours.

I'd really apreciate your comments and stories as to what it is like to live with the S3 on a daily basis.

Ta muchly.

 

[JayBeeS3]

Running costs, well I guess it differs a dreat deal.
For me for instance:
Tyres lets say once every year and a half (perhaps year depending on your driving style) are GBP 400 per set of 4
maintanance about once a year for me GBP 800 or so
The really big services I dont have any experience with them because my car has only done 75k kms.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

 

[Rich1275cc]

Cheers fella - much appreciated. Good to see I'm not too out with my costs! Your one sounds a bit slick - has chipping improved your MPG at all?

 

[JayBeeS3]

[ QUOTE ]
Born Laughing said:
Cheers fella - much appreciated. Good to see I'm not too out with my costs! Your one sounds a bit slick - has chipping improved your MPG at all?

[/ QUOTE ]


whattayamean with a bit slick?
fuel cons improved in the way that I quite often use full power and drive about 5km per litre (about 18mpg?)

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

 

[Rich1275cc]

'a bit slick' basically means 'very nice' I guess! Cheers for the ears....

 

[bjacks]

£800 a year maintenance? That's a tad steep, unless you're including insurance etc.
Minor 10k service @£180, major closer to £300. Haldex and brake fluid change every 2 years at £80 each.

Cheers

Ben

 

[JayBeeS3]

[ QUOTE ]
Ben (bjacks) said:
£800 a year maintenance? That's a tad steep, unless you're including insurance etc.
Minor 10k service @£180, major closer to £300. Haldex and brake fluid change every 2 years at £80 each.

Cheers

Ben

[/ QUOTE ]

well Dutch stealers (especially mine) apparently are quite enthousiastic in invoicing. They always say: well you've got and "S" car so the service is more time consuming and so on.
Last time I had my wheels aligned (by computer) and it took them more then 2 hours...... (with 2 men working on it).
My insurance btw is GBP 1250 a year.
GBP 800 is based on my last 60k kms service (long life service). Brake fluid and Haldex every year (just to be on the safe side).

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

 

[AlexStanley]

[ QUOTE ]
Ben (bjacks) said:
£800 a year maintenance? That's a tad steep, unless you're including insurance etc.
Minor 10k service @£180, major closer to £300. Haldex and brake fluid change every 2 years at £80 each.

Cheers

Ben

[/ QUOTE ]
You haven't included tyres in that though, Ben...

 

[Grant]

[ QUOTE ]
JayBeeS3 said:
My insurance btw is GBP 1250 a year.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's a bit steep! I am under £500 for my S3 and I am 25 - 5yrs NCB and 0pts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[dickys3]

I woundn't hesitate if you are only concerned about maintenance costs! The costs are very low compared to other major manufacturers. They are even good on fuel due to the engine lump being only a 1.8. The other thing is these cars can go for 20K miles before they need a service (Depends on how you drive and what type of journey;s you do). I'm on my second one. I had a new one a few years back but had to sell it. I then bought another car but I have just gone back to the S3. IMHO they are good value for money - Fast, Safe, Comfy, respectable, not many around. You also get all the toys i.e Electric Leather Recaros, 6 gears, 4wd, xenon's etc.

Go for it.

Cheers
Rich.

 

[Rich1275cc]

Some useful feedback from you all - thanks a lot. That insurance quote of £500 notes is superb - I've ben quoted £870 but then that is with only 3 yrs no claims - even so, that is not bad for the car in my opinion. I paid out £480 for my mini last year - a car with only 75hp! Tyres are going to be costly I reckon - but that's no worry. Just so long as bits don't fall off then I'm a happy chap.

I like the way someone mentioned its uniqueness. Very true, one of the reasons it appeals to me is that it is not a boy racers car. I love speed as much as the nexct man - but there are ways of showing your apopreciation of all things with an engine (if you know what I mean!)

The service costs sound very welcoming - I'm hoping to stick to Audi dealers, but am thinking specialist as well - so long as I can find a good one.

Important thing i need to do now is choose the colour! think I'll hit the shops after I've eaten my Turkey next week....

R.

 

[bjacks]

[ QUOTE ]
Alex Stanley said:
[ QUOTE ]
Ben (bjacks) said:
£800 a year maintenance? That's a tad steep, unless you're including insurance etc.
Minor 10k service @£180, major closer to £300. Haldex and brake fluid change every 2 years at £80 each.

Cheers

Ben

[/ QUOTE ]
You haven't included tyres in that though, Ben...

[/ QUOTE ]
True but he said £400 for tyres and £800 for maintenance.
I can't comment on tyres because I have 18"'s (which incidentally cost me £130 each this weekend for P Zeros) so just gave my thoughts on servicing etc /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif. I'm not on AVS either.
Fuel is an odd one. I get 30+on a run and low 20's round town. Not the best but if you're worried about fuel then buy a diesel /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

All the best,

Ben

 

[JayBeeS3]

[ QUOTE ]
Imola S3 said:
[ QUOTE ]
JayBeeS3 said:
My insurance btw is GBP 1250 a year.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's a bit steep! I am under £500 for my S3 and I am 25 - 5yrs NCB and 0pts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

well I live in The Netherlands......... that explains all.....
The most expensive cars in the world
Most expensive fuel in the world
High road taxes
Expensive dealers
and so on and so on........
Its considered a priviledge to drive a car around here.
Fuel is GBP 3.16 per gallon (if I calculated that correctly)a nicely specced S3 is GBP 45k..........
So everything else (like dealers and insurance) is in line with those prices.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

 

[nhenty]

[ QUOTE ]
JayBeeS3 said:
well I live in The Netherlands......... that explains all.....
The most expensive cars in the world
Most expensive fuel in the world
High road taxes
Expensive dealers
and so on and so on........
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


So how much is a beer Jaybees3???

 

[bjacks]

Bargain fuel mate, we pay more than £3.60 a gallon.

 

[speedyp]

Round here Optimax is about £ 3.72 a gallon!!

So things are not THAT bad for you!!??

 

[bjacks]

What's that a litre? Optimax is 80p/litre this way at the moment.
Cheers

Ben

 

[Grant]

[ QUOTE ]
Ben (bjacks) said:
What's that a litre? Optimax is 80p/litre this way at the moment.

[/ QUOTE ]
1 gallon (UK) = 4.546092 litres

1 gallon (non UK) = 3.785412 litres

 

[bjacks]

81.8p then. GCSE maths rocks /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[speedyp]

Correct (ish...)

It's 81.9p round here!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif

 

[JayBeeS3]

[ QUOTE ]
nobby said:
[ QUOTE ]
JayBeeS3 said:
well I live in The Netherlands......... that explains all.....
The most expensive cars in the world
Most expensive fuel in the world
High road taxes
Expensive dealers
and so on and so on........
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


So how much is a beer Jaybees3???

[/ QUOTE ]

a beer is about 2.5 EURO for 0.2 litre..... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif