Why an S3 ? What is it . .

[Benny-coupe]

Throughout peoples lives they own many a car and to each car it has its own character .
Some may feel very aggresive and some feel like an allround purpose built comfortable car .
What is it about the s3 that s3 owners like ?

 

[Kitchy]

fairly quick, not bad on fuel, very well built, comfy quite alot better than the ford escort i had before lol

 

[golf]

Good all rounder. Does most things well and is relatively exclusive.

 

[jdas03]

I'd say rarity and build and the fact you can have most things off the lights and many things top end too!

 

[The Doctor]

For me it's about:

1. Performance (in all conditions, not just on dry smooth roads like other FWD or RWD cars)
2. Exclusivity (not many about)
3. Practicality (can use it every day)
4. Image (ie it's not all about the image & it's not a hair-dresser's car - apologies to any hair dressers reading this...)
5. Quality (solid build)
6. Tune-ability (if you want to)
7. Used prices & running costs (maybe a bit controversial this one but prices hold well, but not silly money & service intervals aren't silly).

For me nothing else can match it (except maybe an S3 8P).

 

[Westy]

I've owned the following cars with the following issues:

- Mk1 Corsa. Ok as a first car but no very exciting
- Renault 5 GT Turbo. Great fun, cheap, easy to tune, Tin crap box, boy racer image
- Renault Clio 182. Great fun, bit more grown up than the r5, great handling, not fast enough.
- Lotus Elise S1. Superb handling car, fast, expensive to maintain, not practical, no room
- S3. Comfortable, solid, packed with extras, fastish, grown up image.

 

[The Doctor]

When I bought my '03 S3 this year, my other option was an S1 Elise, but thought better of it due simply to practicality reasons.

As for my car history (this could be embarassing in parts...);

Model years, not purchase dates (I'm not that old...)

1984 Fiesta 1.1 Ghia - 1st car so obviously I loved it.
1996 Rover 214Si - faster & more solid than the Fiesta, ultra-reliable, loved it.
2001 Alfa 156 Veloce - got my first job & splashed out. REALLY loved it, except for the strangely soft front suspension. Glad I'd bought the additional warranty when the rear discs seized on it though...
2002 Fiesta 1.25 Freestyle - needed to save cash to buy my 1st house/get married etc. Loved it for its simplicity & roller-skate handling
2003 S3 8L - combines all the best bits of above with more power & sophistication. Love it despite the work I've had to have done to get it into tip-top shape.

 

[Niffty951]

I've a LONG history of cars. For me the S3 is great because it merges into the background / is acceptable everywhere from a row of shopping cars to a row of sports cars.

Its economical on a run and yet (especially chipped) just that bit quicker than you expect it to be. I and I'm sure many others expected it to be like a golf just a little quicker where in reality its like an Evo just a little slower. I like being plesantly surprised.

Finally I broke my back a couple of years ago now and whilst it isn't too bad day to day its really important to have a good seat and a good driving possition or after an hour I end up lying on the floor in agony. The S3 has a pedal box with zero offset, a very supportive seat, plenty of adjustment and best of all seat heating to relax the muscles when my back is bad.

Only thing that bothers me is the lack of aural pleasure from the dull german exhaust note and the lack of playful feel through the handling. It wants to grip everywhere, no room for playing like you get in a front engine RWD car for example.

 

[JS1500]

Car history;
1975 MG Midget 1500 - bought as my 1st car in 1997 and driven daily until 2006 (£20k resto / mod in 2004).
1998 Audi A4 Avant 1.8T Sport - bought in 2006 as I wanted something solid and comfortable for commuting to my new job (remapped earlier this year).
2003 Audi S3 - bought last week as I wanted something even more solid, comfortable and quicker and after owning a RWD then FWD I wanted to try 4WD.

I was initially looking at B5 S4s but I wanted something a bit newer than 2001 and with a lowish mileage. S4s seem very hard to find with less than 80k on the clock and a FASH, especially up here in Aberdeen. Plus, I didn't want something too similar (interior/exterior) to my old A4.

The S3 for me is non-flash, built very nicely and a handsome car. It's also very capable and practical and generally a nice place to spend some time.

 

[LordNelson]

ok, here is my list of cars:
1990 Rover Metro (one with the square lights) dont laugh its all i could afford.
1989 Nova SR - for my 18th birthday, 1.3 with the twin webbers - went like the clappers but broke down all the time
1998 Fiat Bravo. Disaster. dont ask
1998 Rover 220 BRM - lovely motor, fast and reliable, blew the engine, sold for next to nothing.
1995 Peugeot 306 XSi - had it 2 weeks
1997 Astra Sport. steady car till i got some money together
1992 MR2 Turbo (Jap Import) lots of fun...basically a big Go-Kart
1998 Audi A4 1.8T (B5) loved the car. classy image, great styling. great first Audi...got the taste
1995 Toyota Supra twin turbo (import) always wanted one so founds this and bought it....lots of RWD fun. Supercar performance and crippled me financially after 6 months of ownership...gutted to see it go
2001 VW Bora TDI 150. Ex Demo with ALL the toys. picked it up for a good price, got 2 years of cheap motoring. Sold due to debts and i only lost £400 on it in 2 years. had 135k on clock too.
1995 Toyota Celica. Another Jap. bought it very cheap from my Brother as the cash from the Bora Sale went to paying debts. nice steady car, solid as a rock, never any probs.....sold after 2 years and made a profit
2000 S3 8L....always wanted one, but never thought id afford to run one. a little older than i wanted but its mine and now i have the money to start getting it into the shape it should be in. loving it so far and hopefully there will be many more smiles to come.

Also have the 1967 Beetle which comes out to play when weather permits
Love the S3 as it has all the understated class it needs. subtle styling which is pleasing to the eye of whoever recognises it. Great handling and if needs be, is like **** off a shovel.

 

[jesters3]

Love the S3 as it has all the understated class it needs. subtle styling which is pleasing to the eye of whoever recognises it. Great handling and if needs be, is like **** off a shovel.

I second that.

 

[The Doctor]

ok, here is my list of cars:
1990 Rover Metro (one with the square lights) dont laugh its all i could afford.

Sorry, before I got to the "don't laugh" bit I was already doing it. I guess it's the way you took time to point out that it was the one with the square lights that got me!

Ahh, first cars. Like first girlfriends but easier to exchange for the next model up.

 

[Mr.G]

For me the S3 is a small nible, underestimated car which is the black sheep of the bunch.

It doesn't really fit in anywhere, like the odd one out. It just sits there all squat and butch like. No where near an RS model in terms of butchess, but the arches are still flared, it has lovely lines over the body & nice subtle styling touches.

The fact it's different is whats made me buy 3 of them. All in the 8L version, ok, it doesn't brake very well or handle very well in standard form when pushing it hard but it's meant to be comfortable too so Audi compromised on some things. Hardly a crime and it doesn't detract too much away from the car.

Running costs are pretty admirable from a car with over 200hp and 4WD.

I like it because it's different. I like owning things that are rare. There's something sublimely nice about getting in my car at the end of a working day and casually, creeping down the road, blending in with the rest of the cars, but knowing it's capable of far more than most people think.

G

 

[jojo]

It's those letters 'S' and '3', it's like saying M3 instead on 330i Coupe....

When someone asks you what do you drive, you say Audi S3 followed with a

 

[voorhees]

rarity...speed ( I know its hardly a rocket but its not a slouch either)...comfort

upon ownership of three years I just love the way peoples heads still turn and when it catches me unawares I thing whoo thats a nice motor..then realise oh its mine.

 

[Gareth_RS3]

I like most people based my car choice a lot on the way it looks and i still think it looks fantastic now. I like the face its relatively exclusive and is fairly quick now too, think it just ticks all the boxes IMO

 

[Benny-coupe]

Cheers lads one last thing ,is there much driver feedback through the steering and is there any Must do's after purchasing one ?
First thing i'm going with is a full Service . Second is the wheels , there going Black as are the Mirrors due to me liking an aggresive look and i feel the black wheels really bring out the character of Nogaro blue .
Next up enjoy it get to know it and then upgrade it ,
Remap
Coilovers
Brembo's​

I Might Seam weld the chassis as i've done it a few times in work and i will be doing alot of trackdays in it too **** all over a few Honda's ,
I've found a passion of dislike for them after owning my Civic for 2 years i noticed an awefull amount of Dickheads drive them ,excuse my language .​

Once very last thing
Is there any way to lower the seat rails , i was told the seat sits slightly too high
Ben​

 

[ianysm]

I always loved the S3. Saw a facelift one at the Melbourne motorshow in 2001 and liked its spec. Then i got beaten by a remapped one in my Civic Type R and kept it as a car i'd perhaps come back to...

A few years later i needed something better on fuel still with performance, looks, practicality and 4WD was a bonus due to roads i frequent...So the S3 came back into view.

Not anywhere near the feedback and adrenalin of the M3 but still excellent A-B progress in all weather and does over 30mpg. A perfect step down for me.

 

[voorhees]

Once very last thing
Is there any way to lower the seat rails , i was told the seat sits slightly too high
Ben​

press the paddle switch at the side of the recaro and you can lower it...a fair bit.

also suspension needs sorting.

 

[1animal1]

think i know where your coming from here, the S3 seats don't lower as much as a 1.8T's seats would......

 

[jojo]

think i know where your coming from here, the S3 seats don't lower as much as a 1.8T's seats would......

That's because they are Gucci seats, and have electrics in them.

 

[ianysm]

I'm a short **** (and so is the girlfriend) so ours is set to maximum height most of the time. I occasionally lower it slightly!!!

So all this talk about seats being too high is nonsense IMO!!!

 

[Westy]

You lucky sod mate. I find my knees getting in the way of my hands when applying a bit of opposite lock!

 

[ianysm]

You're the lucky sod, getting oversteer out of an S3!!! Just kidding, takes abit of provoking though!

I think thats where the complaints of seat height stem from. The distance between thighs and steering column is too short, even for me!

 

[Westy]

It's not really oversteer, more of a uncontrollable sideways slide

 

[fingermouse]

I actually tell people ive got a little old A3 as most don`t know what a S3 is lol and the seat i a good 6-8 inch too high even on the lowest setting.

I got the S3 as my mate had the R32 and once id been out in that I went and bought a S3 onthe same day wanter 4/5 seats and liked the S3 over the R32 and couldn`t have the same car also a mate had a TT but that felt like sitting in a high sided bath, even for me at 6ft 3

 

[Benny-coupe]

Yeah i'll need a slightly more Race spec seating possition
Has anybody Turned there's into Race spec S3 , Seating steering ? Weight Reducing ?

 

[fingermouse]

seen someone with a different seat that sat a lot lower but then no coasy heat in the winter

 

[Benny-coupe]

seen someone with a different seat that sat a lot lower but then no coasy heat in the winter

Bahh never mind that , it can always be put back in .
Thanks to all the advice

 

[mattyboy199]

i have quite a short list of cars owned

92 K Astsa mk3 merit 1.4i (3 door) - Fantastic car i lowered put some wheels on it & an exhasust looked like the SRI which visually wasnt much different.

95 M Corsa mk1 GSI - great fun to drive, but needed alot of work mainly engine rebuild & brake sysem replacement annoying caue it had only cover 60k. Handled well once lowered

03 Astra SRI 1.8 (125bhp) - Not that impressive nice interior being an SRI handled well but being a vauxhall wasnt built very well

51 (02) S3 (225) - Superb the glove fits although having to replace steering column, replacing ARB's, rust appearing is a joke !

 

[The Doctor]

51 (02) S3 (225) - Superb the glove fits although having to replace steering column, replacing ARB's, rust appearing is a joke !

Where's the rust appearing? Roof rails?