Help me find my ideal spec S3!!

[Els]

Chaps,

I am now on the hunt for an S3 and this may sound picky but I want one with this spec :icon_thumright:

Full Black Leather or Red+Black Leather (pretty rare I think?)
BOSE
Sat Nav
Armrest
Chrome Mirrors
Colour I am open to!
Mileage ideally less than 100k.

Budget is 7k, is this do-able and what is out there?!

 

[thegoal007]

do-able without doubt although you haven't said whether it has to be a 224 engine ?
Personally, the optional Sat nav is crap (well documented) and BOSE.....well I would love to get my one replaced if it wasn't so much hastle.
Also you haven't mentioned preference on alloys ? the 18s are probably the ones to go if it's non family oriented vehicle otherwise go for the 17 as it's a good compromise on comfort.
Also black leather - defintely with heated seats if I were searching again. Red and black leather is a very rare find ! that might just push you over the budget with those seats.

Also forgot to mention don't worry about viewing cars with an asking price of of £8k. - even with dealers especially if they have had the car for ages.#

happy days will soon be heading your way..........

 

[voorhees]

never seen red and black leather factory fitted

 

[Els]

I just think the sat nav makes the dash look a lot nicer!

Wheels I am not concerned about as I like the 17s and 18s.

Again, engine wise I am not fussed as a remap will be issued lol

Regarding the black leather, are not all of them heated?

 

[1animal1]

the engine isnt all..id personally look at facelift and prefacelift then intermitent facelift (X/Y and some 51 plates).....as the full 225's tend to have the full transition kit, only slight things but enough in my book

 

[ianysm]

Whats the 'full transition kit'??

I'd make sure you get a facelift. All facelifts are the same except when the 225 was introduced late 2001/early 2002 i read they apparently changed some damper mounts or something and Evo magazine state it handles better!

7k will definately secure you one. Once you've found one with most of the spec you're after (i doubt you'll get all of the above, there is always a compromise, make sure it has its cambelt etc up to date. 70-80k miler is what you'll be in budget for. I personally like grey best but had to compromise on silver.

Heated seats are an option, again i compromised (missing them now!) for the right car.

 

[1animal1]

transition kit includes lil things like the interior door handles being faded alloy as opposed to full chrome - noticed a few lil bits like that when i visited Jim a while back...his X reg facelift had a few lil nitbits that my 51 plate seemed to have a revised version of..... i would imagine there will be more bits under the skin - you'd have to be picky but it could be a decider

 

[golf]

Tim, I'm pretty sure most people don't really care whether the interior door handles are chrome or brushed aluminium, unless they are absolute geeks.

 

[voorhees]

Tim, I'm pretty sure most people don't really care whether the interior door handles are chrome or brushed aluminium, unless they are absolute geeks.

I do.....

 

[s3 Hoggy]

I do

 

[1animal1]

Golfy..... do you wana post your apology to save you the embarrassment

It made a difference to me like the need for having the BAM engine, and if the handles are different you have to question what else was changed...... it's similar to the pre and post facelift argument...... i wouldnt have a pre because of the changes that ensued, likewise in this scenario

 

[golf]

There's more geeks in here than I thought

I wanted a facelift because there are fairly major changes, (all of which are documented and well known by buyers and sellers alike), but to me there are absolutely no advantages of having brushed aluminium door handles rather than the chrome ones. If there were other changes apart from the door handles, then it would be a different matter, but my mates 03 plate seems identical to my 2001 AMK. Perhaps we should ask Audi whether any more changes were introduced after the facelift in '01.

 

[JS1500]

Signature updated.

 

[1animal1]

haha well for info the brushed finished items are a lot warmer on the cold mornings...placebo perhaps?

what i was saying is that if these are different then what else will they have changed...although i think we both know we'll draw a blank from Audi, they have trouble differentiating the A3 from the S3 nevermind being year specific

 

[thegoal007]

haha well for info the brushed finished items are a lot warmer on the cold mornings...placebo perhaps?

what i was saying is that if these are different then what else will they have changed...although i think we both know we'll draw a blank from Audi, they have trouble differentiating the A3 from the S3 nevermind being year specific

Having leather seats (not heated) are bl**dy cold come winter and ****** hot duing summer, so with your logic leather is out and cloth is in........but I would still buy another S3 absoluteley with black leather seats although with heating next time!

 

[sportstractor]

Golfy..... do you wana post your apology to save you the embarrassment

It made a difference to me like the need for having the BAM engine, and if the handles are different you have to question what else was changed...... it's similar to the pre and post facelift argument...... i wouldnt have a pre because of the changes that ensued, likewise in this scenario

I prefer the chrome.

with a budget of 7k, Your not going to have any problems. Im looking at spending 6k on a facelift, which seems to be slightly optimistic, but there are a few out there. Most people accept that they will get knocked down 200-300 on a car when advertising. Read somewhere that alot more people will be selling next month as new reg is coming in, so people are changing for new cars.

I cant belive you dont have a preference on colour? Thats my main preference

 

[1animal1]

erm Goal..... how is my logic flawed, i made a jokey comment about the door handles, who brought leather into this

sports.... if you had the choice betwen the final version of the S3 or the cross over model....are you telling me you'd pick the crossover model....yes little difference but logic would be for most to go for the most recent if its in budget - unless of course your looking at a dog of a car and the older car is pristine - but thats looking at other factors

 

[sportstractor]

know what you mean, but I do prefer the chrome.

animal, I was in shef on the wkend, saw a filthy yellow S3 pooting around, not yours was it?

 

[thegoal007]

I too was making a similar joke.

 

[CasperS3]

AUDI S3 S3 Quattro 3dr [225] Hatchback

£4,295

2000 (V reg), Hatchback

Trade seller, distance: 136 miles

• 88,000 miles, V PLATE,6SPEED MANUAL,MET BLACK,88K MILES,FSH,TAX AND MOT,18IN RS4 WHEELS,CROME MIRRORS,FULL UPGRADED FACELIFT FRONT,NEW SHAPE CLEAR FRONT LIGHTS,XENON …

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