Audi S3 vs Audi A3 S line/S-line vs VW Volkswagen Golf GTI vs Golf GTI Edition 30 ?!?

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Hi

Was wondering which one of these 4 top sporty cars would you go for if you were about to buy/change/px your car?

Looking to buy a 4~5 year old car, not anything older than that! Budget up to 10k but could possibly push it further to 12k! The lower the better considering whether its worth it or not!

Make/Mode
Reg
Price/Cost
MPG (Combined)
BHP
Road TAX/Year
Fuel
Audi S3 Quattro
2008/58£12k ~ 15k/16k
31265£270Petrol
Golf GTI MK5/MKV Edition 302008/58£8 ~ 10k35230£250Petrol
Audi A3 S line/S-line TDI Quattro
2008/58£10k ~ £12k50170£135Diesel
Golf GTI MK5/MKV2008/58£7 ~ 9k35200£250Petrol

Apologies for valuing the S3 as £9K, I did not intend to do that by any purpose! Sorry! It's revised! :)

Can you please state which one of these and why?!?
Looking to buy one ASAP but was wondering which one I should buy, so upon reselling in year or 2 years time still holds its value!
Please also consider its maintenance cost/servicing etc.!?!

I'm not specifically looking at MPG coz I'm not doing anything more than 8k miles/year!

Cheers
 
Last edited:
Or

Audi TT Quattro
2008/2009
£9 ~ £11
30 MPG
250 BHP
TAX over £450 (Not affordable)
 
Edition 30 vote here too, but only if your going to modify it. If not modifying TDI Quattro.

Where the S3 has zero drama, the edition 30 golf has got lots once modded.
 
I personally think GTIs edition 30 worth buying as they do 35 MPG and massive 230 bhp!!

As opposed to the other 3!

But look-wise likely go for S3, then GTI edition 30 and then the other two!
 
Personally R32 golf should be in there. they're lovely. May not have massive performance potential (well at a decent price) but boy do they sound good.
 
Great! But one of my mates saying better go off for r32 as could get it with similar sort of price range!!!

But again r32s tax is over £450 and honestly not affordable, and only does 25 MPG! Which is not that great compared to GTI edition 30! :)
 
I think if you can get hold of an earlier R32 then the tax is a bit better mate :)
 
I've seen some, sound-wise exactly same as GTI edition 30 but look-wise, much better, the front grill, and lower-part of the rear bumper!

Finally if I was to spend around £9k~10k should I go for DSG gear box or manual! I've hear some good stuff about DSGs but a bit worried about their maintaince cost! I've always had manual!
 
Generally speaking that's just an estimated price and not accurate, that's why I used tilda for my price range!

Of course you won't be able to find a S3 with that price, the whole idea was to distinguish the value of these top cars and how much they worth! Of course you could always l@@k at eBay's completed listings and have a look at the completed S3s etc.

Accept my apology if I didn't accurately valued your favourite car! :(
 
mjr901 said:
I think if you can get hold of an earlier R32 then the tax is a bit better mate :)
Click to expand...

That's the best idea, the 56 plate model I think has the lowest tax and these sell for much more than a 2008/58 equivalent.
 
On one of the VW's forums I looked at one of the GTi Edition 30's ad and some guy selling his for 10k, was wondering if it worth buying it or not;

VW GOLF GTi Edition 30 (Silver), 2008 (57)
Mileage 40k
FSH
1 Former Keeper
HPI clear

What you guys think!?!

Thanks
 
Tay said:
That's the best idea, the 56 plate model I think has the lowest tax and these sell for much more than a 2008/58 equivalent.
Click to expand...

No mate, I've pretty much looked at all of them and cost the same! Tax bank either "L" or "M" which according to Directgov motoring costs around £460 to £475/Year...

Don't think anybody would ever consider buying one!
 
Long term average on my Stage1 MKV Golf Gti 200PS (Manual) was 25mpg
Long term average on my Stage1 S3 (Manual) was 22mpg.

So very little difference in fuel costs, especially for the difference in performance and obvious 4wd benefits.
From memory road tax is the same.

The Golf was a great car but I cant really say the Golf was any more `fun` than the S3.

I wouldnt be disappointed with an ED30.

Not a bad dilemna to have.
 
farzad said:
No mate, I've pretty much looked at all of them and cost the same! Tax bank either "L" or "M" which according to Directgov motoring costs around £460 to £475/Year...

Don't think anybody would ever consider buying one!
Click to expand...

To put it into perspective, the difference in road tax between an R32 and a Gti is 3 tanks of fuel.

I wouldnt right the R32 off on that alone. Many have though and thats what can make them a good used prospect!
 
Choice of 2 for me .........ED30 or the S3. I have remapped both cars on several occassions and driven both cars extensively. For the fun factor I preferred the ED30 but that wasn't by a long way. The ED30 I think will hold its value better seeing as they are quite rare. The build quality of the Golf was slightly better and it felt a little more planted on the road. Once tweaked both are formidable cars.
 
Nothing remotely sporty about a diesel A3. The 2.0t Quattro is worth a look though.
 
Oh, and the ED30 is the only one that's a special edition, so should hold more of its value than the others.
 
ED30 but for all round fun, but it'll be the quattro S3 for me or a 2 litre Golf R.
Having had a MK5 GTI DSG, my A3 S-tronic Quattro wins hand down when the road is wet or slippery. Far more traction, zero torque steer leaving most powerful FWD and RWD drive cars for 'damp dust'.
 
MartayMcFly said:
Oh, and the ED30 is the only one that's a special edition, so should hold more of its value than the others.
Click to expand...

Just was wondering whether you bought your S3 as brand new and u're the 1st former keeper! It is worth buying new or used with 2~4 years old average!
Cheers
 
MrLapou said:
ED30 but for all round fun, but it'll be the quattro S3 for me or a 2 litre Golf R.
Having had a MK5 GTI DSG, my A3 S-tronic Quattro wins hand down when the road is wet or slippery. Far more traction, zero torque steer leaving most powerful FWD and RWD drive cars for 'damp dust'.
Click to expand...

So do you recon to for DSG or manuall l@@king at it in overall!?!
Cheers
 
R32, Milltek Non-Res = Game over. Plus there's just something about that N/A engine it just feels so lively.

Currently looking for a MK4 as a second car myself after spending a week driving a friends :happy:
 
farzad said:
Just was wondering whether you bought your S3 as brand new and u're the 1st former keeper! It is worth buying new or used with 2~4 years old average!
Cheers
Click to expand...

I bought mine at 3-years old and 23k miles, the original owner traded it in for a new one and I bought it from the dealer that supplied them both. I really don't see the point in buying a brand-new car, you get so much more for your money buying used.
 
Has to be the EDITION30..:yum:

130iMSport004.jpg
 
CJ92 said:
Has to be the EDITION30..:yum:

130iMSport004.jpg
Click to expand...

Nice one! How long have u had it 4? and how much did u get it for if u don't mind?!
L@@king to by e30 but not sure what to consider, high mileage with 1 former keeper and fsh...
or
low mileage with 2~3 former keepers and of course fsh...
But possibly the more the number of former keepers, the more chance of dudgy mileage and service history...
 
Guys this is just an personal overview and wanted to know ur opinions as well!

What mileage would u go for?!?


  1. 20~40k
  2. 40~60k
  3. 70k ~90k
  4. 90k ~ 100k
  5. 100k and more...



Have u ever had any prob buying high mileage cars, well I mean maintenance and service-wise costs in both short and long-term?!?

I personal think 40~ 70k and preferably 1 former keeperrrrrrrrr!

What do you recon?!

Cheers
 
Had an Ed30 for 2 years before my S3 - both modded. Ed30 was a handful in the wet, and it's quite capable of spitting you off the road even with ESP left on. Never looked back since I reverted to 4wd.
 
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Quattro Quattro FTW.... FWD is for people who want fear factor not necessarily fun. I look for pleasure driving experience and with quattro you just feel save and planted even when race sometime of the lights or go round tight corners the car just let me enjoy every second instad of shi... my pants;).
 
So I'm going to stick my flame retardant jacket on and suggest....

2006/2007 BMW 130i M Sport. Plenty on autotrader with ~60k miles for well under 10 grand. Peach of an engine, RWD, what's not to love?
 
audi a3 s-line sportback 3.2 v6 between 6-9k great cars they have quattrrrro and sound great plus they are a bit of a sleeper
 
To be honest I don't think it's a question anyone can answer for you. I think you just inherently know when you get in the right car and it makes you happy.

I respect the Golf Ed30, but I don't love it visually (particularly the interior). I love the MkIV R32 but would I want one over an S3???? probably not given that I've acclimatised to the comfort levels in the S3. I like the Golf R, but it's ridiculously priced and I wouldn't take it over the S3 for that reason alone, so for me I end up back at the S3 which offers possibly the best blend of benefits for the ticket price. There is the Scirocco and the Leon Cupra, and I suppose out of those two it's a case of how many doors you want and whether the badge matters.

Whilst many of these cars are on ostensibly similar platform, they all have their own characters and plus points, all are pretty much near the top of their class at something, and all will serve you well. Economy and tax shouldn't really be a consideration UNLESS you can't afford the car in the first place, if you can afford to run a £12k car then you should be able to afford and tax it, and as has been said it's basically nothing more than the difference in a couple of tanks of petrol at the end of the day between an S3 and an R32.

Buy wisely, but a car that doesn't have a shed load of impending work to be done, but more importantly buy something that makes you smile when you get in it and drive it. There's nothing worse than paying bills on a car you don't love, and when the novelty of newness wears off you want to ensure you made the right choice as changing is rarely cheap!

*beat me to it Karl!
 
warren_S3 said:
*beat me to it Karl!
Click to expand...
you put it alot better lol

this is the perfect statement:

'more importantly buy something that makes you smile when you get in it and drive it'

and should be the basis on which you buy a fast car, all the other things such as tax and mpg are just minor costs for that massive smile on your face
 
essIII said:
So I'm going to stick my flame retardant jacket on and suggest....

2006/2007 BMW 130i M Sport. Plenty on autotrader with ~60k miles for well under 10 grand. Peach of an engine, RWD, what's not to love?
Click to expand...

Good choice make sure to ditch the runflats though..

130iMSport025.jpg
 
essIII said:
2006/2007 BMW 130i M Sport. Plenty on autotrader with ~60k miles for well under 10 grand. Peach of an engine, RWD, what's not to love?
Click to expand...

The look of it; don't get me wrong as a piece of engineering it's a fine car but if I owned one it's not a car I'd walk away from after a drive and feel any compulsion to take a second look back at. Ay least the Mk1 isn't as goppingly houndish as the Mk2 which looks like it's suffered a severe stroke.
 
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