OK I've Done It - 2.0 TDi 170

[jasonmymail]

Well after what seems like an eternity of indecision I finally ordered today:

A3 Sportback 2.0 TDi 170 SE (Solid Black)

Extras...

Vienna Leather + Front Sport Seats (Black)
Xenons
Symphony II
Auto Folding Door Mirrors
Black Headlining
Luggage Pack
Aluminium Roof Rails
Electric Lumbar
Rear Sun Blind
Carpet Mats

... funny how easy it is to add £3,000+ of options...

... anyone have any other extras they can't live without or regret not getting?

Will be my first diesel - hope it lives up to expectations.

10/12 weeks will go by VERY slowly I think.

 

[cdb2]

I personally didn't like the 16" SE wheels so upgraded to the 17" 5 Stars and fog lights - purely cosmetic reasons.

MF steering wheel is great.

 

[Tim Stuart]

I've just ordered a black Sportback but in 2.0TDi 140 S-Line trim. I've also gone for the aluminium roof rails - makes it look more like a mini-Avant to me.

Does a front armrest come as standard on an SE? It's a must for comfortable motorway driving...

I didn't have enough budget to go for the 170 though - I reckon it's going to be ****** quick!

I haven't yet been given a delivery date, but mine's due in September too, and like you I can't wait.

 

[cdb2]

The Ali Rails look great - my car is silver so with the 17" 5 Stars they look great as everything is silver or black. Rails are easy to keep clean too!

I, like many others, find the arm rest gets in the way so have it up, especially for town driving.

 

[jasonmymail]

I've just ordered a black Sportback but in 2.0TDi 140 S-Line trim. I've also gone for the aluminium roof rails - makes it look more like a mini-Avant to me.

Does a front armrest come as standard on an SE? It's a must for comfortable motorway driving...

I didn't have enough budget to go for the 170 though - I reckon it's going to be ****** quick!

I haven't yet been given a delivery date, but mine's due in September too, and like you I can't wait.

Hey Tim

Yes front armrest is standard on SE, if you want rear armrest you have to have it with the through load system - too much money IMO.

I haven't even driven the 170!!! (has anyone driven this?) Did drive the 140 tho and that felt quick, quicker than my Golf V5, well the engine seems to have more urgency.

What options have you gone for? Are you having solid or metallic black, this is the only thing I'm not totally sure about but I couldn't see that much difference between the two in the showroom.

Hoping Audi will get their skates on and get me the car before the end of Sept so I can take it on holiday.

 

[jasonmymail]

The Ali Rails look great - my car is silver so with the 17" 5 Stars they look great as everything is silver or black. Rails are easy to keep clean too!
.

Alu rails half the reason I went for the Sportback, they just look so good against black, also prefer the back end of the sportback, more like the rest of the audis, A3 3 door looking a bit out of place compred to the rest of the range now.

Would have liked better alloys but already £2.5K over my original budget and the fat tyres suit me as driving in pothole ridden London most of the time.

How long did you wait for yours?

 

[custardtart]

Just about to order an s-line 170. The local dealer didn't have any info or any dates when they are coming in so if anyone can shed any light on what they are like to drive, that would be great.

Car would be in black with the standard spoked 18" wheels.

They aren't that well specced as standard so options for me would be.
Ali rails
front arm rest
heated seats
BOSE
privacy glass
flat tyre warning
cruise
rear floor mats
xenon
parking sensors
m/f s/wheel

All cars on our new car policy are diesals, otherwise I could get a 3.2 for that price

 

[d3fy]

for me, MF wheel, Auto Lights, Auto Wipers,

 

[curran33]

that will look really well

 

[Amchlolor]

Hey Tim



I haven't even driven the 170!!! (has anyone driven this?) Did drive the 140 tho and that felt quick, quicker than my Golf V5, well the engine seems to have more urgency.

The 170 will obviously be quicker than the 140,but it wouldn't be hard.
The 140 takes a hair-greying 26 seconds to get to 100mph.

 

[Tim Stuart]

Jason, to answer your earlier question about colour - I've gone for the standard black as I too couldn't see the difference. As it will be a company car, my budget was limited. However, I went for the roof rails, cruise and front armrest (neither are standard). If I had more to spend I definitely would have gone for privacy glass, Bose and M/F steering wheel.

 

[howatsi]

Don't forget to add parking sensors, you may not need them, but your partner's bound to test the rear bumper when trying to park.

 

[dorgan]

So happy that I took the S-Line pack. The lowered suspension make a world of difference. There's a standard spec with 16" wheels in our garage and It looks terrible IMHO. Glad I took Xenons and the center arm rest too. Wish I ordered the interior light pack.

 

[Covenant]

Wanted folding mirrors and the 2-piece alloys, but I suppose it was a small sacrifice for the discount I got

 

[cdb2]

Alu rails half the reason I went for the Sportback, they just look so good against black, also prefer the back end of the sportback, more like the rest of the audis, A3 3 door looking a bit out of place compred to the rest of the range now.

Would have liked better alloys but already £2.5K over my original budget and the fat tyres suit me as driving in pothole ridden London most of the time.

How long did you wait for yours?

Waited just under 2 months for mine.

The SB rear is very nice, always get told by people how fat it looks! The parking sensors come in handy as the rear view is not great.

 

[jasonmymail]

Don't forget to add parking sensors, you may not need them, but your partner's bound to test the rear bumper when trying to park.

I divorced her last year

But may still add them as quite a few people have mentioned that rear view is poor and living in Westminster parking is tight.

 

[jasonmymail]

The 170 will obviously be quicker than the 140,but it wouldn't be hard.
The 140 takes a hair-greying 26 seconds to get to 100mph.

26 seconds to 100mph - that's milkfloat - had no idea it was that slow at the upper end.

Anyone know where I can get performance figures for the 170 ?????????

 

[jasonmymail]

Jason, to answer your earlier question about colour - I've gone for the standard black as I too couldn't see the difference. As it will be a company car, my budget was limited. However, I went for the roof rails, cruise and front armrest (neither are standard). If I had more to spend I definitely would have gone for privacy glass, Bose and M/F steering wheel.

I think the standard black looks blacker, deeper shine somehow, more of a contrast against the alu trim - I like it when it's polished up but hope it doesn't show up scratches and marks too much.

Was an A8 in the showroom in solid black and it looked SO mean.

Apparently it's a more expensive process to apply the solid colours as the factories are set up for the majority of metallic cars that go through. Personally I don't think they can justify a £500 premium for metallic.

 

[jasonmymail]

Waited just under 2 months for mine.

The SB rear is very nice, always get told by people how fat it looks! The parking sensors come in handy as the rear view is not great.

That's quick!

You've got the SE too - did you have much in the way of extras?

 

[mfspen]

......Will be my first diesel - hope it lives up to expectations......

Are you absolutely sure you want a diesel ?

I made that mistake (admittedly after years of driving petrol cars), and regretted it. I'm swapping mine for a 2.0T S-Line, which is very good value as it comes with the 18" wheels and full leather as standard.....

 

[Tim Stuart]

I currently drive my first diesel - a 2.0TDi 3-door A3 that I inherited when I joined the company. I must admit I was dreading it.

However, I love the torque that you get with the turbocharged diesel (more than the equivalent 2.0T). Whilst BHP is important, I reckon in the real world it's all about torque.

Also, how often do you do a o-100 or even 0-60? The most important acceleration figures are 30-50 and 50-70 in gear. The 2.0TDi for me is a punchy engine that has plenty of urge when you need to overtake (admittedly you need to change gear more often as the power band is so narrow).

Plus driving over 30,000 miles a year in a diesel is a lot less expensive than driving a petrol.

 

[mfspen]

The problem I find with my 2.0 TDI is the severe turbo lag. The throttle is like an on-off switch at 2000rpm - nothing below, then a narrow torque band up to 2500rpm. (The 170PS version may well be better of course).

The 2.0T does have lower max torque (280 vs 320Nm), but it's much more usable, as the torque curve is flat right across the rev range.

Noise and refinement is dreadful on the diesel too. The 2.0T is super smooth and refined.

Fuel consumption on the 2.0TDI is outstanding however, so if you do a lot of miles, then the 2.0T is probably not a good choice.

 

[Amchlolor]

26 seconds to 100mph - that's milkfloat - had no idea it was that slow at the upper end.

Anyone know where I can get performance figures for the 170 ?????????

It sure is.
I couldn't believe the figures,so I tried it myself with a stopwatch.
It really is that slow.
Overtaking cars that are doing anything more than 50mph requires planning or,as I have learned,it's better to take a run at it.
0-60 is reasonably rapid.
It's the 60-100mph bit that take an aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaage.

 

[cdb2]

That's quick!

You've got the SE too - did you have much in the way of extras?

Loads of extras - metallic, Automatic folding door mirrors, 5 spoke star design alloys 17", 4 spoke multi function steering wheel, Rear mats, Medial Aluminum Silver inlays, Acoustic Parking System, Electric lumbar support, Front fog lights, Drivers Information System, Polished Aluminium Roof Rails, Black Interior, Tyre Pressure Monitor + of course all the usual included SE stuff like auto lights and wipers, interior lighting pack, arm rest, cruise etc.....

Went for the SE as having tried both didn't want the harder ride of the Sport on the poor roads around here, and I'm no speedster! I found the SE plenty hard enough! Added some of the things that were on the Sport that I wanted like DIS and 17s.

Would recommend the Medial Aluminum Silver inlays rather than the horrid ginger or dark brown wood, looks so much better, especially with your alu rails, alloys and black paint and black interior. It's a free upgrade too, looks so much better with a black interior than the wood.

 

[jasonmymail]

Went for the SE as having tried both didn't want the harder ride of the Sport on the poor roads around here, and I'm no speedster! I found the SE plenty hard enough! Added some of the things that were on the Sport that I wanted like DIS and 17s.

Would recommend the Medial Aluminum Silver inlays rather than the horrid ginger or dark brown wood, looks so much better, especially with your alu rails, alloys and black paint and black interior. It's a free upgrade too, looks so much better with a black interior than the wood.

Like you I'm not prepared to compromise on ride comfort so have gone for the SE, even though the sport seems to offer better value for money.

Yep, gone for the free medial alu inlays swap and also the black roof liner which just seems to give the interior a real quality edge - I think it's standard on the S-Line.

 

[jasonmymail]

Are you absolutely sure you want a diesel ?

I made that mistake (admittedly after years of driving petrol cars), and regretted it. I'm swapping mine for a 2.0T S-Line, which is very good value as it comes with the 18" wheels and full leather as standard.....

Uhhhhmmmmm, you're making me doubt now. I don't do that many miles but am fed up of throwing petrol into my car, have a Golf V5 and it does 0 MPG but still want the torque. + the diesel will be worth more come sale time (I hope).

 

[jasonmymail]

Also, how often do you do a o-100 or even 0-60? The most important acceleration figures are 30-50 and 50-70 in gear. The 2.0TDi for me is a punchy engine that has plenty of urge when you need to overtake (admittedly you need to change gear more often as the power band is so narrow).

I agree but my Golf V5 is pretty swift from 60-100 and like all things once you're used to something it's frustrating to lose it.

NB: This is the man that went from a BMW 325Ci to a Renault Clio 1.0RN in the space of 3 days. Mad thing was I was more affectionate towards the Clio than I had been to any of my previous bruiser cars, how d'you figure that?!?!?!?

 

[mfspen]

Uhhhhmmmmm, you're making me doubt now. I don't do that many miles but am fed up of throwing petrol into my car, have a Golf V5 and it does 0 MPG but still want the torque. + the diesel will be worth more come sale time (I hope).

I do quite low mileage too, hence not too worried about mpg. When I tested the 2.0T, I was surprised that the fuel consumption was actually quite reasonable. My test drive was 1 hour long - about 20 mins crawling in traffic, and 40 mins fast A-roads and dual carriageways. At the end of the test, the DIS was showing 34mpg.

The good torque on the 2.0T (280Nm) means you can keep it at low revs most of the time - just like a diesel.

The other surprise for me was the S-Line suspension. Stepping straight from my Sport into the S-Line, I found the spring rate was about the same, but the damping was much better. It was firm, yes, but still comfortable on all but the most badly pitted roads.

 

[Matt]

So happy that I took the S-Line pack. The lowered suspension make a world of difference. There's a standard spec with 16" wheels in our garage and It looks terrible IMHO. Glad I took Xenons and the center arm rest too. Wish I ordered the interior light pack.

whats the advantage of the interior light pack over the standard lighting? do you just get more lights than standard?

 

[Amchlolor]

NB: This is the man that went from a BMW 325Ci to a Renault Clio 1.0RN in the space of 3 days. Mad thing was I was more affectionate towards the Clio than I had been to any of my previous bruiser cars, how d'you figure that?!?!?!?

I often find that when I hire/borrow small cars.
It's because they don't pretend to be anything they're not.
They're just good,honest,A to B transport.
The fact they are so basic often means they give better feedback though,and the fact they are so slow means you get more of a reward from driving them fast.
Every time I'm in a small car,I say to myself "why do I need anything more",which is why my next car will undoubtedly be less 'fancy' than my current one.

 

[Covenant]

whats the advantage of the interior light pack over the standard lighting? do you just get more lights than standard?

Extra footwell and door lights - really classy, and one of the options I would have gone for.

 

[Eeef]

Extra footwell and door lights - really classy, and one of the options I would have gone for.

Mine's got it

 

[jasonmymail]

Every time I'm in a small car,I say to myself "why do I need anything more",which is why my next car will undoubtedly be less 'fancy' than my current one.

I was agreeing with all of that until you snuck that in, you KNOW you'll never part with money for a Ford Fiesta no matter how cheap/good little car it may be. I keep saying the same thing but when push comes to shove, OK so I did go from BMW to Clio but that was only temporary

 

[marriedblonde]

Bowfers cars a cmpany one and when it came to his own cash he did just that - bought a Clio, so your wrong when puch came to shuff he did

 

[missviper]

I currently drive my first diesel - a 2.0TDi 3-door A3 that I inherited when I joined the company. I must admit I was dreading it.

However, I love the torque that you get with the turbocharged diesel (more than the equivalent 2.0T). Whilst BHP is important, I reckon in the real world it's all about torque.

Also, how often do you do a o-100 or even 0-60? The most important acceleration figures are 30-50 and 50-70 in gear. The 2.0TDi for me is a punchy engine that has plenty of urge when you need to overtake (admittedly you need to change gear more often as the power band is so narrow).

Plus driving over 30,000 miles a year in a diesel is a lot less expensive than driving a petrol.

I agree with what you have said and the torque is awesom i love it and wouldn't swap it and can't wait to get it chipped.
As for travelling you never think twice driving a couple of hours somewhere just to get somthing.

 

[The Slug]

I agree with what you have said and the torque is awesom i love it and wouldn't swap it and can't wait to get it chipped.
As for travelling you never think twice driving a couple of hours somewhere just to get somthing.

HA! Looks like another trip to Joe's then!

 

[unkle]

Don't forget to add parking sensors, you may not need them, but your partner's bound to test the rear bumper when trying to park.

Indeed, the view through the rear screen is very bad, get the rear parking sensors and they will save you a bumper or three..