Just ordering new car, opinions?

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miked2372

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All,

Just in the process of ordering a new A3 sportback to replace my A4 Avant (wife couldn't get on with size of car since small knock in car park!!). We've got the dealer down on the price etc and are looking at the following spec,

2.0T FSI S-Line Special Edition
Misano Red
20 Spoke Alloys
Roof Bars
Bose

Anyone have any opinion on the colour and alloys. When we first visited the dealer to discuss the options they had an s-line in Misano with the 20 spoke wheels and we both thought WOW but having not seen it again for a while I am wondering if we would be better off going with black or something else!!:keule:
 
Hi,

I've just ordered a 2.0T S-Line too, but in 3-door form.

Misano does look good, although I prefer a colour which contrasts the lights, badges and other trim, etc. I went for Mauritius Blue.

The 20 spokes look great, but they are a pain to clean - 80 spokes to clean each time you wash the car ! I have 16 spoke alloys on my current car, and thats bad enough. I've gone for the 5-spoke 18" wheels on the S-Line.
 
Going from an A4 Avant to an A3 sportback will be a shock to the system in more ways than the physical size.
You won't believe how much,much,noisier the A3 is,believe me.
Have you taken one for a long drive,over loads of surfaces ?
Maybe refinement doesn't matter to you,I dunno,I'm just saying the A4 is a lot,lot,quieter (and better built).

Colour is down to you.
Bose is great.
Roof rails look daft (IMO)
20 spoke alloys look gross (IMO)
Fancy headlights are a must,as the standard lights are worse than crap.
 
I like Misano, but suspect that the darker metallics perform better when you come to sell the car on.

I wanted the 20-spokes but couldnt get them in my deal. If you are anywhere near Scotland take them and I'll do you a swap for the cost of them - I'm due to pick up my A3 in 2 weeks time.
 
I understand the size issue though I don't feel it as drastic as that. Before the A4 we had hatchbacks and to be honest, if the sportback was around when we bought the A4 we would have got one!! I have the roof rails to alleviate the luggage space issue as we like to drive down to devon etc in the summer and I can get a roofbox and bars to compensate if required.

Haven't notived the A4 as much quieter (if it helps it was a 2.0 FSI Sport with 17" alloys) though I have to say I haven't taken the A3 for a long drive but being used to hatchbacks previously (Clio 16v, 206 GTi) I don't really see it as being a problem as I would have hoped that it will still be a lot better than them!!

I was thinking along the lines of a darker colour (there is a black one down the road a bit to us which looks nice) and was wondering about the cleaning of the wheels. I do have Wonder Wheels but I know that has it's problems (would it be ok on the 20 spokes as they are 2-piece??)

With regards to the lights, I just do not see the point in paying £700 for a set of headlights but maybe I'm showing my age a bit there!! ;) and that's another reason for questioning the Red!! I am 34, married with a boy of 2 so am I trying to relive my boy-racer days!!!
 
Yeh, from a dealer point of view the dark metallics are probably more desirable.

The 20-spokes are really down to how much time you want to spend keeping them clean as has been said before - as long as you don't use corrsive cleaners on them 2-piece wont make that much difference apart from the time factor.
 
That's my thinking aswell re the colour though I am looking to have this car for a good few years so should I really worry about that. That and most that I have seen have silver/black/dark metallic in my area so maybe it would be good to be a bit different!!

As with the wheels, well I have 5 spokes on the Avant and they do look nice and there's the 14 spokes aswell!!:keule:
 
very few cars look good in red... and the A3 isn't one of them IMHO. sorry! to put the understated styling of the car in a "look at me" colour seems wrong to me.
 
miked2372 said:
With regards to the lights, I just do not see the point in paying £700 for a set of headlights but maybe I'm showing my age a bit there!! ;)
Click to expand...

That's what I thought too,but I wasn't prepared for how bad the standard lights are.
 
audi upgrades
I think red cars are dreadful - reminds me of all the Guards red 911s and Mars red Golf GTis driven by city types in the 80s.

My dad loves them though and is on his 8th consecutive red car - so I guess it's horses for courses.

I've just ordered a brilliant black SB S-line and reckon that black's the colour. However, I also think liquid blue, lava grey and silver look nice too.

Agree with the comments on 20 spokes being difficult to clean. I like the RS4 alloys fitted to the A4 S-Line - are they an option?
 
Quite like the look of the Lava Grey and I do like the black aswell.

Don't think the RS4 wheels are an option, just the 5 spokes and the 14 spokes!!
 
5-spoke are standard, 14-spokes are free, 20-spoke are a £200 option - only other option is 17" alloys for £600 :scared2:
 
Keep the standard 18" S-Line alloys (look great IMO), and put the money you'll save towards the xenons.

I'm not a fan of the 20-spokes to be honest.

As Bowfer says, the headlights are indeed crap. I recently went from an S3 to a 2.0T Quattro S-line, and the headlights are definitely the most missed part of the S3 (well, maybe the extra 70BHP and Recaros then!)

If I was in your position I'd defo keep the 18" 5s and get the xenons.....
 
I watched the new Superman returns last night.
Lois Lane drives a Sportback,in Dolphin/Lava Grey with 20 spoke alloys.
That,in itself,should be enough to put you off.

BTW,at one point in the film,they pull up at a house.
I'm sure you can only get the 3.2 in the USA.
It sounded awful,like the zorst was blown.
I'm assuming it was a mistake at dubbing.
Just made me laugh a bit.
 
Seen the film too - it definitely wasn't the sound a 2.0T makes - I agree, must be the 3.2.
 
I don't think Red cars look bad, how the hell can someone with a black car say black is better. Oh yeah, black is really individual. Just like every other BMW or AUDI out there. They look rubbish when they are dirty and when they are clean they show up the bits the idiot washing it has missed.
 
miked2372 said:
Put me off the colour, wheels or the car altogether?? :confused: ;)
Click to expand...

Ask a bunch of people and all their opinions will differ. :)

I went for Lava Grey, Bose , centre armrest and Symphony II - would have liked folding mirrors and Xenons, but got lots of cash off instead by taking one the dealer could register this month.

I liked the Misano in the showroom, but I think I'm a little too old for boy racer colours - I'd rather be understated cos that's what Audi is all about..
 
I know what you mean and I want to keep the finance payments down to a minimum which is why I limited the options instead of loading it with gadget like stuff that looks good but is hardly ever used!!

I like the idea of Xenons, folding mirrors etc but to me they are just put there to tempt people to bump up the price!!

How old are you then covenant (if you don't mind me asking!!)
 
Let's just say the thick end of 30's ;)

...and the locked compound for parking cars at my flat only gives you like 30cm between each car, thats why I'd have liked the folding mirrors.
 
Well being 34 and the wife just turning 30 then maybe we could get away with it for a few years!!! ;)

The thinking behind the red is just that we have recently owned black/silver/blue cars so a change would be nice. That and the fact that it really caught our eye when we first saw it in the metal!!

I think I'm questioning it as the pic on the Audi website does not do it justice!!!

I have off-road parking infront of the house so space is not an issue at home (only when the wife goes shopping!!!)
 
Colour is a matter of personal opinion. Eeef's got a red 3 door and it looks quite nice.

Personally I prefer darker coloured cars hence the last god only knows how many cars I've ordered have all been black (MCS was an exception and I ordered dark silver but with a black roof and stripes :D ). Claire always goes for silver...

Hardly think red is a boy racer colour, I would have said that bright metallic blue was though judging by the amount of Saxo's flying around my neck of the woods with dusbit sized exhausts and god knows what kind of music blaring from them...
 
john2garden said:
I don't think Red cars look bad, how the hell can someone with a black car say black is better. Oh yeah, black is really individual. Just like every other BMW or AUDI out there. They look rubbish when they are dirty and when they are clean they show up the bits the idiot washing it has missed.
Click to expand...

Eh? What on earth are you on about?
 
When I ordered my SB I was really interested in the Misano but couldn't find one anywhere - not even a picture. I ordered Ebony Black and it's a big regret for me that I didn't go with Misano having now seen a couple on the road. Looks much better than the standard red which is IMHO a bit dull.

I also agree with some of the earlier comments re road noise. When I got the SB just over a year ago it was ordered on the basis that I wouldn't be doing much travelling. I'm now doing Leeds - Slough on a weekly basis and it sucks - the road noise is terrible and gets on my wick after about half an hour. I also find the seats very uncomfortable with little in the way of adjustment. I do have the Open Sky fitted and I suspect that this accounts for a fair amount of noise. The Open Sky has been great when parked on the M1/M40 over the last couple of weeks though :)

I dislike the 20 spokes but I know some peeps really like 'em. I went for the 16 spokes which I think suit the Sportback but I know others hate them. In retrospect I wish I'd gone S-line and taken the 18" 5 spokes but I was put off by a review which said they were really noisy. I'm 36 with a 5 year old and 3 year old, so it's a family car. Actually, this is another plus for the A3 - the cabin space is only fractionally short of an A4 (couple of mm) and the boot takes all the luggage, pushchairs etc I need.

DSG is the redeeming feature on my car. If I didn't have that I'd be a very upset bunny because the whole Audi quality/premium thing has let me down.

I'm already pretty sure my next car won't be an Audi and it's 2 years or 38,000 miles before I get another. I think I can just about stick it out but if I were you I'd demand a long test drive (I had a manual for 3 days and a DSG for 3 days)
 
marriedblonde said:
Eh? What on earth are you on about?
Click to expand...

What do you mean what am I on about? What I am on about is I'd rather have any other colour car than black. What I was getting at is it's not just Alfas and Ferarri's that look good in red, Ive seen Mitsubishi Evos, Monaros, Golf GTI's (new shape), TT's, Minis etc etc all look good in red. I think Audi's Misano Red is a fantastic colour unfortunately you do not see enough about. It is too easy to go for the 'safe option' and go for black. In my opinion and it's just my opinion black is too common. Just look at your avatar, how many of them do you see on the road?
 
I think the A3 looks good in Misano, makes it stand out, which is why I went for Avus, nice and refined.
Go for the interior light pack. 20 spokes, the standard S line wheels look good and are easier to clean, the 2 piece wheels can suffer from corrosion so keep those wheel cleaners well away.
Good luck.
 
john2garden said:
What do you mean what am I on about? What I am on about is I'd rather have any other colour car than black. What I was getting at is it's not just Alfas and Ferarri's that look good in red, Ive seen Mitsubishi Evos, Monaros, Golf GTI's (new shape), TT's, Minis etc etc all look good in red. I think Audi's Misano Red is a fantastic colour unfortunately you do not see enough about. It is too easy to go for the 'safe option' and go for black. In my opinion and it's just my opinion black is too common. Just look at your avatar, how many of them do you see on the road?
Click to expand...

I was gonna keep quiet until the Misano fan club came out :)

Personally, I don't think there's a better colour for 3dr A3s, so that's why I bought one. It also has the advantage of hiding the dirt rather well ;)

Anyone want to buy it :confused:
 
john2garden said:
What do you mean what am I on about? What I am on about is I'd rather have any other colour car than black. What I was getting at is it's not just Alfas and Ferarri's that look good in red, Ive seen Mitsubishi Evos, Monaros, Golf GTI's (new shape), TT's, Minis etc etc all look good in red. I think Audi's Misano Red is a fantastic colour unfortunately you do not see enough about. It is too easy to go for the 'safe option' and go for black. In my opinion and it's just my opinion black is too common. Just look at your avatar, how many of them do you see on the road?
Click to expand...

Fair enough you don't appreciate people not liking your choice of colour in cars but refrain from insulting others. Personally I am not some idiot who can't wash my car! Look in the post pictures thread at the top of this page.

Also you might want to take another look at my avatar - I think you'll find it's an R32 not an A3 - theres not that many, relatively, black ones of them on the road ;)

J.
 
...you know what they say about arguing on the internet?

Please don't hijack this guy's thread with petty arguments.
 
And who the hell are you??

Only Joking, I am not getting into an argument it is far too hot for that.

Just trying to get my point across in a civil and respectable manner.

Anyway the so called 'argument' has been fizzled out now due to over enthusiastic moderators!!
 
Covenant said:
...you know what they say about arguing on the internet?

Please don't hijack this guy's thread with petty arguments.
Click to expand...

Actually this thread is quite pertinent for me also. I have to give up my S3 in August and am in the process of ordering a new company car but can't decide what out of the following possibilities:

3.2 A3 quattro sportback 5 dr
A3 sportback 2.0T FSI quattro s line 5 door
VW golf 2.0T GTI 5 dr

Obviously I'd pay more for the 3.2 but then I could get similar performance by simply chipping the other two. Don't want to spend too much on unnecessary options either. 5 doors is necessary because of the littl'un. Whatever I chose I am anticipating a measure of disappointment compared with the S3 which gives out 270ps.
 
I briefly considered the Golf GTi and the 3.2 A3.

The Golf is... well... a Golf. Call me a snob.

The 3.2 seemed too much money for what u get. It's a fraction faster, cost more to run, insure etc etc. I'd have loved a V6 just for the noise, but my sensible head took over - especially as a chipped/remapped 2.0T is just the same.

I went for the SLine Special Edition - you get leather for free and can spec it up with extras a lot before you get near the V6 price.
 
john2garden said:
And who the hell are you??

Only Joking, I am not getting into an argument it is far too hot for that.

Just trying to get my point across in a civil and respectable manner.

Anyway the so called 'argument' has been fizzled out now due to over enthusiastic moderators!!
Click to expand...

You have PM.
 
Covenant said:
I briefly considered the Golf GTi and the 3.2 A3.

The Golf is... well... a Golf. Call me a snob.

The 3.2 seemed too much money for what u get. It's a fraction faster, cost more to run, insure etc etc. I'd have loved a V6 just for the noise, but my sensible head took over - especially as a chipped/remapped 2.0T is just the same.

I went for the SLine Special Edition - you get leather for free and can spec it up with extras a lot before you get near the V6 price.
Click to expand...

Actually I am chasing our leasing company to get a quote for the special edition - it's taken them three weeks - just because it's not on the "list". Think they're hoping I'll cave in and go for the on piste offer but I'm determined to hold out! Like you say, better value.
 
Covenant said:
I briefly considered the Golf GTi and the 3.2 A3.

The Golf is... well... a Golf. Call me a snob.
Click to expand...

I think VW has lost thier way slightly with the new Golf, I appreciate the new Gti is an excellant drivers car but think it looks like a pug 307!

J.
 
Yeh, I think thats what put me off - apart from a phat set of Monza alloys, what do you really get? Sure it drives arguably better than the A3 but.....
 
Covenant said:
I briefly considered the Golf GTi and the 3.2 A3.

The Golf is... well... a Golf. Call me a snob.

The 3.2 seemed too much money for what u get. It's a fraction faster, cost more to run, insure etc etc. I'd have loved a V6 just for the noise, but my sensible head took over - especially as a chipped/remapped 2.0T is just the same.

I went for the SLine Special Edition - you get leather for free and can spec it up with extras a lot before you get near the V6 price.
Click to expand...

What options did you go for/ would recommend on the special edition. Does it come with xenons?
 
OK after much deliberation last night I have decided to stick with the original spec. Reason being that it was the dealers demo in that spec that really caught our eye when we went there and I think I may regret going back on that:rolleyes: Also, as the interior is black, I think a brighter colour will set the car off a lot better and we have already had lots of silver cars and fancy a change!!

So it will stay the same and I will just have to be more vigilant and disciplined :keule: in the wheel cleaning!!!
 
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