New S3 Review (again...) Pistonheads this time
- Thread starter silver75
- Start date
"If you’re anything like me you probably can't recall a single visual attribute of the previous 'S' range of A3s, other than they were too plain looking"
Well, that sums up the historic knowledge of the reviewer. Back to school..
Well, that sums up the historic knowledge of the reviewer. Back to school..
I don't think he's incorrect at all.
Unless you're into Audis,you're not going to be able to pick out any massive differences between an A3 and an S3.
Where the finger is to be pointed is the interesting point.
Are Audi guilty of making them too plain,or is it the fact that ANY A3 can be made to look a bit like an S3 that's the problem ?
I do agree with the crux of his test report though.
£27K,minimum,is far too much money for the car.
Then again,it's only £2600 more than my specced up diesel.
I would say Audi needs to have a look at the pricing of the entire A3 range.
Unless you're into Audis,you're not going to be able to pick out any massive differences between an A3 and an S3.
Where the finger is to be pointed is the interesting point.
Are Audi guilty of making them too plain,or is it the fact that ANY A3 can be made to look a bit like an S3 that's the problem ?
I do agree with the crux of his test report though.
£27K,minimum,is far too much money for the car.
Then again,it's only £2600 more than my specced up diesel.
I would say Audi needs to have a look at the pricing of the entire A3 range.
madvw said:
The reviewer also bangs on about the aggresive bumpers and low profile tyres and how it stands out . He obviously hasnt ever seen an S line A3 before.
His comments are valid though at its price point the S3 is a totally pointless car.
stevec
Registered User
I did write a list of cars for my £27K, and the one he drove is nearer 32K
Is this guy stupid? Visual attribute of the Srange of A3s? There was only one S3 to my knowledge, and I dont recall ever seeing one in purple, anyone else? perhaps he means S-line range? I dispair...
The S3 has visual impact What with a new bumper? ..and an eyebrow-raising 261bhp, unless you have a 3.2 that is .
it's impressive stuff once you get to drive it. Ahh, has he never driven the RS4 I wonder?
Thankfully for us well-built individuals, your hands grip the S4's flat-bottomed steering wheel. Er no, its an option on the S3, its the RS4 wheel.
as you catch a glimpse of the S3's outline driving around. its an exact replica of the old car What?!?!? My current S3 and the new one look nothing alike !
the S3 is a very good car but, unfortunately, Audi's pricing strategy won't help it prove this. Disagree, the point of the pricing is that not everyone can buy one so you dont see as many, so they keep their residuals! As you quoted at the beginning of the article The S3 still has strong reliability, speed, and will keep its value way pass your 80th birthday
I'm off to shoot myself, perhaps the reviewer first!
Is this guy stupid? Visual attribute of the Srange of A3s? There was only one S3 to my knowledge, and I dont recall ever seeing one in purple, anyone else? perhaps he means S-line range? I dispair...
The S3 has visual impact What with a new bumper? ..and an eyebrow-raising 261bhp, unless you have a 3.2 that is .
it's impressive stuff once you get to drive it. Ahh, has he never driven the RS4 I wonder?
Thankfully for us well-built individuals, your hands grip the S4's flat-bottomed steering wheel. Er no, its an option on the S3, its the RS4 wheel.
as you catch a glimpse of the S3's outline driving around. its an exact replica of the old car What?!?!? My current S3 and the new one look nothing alike !
the S3 is a very good car but, unfortunately, Audi's pricing strategy won't help it prove this. Disagree, the point of the pricing is that not everyone can buy one so you dont see as many, so they keep their residuals! As you quoted at the beginning of the article The S3 still has strong reliability, speed, and will keep its value way pass your 80th birthday
I'm off to shoot myself, perhaps the reviewer first!
co55ie said:
Exactly my thoughts. Here's me thinking the looks of the car are pretty poor yet every reviewer praises the looks and is so so about the drive.
I dunno, I've lost interest in the S car brand. Until Audi start making them look different to their A cars then I'm not prepared to pair the extra £££.
Agree with that last statement entirely. Remember about five or six years ago, when the whole country was kicking off about rip-off new car prices, and how they were so much cheaper in Europe? The S3 is proof we're heading back that way again.bowfer said:
But the real problem is the competition. At £27k, the S3 is at least £2k too expensive for the market it's in, given that its entire hatchback competition consists only of the R32 and 1-series at this level. Consider what else you could buy for £27k and a four-pot hatchback would probably not even trouble your wishlist.
I would be really Interested to see how the likes of Evo magazine would compare a remapped 2.0tfsi q against the new S3 if both cars where devoid of any identifying badging etc.
Personally I think there would be very little difference
Personally I think there would be very little difference
IMO the reviewer contradicted himself and showed a complete lack of knowledge on previous and current Audis...
...but I really cant understand the whole buisness about the cost of the car, Its An Audi. Audis Are Expensive.
Nobody will buy an audi because its good value for money.
Maybe VAG shot themselves in the foot with the whole "platform sharing" thing I dunno... but A3s sell even though you can get an identical Leon or Octavia for a lot cheaper
...but I really cant understand the whole buisness about the cost of the car, Its An Audi. Audis Are Expensive.
Nobody will buy an audi because its good value for money.
Maybe VAG shot themselves in the foot with the whole "platform sharing" thing I dunno... but A3s sell even though you can get an identical Leon or Octavia for a lot cheaper
Sorry disagree, I don't think the S3 is expensive when you factor in how much the cost of living has increased in the UK, the prices of properties etc.
The old S3 was £24460 base when I had mine (2002).
The old S3 was £24460 base when I had mine (2002).
I disagree too, I think my S3 when originally ordered was over 27k and that was in 2000. It still has the same appeal as the old one, you'll not get a better all round car I don't think. scooby and evo have interior and image issues which rules out most cars that are as good at covering ground. I think the S3's biggest problem this time is the TT... as from what I understand it's more of a drivers are and the black one I keep seeing looks evil!
Why do people keep on banging on about the car being too expansive? I think its priced perfectly, how could a top of the range S3 cost the same as a R32!
If the car was a retuned 3.2 I would pay the extra, its just the fact its a 2.0 4 that staggers me.
All comments about "think of all the other cars you could buy for £27k" are also pointless because if you are in the market for a 3 door hatchback, i.e. you live in the city, dont have kids, dont need to make a statement and are not middle aged why would you want any other car?
I mean take Damon Hill, he could buy any car he wants but instead he drives around is an A3.
The car I bought cost way more then £27k but I still bought it, and the reason is simple. There is no other 3 door hatchback that is built as good, is as fast, as prestigious and as rare!
If the car was a retuned 3.2 I would pay the extra, its just the fact its a 2.0 4 that staggers me.
All comments about "think of all the other cars you could buy for £27k" are also pointless because if you are in the market for a 3 door hatchback, i.e. you live in the city, dont have kids, dont need to make a statement and are not middle aged why would you want any other car?
I mean take Damon Hill, he could buy any car he wants but instead he drives around is an A3.
The car I bought cost way more then £27k but I still bought it, and the reason is simple. There is no other 3 door hatchback that is built as good, is as fast, as prestigious and as rare!
A3_3.2_S-Line said:
i dont think a3`s are particually well built for the price
residuals arnt that great either if you go by what i paid
paid 15k for an tdi s-line dsg which was 20 months old and had a list price of 25k
dont get me wrong it`s a good car but i would not pay 25k for a 3 door hatch .
JasonM said:
...kind of what Im trying to say.. my point is that I would expect an Audi to be more expensive than an equivalant golf, leon etc so I can't understand all the fuss about it the car being too expensive.
Well put! Raises a good point though: if I was hell-bent on buying an S3, I'd wait until they were 6-12 months old to bag a bargain.co55ie said:
Perhaps because you have more sense? Sorry, but that's not right. At £27k, product crossover is vast - virtually every type of car is available within this budget - and I know from motor trade research that buyers will easily sway between different types (coupes, convertibles, SUVs etc).A3_3.2_S-Line said:
Not only that, but sensible buyers after a 3-door hatchback, no kids/city-based etc. may also consider cheaper alternatives like the Golf GTI or Focus ST and keep the remaining cash. These cars make even less of a statement than a prestige car.
benw123 said:
I said rare and a Golf GTI is not rare.
Focus ST less of a statment then a A3, oh come on
It depends what you mean by making a statement. The Focus ST is largely classless, in that it's an affordable performance car from a popular manufacturer. On the other hand, many people consider the A3 to be a tarted-up Golf and thus will wonder what point - or statement - A3 owners are trying to make when they could purchase a similar car for less money.A3_3.2_S-Line said:Focus ST less of a statment then a A3, oh come on
All of which makes the S3 look needlessly expensive, even before you consider that the Golf GTI is certain to trump the S3 when we start seeing magazine group tests - in terms of being more exciting to drive and better value for money. In fact, I reckon this will be something of an embarrassment for VAG.
I'm willing to risk money that the group tests say something like "the S3 is marginally better than the Golf but not worth the premium", as they always do. Motoring journos are generally like sheep and I'll decide for myself when the stealer gets their own for me to try.
