Anyone else get asked this when people see your car?

Chins said:
Guess I'm a 40+ year old chav. Still at least I have not stooped to the depths of owning a Porsche yet - now that I couldnt stand the image of owning. Happy to drive an overpriced A3 or girls TT instead, or even my old Astra VXR. Cant be associated with my mates the local estate agents in their Boxsters and 911's.
Click to expand...

You are not wrong about the Porsche image thing...the majority are driven by people who care little for the dynamics, with very few bought for the purpose of driving.

At a recent Porsche Club driving day / lunch...many 'Porsche owners' chose to turn up in their 'everyday' cars as it was a bit wet, and they can't be taking their expensive ornament out in the wet!
Pathetic.


I'd still live with the image of 'mid life crisis', 'small penis' or 'estate agent' rather that that of the TT...or heaven forbid, an Astra VXR.
Blimey...I couldn't wear enough Burberry to get in an Astra VXR!
 
Well no, since I know people from both places you mention who don't rob cars when they're bored ! ;-)
 
Ess_Three said:
You are not wrong about the Porsche image thing...the majority are driven by people who care little for the dynamics, with very few bought for the purpose of driving.

At a recent Porsche Club driving day / lunch...many 'Porsche owners' chose to turn up in their 'everyday' cars as it was a bit wet, and they can't be taking their expensive ornament out in the wet!
Pathetic.


I'd still live with the image of 'mid life crisis', 'small penis' or 'estate agent' rather that that of the TT...or heaven forbid, an Astra VXR.
Blimey...I couldn't wear enough Burberry to get in an Astra VXR!
Click to expand...

My Mate the estate agent stuffed his Boxster the day it started raining, so maybe they dont have the skill.

There is something fun not being the sterotype owner of a car. i.e. A female loving male in a TT, being a guy that has never touched anything burbery in a VXR and now a non Max Power reading guy in an S3. However I still havent managed to face a Jag at under 50.
 
MarcQuinlivan said:
much like the english view of a scouser.
Click to expand...

Leave scousers out of this !!!

Anyway, only had admiration for the S3,attracts a fair bit of attention. Nobody asked me why I did not buy a TT, if they did the answer would be '' can't get the mountain bikes in a TT '' .
 
Ess_Three said:
You are not wrong about the Porsche image thing...the majority are driven by people who care little for the dynamics, with very few bought for the purpose of driving.
Click to expand...

Well said...in some and I say some cases the Porsche is like the Rolex watch, Armani jeans, a must have by the bank traders in this world

Ess_Three said:
At a recent Porsche Club driving day / lunch...many 'Porsche owners' chose to turn up in their 'everyday' cars as it was a bit wet, and they can't be taking their expensive ornament out in the wet!
Pathetic..
Click to expand...

Once again well said
Now I see thid daily, some people have there cars cleaned 3 times a week as they can't stand the dirt on it
I meet a Porsche owner club member that has got a gt3 RS with 1400 miles on it...he won't use it????? what the hell is that all about


Ess_Three said:
I'd still live with the image of 'mid life crisis', 'small penis' or 'estate agent' rather that that of the TT...or heaven forbid, an Astra VXR.
Blimey...I couldn't wear enough Burberry to get in an Astra VXR!
Click to expand...

:lmfao:

The TT owner can be a strange one to deal with.....I saw more male owners of TT though all between 21 - 28 I would say.

Some old women bought them..

If I have the choice it would be S3 all day long over a TT...never a fan of the TT..All the DJ's, Drug dealers and look at me boys and girls had them..far too in your face
 
audi upgrades
Well everyone who has seen mine so far have commented about its aggressive styling and how it looks good.

I'm sure people know that I have also owned 2 8L S3's with quite a bit done to both.

I disagree however that the "old" version was more aggressivly styled or better looking, they are 2 very different cars at the end of the day.

Some people seem to knock the looks of the new one saying why haven't Audi flared the arches etc...

Apart from the flared arches it has the same amount of exterior styling as the old one:

Different front end
Different rear end
"Proper" Side Skirts (8L just had plastic strips stuck halfway up the door a la S Line styling)
Rear roof spoiler
Wheels + Lowering etc

If the new one is looked at from the front and back the arches actually look more flared as it appears Audi have been clever in their design of the lower parts of the valances on the front and rear bumpers as they flare out and not in which in turn makes the arches a bit more flared than normal.

If you asked most people in the street to associate a car with Audi then they would say the TT as thats what most people think of who are not really interested in cars, how many would say RS4, R8, S3/4/6/8 etc?
 
This is hideous.

ttc060172_450.jpg



ttc060192_450.jpg


ttc060175_450.jpg


Why anyone would want to buy one is beyond me.
 
vagman said:
This is hideous.


Why anyone would want to buy one is beyond me.
Click to expand...

Because they are girls.
 
I would have bought a TT if there was with more punch and a bit more brutal. The idea of a Golf GTI engine or the medieval 3.2 made me look elsewhere... Luckly I found the S3!!

To be honest if the 3.6 engine was available or even the S3 engine, I would have specced an TT. But in the end quite happy with my choice!

Pedro
 
vagman said:
Wow.....great response.

Thanks so much for enlightening me.
Click to expand...

As Ive just got rid of my MKII TT for the S3 I felt qualified to make the statement

I do have a tongue and a cheek, but Ive lost them for the moment
 
I think the TT looks more expensive, period.

When you compare the S3 to the new TT from average joe's perspective. The S3 looks like any other A3 that's been on the roads since 2003.
 
its so funny watching this thread, one minute the S3 is aggresive and chav looking, the next it looks like every other A3 ever made since 2003....

its as though people dont know what they are talking about :faint:
 
klauster said:
its so funny watching this thread, one minute the S3 is aggresive and chav looking, the next it looks like every other A3 ever made since 2003....

its as though people dont know what they are talking about :faint:
Click to expand...


EXACTLY!!

Could not have put it better myself....
 
Agreed!!

But them again we are happy S3 owners.... Perhaps lots of unhappy A3 owners out there...

Pedro
 
klauster said:
its so funny watching this thread, one minute the S3 is aggresive and chav looking, the next it looks like every other A3 ever made since 2003....

its as though people dont know what they are talking about
Click to expand...

Who doesn't know what they are talking about? Aren't we talking about how people 'not in the know' see the S3 compared to the TT..?

...it seems quite simple. S3 is a hatch(range start below 15k), TT is a sports coupe(range starts at 25k). What's more desirable to most people? hatchback or coupe? Fact is, the TT is just a far more desirable car to the masses and it's not really hard to see why. Look at the pics above.

I dunno why you should be surprised. People 'in the know' will always give you the nod so I don't see it being an issue. I thought that was one of the joys of owning an S3, the fact that 99% of people think it's a boring old hatchback and the 1% of car nuts give it respect.
 
mark88 said:
Who doesn't know what they are talking about? Aren't we talking about how people 'not in the know' see the S3 compared to the TT..?

...it seems quite simple. S3 is a hatch(range start below 15k), TT is a sports coupe(range starts at 25k). What's more desirable to most people? hatchback or coupe? Fact is, the TT is just a far more desirable car to the masses and it's not really hard to see why. Look at the pics above.
Click to expand...

Spot on.

It would appear some S3 owners could get a bit 'tetchy' about this.
It reminds me of a bloke who used to frequent our local pub.
He drove a Sierra Cosworth.
Nothing used to wind him up more than asking "How's the Sierra Doug?"
"IT'S A COOOOOSWOOOOOORTH!"
"Looks like a Sierra to me..."
And so on,until he practically exploded.
 
Gee, look at all the S3 owners getting upset at the ignorance of other people. What did you expect given the car looks like it does?....

I personally care about the image and looks of my cars, especially when it's costing me 30k+ and that's one of the reasons why I cancelled mine. £13k plus my car for one that looks arguably worse is a hard pill to swallow.

If you don't care about those things then why do you give a **** if most people view the TT as the more desirable car to own? It's impossible to argue that the S3 is more desirable to most people 'cause it just isn't. To you and others 'in the know': yes, to most people: no.

And I'm not an unhappy A3 owner, if I were in the market for a sports hatch and didn't already own an 8P then I'd buy an S3 no question. I just wouldn't be expecting people to think it's more desirable than a new TT.
 
mark88 said:
Gee, look at all the S3 owners getting upset at the ignorance of other people. What did you expect given the car looks like it does?....

I personally care about the image and looks of my cars, especially when it's costing me 30k+ and that's one of the reasons why I cancelled mine. £13k plus my car for one that looks arguably worse is a hard pill to swallow.

If you don't care about those things then why do you give a **** if most people view the TT as the more desirable car to own? It's impossible to argue that the S3 is more desirable to most people 'cause it just isn't. To you and others 'in the know': yes, to most people: no.

And I'm not an unhappy A3 owner, if I were in the market for a sports hatch and didn't already own an 8P then I'd buy an S3 no question. I just wouldn't be expecting people to think it's more desirable than a new TT.
Click to expand...

Desirability/Taste etc is in the eyes of the beholder. The fact that all the tasteless SUN and Hello reader out there prefer the TT's looks to the S3's as pointed out do not bother me. Looks is only one factor in desirability.

I only worry about desirability to myself. Last week I had either another MK2 2.0TT for immediate delivery or wait a few more days for an S3.
Both cars to roughly the same spec cost the same money £28k ea.

For me the 267bhp coupled with Haldex and the ability to tune to over 300bhp easily were more desirable than the better looks of the TT.

The TT is a damn good car, but it has limitations as does the S3. But from an exclusivity factor, the S3 wins hands down. Looking at the increase build that the factory is churning out and potential for increased UK allocation, then before long the MK2 TT will become very common on the roads.
Hundreds of new MK2's will of hit the road today compared to a handfull of S3's
 
The last thing I'm doing is getting upset!

Chris has it spot on above, loads more TT's sold period!

People buy a TT for looks and probs most (not all) dont really have a clue what they are buying and certainly not looking for a drivers car!

Sorry but have to comment on marks post above "given how it looks".

The new one is FAR superior than the old version (and Iv'e owned 2 "old" ones so can comment with credence), it looks nothing like a "normal" A3 or S-Line etc re my post above about the differences between the old version and new the differences equate to the "normal" A3 too.

I would certainly not be spending a large amount of money on a 2Litre TDI S-Line and then have to spend more putting a body kit on it to make it look better, the S3 comes out the box like this.

I'm sure it was down to money and if you got more for yours Mark then you would still have the order in and poss be driving one now??

I'm not wanting to offend anyone and certainly not getting wound up over my choice of car and secretly wishing i'd bought a TT, its just the majority of people who gawp at the TT in the street would not know what a RS4 is thinking it was a A4!
 
JamS3 said:
The last thing I'm doing is getting upset!

Chris has it spot on above, loads more TT's sold period!

People buy a TT for looks and probs most (not all) dont really have a clue what they are buying and certainly not looking for a drivers car!
Click to expand...

So, what exactly are you arguing about then? Just because the TT sells more units than the S3 doesn't really make them any less desirable to the masses. At the moment TT demand outstrips supply so it makes them even more desirable.

Sorry but have to comment on marks post above "given how it looks".

The new one is FAR superior than the old version (and Iv'e owned 2 "old" ones so can comment with credence),
Click to expand...

I never onced said it wasn't. That's really not what this is about.

it looks nothing like a "normal" A3 or S-Line
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but I dunno how anyone can say the 8P S3 looks nothing like an 8P S-Line. Here's my car next to an S3 with the same wheels:

923801-2.jpg

923803-4.jpg

923804-5.jpg

923807-8.jpg

923806-6.jpg


You still think an S3 looks nothing like an S-Line? c'mon, mine isn't even one of the newer S-Line which look even more like the S3.

I would certainly not be spending a large amount of money on a 2Litre TDI S-Line and then have to spend more putting a body kit on it to make it look better, the S3 comes out the box like this.
Click to expand...

tsss, if you're aren't bothered by my opinion then why are you making personal comments about my car and what I've done to it? seems kinda low.

I'm sure it was down to money and if you got more for yours Mark then you would still have the order in and poss be driving one now??
Click to expand...

You're now telling me 'what is was'...? sorry mate but I cancelled the S3 for 2 main reasons, 1 of those was because it looks bland and barely any different to S-Lines. I recall having many discussions about it on this board about that very fact. The other was the cost.

I'm not wanting to offend anyone and certainly not getting wound up over my choice of car and secretly wishing i'd bought a TT, its just the majority of people who gawp at the TT in the street would not know what a RS4 is thinking it was a A4!
Click to expand...

exactly. Who said you were wishing you got a TT, it sounds like you are wound up cause I don't recall anyone saying S3 owners wished they'd all bought TT. The point is, the TT is always going to be the car most people would rather have. I don't really know how anyone can dispute this, whether the S3 drives better or has more power is not the point.
 
I have been a BMW driver for the last 5 years had a 325 CI Coupe and X3 Sport..... Since i have had my A3 Sportback people talk about it like i have changed down to a FIAT.... Does my head in,,,, Only had the A3 a month or so but i dont think i have made the wrong decsion , BMW have gone boring and over priced in my opinion.,....
 
Gentlemen, let's calm it down a bit eh?!

I started the thread so I feel the need to clarify that people thinking what they like about the S3 does not bother me, I own the car and it's me that has to live with it.

The amount of looks the car gets, people stopping to gawk into it when parked on the street etc says that is does appeal to a fair amount of people, women included. It's either that, or they're looking at me!! ;-)

I was just curious and found it amusing how out of all the cars I can think of, it's the TT that really appeals to the "it looks great" type of car consumer.

One thing the S3 has that the TT will NEVER have is exclusivity and that is a box that possibly every single S3 owner ticked when deciding to buy one.
 
Mark Iv'e never once said the TT is less desirable and the last thing I'm doing is arguing!

I appreciate your comments about yours and the S3 but like I said if you took your Vortex kit off it would look nothing like the S3, you can't honestly say a "out of the box" S-Line from Audi looks like a "out of the box" S3 from Audi. For starters Audi marketing would cover this as marketing sense would state to make it look different. All I'm saying is you have had to add a full body kit to make yours look slightly like a S3.

Just seems like I said at the start people seem to be overtly attacking the S3's styling for some reason when as much effort went into making it different over the A3 (as per my post above re the differences) as did the old 8L version and no-one seemed to diss that one saying it looked like a A3.

I know fine well more people will buy the TT as my comments above on my other post said they would. Only the true enthusiast will probs buy a S3 as they fully know what they are buying and what the expect from it.

If you look back at my posts from way back when you will find one about even me saying I didn't like the new one. However the more you see something and look at its every detail the more I liked it, at the end of the day it was a vastly different looking car to the 8L and took some time getting used to over my old 2 S3's.

At the end of the day each to their own I bought what I did because I liked it and thats all that matters to me! I was not having a personal attack on your car just pointing out that it has cost you more money to make the car look better so you can't have been happy with its looks in the first place and that the S3 comes as standard like this.

Like Boydie has just said, thats the point I was trying to put accross, I would not want to buy a A3 and have to spend more money on it to make it look better.
 
im not upset, and my comments above were actually abit of tongue and cheek!

I couldnt give 2 hoots about whether other people think 30k would have been better spent on a TT. I love the new TT and if i wanted one id have got one!

The S3 is the flag ship A3. The TT's flagship isnt out yet, when it is Im sure it will be a fantastic car! Altho it will be expensive even compared to the S3 id imagine! If anyone is sat waiting for an RS3, enjoy your wait...

A TT is aimed at an entirely different market to the S3 - ENTIRELY! Its as daft as comparing a Porshe 911 and an RS4.

Budget alone doesnt mean the cars are comparable!

I have to agree with Irish, I have had alot of head turns, and alot of men and women chat to me about my car. I even pulled into a Shell garage and while I was filling up a Porsche GT3 owner told me how cool my car looked and how he thought it looked cracking, and he really liked it!

Im not defending the S3, its a car, a good car (in my eyes) and Im very happy with ownership so far, no doubt in 2 years time I will upgrade to more horses and something 'better' but for now it ticks ALL the boxes!
 
JamS3 said:
..you can't honestly say a "out of the box" S-Line from Audi looks like a "out of the box" S3 from Audi.
Click to expand...

Am I looking at the right cars here or what??

s3-comp1.jpg

s3-comp2.jpg


Even I wouldn't know the difference between an A3 and an S3 from the back unless I saw the red S3 badge. Quite understandable if the average joe doesn't either IMO. All these images are on the audi used car locator, it's like a spot the difference competition.

For starters Audi marketing would cover this as marketing sense would state to make it look different. All I'm saying is you have had to add a full body kit to make yours look slightly like a S3.
Click to expand...

My car was ordered nearly 2 years before the S3 appeared, it's hardly like I'm trying to make it look like one. Besides, when I ordered my car there were two options regards exterior styling, the Votex Kit or the exterior styling kit. These were an option just like metallic paint was an option on your car. My car was handed over to me exactly like you see it.
 
klauster said:
im not upset, and my comments above were actually abit of tongue and cheek!

I couldnt give 2 hoots about whether other people think 30k would have been better spent on a TT. I love the new TT and if i wanted one id have got one!
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone here is saying that. I know I'm not. But to me it's no surprise that people 'not in the know' would question why you bought an S3 when you could have had a TT. My mum would look at the TT and think 'ohh that's nice'...she wouldn't say that about an S3 and I imagine many people think the same. TT looks nicer and more expensive, that's all.

Im not defending the S3, its a car, a good car (in my eyes) and Im very happy with ownership so far, no doubt in 2 years time I will upgrade to more horses and something 'better' but for now it ticks ALL the boxes!
Click to expand...

Just to be clear, I'm not dissing the S3. I'd have one. I still think the 8P is the best looking hatch on the road and the S3 is the best looking 8P.
 
audi upgrades
Mark, no probs

I never said or intended that you were trying to make your car look like a S3 but still hold my ground that there is enough differences between the two.

On your pics above that front bumper on the S3 can not be compared to the S-line, vastly different as are the lack of side skirts on the S-Line.

The rear bumper is different, bigger and the lower suspension makes it sit lower, plus the rear valance flares out at the bottom combined with the diffuser.

I'm not denying that the A3 shape is there, of course it is but there are enough styling features to make it different.

Maybe its my S3 in silver that shows these features off more?

Come to think I did say that the ones I saw in black and blue did not show the features off very well....
 
That looks like the Stadium of Light wall in the first pic (top left) in Sunderland
 
'Vastly different' & 'different'....ok, you crack me up. LOL

Silver cars always show off the lines better, dark colors hide them. Also the darker colors hide the front air intakes which are my favorite part, and IMO the only part that sets the car apart from the S-Line at the front.
 
JamS3 said:
Is it just me people?
Click to expand...

Not sure!!

We are driving an S car. They always have subtle differences from the other cars on the platform on which they are based.

Like a few others Ive owned a couple of the old shape S3's. Yes it had flared arches and silver mirrors, but apart from that, that was it. The interior wasnt set apart, but had some nice recaros.

The new S3 continues the S class ethos. The body styling is subtle but to those that appreciate cars noticable. Those that dont - who cares. Inside the changes are also nice and subtle, flat bottomed steering wheel, nicer dials etc.

Ive owned an RS4 and other S class Audi's before and for 3 months the new TT, but as others on this forum have chosen to ditch the housewifes choice for an ugly, 1.6 lookalike S3.

People that choose the TT should be happy, they have a great car, but it does lack a bit of the driver appeal. Its sexy, but not from all angles and before long every estate agent will have one to add to their Porsche collection.

The S3 will be a much more desirable car in years to come over the TT. Car people will appreciate a hot hatch with haldex and the tunability. A lot of the current hot hatches are damn good, but the fwd limits how much work you can do.
 
Chins said:
but as others on this forum have chosen to ditch the housewifes choice for an ugly, 1.6 lookalike S3.
Click to expand...

Many current TT owners are previous S3 drivers.


The S3 will be a much more desirable car in years to come over the TT.
Click to expand...

What Car Depreciation Index after 3 years.

S3: 47%
TT 3.2 S-tronic: 61%
 
Here's Audi recently released sales figures:

slide1.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Amchlolor
Anyone else use car washes ?
Replies
27
Views
2K
steeve
steeve
adamccc
Anyone see CarPlay this morning?
Replies
3
Views
910
adamccc
adamccc
M
Where do you get your car serviced?
Replies
0
Views
847
Matt_S
M
paddy
Is this your car ?
Replies
24
Views
2K
madluke
M
Radford212
Anyone else had this problem before?
Replies
10
Views
904
MTRL
MTRL
Top
Back