My S3 has gotta go,Most practical replacement???

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S3 OGS

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Hey guys an girls,I have been lurking on here for the last 6 months since buying my S3. Great forum!

I absolutely adore my car,It is amazing!! I have used a lot of advise that i have read turning my car into a 330ish bhp beast that it is.

We have our first child on the way due in April so like many others i guess i have to comprimise and buy something with 5 doors.

Im hoping to get about 21k for my car when i advertise it so i guess thats how much i have to spend on the replacement.

So looking for something with 5 doors,Im thinking A3 tdi?

Am looking for some advise weather its worth going for the 140 or the 170, I would love to keep the quattro but is it really worth it on the tdi?

I would be looking to remap also.

Also is the newer tdi engines much better that the old?

I recently test drove the GTI Ed 30 thinking that could be the 5 door replacement but come away from the dealer totally underwhelmed tbh, It felt very slow which could be obviously sorted with a few mods but it was a greasy road and all it wanted to do was wheelspin even with 230 bhp as standard and being used to the quattro and really wasnt impressed.

So it would be great to here some advise,Im sure there are people here that have been or are going through exactly the same dramas.

Thanks in advance

Paul

:blackrs4:
​
 
If you really like your S3 I'd hang on to it for a bit. One of my ex's had a baby and I found it far easier to get her in and out my 3 door 8L A3 as the seats folded & slid forward than in a 5 door where your tight for space. That will change as they get older but it could mean getting another year out of the S3 :thumbsup:
 
The GTi ED30's with a Stage 2 map are silly quick :) But as you said FWD isnt the best with that much power. Id stick with the S3 if i was in your shoes...as there a very solid, safe and have good room for a hatch.
 
Khufu said:
If you really like your S3 I'd hang on to it for a bit. One of my ex's had a baby and I found it far easier to get her in and out my 3 door 8L A3 as the seats folded & slid forward than in a 5 door where your tight for space. That will change as they get older but it could mean getting another year out of the S3 :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

:iagree:

I've had my S3 since the week my daughter was born (2 1/2 years ago), and haven't had any problem with space (in fact I even considered a TT, just to prove a point to my sister-in-law with a Volvo 850 estate!)

We once had a Sportback as a courtesy car while mine was in for a service, and that was a nightmare in comparison with the 3dr. The huge advantage the 3 dr has is that you can tilt and slide the front seat forward, giving you enough space to virtually sit in the rear footwell while you get the child seat in place. There's no way you can do that in a 5dr, and doing it from being stood outside the 5dr just means you have to reach further and twist yourself around more than necessary.

Anyone that thinks they need anything bigger than a 3dr A3 for one child has just been brainwashed by the school-run-mum brigade.
 
You dont need a 5 door mate.

My little cherub is 8yrs and me and the wife have only ever had 3dr cars.

Stick them in the pasenger seat or rear passenger side (depending on age of course) and its a doddle. Seriously.

Unless you need a big boot that is, and you will have to go go for a fwd anyway as quattros have shallower boot space.

The MK5 Golf has a bigger/deeper boot. ED30 would be a nice compromise although it wont have the obvious all weather traction benefits you have now.

When youve been up half the night wiping ****** bots and making bottles you will be glad of a fun car at the door:)


Good luck with the impending arrival.

Paul
 
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mitch78 said:
:iagree:

I've had my S3 since the week my daughter was born (2 1/2 years ago), and haven't had any problem with space (in fact I even considered a TT, just to prove a point to my sister-in-law with a Volvo 850 estate!)

We once had a Sportback as a courtesy car while mine was in for a service, and that was a nightmare in comparison with the 3dr. The huge advantage the 3 dr has is that you can tilt and slide the front seat forward, giving you enough space to virtually sit in the rear footwell while you get the child seat in place. There's no way you can do that in a 5dr, and doing it from being stood outside the 5dr just means you have to reach further and twist yourself around more than necessary.

Anyone that thinks they need anything bigger than a 3dr A3 for one child has just been brainwashed by the school-run-mum brigade.
Click to expand...

Nail on the head.
 
mitch78 said:
You mean he doesn't need a 5 door, I bet he could even get away with a Cayman at a push. OK it'd mean taking the wife to the shop then going back for the baby, but every car has its compromises.
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Correct.

The baby will whinge less than the wife too....


So, Cayman v S3 v Citroen Xara Picasso ? :undwech:
 
mitch78 said:
:iagree:

I've had my S3 since the week my daughter was born (2 1/2 years ago), and haven't had any problem with space (in fact I even considered a TT, just to prove a point to my sister-in-law with a Volvo 850 estate!)

.
Click to expand...


You cant prove points to sister in laws...its just not possable.:sob:
 
Well thanks for the replys guys and throwing a spanner in the works :notme:

Something i didnt mention was the fact that i have my own company car and she drives my Audi on a day to day basis then i drive it for fun as much as i can :rock:

She has it in her head that the 3 door will just be far too impracticle.She does love the S3 but its just the doors issue.

So i have told her that i signed up to ASN and that i have asked for advise first hand from people that have had the same dramas.

I have told her the replys i have got which she hasnt seen yet but she says that we should buy the car seat and give it a go just to prove the point that it wont work.

She is dead set on me getting rid of it,And i dont want to be unreasonable with her but i would love it to be practicle and get to keep it for a while longer. Even if just for another year or so :wub:
 
S3 OGS said:
Well thanks for the replys guys and throwing a spanner in the works :notme:

Something i didnt mention was the fact that i have my own company car and she drives my Audi on a day to day basis then i drive it for fun as much as i can :rock:

She has it in her head that the 3 door will just be far too impracticle.She does love the S3 but its just the doors issue.

So i have told her that i signed up to ASN and that i have asked for advise first hand from people that have had the same dramas.

I have told her the replys i have got which she hasnt seen yet but she says that we should buy the car seat and give it a go just to prove the point that it wont work.

She is dead set on me getting rid of it,And i dont want to be unreasonable with her but i would love it to be practicle and get to keep it for a while longer. Even if just for another year or so :wub:
Click to expand...

A mate of mine changed from a 5 door 1-Series to a 3-Series Coupe and found the Coupe much easier to get the seat in and out of than the 1-Series for exactly the reasons mentioned below. I wouldn't dismiss a 3 door as being impractical.
 
I was in a similar position recently, except I started with a Clio 197.

In the end, it just wasn't quite big enough for the various baby gear you may take with you when visiting relatives e.g. crib, clothes, pushchair etc. I went for an A3 SB, but agree that a 3-dr A3 would be big enough. IMO, anything bigger than an A3 starts to be overkill in terms of the other compromises you make like parking it or losing the fun factor.

In defence of the 5-dr, I've found that I'm carrying passengers more often now and that the roof bars come in handy for carrying my bike, which used to go inside the car!
 
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Ben H said:
In defence of the 5-dr, I've found that I'm carrying passengers more often now and that the roof bars come in handy for carrying my bike, which used to go inside the car!
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Exactly the reason to avoid a 5dr. Passengers prefer it so much they're less likely to offer to drive. (and my bikes still go in the car, I don't want any mud dropping on the car and scratching the roof)

BTW, nice Mint Sauce!
 
I have a five year old son and three year old daughter! Dont believe the hype that because you have kids you need a Volvo estate. An A3 3 or 5 door more then fits the bill. Just tell the missus she can park in the mother and child section at the supermarket. More room to open the doors and less likely to get your S3 dinged by someone else. You also get the ISOFIX on front and back seats which is great.

If you do trade down the 170TDi is great but its no S3.
 
Congrats on the Baby , your life is about to change for ever !


i had a 59 plate s3 sportback for 2 weeks with our new baby it was a nightmare !
Yes we could get the baby in and the odd piece in the boot ( not the baby in the boot ! ) , but not a pram and all the $hit, i just could not believe how much space i needed.
i think when they are that bit older A3 / S3 would be fine , but for a new born , for me it was just cramped. rolling in a Q5 now , its like a portable living room!
I know there a lot of money but i am sold, still hope to get the S3 back sometime if only so i can mod one again !, half the fun of owning it.

5 weeks old today !

IMG_0347.jpg
 
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I managed to run a VR6 Corrado for the first 6months of fatherhood. Not ideal but perfectly manageable.
The Mk3 that replaced it was cavernous by comparison.

As above, the 3dr is only a problem when carrying adults in the rear. Fine for nippers and kids though.

Im always comfy anyway:thumbsup:

Viva la 3dr!:rockwoot:

OP, dont do anything rash and buckle under a hormonal wifes pressure, it could end up being very expensive.
Set your stall out, tell her the S3 stays!

cheers
Paul
 
P.S. I meant to add earlier that during your wife's pregnancy you'll probably go through a phase during which you'll tell yourself you're being "sensible" in talking about diesel people carriers etc. Of course there's a balance to be struck in your new post-baby life, but it really doesn't need to include too much of a compromise in terms of cars as you've read above.

If you just need to release some cash / reduce monthly outgoings, there's a lot to recommend a 3-year-old TDi S-Line - but otherwise I'd just keep the S3.
 
I've just downgraded my S3 to a 140tdi.. And i'm actually happier for doing so.. Although we have another sports car to use i was in the S3 every day and of course loved every minute of it.. but for me nothing quite beats filling up and seeing the range computer hit 650 miles (ambitions but i get 500ish out of that).. I'd get a 140 and re-map it.. just enjoy the torque and cheap fuel/tax. Don't get a golf.. they might be basically the same car, but the audi is in a whole different class..
 
LordCor said:
.. but for me nothing quite beats filling up and seeing the range computer hit 650 miles ..
Click to expand...

Good point, if you have a weekend toy then its an easier decision, but......

When the headline comment about your car is MPG, your truly are an old fart.....:)
 
I was going to say, range r... lol now, just keep zipped.
 
best thread ever, very pertinent to me at the moment!

I just sold the TT (mk1) and bought and S3 to appease the wife (and my 3-year car itch), no pregnancy yet, but hopefully just over the horizon. My concession to her was that at least my new car would have ISOFix and a bigger boot!

One of my older colleagues (surrogate team 'father') made the same point as has been made on this thread, 5dr cars mean more leaning in, twisting and getting your back/**** wet when it rains. 3dr means sliding seat, getting in the car and staying dry without having to lean/twist. I was so pleased he told me this, otherwise I'd have ended up in a diesel baby carrier too.

Also, props to BenH for the mint sauce pic again, love it. Gonna start a new thread about carrying bikes in/on the S3..

Finally, crypric23, I'm feeling the Q5, if I had to go down that road (twins for example!), the Q5 would be the one.

EDIT: Not going to create a new thread as that's been asked only recently, forum search works well! :readit:
 
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Great thread. Myself and the wife are 14 weeks pregnant, due early June 2010. The wife has a 5 door 1 series and it works really well as we look after my niece and nephew all the time, getting them in and out is no problem.

I have had some issues with my current S3 and when I was considering the "deal" to replace the car, I did start to get jittery about replcaing for another S3, especially with buckets again. There is no Isofix with the buckets, but the wife and I chatted and agreed that her car was more than enough, for now. So new S3 it was!

In my old A3, I also found it easier to get the seats and kids into the back than I do with the wife's Beemer. It'll come down to personal preference, but for me, the 3 door option works a treat. With the buckets, I'll just have to shunt them forward first. Only 1 extra step to keep the S3 when we use it instead of the 1er, no brainer.
 
PaulAr said:
Correct.

The baby will whinge less than the wife too....


So, Cayman v S3 v Citroen Xara Picasso ? :undwech:
Click to expand...

Picasso, my lord, you better start running for that one as I'll run you over with the poxy thing.

Anyway someone say Cayman

paddy said:
You cant prove points to sister in laws...its just not possable.:sob:
Click to expand...

Just sister in laws, Pat thought you were old enough to know its a dna thing with all women

crypric23 said:
i think when they are that bit older A3 / S3 would be fine , but for a new born , for me it was just cramped. rolling in a Q5 now , its like a portable living room!
I know there a lot of money but i am sold, still hope to get the S3 back sometime if only so i can mod one again !, half the fun of owning it.

5 weeks old today !

IMG_0347.jpg
Click to expand...

Q5 I just am not feeling, sat in one few times, it just didnt feel anything special at all, I can see the point for a family, but I think I'd look elsewhere anyway.

Damn even at 5 weeks old with wicked haircut, thats one cool kid, lol.
 
mitch78 said:
Anyone that thinks they need anything bigger than a 3dr A3 for one child has just been brainwashed by the school-run-mum brigade.
Click to expand...

Indeed!

It's an A3, not a Caterham :happy: I love it when people buy a big bus and they've got like 1 newborn...f*****g idiots :shrug:
 
audi upgrades
Very true, its an egotistical thing mostly, yummy mummies in there 4x4's etc, peeerrrrrlllllllease, I'll just get the missus a Gallardo, that'll shut the others up, lol.
 
But most of them don't even have 4x4s, they go for the stupid "people carriers" that are actually just taller versions of other normal cars in the range. I used to work with one guy that had a Mk4 GTI and swapped it for a flaming Meriva! How is a tall Corsa any more practical than a Golf?!
 
..why is it that the idiots that buy these bread vans also appear to be the ones that are the WORST at parking? A woman on my street has TWO, I love to watch her parking them, am sure it makes her worse :D
 
mitch78 said:
But most of them don't even have 4x4s, they go for the stupid "people carriers" that are actually just taller versions of other normal cars in the range. I used to work with one guy that had a Mk4 GTI and swapped it for a flaming Meriva! How is a tall Corsa any more practical than a Golf?!
Click to expand...

Even...fuggin'...worse! :crying: They are more practical in that you can carry more stuff, not because the boot's bigger, but the stupid skyscraping roofline means you can sit on top of your luggage.

My missus hasn't got a car at the moment, but when I get round to putting buns in the oven, she's having a normal car like a mini or a polo. Luckily-ish, although she's a firm believer in the 5-door thing (I prefer more doors, but it's very little to do with kids) she reckons those bus/tallcar things are ridiculous also :thumbsup:
 
whats wrong with these, huh, they're lovely :undwech:

multipla.jpg
 
If you need something big and premium, whats wrong with A4/A6 Avantes ? Or BMW 3/5 series Estate for a more lairy option?
 
Because some men seem to favour automotive castration as soon as a littl'un arrives?

Vauxhall Zafira TD in silver, now that's a sexy motor :huh:
 
Exactly!! I thought having kids proves you have a pair of plums so dont trade them in for a Vauxhall!

:crying:
 
mitch78 said:
Anyone that thinks they need anything bigger than a 3dr A3 for one child has just been brainwashed by the school-run-mum brigade.
Click to expand...

PaulAr said:
You dont need a 5 door mate.
Click to expand...

I've got two kids under 4 years old. My car is a 3 door S3 and the missus drives a Mini Cooper S. The S3 has more space in it than you could need for 2 kids worth and the Mini is about right. We took our eldest around Europe in my old 3 door A3 3.2 when she was 9 months old - even with all our gear it was still more than we needed. And before you ask we are not midgets - I'm 6 foot 3.
Mitch78 is right - there's some ****** talked about when it comes to kids and cars. Stick with your S3.
 
Iggu said:
I've got two kids under 4 years old. My car is a 3 door S3 and the missus drives a Mini Cooper S. The S3 has more space in it than you could need for 2 kids worth and the Mini is about right. We took our eldest around Europe in my old 3 door A3 3.2 when she was 9 months old - even with all our gear it was still more than we needed. And before you ask we are not midgets - I'm 6 foot 3.
Mitch78 is right - there's some ****** talked about when it comes to kids and cars. Stick with your S3.
Click to expand...

Damn straight my friend.

Fortunately my other half thinks the same too.
In fact when I mentioned a C4S a few months ago (brain fart), she wasnt phased at all.
Cool.
 
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