Just bought my A3... and now want sell it!

R

RichardBrown

Registered User
Joined
May 10, 2010
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
NULL
Hi folks

Bit of an odd one.. bear with me on this.

I've had my new, 2L TFSI A3 Black Edition for 3 weeks (700 miles) now and I've not fallen in love with it. This is for 2 key reasons:

-- The ride is waaaay to stiff. I knew this before but it's worse than I expected

-- The brilliant black is a nightmare to keep clean and I've already got swirls on it.

I'm considering selling it already, and getting an A5 instead.

I got it for £19,500 after scrappage and discount. It's got the comfort and light packs, lumbar support and it's 5 door

This soon after buying it, how much could I realistically expect for it?

I know this seems a bit mental, but I know I'm not the only person to have changed their mind!

Cheers
 
Is it brand new?

If you scrapped against it you could probably walk away with a small profit or the same money - either way, up to you!

The A5, in my opinion will be stiffer still or just the same - its with all Audi's, they have stiff-ish suspension. You can change the suspension but IMO the ride is perfect for the handling!
 
Boydie said:
Is it brand new?

If you scrapped against it you could probably walk away with a small profit or the same money - either way, up to you!

The A5, in my opinion will be stiffer still or just the same - its with all Audi's, they have stiff-ish suspension. You can change the suspension but IMO the ride is perfect for the handling!
Click to expand...

hi there - yes, it's brand new and has also been autoglym'd inside and out

would a non-s-line a5 have a softer ride? I live in London which is chock full of potholes and speed bumps - nightmare
 
Wouldn't it be cheaper to get the suspension changed and have the car detailed?

I drove an A5 the other week, and on 19's it wasn't that smooth, it managed to feel a bit boaty and crashy at the same time! Maybe one on 18's without the sport suspension may be better for you. The lnger wheelbase of the S5 will better mask undulations, but not potholes
 
The SE's have "wallowier" suspension if you know what I mean but you are sacrificing S-Line spec and looks for SE which in my opinion is silly!

It will be softer but if you want to glide over bumps and lumps........ buy french!
 
Surely a set of non sline springs which i expect someone on here would do a direct swap for, and a lesson in how to clean you car without swirling the paint would be far cheaper??

Please dont tell me you use a sponge and a chamois on your gorgeous black paint?? Audi paint is hard as nails so you must be doing something pretty stoopid to have it that bad after 700 miles??

Get someone who KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING to machine polish the swirls out, buy some DECENT polish and wax rather than AG, and then two buckets, a grit guard, a drying towel and a wash mitt and you will be much happier. I had a black S4 cab, which I had de-swirled, and then followed a basic cleaning routine with the above products and it looked like my sig pic everytime.

Just my 2p worth.
 
JamesS4cab said:
Surely a set of non sline springs which i expect someone on here would do a direct swap for, and a lesson in how to clean you car without swirling the paint would be far cheaper??

Please dont tell me you use a sponge and a chamois on your gorgeous black paint?? Audi paint is hard as nails so you must be doing something pretty stoopid to have it that bad after 700 miles??

Get someone who KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING to machine polish the swirls out, buy some DECENT polish and wax rather than AG, and then two buckets, a grit guard, a drying towel and a wash mitt and you will be much happier. I had a black S4 cab, which I had de-swirled, and then followed a basic cleaning routine with the above products and it looked like my sig pic everytime.

Just my 2p worth.
Click to expand...

cheers. The swirling isnt that bad at the moment but could get more noticeable. Unfortunately I've got no water supply top do the whole 2-bucket process, so am forced to go to a hand car wash. They dont use sponges or chamois thankfully but they wont do the job as well as you'd do it yourself

Maybe I'm thinking about this the wrong way, but I also want to maintain the value of the car after 2-3 years. I could get the swirls machine'd out just before I sell it I guess

In terms of springs, are there any you'd suggest?

ta
 
Well if you get it polished out now, and follow a decent routine, then you should be fine. There would be minimal swirling as the paint is so tough, and also if you use a good quality wax that means you dont have to scrub any dirt off. I find with mine that I can get it almost spotless from just snow foam and jet washing. Its not immaculate but far better than the supermarket guy would do!

I used to have to clean mine with a couple of watering cans and a couple of buckets, but definately worth it. Hand car wash? Those guys that drop their cleaning equipment on the floor and then carry on "washing your car"? Nice.......

I thought std A3 springs/shocks were softer than S Line? You would be able to pick up standard from a breakers, most likely from a pretty new car for peanuts as no one wants them. Put your std ones in storage and then when you come to sell, get them fitted back on.
 
The brilliant black is a nightmare for swirls and stone chips. Annoys me on a daily basis :)
 
You want to sell just because it's a bit of a stiff ride, and the paint is hard to keep clean?

You're mental
 
RichardBrown said:
In terms of springs, are there any you'd suggest?
Click to expand...

I recently changed the s-line springs on my '06 TFSI quattro for some Eibach Pro springs which have only marginally lowered the car (I didn't measure before and afterwards but you can't really notice it just by eye).

Whilst I'd like to think that the ride has improved I used my girlfriends fun-bags as a wobble-ometer. They still jiggle around as god intended but the range of motion has reduced slightly.

The ride is still firm (I'm talking about the car now) but going over speed bumps (again, the car.......) and finding London's potholes isn't as bad as it used to be. And another upside is that cornering is slightly improved, I found the original setup to roll a little too much now its just about right without being slammed to the tarmac
 
davej_anderson said:
Whilst I'd like to think that the ride has improved I used my girlfriends fun-bags as a wobble-ometer. They still jiggle around as god intended but the range of motion has reduced slightly.
Click to expand...

This has to be in the running for post of the year.:anbet:

LEGENDARY.
 
davej_anderson said:
Whilst I'd like to think that the ride has improved I used my girlfriends fun-bags as a wobble-ometer. They still jiggle around as god intended but the range of motion has reduced slightly.
Click to expand...

Would you consider lending her to test my car's suspension?? I am planning to get a set of Eibach Pros and wanted to measure the changes in handling and in-car wobble .

LOL sorry, I just couldn't help it!!!
:sos::icon_thumright:
 
I'm on my second black car and would definitely buy black again. As mentioned before you really need a good routine for washing, drying and polishing. As for your swirl marks they can be dealt with yourself quite easily with very little knowledge.

This is a thread I created on another forum and was the first time I'd ever machine polished a car.

http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7155&highlight=
 
SAiLO said:
Would you consider lending her to test my car's suspension?? I am planning to get a set of Eibach Pros and wanted to measure the changes in handling and in-car wobble .
:sos::icon_thumright:
Click to expand...

Mine is standard s-line suspension with nothing changed,but can i aswell?
 
I would recommend giving the suspension time to get used to. I was exactly the same about the sport suspension on my A3 when I first got it four years ago - hated it at first - much too firm. I couldn't enjoy any journey and I think I posted on here about changing the suspension setup. Then one day I got half way on the journey to work and realised for the first time I hadn't thought about it. After that I quickly got used to it and I don't think about it now. It took me about four months to get used to in all, but I don't think I'd go back to a softer suspension car now. As for the colour - mine too is black and yes it takes a lot of effort to keep clean but it's worth it.
 
Last edited:
Reminds me of the time when I bought a brand new Civic Type-R. It was the second one I owned and I sold it about 4 weeks after I bought it, I just didn't get the buzz from it, everyone thought I'd lost the plot!! I'm now having a similar time with my A3 2.0 TDi S-Line, its a fantastic car and ticks all the boxes for comfort, style, economy etc but I just don't get excited about it, even after fitting an Optic grille and putting it on coilovers and spacers to make it look like a proper beast!!
 
Have you checked that Audi haven't left the transporter blocks in the suspension?
I didn't think S Line was that bad at all...
 
Ironic though that t here is an option now for the hard ride

Audi magnetic ride. Adaptive suspension system with two selectable modes (Normal or Sport). Sensors
in the car monitor the road conditions and adjust the damping effect by varying a magnetic charge which PDH passes through a fluid-based shock absorber, delivering improved road handling, outstanding chassis
control and excellent driving comfort. Only available on 2.0 TDI (140 and 170PS), 2.0 TDI quattro, 1.8 TFSI, 2.0 TFSI and 2.0 TFSI quattro

£900-00 ish though, does it include the S3 I get the impression it does, wonder if that can be added after?
 
Brett Butler said:
I £900-00 ish though, does it include the S3 I get the impression it does, wonder if that can be added after?
Click to expand...

Yup, it does, mines on order with this.. for same reason, im hoping for softer suspension for everyday use, not harder suspension for racing around tracks etc. (although im still not sure which way the balance lies - harder or softer than without!?!)
 
Whats the full spec of your car , i may be interested , is it Defo Brilliant black.
Ie : not metallic or pearl?
 
Brett Butler said:
Ironic though that t here is an option now for the hard ride

Audi magnetic ride. Adaptive suspension system with two selectable modes (Normal or Sport). Sensors
in the car monitor the road conditions and adjust the damping effect by varying a magnetic charge which PDH passes through a fluid-based shock absorber, delivering improved road handling, outstanding chassis
control and excellent driving comfort. Only available on 2.0 TDI (140 and 170PS), 2.0 TDI quattro, 1.8 TFSI, 2.0 TFSI and 2.0 TFSI quattro

£900-00 ish though, does it include the S3 I get the impression it does, wonder if that can be added after?
Click to expand...

Sorry for the thread resurrection but does anyone know exactly how the Mag Ride works on the S-Line. What I mean is, is the "hard" setting equivalent to an S-Line without Mag Ride and the "soft" setting a bit more comfortable, or is the "soft" setting the same as an S-Line without Mag Ride and the "hard" setting even harder!?

Salesman at the dealer seems to think the latter but I'm not 100% sure whether to believe him. If there's a chance the Mag Ride gives me a more "comfortable" setting for when I'm not caning it then I'd go for it but if it just allows me to make things even harder then it's £900 wasted. Of course there's zero chance of finding an S-Line demonstrator with Mag Ride anywhere to try it myself :(
 
And i think my sport suspension is too soft. Well if you want my springs feel free to take them they're 6 months old
 
I had an A5 Sport before my S3 and the ride is far stiffer in the A5, in fact it's horrible. I'm honestly not just saying that, I went from an A5 to the S3 for pretty much the same reasons as what you are describing.
 
Why do Audi struggle to make cars with a decent ride? its not like a3/4/5 can outhandle any of the opposition as a tradeoff, and are known for being less comfortable at the same time.
 
Old thread it is, but I wanna state that these S-line does break the backbones. I have a Phantom Black A3 and if I have to say should I sell my car? No, not at all.. I'm loving the whole package. I think the S-line suspension softens up abit after a few thousand miles, or maybe I'm just too used to the crashy ride by now. :p
 
Just joined as have been a lurker looking for information as to when the new A3 might ever get released (if it's 2012 then the 3dr will be 9 years old!).

Anyway I previously had a 8P2 S Line and the ride quality was awful particularly for passengers. I now have a S Line A5 with Sport Suspension (20mm drop from standard instead of 30mm drop for S Line) and 19" wheels and the ride quality is much better than my A3.

Hopefully the next A3 will also give owners the option on the S Line to have a slightly softer ride.
 
I've got used to the suspension on my S-Line - yes it's hard but I don't really notice it any more. Passengers have commented on it though and, if the Mag Ride gives me the option to soften it a bit on long journeys, I'd take it but I just can't find a straight answer on how the Mag Ride compares to standard S-Line suspension.

What do you reckon the chances are of me finding a dealer with an A3 S-Line with Mag Ride available to test drive? I'd actually travel a fair distance to try one.

If anyone here has an S-Line with Mag Ride and would let me passenger or even drive it briefly to try out then let me know! :)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A3jack
Just bought my first a3!
Replies
1
Views
669
Phil-1
Phil-1
Adeel43
Just bought an A3!
Replies
257
Views
18K
ben_a38p
ben_a38p
ryanstewart_1991
just bought my first s3!!
Replies
29
Views
1K
ryanstewart_1991
ryanstewart_1991
B
Just bought an S3! Should it have...
Replies
13
Views
1K
NHN
NHN
G
My A3 ..........Just need a name for it.
Replies
3
Views
471
gokiwi64
G
Top
Back