S3 Saloon - Open for Orders!

Joetidman

Joetidman

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Guys, prices have been released today, order book is open! S3 Saloon < A3 < Models

I'm pretty sure I'm buying one, I think they look great, I've test-driven the new S3 SB Hatch, and it was properly quick, as well as refined.

The saloon is in my opinion, one of the best all-round cars available out there, 0-60 under 5 seconds, 40+MPG, characterful engine sound, 4 doors and a decent boot, looks great, great interior, all-weather 4WD, what more do you want! Trading in my Scirocco, which is brilliant but I now have two kids under 3.

Only thing is I can't decide on the colour!

:think:

Thoughts, agree/disagree?
 
It's nearly £2K more expensive than the SB though...Do you get anything extra for your money? 40+ MPG... I don't think so....(unless you drive like Miss Daisy)
 
Base price is more than my 2.0 TDI Sportback Sport A3 with 9ks worth of options on it!
 
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I think the 2K is worth it, you get 19" alloys as standard and from what I can see on the website, you seem to get magnetic ride as standard too, both of which are over and above the standard S3 Audi S3 Saloon - Specifications - Audi.co.uk.

Also, I just think it looks a lot better than the S3 SB, which, no offense, looks a bit dumpy, and estate-like for me, and if the saloon wasn't available I'd be getting a slightly used S4 or S5 sportback instead, and not the SB S3. As for 40+ MPG, you are probably right, but my current Scirocco is rated at 37MPG, and I get over than when doing my commute (100 mile round trip, 60% of which is motorway), so its got to be an improvement over that, even if I only really get 32-33MPG on average, for 300BHP when I want it!
 
cemerson said:
Base price is more than my 2.0 TDI Sportback Sport A3 with 9ks worth of options on it!
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Yep, but I don't know any 2.0 TDI's doing 0-60 in under 5 seconds, and sounding and responding like the S3 does, so it depends on what you want from your car.

Personally, I'm a petrol-head and diesels have never done it for me (my Scirocco is the 2.0 TSI), and I'm willing to pay the premium (which I'm sure applies to a fair few people, else I don't think the S and RS model's would exist...)
 
Joetidman said:
Yep, but I don't know any 2.0 TDI's doing 0-60 in under 5 seconds, and sounding and responding like the S3 does, so it depends on what you want from your car.
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Indeed, but what it sounds like and a bit of extra acceleration you get to use every now and then certainly isn't worth 11k + higher running costs to me! Maybe with a bit less of a premium, but that seems excessive.
 
cemerson said:
Indeed, but what it sounds like and a bit of extra acceleration you get to use every now and then certainly isn't worth 11k + higher running costs to me! Maybe with a bit less of a premium, but that seems excessive.
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I take your point, £11K is a lot, but I guess it depends on what your comparator is. Yes £11K from the diesel seems a lot, but if you then compared it instead to cars with similar performance, like the Cayman S, BMW 1M and M135I, and AMG CLA45, its pretty good value and will hold its value better than most. Its the engine that separates the car from the other A3's I think and thats what you're paying for. Plus remember a lot of those £9K of options are standard on the S3...

Accepting a lot of folk wouldn't want to pay that however. I intend to push for a decent discount though, they seem to have been offered on other S3's people on these forum's have been posting.
 
Yep, got about 7% off my A3 in the end too. Not the best I've seen but not the worst.
 
cemerson said:
Yep, got about 7% off my A3 in the end too. Not the best I've seen but not the worst.
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If I got 7% I'd be delighted! How did you manage it, did you use a Drive the deal quote as leverage?
 
I originally wanted the S3 Saloon but simply couldn't keep my car much longer, and Audi were quoting me a rought date of July 2014 for delivery on the saloon so i bought the SB instead..

I wonder what delivery dates will be quoted?
 
Johnnyb said:
I originally wanted the S3 Saloon but simply couldn't keep my car much longer, and Audi were quoting me a rought date of July 2014 for delivery on the saloon so i bought the SB instead..

I wonder what delivery dates will be quoted?
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Yeah, I don't know why the saloon version is so far behind the other dates, currently my dealer is quoting Feb for the first cars, which I do doubt they'll hit. Personally mid to late march is fine for me, as it means a new plate
 
Joetidman said:
If I got 7% I'd be delighted! How did you manage it, did you use a Drive the deal quote as leverage?
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My Dad is in the motor industry so brought him along so the salesman knew he couldn't BS me (and to help with the negotiations!), showed a lot of interest, and got them to match Drive the Deal, yes - though I didn't have an official quote, only a printout. He pretty much asked what I wanted to pay per month and adjusted the APR on the finance till it got down there - their first offer was ridiculous, and they admitted as much but said they had to.

I think product knowledge is hugely important - I knew more about the car than he did, so when I say things like 'I know I can get this from x place for y cost' he probably knew he wasn't going to be able to BS me on that front. My Dad found out what a typical discount from Audi was as well so I knew when we were in the right ballpark, and he even told us what margin they make on the sales (14% - so we got half their profit back). In the end, any decent salesman isn't going to throw away the sale for the sake of losing a little bit of their profit, so if they don't give you what you want, leave them to their lack of sale and go elsewhere.

Then again, there is always the fact that for every sale they lose, someone else is always going to walk through the door wanting one, popular as the car is at the moment!

Main thing is just be prepared to walk away if you aren't happy. If you aren't sure, walk away anyway, and leave it a couple of weeks to see if they call back with a better offer. If they don't, you know you've probably got the best they are going to give you.
 
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It will be interesting to see one in the flesh as the A3 Saloons i have seen so far have disappointed me, but the pics and videos look great!

I can't work out what looks sportier - the SB or the Saloon....if hypothetically speaking the SB had 19" alloy option too...

Thoughts?
 
Not a bit fan of the saloon personally, looks a bit too chunky and boxy. Not that I'm that bothered about the looks of the car I drive - pretty much bottom of the list of priorities for me. SB for me because it's cheaper and more practical - those were the overriding factors!
 
cemerson said:
My Dad is in the motor industry so brought him along so the salesman knew he couldn't BS me (and to help with the negotiations!), showed a lot of interest, and got them to match Drive the Deal, yes - though I didn't have an official quote, only a printout. He pretty much asked what I wanted to pay per month and adjusted the APR on the finance till it got down there - their first offer was ridiculous, and they admitted as much but said they had to.

I think product knowledge is hugely important - I knew more about the car than he did, so when I say things like 'I know I can get this from x place for y cost' he probably knew he wasn't going to be able to BS me on that front. My Dad found out what a typical discount from Audi was as well so I knew when we were in the right ballpark, and he even told us what margin they make on the sales (14% - so we got half their profit back). In the end, any decent salesman isn't going to throw away the sale for the sake of losing a little bit of their profit, so if they don't give you what you want, leave them to their lack of sale and go elsewhere.

Then again, there is always the fact that for every sale they lose, someone else is always going to walk through the door wanting one, popular as the car is at the moment!

Main thing is just be prepared to walk away if you aren't happy. If you aren't sure, walk away anyway, and leave it a couple of weeks to see if they call back with a better offer. If they don't, you know you've probably got the best they are going to give you.
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Good advice, I think I'll try the same, 6-7% sounds like a reasonable aim then (as I imagine the S3 saloon has a higher profit margin as well to your earlier points!)
 
audi upgrades
cemerson said:
Not a bit fan of the saloon personally, looks a bit too chunky and boxy. Not that I'm that bothered about the looks of the car I drive - pretty much bottom of the list of priorities for me. SB for me because it's cheaper and more practical - those were the overriding factors!
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Fair enough, beauty in the eye of the beholder and all that! In fact I envy you as your choice is cheaper! Certainly the S3 SB I drove was a superb drive
 
Johnnyb said:
It will be interesting to see one in the flesh as the A3 Saloons i have seen so far have disappointed me, but the pics and videos look great!

I can't work out what looks sportier - the SB or the Saloon....if hypothetically speaking the SB had 19" alloy option too...

Thoughts?
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Its a good point, I think the 19's would make a good bit of difference to the look of the car. When I test drove the S3 SB I looked at and got into one of their new A3 saloons there, and I thought they looked really nice, although the alloys they had on both of them were shocking. Alloys can really make or break a car for me, and I have no idea what numpty specced those cars. I did think that the boot in the saloon looked massive as well, but then I'm used to my scirocco boot I guess!
 
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I was looking at the M135i as well, as the reviews always seem to prefer it over the new S3 (mostly for driving 'feel' :think:), but I just can't get over how rubbish it looks. Has such a van-like look, and I came away thinking that I'd rather claw my eyes out and pour bleach down the holes than have to look at one on my driveway for 3 years.

Might be overstating that a little mind.
 
Joetidman said:
I was looking at the M135i as well, as the reviews always seem to prefer it over the new S3 (mostly for driving 'feel' :think:), but I just can't get over how rubbish it looks. Has such a van-like look, and I came away thinking that I'd rather claw my eyes out and pour bleach down the holes than have to look at one on my driveway for 3 years.

Might be overstating that a little mind.
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Yes it seems to me quite often the reviewers of these cars don't think about the big picture... just the quick 1/2 hour test drive that they have for free, half of which will be spend on a track.

I've never once brought a car I owned to a track, nor have I ever driven on the roads like I was on a track.

The fact is these types of cars are so capable nowadays that there just isn't a cat in hells chance that mere mortals like us can begin to test their true capabilities.

For me it's about having solid build quality, good looking, fast for overtaking, comfort, technology, running costs etc...

Not once in my purchasing decision did I genuinely look at driving pleasure at track speeds because I, like many, will never want to push my beautiful new car to destruction.

With that said, I imagine there are still a few proper petrol heads out there who do like the thrash their cars, at which point the BMW becomes very attractive.
 
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paullowther said:
Yes it seems to me quite often the reviewers of these cars don't think about the big picture... just the quick 1/2 hour test drive that they have for free, half of which will be spend on a track.

I've never once brought a car I owned to a track, nor have I ever driven on the roads like I was on a track.

The fact is these types of cars are so capable nowadays that there just isn't a cat in hells chance that mere mortals like us can begin to test their true capabilities.

For me it's about having solid build quality, good looking, fast for overtaking, comfort, technology, running costs etc...

Not once in my purchasing decision did I genuinely look at driving pleasure at track speeds because I, like many, will never want to push my beautiful new car to destruction.

With that said, I imagine there are still a few proper petrol heads out there who do like the thrash their cars, at which point the BMW becomes very attractive.
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Completely agree with you. As much as I'd love to spend my days hunting out B roads to thrash my car around, life isn't that simple, and I like you, want a highly capable, fast car but which can do all the other mundane things too (like housing small children occasionally, and not crippling me with an overally hard ride). My friend has a limited edition M3 but it barely comes out of his parents garage, as its powerful RWD setup a nightmare is very wet or icy conditions and his 'matt' paint is more vunerable than a newborn! The funny thing is he drives an A1 as his runaround as a result. Why not get an S3 and have both worlds in one car!

The reviews always suggest that "its too easy to drive quickly" is a bad thing, which I don't get. Why do I want a car where I have to fight it into submission every time I take a fast corner or roundabout? I leave power slides (which I do enjoy) to the track days I do (in someone elses car!)
 
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and the S3 is a quattro, if you compare to the TDI 184 quattro, there is not a huge gap

If I didn't do +20.000miles /year I would have definitely taken the S3
 
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Joetidman said:
Its a good point, I think the 19's would make a good bit of difference to the look of the car. When I test drove the S3 SB I looked at and got into one of their new A3 saloons there, and I thought they looked really nice, although the alloys they had on both of them were shocking. Alloys can really make or break a car for me, and I have no idea what numpty specced those cars. I did think that the boot in the saloon looked massive as well, but then I'm used to my scirocco boot I guess!
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Agreed

Which is why i have gone and bought some aftermarket 19" alloys, they of a similar colour combination to the S3 alloys so won't look too way out there, but i'm hoping it will complete the look of a 300bhp car a bit more...

I think there are arguments for and against both the saloon and the SB, critics will say the SB looks like a small estate, whilst others will say the Saloon just looks executive...

I think they both look great!
 
19" rims.. no thanks. Probably about another 50-80 quid more expensive per tyre than 18"s, not to mention what it will do detrimentally to the peformance and handling of the car. Probably why it comes with mag ride as standard to try and counteract the fact it has 19"s on it :ermm:
 
visionthing:2022602 said:
19" rims.. no thanks. Probably about another 50-80 quid more expensive per tyre than 18"s, not to mention what it will do detrimentally to the peformance and handling of the car. Probably why it comes with mag ride as standard to try and counteract the fact it has 19"s on it :ermm:
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No road reports of the new S3 with 19's so how detrimental can it be if we have nothing to go on? Why does the outgoing and incoming golf r have a 19' wheel inch option without mag ride as standard? Is anyone really in a position to assume a negative effect on handling without any first hand experience of the new 8v s3?
 
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Louay said:
No road reports of the new S3 with 19's so how detrimental can it be if we have nothing to go on? Why does the outgoing and incoming golf r have a 19' wheel inch option without mag ride as standard? Is anyone really in a position to assume a negative effect on handling without any first hand experience of the new 8v s3?
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Well said

I think the fact that the Saloon S3 has the option of a 19" alloy just goes to show that the ride must not be too adversely affected by this, and there is an argument that handling can be improved with a bigger wheel...

As an S3 owner i can confirm the standard ride on the 18" alloys is superb, and i will be mightily shocked if i'm having to wear a spine harness every time i get in my car when my new wheels are on...
 
Just out of interest I just specced up an A3 1.8tsi saloon stronic s line with the same spec as you get on the S3 as standard and the cost...£33K, so less than £2K for an extra 120 BHP, plus S3 badges mirrors and pipes etc, not bad I think!
 
cuke2u said:
And the wider track front and rear as well...
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I agree, I can't believe an extra 1 inch of rim can completely ruin a car with a good ride, especially in comfort. Tyres will cost a bit more, but if that's an issue don't by a premium performance saloon...
 
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Joetidman said:
Just out of interest I just specced up an A3 1.8tsi saloon stronic s line with the same spec as you get on the S3 as standard and the cost...£33K, so less than £2K for an extra 120 BHP, plus S3 badges mirrors and pipes etc, not bad I think!
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Seems like a no brainer to me, thats the problem some people go on about the extra cost of the S models then end up specing a oil burner upto similar spec and cost!!

Think im going to take the plunge on the Saloon, just waiting for some discounts to start rolling out seems 8% is about what you want to be aming for.
 
Joetidman said:
I agree, I can't believe an extra 1 inch of rim can completely ruin a car with a good ride, especially in comfort. Tyres will cost a bit more, but if that's an issue don't by a premium performance saloon...
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I'm not sure what you meant by your response, I was stating that all of the saloons have a wider track front and rear regardless of the wheel size. Thus they look better, after all it is the best looking car in the whole range and one that has real identity and a presence on the road, unlike a estate pretending to be a hatchback...
 
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Joetidman said:
I agree, I can't believe an extra 1 inch of rim can completely ruin a car with a good ride, especially in comfort. Tyres will cost a bit more, but if that's an issue don't by a premium performance saloon...
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I can't believe 1 inch less will completely ruin a car's looks, but there we go :p
 
7 months lead time on S3 saloon in europe. Just checked
 
I ordered S3 Saloon 3 month ago and yes, before they even could told me how much it cost. Country where I live the car dealer told me that they get the price before xmas. (sorry bad english)

Every thing else is ok but the colour, I cant deside is it Misano or Sepang (I dont yet know is that sepang S3 sedasn colour or not in here)
Pantherblack was my first choice BUT I saw one SB on that colour and decided that birght colour is better because it shows the shapes of the Saloon.
Audi S3 saloon is more sportier looking car than SB or Coupe. Matter of taste and thats why I ordered Saloon.
In my country, the saloons price gets nearly two Vauxhall Corsa OPC Nurburgring cars ( 30 000 euros/car). So I have to love that car what I buy.
 
Must admit I do think about the saloon s3 because it looks fantastic and it's got a bigger boot,but with the kids and family things I need a hatch opening for them bizarre things that end up in the car,wouldn't mind a set of those 19's though for the sb when it arrives
 
Guys have ordered my S3 Saloon!

I got ordered:

Estoril Blue
Stronic gearbox
Tech Pack
SS Seats
Comfort pack
Adaptive cruise
Front and rear sensors
Audi sound system
LED lights
Folding mirrors
Privacy glass
Tyre Sensor
Boot mat

build week 12 which is early April I think delivery,

cant wait. I got to take out an stron S3 SB before I signed as they'd only had the manual before and I was amazed, what a machine!
 
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A genuine question for anyone who has ordered an S3 - why didn't you go for the S4 instead? I can sort of get the S3 SB for those that need 5 doors, but if you really need the extra space and 5 doors then surely the S4 is a readily available solution (?)
 
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