Quick! Somebody stop me from cancelling my S3! And maybe buying an R32?!?

James1927

James1927

Registered User
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Cardiff
Hi all

Firstly let me introduce myself, I'm James from South Wales, who loves Audi's.....FAST Audi's! :yum:

I've never joined a forum before but seeing as I'm on the verge of the most expensive car I've ever bought and have a burning desire to mod it to the roof, I thought now would be as good a time as ever!!

I've put a £1k deposit on the car, I can't get a pic of the exact one as they've taken it offline, but it's Phantom Black, extra's are....Interior Light Pack, Phone-Prep Low, Non Smokers Pack :drool: as apparently most things are standard on the S3.

I've test driven the car, think it's amazing, but before heading up the M5 on Sunday thought I'd check some reviews online. Top result in Google is JC's not too affectionate opinion:

Jeremy Clarkson Audi S3 review | Driving - Times Online

What I’d do is save nearly £3,000 and buy the Golf R32, which has the same four-wheel-drive system as the Audi but comes with a much better V6 engine

After reading that I thought/hoped, that's just JC being a tw&t, so I tried the second Google find:

Audi S3 | First Drives | Car Reviews | Auto Express

However, buyers would have to value performance and image over sheer driving fun to pick the S3 above its rivals
​


By this time I was getting a little concerned so decided to look further... I doubt JC would have written this review on Top Gear as well so still think it's relevant:

Audi S3 expert car review verdict - BBC Top Gear

Buy a Golf R32 with a lovely V6. Better yet a Golf GTI and have a holiday on the savings

I could go on, but really don't want to as they all practically say the same thing!

Not to be misunderstood, I REALLY REALLY want an S3, I already have a TT and think Quattro is the best thing since sliced bread. But when reading the above last night, I have 3 fingers on the phone to firstly call VW and arrange an R32 test drive...then possible Audi to grab my deposit back whilst I take the time with my decision....

I'm supposed to be collecting the S3 by Thursday next week...HELP!! :sos:

I know I've not come to the best place for impartial advice, but that's why I'm here! Convince me to buy S3!!!

Your comments and advice are appreciated :salute:

Cheers

J
 
I drove the R and wasn't overly impressed and the V6 is heavy on juice and weight in my impartial view :whistle2:
 
James,

Totally depends on what you want chap, i've had golfs and Audis and they are both really good cars but an the end of the day the Audi is a slightly better built and better kudos car. In my mind if i was buying one for track use i would get the golf but for everyday and fast road the Audi wins hands down.

As my GF puts it the R32 is a bit chavy and i have to agree to some extent.
 
tough call. if you're able to afford a Golf GTI VI then that's definitely the one to have imho.

it's a little less clear cut if you're going for the Golf V. i'd be inclined to get an older A3 3.2 instead of the R32 and save yourself even more money, but there's basically 0 tuning potential, so unless you wanna spend £4k on a turbo you're stuck with 247bhp. maybe a tiny bit more with an exhaust and CAI and remap

i've test driven an A3 3.2 and it's a glorious machine, but i couldn't afford to run it so i went for a 2.0T instead. i'm of the opinion that if you're not planning on tuning the crap out of it then quattro is fairly unnecessary (tho MANY will disagree with me on that). ergo you might as well get a GTI. but steer clear of the Ed30 if you do. the bodykit is naf and they've done something to the suspension that's cocked up the handling. seats are lovely tho lol.

anyway to summarise, this would be my order of preference:

1. Golf GTI VI
2. A3 3.2
3. S3
4. A3 2.0T
5. R32
6. Golf GTI V
7. Golf GTI Ed30 V

not sure if that's more or less confusing for you, but hope it helps
 
No dont get a R32 i had one and it cleaned my wallet out of fuel ,

I have had both R32 and S3 and the S3 is so much better R32 is just cheaper looking and looks more chav ,

get the S3 its so much better !
 
3.2 dont float my boat & I've had a NA 4.2 S4 B6, not very easiily modified at all, S3 can be tuned very highly for alot less money than the 3.2 & would be a hell of alot of fun & fast as hell, a remap takes it to 310 alone, thats only £500 or so, S3 easily mate over the 3.2, very easily.
 
JC is a great entertainer but as voice for the average motorist hes about as credible as my cat!!

There is a good reason why S3 owners pay the extra to have one over the R32, similar cars to a degree but not the same.
Its not like we didnt know the R32 existed and made an informed decision NOT to save the money.
Just look at the conflicting Mag reviews, who do you believe?
Car mags/reviews are for reading on the plane, or when having a dump, not material on which to base a purchase on IMO.

Ive had VR6s in the past so appreciate the merits of having a big sweet sounding V6 in a hatchback.
Ive driven the an A3 3.2 and its very good, and didnt even feel obviously nose heavy on a quick blast compared to an S3 or even a MK5 Golf for that matter. (maybe thats different on a track but how cares about that? Motoring journos might, I certainly dont.)

For me, the fizz bang delivery of a turbo is very addictive and essential if you plan to tune the car so the R32 was never a real consideration, aside from the fact it doesnt look that good, the GTi is a MUCH better version of the MK5.

And after owing 2 GTis previously, I wanted more of the same in a prettier more prestige package with 4wd to harness the planned 300+bhp, the S3 was too obvious.
In fact after driving them back to back, the S3 felt exactly that, a posher, prettier, faster, grippier Golf.

For me the most important thing to consider is how the car makes you feel as an everyday tool, rather than one single attribute.
Just being fast, or sounding nice, or being pretty etc... is not enough, I want a car that does everything really well and the S3 is it.

So the S3 wont set your world on fire, but neither will the R32.

And apparently the S3 doesnt have the absolute tip toe dynamics at 50mph over the speed limit on a back road, and the steering isnt as sharp as lots of other performance cars but it is still fun in relative terms and will get you from A to B fast and safely in the hands of the average hamfisted driver (me!)

My S3 has been on the drive for 2 1/2yrs, which is at least 12 month longer than any other car Ive owned so its more that says a hell of alot.
I still have no immediate plans to change it because I havent seen or tried anything that I fancy that does the same thing for the same money.

And oK Im biased but thats no suprise.
And probably I bit of a badge snob, there I said it.

But I think you have made the right choice.
Forget the R32, get the S3, get it remapped and maybe some springs and you will have a fine car.

Good luck

Paul


PS - cant help but think this will end up another S3 v Everything thread, or 4wd v 2wd.......:tapedshut:
 
:iagree:

Forget the R32 and stick with the S3, especially if you plan to modify it. You'll end up with a lot more bhp/£ with the S3 than the R32 could ever dream of. Plus the V6 is too heavy (in comparison to the S3 engine), add the fact that the S3 also has lightened aluminium front suspension components, and it all adds up to a MUCH lighter front end, which is a good thing when you want to turn. Make a few simple mods like uprated anti-roll bars and suspension, and it'll make it much more fun to drive. It's hardly lacking in ability in standard form, but the improvements that can be made are awesome.
 
A mate of mine has the 3.2 A3 and is disappointed with the consumption. He doesn't get much better than 20 mpg and I just got 27mpg in my 2.0T (A not S3) commuting in London and a bit of fast motorway.
 
Paul, this is call for a celebration no, how shall we celebrate in true PaulAr & NHN fashion

The-pope-in-a-mankini.jpg
 
I had an A3 3.2 just before my S3 and I have to say the only thing I missed from my 3.2 was the noise it made!

I had a milltek cat back non-res and it sounded sweet but the S3 pretty much outperforms the 3.2 in every other area as far as I'm concerned.

Infact now that I have a CAI and Milltek TBE de-cat on I'd say it pleases me just as much, allbeit in a different way.

Another couple of things I did like about the 3.2 was the range the gears had for instance when approaching a roundabout in the 3.2 I could leave the car in 4th or 3rd where the S3 would have to shift down to prevent it from stalling/to get power.
I also seem to remember the 3.2 having a little bit more instant power delivery too, but these things were no where near enough to stop me preferring the S3 and now that I have one I definetly don't miss my 3.2 but still respect it as it is a great car.

However I would LOVE to try out a turbo or supercharged 3.2!
 
Get s3 mate as Paul said. Put jeremy in a revo stg1 car with h&r's then see what he thinks..
 
The Golf R with the 265bhp 20T is just new out this year and supercedes the old R32 with the 3.2 lump.
 
PaulAr said:
JC is a great entertainer but as voice for the average motorist hes about as credible as my cat!!
Click to expand...

This!

Also, that review from Clarkson is relatively old, and at the time both the S3 and R32 did use the Haldex II system. However the S3 switched to the latest Haldex IV system from MY09 (IIRC) and onwards. Do a few searches on here to see if the advantages there carry any weight with yourself.

When I was buying my S3 I compared it against a 135i (never mind an R32, haha), you can read about that here.

If it was my money I'd be leaving the R32 well alone. Especially with the price of fuel you guys have to pay. The S3 isn't the most economical car around, but it craps over the R32, as lovely as it does sound.

Good luck.
 
S3 has a better interior, faster as standard, a lot more tunaeable and big bhp /££ gains, has much cheaper road tax...list goes on!
Only thing better about a mk5 R32 is the engine noise, and thats all.
Saw a new Golf R 3 door yesterday, and yes the S3 is similarly subtle, but the R just looks pretty lame.
 
I am looking at getting 05/06 plate A3 for a while now and can't decide for which one to go for: 2.0TQ or 3.2DSG.
You have just made my decision easier here guys. Although 2.0TQ isn't S3 but it does have a potential to be ****** quick with few ££££££.
With remap, exhaust & inlet it will eat 3.2 for breakfast. Not mentioning possible K04 upgrade
 
Last edited:
phantom black is a bitch to keep clean ! apart from that the S3 is all good ..................
 
Its a bit of an odd choice really...in that they are quite different cars. Now if you were looking at a A3 3.2 and a S3 I could understand it. I don’t agree with Akash that the S3 has a better interior because it just depends on the options list when it was new. Most S3’s I have looked at are really poorly equipped, finding one with a light pack/rnse/cruise etc. is not easy. Yes you can add bits later but then that goes for the 3.2 as well.
No one on here or even Clarkson knows what you want/need so its down to you to drive both and as Nige says, see what floats your boat. Your comment “apparently most things are standard on the S3” baffles me ?? Audi don’t give you anything as standard…not even a map light !!
A 3 year old 3.2 will cost you 12k a S3 will cost you 20k, the 3.2 will cost you twice as much to tax and will ave 28mpg but then I did 40 miles today and ave 33mpg…so it depends a lot on what sort of driving your doing.
Buy either from a Audi dealership and get an extended warranty if you can as well….You really don’t want to repair either out your own pocket “IF” something goes pop on an S3 and “when” something goes bang on a 3.2 (because it will…lol).
If you buy an S3 make sure it hasn’t been chipped, most have. Your better off chipping it yourself with a good make like Revo and knowing its history than paying good money for a thrashed car with a knackered clutch and DMF J….knacker it yourself later..
As much as I like my 3.2 I would not buy another…Its not a speed thing, unless your talking fractions of a second there is not a lot in it, its just that the S3 will always be more saleable in years to come and the 3.2 is going to cost you a lot of money to maintain. My service bills and maintenance over 3 years has cost far more than the cars value alone.
 
slepy said:
With remap, exhaust & inlet it will eat 3.2 for breakfast. Not mentioning possible K04 upgrade
Click to expand...

No 20t remapped is going to "eat a 3.2 for breakfast" !! your going to have to find 50bhp just to draw level !! and your miltek and inlet will not make a lot of odds except at 6k rpm +
asuming the std kit cant flow the extra bhp anyway.
 
Yes mate but you need that to just draw level....lol..get out a here :)

A 20T might "eat a Fiat 500 for breakfast" but its onl;y going to nibble round the edges of a 3.2

An S3 hAS uprated high performance PISTONS, revised boost/fuel mapping, increased turbocharger size (KKK K04) and larger INTERCOOLER.....Now why did Audi do that to get 260 bhp out of that engine if your going to do it for £495 ??..Simple really, think about it and if the penny dosnt drop then do 50k miles and think again.....lol
 
Last edited:
paddy said:
Its a bit of an odd choice really...in that they are quite different cars. Now if you were looking at a A3 3.2 and a S3 I could understand it. I don’t agree with Akash that the S3 has a better interior because it just depends on the options list when it was new. Most S3’s I have looked at are really poorly equipped, finding one with a light pack/rnse/cruise etc. is not easy. Yes you can add bits later but then that goes for the 3.2 as well.
No one on here or even Clarkson knows what you want/need so its down to you to drive both and as Nige says, see what floats your boat. Your comment “apparently most things are standard on the S3” baffles me ?? Audi don’t give you anything as standard…not even a map light !!
A 3 year old 3.2 will cost you 12k a S3 will cost you 20k, the 3.2 will cost you twice as much to tax and will ave 28mpg but then I did 40 miles today and ave 33mpg…so it depends a lot on what sort of driving your doing.
Buy either from a Audi dealership and get an extended warranty if you can as well….You really don’t want to repair either out your own pocket “IF” something goes pop on an S3 and “when” something goes bang on a 3.2 (because it will…lol).
If you buy an S3 make sure it hasn’t been chipped, most have. Your better off chipping it yourself with a good make like Revo and knowing its history than paying good money for a thrashed car with a knackered clutch and DMF J….knacker it yourself later..
As much as I like my 3.2 I would not buy another…Its not a speed thing, unless your talking fractions of a second there is not a lot in it, its just that the S3 will always be more saleable in years to come and the 3.2 is going to cost you a lot of money to maintain. My service bills and maintenance over 3 years has cost far more than the cars value alone.
Click to expand...

The difference between between a 3.2 and a S3 is a classic diminishing return scenario.

The 3.2 is a great version of the A3, the S3 is a bit better.
The 3.2 is excellent bang for buck.

The S3 is errr.... very good

But the question is R32 or S3.

The answer is S3.

Anyhoo Pad, with your recent shananigans, a Hummer would be a safer bet.....:laugh:

Cheers
Paul


PS - Knew the S3 v 3.2 dabate wasnt far away.
 
PaulAr said:
The 3.2 is a great version of the A3, the S3 is a bit better.

Cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

Now why didnt i say that and save a ton of typeing :)

Signiture edited for you Paul..lol
 
Last edited:
The answer that audi missed somehow was the S3 with the S4 3ltr turbo lump. the S cars should be special but the S3 was never a big enough leap from the 3.2 imho.
 
PaulAr said:
the question is R32 or S3.

The answer is S3.
Click to expand...

i think most are in agreement with that, but someone's asked for our help so it's up to us to think of solutions not previously considered.

enter the A3 3.2q - suddenly it's not that simple.
 
oh and i remember a couple of years ago there was an article in PVW about a racing R32 in a VAG only race series. it was a DSG car, and cos of 4motion it was being given a 75kg weight penalty so not an entirely level playing field, but it was consistently being beaten by lighter GTIs with remapped engines. i doubt 250bhp will trouble the engine when those cars are putting out 300bhp or more and being ragged silly.
 
sub39h said:
i think most are in agreement with that, but someone's asked for our help so it's up to us to think of solutions not previously considered.

enter the A3 3.2q - suddenly it's not that simple.
Click to expand...

Well that was what i was trying to do....but even as a 3.2 owner i couldn’t recommend it over an S3, but not for the common reasons on here, just that the 3.2 is a bit of a dinosaur now.
 
Sorry but an engine being thrashed in a race series is not the same as trying to keep it reliable on the road. I bet those race engines didnt last past one season.
 
paddy said:
Well that was what i was trying to do....but even as a 3.2 owner i couldn’t recommend it over an S3, but not for the common reasons on here, just that the 3.2 is a bit of a dinosaur now.
Click to expand...
Spot on.


Alan Shearer v Jackie Milburn ?

Pointless comparison.

Both comendable.

Happened at different times.

And had very different price tags.

Cheers Bonny lads (wippets, broon ale n that)

Paul

BTW, Everton got beat today.....
 
Ooohh I'm not even going to say anything about the 3.2 debate lol! You all know my opinions!

BUT, he asked about the R32 vs S3. Mate stick to Audi, as said above, far better quality and resale values. Had VWs and Audis and much prefer Audi.
 
I nearly made a mate sick with one of my farts today. Epic, properly funny.

Back on topic.

S3.

Everton got beat today.

Cheers
Paul
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Shaq12
Maybe buying an A3 from Audi - £500 deposit required??
Replies
20
Views
2K
Shaq12
Shaq12
M
SOMEBODY HIT ME!
Replies
15
Views
1K
Dannyhall
D
M
NEED HELP QUICK!!HOW DO I STOP MY FAN FROM RUNNING?!!!
Replies
5
Views
792
MR B A3
M
C
Me and my car, an introduction
Replies
30
Views
2K
FranA3
FranA3
R
cancelling my order
Replies
95
Views
7K
h5djr
h5djr
Top
Back