Heads up - new transmission combinations available for the Sportback

[Sootchucker]

Hi all,

Was on the Audi UK site earlier this morning, and unless I'm dreaming (since the last time I visited), the range of engine and transmission options for the sportback has now been extended.

Previous it was the following available

Manual transmission

1.4 TFSI 122ps £23,200.00
1.6 TDI 105ps £24,150.00
2.0 TDI 150ps £25,500.00

S-Tronic

1.8 TFSI 180ps £27,180.00

However, as of today, from the new price list I noticed the engine range has now been expanded to the following:

Manual Transmission

1.4 TFSI 122ps £23,200.00
1.6 TDI 105ps £24,150.00
2.0 TDI 150ps £25,500.00

S-Tronic

1.4 TFSI 122ps £24,680.00
1.6 TDI 105ps £25,630.00
2.0 TDI 150ps £26,980.00
1.8 TFSI 180ps £27,180.00

Just thought I would give everyone a heads up

 

[h5djr]

Thanks for the information. I see in the brochure download section there is also a one for the RS3 Sportback, which I don't remember seeing before. It's dated August 2012 so perhaps I've just missed it.

I also noticed there are a lot more engine and gearbox combinations available in SE trim. The eqivalent of my current A3 is now available, all be it only in 150 rather than my current 170. It is a bit more expensive than I estimated but at least it keeps the 6-speed s-tronic. The new price makes it £2,400 more expensive than a Golf VII of similar spec to my current A3 rather than the £1500 I originally estimated.

 

[Vertigo1]

Might be £2400 more expensive to buy but the A3 will hold its value better than the Golf I'd suspect, so the TCO would be similar.

 

[h5djr]

Might be £2400 more expensive to buy but the A3 will hold its value better than the Golf I'd suspect, so the TCO would be similar.

May be, but we will not know that for a couple of years. Apart from the fact that I prefer the interior of the Golf, the luggage area on the new Sportback is too small for my needs. So is the Golf's so it looks like I will be interested to see the Golf VII Estate when in comes out this summer.

 

[Sootchucker]

Just for devilment, on the web on two sites, I found a list of the top ten least depreciating cars for sale in the UK.

On both of them, whilst Audi had 2 models in the top 10, it was the Q5 and Q7. The A3 was no where in the top ten, however the VW golf was in 10th place on one site and 8th place on another. I'm sure this is just a sample, but a friend of mine in the trade told me that Audi's generally depreciate quicker than the equivalent VW's (especially the A3 vs Golf and A4 vs Passat), albeit not be much (a couple of percent at best).

Not that any of this really bothers me as I still want an A3 Sportback S-Line 2.0 TDI S-Tronic later this year to replace my Scirocco (which by the way came in 6th in the top ten on one site).

Goes and hides for cover now.................

 

[h5djr]

Having just looked at a couple of valuation sites, the part exchange value given for a Golf VI of similar spec to my previous 2009 A3 gives the retained value as 58%, which is about the same as I got for my A3

 

[Peterdona]

Looks like I'm gonna have to cancel my order tomorrow and sacrifice some extras to pay for the auto box

 

[Vertigo1]

I'm actually surprised how much Audi & VW are persevering with S-Tronic. The days of dual-clutch gearboxes are already numbered.

 

[h5djr]

I'm actually surprised how much Audi & VW are persevering with S-Tronic. The days of dual-clutch gearboxes are already numbered.

Why?

 

[Vertigo1]

Because single clutch automated manuals and full automatics have both improved to the point where they're a better option. Dual-clutch gearboxes are complicated, expensive and heavy and now offer very little advantage over a single clutch or full auto.

Mark my words, in a few years they'll start dying out.

 

[ChrisT]

The new ZF auto gearbox does seem to be quite special.

PH Blog: eighth wonder - PistonHeads

 

[h5djr]

Because single clutch automated manuals and full automatics have both improved to the point where they're a better option. Dual-clutch gearboxes are complicated, expensive and heavy and now offer very little advantage over a single clutch or full auto.

Mark my words, in a few years they'll start dying out.

Personally I think the gearbox type that is going to disappear in the not to distant future is the old fashioned manual box.

In my opinion the DSG/s-tronic is so much better than a manual gaerbox. I drove cars with manual gearboxes for 38 years including four a3s. I also drove some Army trucks when I was an Army Cadet instructor where you had to double de-clutch for every gear change. I would certainly never want to go back to a manual with or without syncromesh. Equally I would not want to drive with a gearbox that was fully automatic all the time To me the DSG is the best of both worlds, automatic when in slow moving traffic and manual but without a manual clutch for most of the time.

It is ovbiously quite sucessful because the VW plant at Kessel had produced 3.4 million by March 2011 with another 150,000 being built in China. Kessel produces all the DSG gearboxes for the VAG group that are used in transverse engines, including the A1 and A3. Audi do produce some variations of their own for use in some S models with the north-south engines including a brand new version which is now being fitted in the R8 in place of it's original R-tronic sequential manual box.

A version of the double clutch gearbox is now used by very many different manufactures since the original joint development between Boug-Warner and VW came up with the DSG. No doubt at some time in the future someone will come up with something better but until that day I can see no reason at all no to buy a car with a DSG/s-tronic fitted.

I'm on my 4th A3 with one and every one has been perfect and I would certainly not buy another car without one or the next development when it becomes available. According to my dealer it is also one of the only options that you do get some money back. An used A3 with a s-tronic will always sell for a higher price than one with a manual gearbox.

 

[hittchy]

I've been considering amending my order to include the DSG box. Still undecided. When I had one I missed the manual but whenever I'm stuck in traffic I yearn for DSG. I also never felt the same engagement using the paddles in manual mode as I did actually changing gear, so tended to just leave it in auto mode.

It's interesting the effect they have on fuel economy on different engines. In the new brochure, they have a negative effect on the diesels but a positive effect on the petrol engines.

They do give some money back in terms of residual value. You can usually see this reflected in lease costs, which is great for those of us buying new. However, I do wonder if that's the same much further down the line. If I was buying a 5-6 year old used car, I'd avoid DSG simply as it'd give me sleepless nights if anything went wrong. Maybe that's not representative of the general car buying population though.

Plus, another month or so extra to wait for changing order.... decisions, decisions....

 

[h5djr]

They do give some money back in terms of residual value. You can usually see this reflected in lease costs, which is great for those of us buying new. However, I do wonder if that's the same much further down the line. If I was buying a 5-6 year old used car, I'd avoid DSG simply as it'd give me sleepless nights if anything went wrong. Maybe that's not representative of the general car buying population though.

Interesting you could use the same argument about costs for buying a quattro. The relative costs for gearboxes are:

6-speed s-tronic - £5050
manual - quattro - £4370
7-speed s-tronic - £3710
6-speed - manual - £2395

The actual gears parts of the s-tronic is much the same as a normal manual gearbox, but it has the single or twin clutch unit and mechatronic control unit fiited to operate the box. A normal or quattro manual box has to have a clutch assembly, operating cylinders and pedals as well as the box itself.

In my case I always buy new I will only ever have my cars for 3 years and they will always be under warranty so any major problems will not be my problem. Further problems after that will be what a used car buyer might suffer for paying a lot less for the car in the first place. So far I've had four diesel A3s with s-tronic gearboxes and not had a single problem from any of them. From a used car buyers point of view it is almost impossible to abuse a s-tronic box especially when you consider what can be done by some drivers with a clutch and manual gearbox.

 

[hittchy]

Interesting you could use the same argument about costs for buying a quattro.

Absolutely. I agree.

I miss my previous Quattro cars for all of three days a year. They were all awesome in the snow, even with standard summer tyres and they instilled confidence that you wouldn't get stranded. For the extra £700 or so I'd take in depreciation and the additional fuel cost, I've given them a miss since. A pair of Autosocks in the boot has achieved the same for me.

I had two Quattro cars outside the warranty and never worried about them. I don't know if Quattro failures are rarer or not. However, I've heard of a number of DSG failures, mainly mechatronic or software from what I could gather.

Thanks for posting the prices up - it's an interesting comparison. I'm sure there are big differences between 6 speed and 7 speed DSG gearboxes. If I remember correctly, one runs a dry clutch and one a wet clutch.

Worrying to think that the price of a new DSG gearbox on a 6-7 year old A3 could financially 'write-off' the car. Mind you, there's probably the price of a DMF and clutch to add on to the manual which would push it north of £3k before labour costs.