Looking forward to your pics and detailed thoughts when you get chance to post mate.
So out of the Golf (albeit GTi), Merc A45 AMG, and the Audi S3 ... totally unbiased you prefer the S3 - what separated it from the other two would you say ?
What were your feelings on the Merc A45 AMG as that car really does appeal to me too.
So, the S3 then ...
Tell us as much as you can on on your thoughts and especially the full LED lights - how did they look and did they really stand out ?
Gosh Snake where to start! - yes S3 is my personal favourite and seeing it up close really brought into focus that it (for me) feels so "special" and absolute high quality. I just didnt get that feeling with the Golf. Not in any particular order here are my thoughts.
On the Golf it was mainly the inside that was no match for the S3. That plastic around the screen and air con controls and extends towards the dials - it is quite extensive and although it wasnt quite the gloss piano black that is in the GT - it is still sort of shiny even though they have a sort of carbon fibre type pattern. It just doesnt look the part to me. It shows lots of marks and dust. The main upper dash quality again just fell short of the S3. The vents in the golf above the hifi/nav screen - to my eyes just aren't stylish or attractive.
The Golf seats were good, on a par with the S3. The steering wheel was good too, and it had the cruise functions in the wheel not as a separate stalk like on the audi. This is a very slight niggle as I cannot see why audi havent incorporated the cruise into their wheel too? The dials on the golf just dont look special to me - is it me or could they be the same as any Golf?, whereas the S3 dials really do look good.
The Golf looks pretty good outside except for me around the back end. The Golf twin pipes only look ok from a certain angle and it just looks a bit awkward otherwise. I do like those 19" GTi option wheels. But those option alloys on the S3 are so good too. I also like the Gti headlights but they are not as good looking as those LED headlights on the S3. They really were eye catching indeed, I didnt see them in dipped headlight mode or main beam mode just as the DRLs and indicators. Very special.
As we have said before I know its not an absolutely fair comparison as the S3 is such a step up from the Golf, but for me as a current Golf owner who was so set on the new Golf Gti, until seeing the new S3 - it is just the route my car choice "process" has taken. Perhaps it is more about me wanting a change, and that may be another factor - perhaps the new Golf styling is just too similar to my current Golf and I need more of a change. Thats no criticism of VW at all I think its just more about me!
Finally the Mercedes - I drove an A Class AMG Sport in January. Clearly this is way short of the new AMG A45 - but I was not impressed at all. The ride just didnt feel good. The rear vision was shocking, it felt like being inside a postbox looking out! It felt small in the back and boot. The styling is certainly bold and in some ways is quite good it does grow on you a bit.
Having seen the AMG A45 at Geneva, it was an impressive car. The sort of matt metallic paint really looked special. It looked good although I am not so keen on the back end. Inside the seats were good. The hifi/nav screen is just stuck there, I guess I cannot fault this really as once the audi screen is up it also is just "there"- ! but for me the interior design just doesnt quite work - it is clearly a different design concept - carbon fibre effect, in your face vents (pardon the pun) that have a racy red piping around them. They felt imprecise and spongy when trying to alter them. Its quite a full on "racy" design. Steering wheel was good.
I know you said unbiased - really my views can only be my views! and are therefore personally biased to some degree or other. I have tried to look at things objectively but find that ultimately it does come back to where I am coming from and what I want.
The AMG - its clearly all about the extra power and the (racy) bold styling. That just doesnt do it for me. The S3 certainly is more subtle and discrete yet has a very special feel. The GTi is very good but not special like the S3.
