S3 8L vs A3 3.2 v6

JJ.Foulds

JJ.Foulds

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I posted this on the 8L part aswell, thought i would on here to get a wider thought range!

Iv been kinda dead set on buying an S3 8L, and a fair few people said they are costly to keep on the road due to age etc as i would be buying 01 plate or before. Im not going to be buying till mid april so i really need to make sure im buying the right car!

Now iv noticed the a3 3.2 is fairly dam cheap and similar in price for something of 04 plate or higher and with less than 100k miles!


Not sure if anyone knows much about the 3.2 on here, but are they a bag of rubbish compared to the older S3? The 0-60,and MPG figures are pretty similar. without a turbo does that mean less repairs in general?

Forgot to add, the A3 comes with DSG paddle shift which also looks like great fun? opinions on this?


any help would be great!

JJ.
 
Also, any stickies on the 3.2 v6, like buying guide or useful info, only thing iv found is how useless a remap is to some and not others.

JJ.
 
Get the 3.2
It is by far a superior car - its even better than the 8P S3 (braces for the impending abuse)
 
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I would personally opt for the 3.2.

Find the post post about the turbo you can put on it....you will make a mess in your pants!!
 
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But why is it superior, any reasons behind it? And hows the dsg option?

JJ.
 
3.2 DSG is way beyond the old S3. With a few £££ spent on mods, the 1.8T engine can put out some impressive power, but the 3.2 is still going to be better (though maybe not faster). The 3.2 will be twice the price of an old S3 though... why the choice between those two? Have you looked at Mk4 R32s?
 
I dont like golfs lol :)

theres a 04 3.2 for 3200
a decent s3 is about the same

JJ .
 
£3200 is cheap. id be concerned at that money. How many miles has it done?
 
like 140k miles il link.
HERE

But im not looking to buy till mid april, the high milage doesnt really bother me if it has full service history. Tht doesnt but id be looking for one that has.

JJ.
 
audi upgrades
mines done 100K, full Audi service history and ive had loads of bits to repair. Its now off the road for head gasket and chain replacement.
Its going to cost a couple of grand. This is ontop of the new clutch and DMF gearbox bearings, MAF ive put on it.
So FSH doesnt mean you will have no repair bills, and they are not cheap to repair. I have said before, you are buying a performance car so you can boot the sh*t out of it - thats what they are made for - but bear in mind its had the sh*t booted out of it by the previous owner(s) so once you get to 100k plus, things are going to need replacing.

Having said all that, they are the superior car (over the S3 :asskicking:) and you should most definatly buy one.
 
autolatry said:
Having said all that, they are the superior car (over the S3 :asskicking:) and you should most definatly buy one.
Click to expand...

ha i like the last line. i think i am more persuaded by the A3, something a bit different really which i like.

JJ.
 
Also with the 3.2 badge off the back it just looks like any other a3 until you leave them sitting wondering wtf is that.
 
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A 3.2 runs a standard 8P S3 pretty close. A remap will get an old S3 close, and would put a new S3 out of reach (worth considering if you're planning mods). I'd say look at spending ~ £5500 on a good 3.2 and you're laughing.
 
I would personally buy the 1.8t s3 tbh but the 3.2v6 is a good car to compare it against
 
Just my opinion but my old S3 in the three years of ownership didn't cost me much. I had to replace the rear springs, brake pads and wishbones due to worn bushes oh and thermostat. Other than that it never went wrong me and as I far as I know it was still on the original clutch and turbo at 127k miles. I may get slated for this but the 8L felt better put together than my current S3 8P3.
 
XFi said:
I may get slated for this but the 8L felt better put together than my current S3 8P3.
Click to expand...

As much as I love the S3 8p and would love one as my next car, the bloke at my local Audi dealer said the same when he pointed at my car in the car park, he said they were some of the best cars Audi made, "era"
 
I wasnt planning on any MODS, and taking the badge off the back and having it as a sleeper would be fun!

I think i am swaying towards to the 3.2 tbh

JJ.
 
iv been reading about the 3.2, and is it really an UNDERSTEERING beast? and is there anyway to lessen this?

JJ.
 
audi upgrades
They are reasonably front heavy as are most Audi's. I wouldnt say understeer is a major issue on them.
I find if it starts to understeer (you do have to be ragging the b*llox off it) give it a bootfull and the 4wd kicks in and pulls you round the corner.
 
is there anything else but better tyres that could help rid of it?

And also, what gen is the haldex? 3rd gen? and is that similar to the blue haldex units? (id only researched about the old s3 haldex)

JJ.
 
I've had the 8P S3 and also the A3 3.2.

The 3.2 is a good car with a lovely smooth engine but its thirsty.

I don't know the S3 8L but I'd choose the 3.2 over it as the other 1.8turbos I've driven aren't as good overall by comparison with the 3.2.

Just be ready for more time at the petrol station
 
JJ.Foulds said:
iv been reading about the 3.2, and is it really an UNDERSTEERING beast? and is there anyway to lessen this?

JJ.
Click to expand...

As above,it's front heavy and set up to understeer in any case.

You can stiffen up the ARBs and change the suspension which will help immensely.
 
id been driving a focus st170 for 6 months running rich and giving me 16mpg, so im already prepared, tho i am expecting to get more from the 3.2!

JJ.
 
JJ.Foulds said:
id been driving a focus st170 for 6 months running rich and giving me 16mpg, so im already prepared, tho i am expecting to get more from the 3.2!

JJ.
Click to expand...

You should do.

I got around 26-27mpg overall from mine but its nowhere near as efficient as the current S3 which even in the state mine is, will still return 30mpg.

Way better than 16mpg or the 8mpg my old Escort would do.
 
JJ.Foulds said:
is the blue haldex controller worth a look into then? or will it not be taking corners fast enough to use its full potential lol.

JJ.
Click to expand...

It's really not worth it until you've done the ARBs and uprated the suspension.
 
JJ.Foulds said:
I was under the impression the 3.2 only came with s-line suspension. is that still not up to the job?

JJ.
Click to expand...

Still a bit squishy.

My point is though that the Haldex controller is one of the last things to do and you will gain far more from the other changes than from that.
 
If you're going to be lugging around 4wd then do it with a decent sounding engine. Having driven a V6 mk2 TT a few months back, I'd go with the V6 everytime. Yes, the S3 might be able to go faster after mods and be a little lighter but THAT NOISE from the V6 will never be beaten for the money you're looking at spending. On par with Alfas's V6s of old in my humble opinion.

If I could live with the mpg I'd swap mine for a V6 straight away but I'm happy with nigh-on 38mpg :)
 
When I tinkle around in mine and go steady on long journeys I can achieve 32-33mpg relatively easily, the 6 speed box helps.

The soundtrack is of course very nice and can be made even nicer in the V6 :)

I've been tooling around in 2 litre turbos for many years; Rover 220GSi turbo, Celica GT-Four, Nissan S15 and an EVO, and while they were plenty quick enough there is one thing that has struck me about the 3.2 V6 in particular - it's a very versatile engine. You get plenty of torque low down so when pootling in town it's not difficult to do so at 1000rpm without any stress. On the other end of the scale it'll tramp to the redline with the best of them, so you get a massive rpm range within which you can drive, unlike the smaller engine turbos which can be boggy and less responsive at lower rpm before the turbo is assisting. That, for me, is a big plus point.

If you go with an S Line you get a nice spec and pleasant toys aswell. It's a more refined motor but you can still give it the beans when the mood takes you ;)
 
JJ.Foulds said:
I posted this on the 8L part aswell, thought i would on here to get a wider thought range!

Iv been kinda dead set on buying an S3 8L, and a fair few people said they are costly to keep on the road due to age etc as i would be buying 01 plate or before. Im not going to be buying till mid april so i really need to make sure im buying the right car!

Now iv noticed the a3 3.2 is fairly dam cheap and similar in price for something of 04 plate or higher and with less than 100k miles!


Not sure if anyone knows much about the 3.2 on here, but are they a bag of rubbish compared to the older S3? The 0-60,and MPG figures are pretty similar. without a turbo does that mean less repairs in general?

Forgot to add, the A3 comes with DSG paddle shift which also looks like great fun? opinions on this?


any help would be great!

JJ.
Click to expand...


I have just purchased A3 3.2 q sportback 2005 and I have to say I ****** love it slip it sport mode and your gone great fun when using the paddles being a DSG and the engine sound when being revved (to die for) forget wanting a stereo on.
Now the only down side which does not bother me as I went in eyes open fuel, this car can drink big time when playing hard 9-10 mpg when I'm out and about and it's in drive I'm getting 20-25 mpg deppending on time of day and traffic, I have not had it on the motorway yet but feel if driven sensible 37-39mpg.
GET ONE
 
Drive both, I love turbos but the 3.2 makes me smile every time I get in it, whether driving fast or slow, more slow @ £1.38 litre : )
 
Plus, after my exhaust is changed tonight, everyone will hear why I chose the V6
 
I average about 18mpg with mainly town miles, which is a bit steep for even a v6. I still love it though. Would love to add a non res milltek and a decat. Really like the look of the facelift s3, but I think I made the right choice.
 
Ahh all is sounding good!
Random question tho, is there a buying guide for it that shows optional extras and stuff?

also does it have a hidden sub like the s3's?

jj.
 
Non res cat back, omg, I almost creamed my pants when my mate drove it so I could hear it, it has to be one of the sexiest exhaust sounds ever, I'll be doing a before and after video, so I'll post it up once that's done. I'll be driving home the long way tomorrow morning : )
 
Kaibo said:
Non res cat back, omg, I almost creamed my pants when my mate drove it so I could hear it, it has to be one of the sexiest exhaust sounds ever, I'll be doing a before and after video, so I'll post it up once that's done. I'll be driving home the long way tomorrow morning : )
Click to expand...

im looking forward to them aswell :D!

jJ.
 
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