Want to test drive a new Sportback

[h5djr]

I want to have a long test drive in a new A3. The problem is that every dealer seems to have S-Line demonstrators and not much else.

What I want to try is a Sportback 2.0TDI-150 s-tronic in either SE or Sport trim.

If anyone sees one of these at a dealers, please let me know.

 

[Itguy]

Have you tried searching on the audi website for approved used? Many dealers actually list their current demo cars on there with "available XX/XX/XXX" on them. Have a search and see what you can find.

 

[h5djr]

Have you tried searching on the audi website for approved used? Many dealers actually list their current demo cars on there with "available XX/XX/XXX" on them. Have a search and see what you can find.

I already done that - fine if you want an S-Line because almost every dealer in the country has several for sale.

 

[Itguy]

It's still a fairly new model so dealers are going to stock their popular models as demos I suppose.

Is there a reason you're not looking at the Sline other than cost?

wouldn't a drive in a sline help?

 

[snakehips]

It's still a fairly new model so dealers are going to stock their popular models as demos I suppose.

Is there a reason you're not looking at the Sline other than cost?

wouldn't a drive in a sline help?

I'd guess the only difference in a test drive would be the smaller wheels on the Sport?

 

[cemerson]

Yeh - both S-line and sport come with the sport suspension setup by default, so other than external styling, xenon lights, wheel size and the seat material, there isn't a difference - none of these are going to make much difference to a test drive

 

[h5djr]

Yeh - both S-line and sport come with the sport suspension setup by default, so other than external styling, xenon lights, wheel size and the seat material, there isn't a difference - none of these are going to make much difference to a test drive

I currently drive an SE. I would like the same in the new version. I have already driven an S-Line but I want to drive the I will be considering ordering. Volkswagen have come up with their equivalent model of Golf and now I want to try the A3. It has to be the Sportback, 2.0TDI-150, have ordinary rather than sports seats and have s-tronic. To me the seats and the wheel size can make quite a difference. I would also like to try a Sport on 17" wheels as it does have some of the options as standard that I would add to an SE but again it depends on how comfortable I find the seats. There is no way I want to drive 500 miles each way to Germany twice a year sitting in a seat that I don't find comfortable. I'm not in any great rush so if necessary I will wait until Audi can come up with the right car.

I did phone Audi Customer Service this afternoon and they are going to try and find one, possibly from their own fleet which I can have for 48 hours if I like.

 

[Karl Alesbury]

I test-drive a sport trim with sport suspension at Bristol Audi, but that might be too far for you unless you could get them to bring it over.

 

[cemerson]

Why not try the seats in a showroom model of a different engine, but drive what's available?

 

[PilotAudi]

I want to have a long test drive in a new A3. The problem is that every dealer seems to have S-Line demonstrators and not much else.

What I want to try is a Sportback 2.0TDI-150 s-tronic in either SE or Sport trim.

If anyone sees one of these at a dealers, please let me know.

I would not recommend the SE seats.. Sport and S Line 'sports' seats are so much better IMHO.

 

[h5djr]

Why not try the seats in a showroom model of a different engine, but drive what's available?

Personally I think sitting in the seats in a showroom is no substitute for sitting in them whilst you're driving.

 

[h5djr]

I would not recommend the SE seats.. Sport and S Line 'sports' seats are so much better IMHO.

My last four A3 8Ps have had SE spec seats and I have always found them very comfortable even during a very long drive. Before that I had four A3 8Ls with sports seats and they were no where near as comfortable and I was a lot younger then!!

The lady from Audi Customer Services rang back a few minutes ago and said she had been speaking to someone in Audi Technical who told her the suspension and seats were the same in an SE and a Sport. I said she phone him back and and tell him to read one of their Specification and Pricing brochures. Makes you wonder!

 

[arad85]

I would not recommend the SE seats.. Sport and S Line 'sports' seats are so much better IMHO.

If I could have ordered the s-line with the standard seats, I would have.... The bolsters press into my hips and are more uncomfortable than the standard seats. All IMHO of course

 

[cemerson]

My last four A3 8Ps have had SE spec seats and I have always found them very comfortable even during a very long drive. Before that I had four A3 8Ls with sports seats and they were no where near as comfortable and I was a lot younger then!!

The lady from Audi Customer Services rang back a few minutes ago and said she had been speaking to someone in Audi Technical who told her the suspension and seats were the same in an SE and a Sport. I said she phone him back and and tell him to read one of their Specification and Pricing brochures. Makes you wonder!

I think the Sport trim I drove had sport suspension but I was never too sure. I deselected it for mine anyway (the test drive was fine but we hardly went over the bumpiest of roads so just to be sure!), and am really happy with what I've got.

You might not get a chance to test everything in combination - might have to have test drives in different cars that have different components of what you want in them - seats, engine/gearbox, suspension etc and just concentrate on one thing at a time.

 

[h5djr]

If I could have ordered the s-line with the standard seats, I would have.... The bolsters press into my hips and are more uncomfortable than the standard seats. All IMHO of course

That is exactly the problem I've had with various Audi sport seats over the years.

 

[h5djr]

I think the Sport trim I drove had sport suspension but I was never too sure. I deselected it for mine anyway (the test drive was fine but we hardly went over the bumpiest of roads so just to be sure!), and am really happy with what I've got.

You might not get a chance to test everything in combination - might have to have test drives in different cars that have different components of what you want in them - seats, engine/gearbox, suspension etc and just concentrate on one thing at a time.

If a company like Audi cannot come up with a sample of one of their models then it's a pretty poor show. So far both Volkswagen and Skoda have been able to so why not Audi. I've always been able to drive an A3 to my basic spec in the past.

The problem is Audi UK. They seem to have this fixation with the S-Line at the moment at the expense of everything else. If they cannot come up with one I may try and fix up a test drive when I'm next in Germany and just accept the steering wheel is in the wrong place. Being an s-tronic it should not make too much difference from a driving poit of view. I've had offers of test drives when I called in for just a look at various German dealers. Perhaps if I went to Ingolstadt again they could find one!!

 

[cemerson]

Audi are known for giving customers a lot of choice in their spec though over other companies, so not sure it's reasonable to expect them to have one of every possible combination available to drive.

 

[Fragup]

Hi h5djr, I have driven both sport and S line specs, both had sports suspension and 18" wheels and I found both the seats especially good, to the point where I posted a comments on a review about. Seats and driving position are very personal depending on your height and size etc. , but I am 6'3 and found them brilliant. Have gone for sports suspension which is fairly firm, but seats just help soak up the bumps really well with out bouncing you around. I test drove over bumpiest roads I could find to double check suspension selection & I Hope you will be as impressed as I was with the seats.

 

[Itguy]

Seats and driving position are very personal depending on your height and size etc. , but I am 6'3 and found them brilliant.

+1 - absolutely right.

I am 6ft 1 and when I used to weigh 17 stone I hated sports seats as the bolsters pressed against my back, legs etc all in the wrong places and felt awful (B7 A4 Avant S-Line) but now I'm c.13st I find them very comfortable and the standard SE style seats are like a bench to me with no lateral support at all.

It's very personal and extremely hard for us to judge on a forum.

What I do know is that the B7 style S-Line sports seat (the 10-way adjustable one with the 4 way lumber) won awards from osteopathy councils I think. I can't find the link but the version before won awards too :http://www.audiworld.com/news/01/082901/content.shtml

 

[arad85]

Pff... lots of short/small people around... 6'8" and 23+ stone here

 

[h5djr]

I want to have a long test drive in a new A3. The problem is that every dealer seems to have S-Line demonstrators and not much else.

What I want to try is a Sportback 2.0TDI-150 s-tronic in either SE or Sport trim.

If anyone sees one of these at a dealers, please let me know.

Well it seems my dealer has found a 2.0TDI Sportback with s-tronic in Sport trim. I going to have it for the day on Thursday.

On Wednesday I am trying a 2.0TDI DSG Golf Estate from the VW dealers next door to my Audi dealer.

It will be an interesting comparison.

 

[Itguy]

We test drove the golf after the s3, once you've sampled the interior of the a3 you won't fall in love with the golf...

 

[h5djr]

We test drove the golf after the s3, once you've sampled the interior of the a3 you won't fall in love with the golf...

I have already driven a Golf 7 2.0TDI DSG 5-door and I must say I quite liked the interior. Now I want to try the Estate version because I sometimes need to carry a mobility scooter which, whilst it fits in my current A3 Sportback, I don't think it will fit in the new one.

I have also sat in several new A3s and have had an 2.0TDI s-tronic S-line for the day but now I want to try an SE or a Sport. I would not want an S-line. It is down to personal taste what you like and don't like.

If someone offered to buy me an S3 like yours for example I would not want one. I'm sure to you it's great but to me the S3 has things that I would certainly never want like sport suspension, leather seats, flat-bottom steering wheel, grey instruments, metal foot pedals and aluminium door mirrors just for starters. As I said it's all down to personal taste. Age also comes into it as having had several Golf GTi's a Golf VR6 and four A3 1.8T Sports in the past I am now looking for something with quality and comfort for my long drives.

We all have different likes and requirements which is why I am trying different cars. I've loved all my A3s up to know especially the last four with the s-tronic and if Audi could supply me with a new one the same as I have I would buy one tomorrow but I'm not so sure about the interior of the new A3.

 

[h5djr]

I had a 4 hour test drive today in the 2.0TDI-150 Golf Estate DSG. I was told it was SE trim but it turned out to be GT (Sport) trim with sports suspension, 18" wheels and 225/45 tyres. Performance felt as good as my current 2.0TDI-170 and it did handle very well but then it should with that setup. I was surprised that the sports seats were very comfortable as I have always found them very uncomfortable in the past. The ride, even over some quite rough roads that I use to test a suspension setup, was really quite good. I tried the mobility scooter in the back and, whilst it fitted OK, I don't think I would really want to sacrifice a hatch-back for the extra space. Certainly an interesting drive. The interior was also OK apart from the shiny black plastic used for the centre console. The SE version looks much better with a dark coloured brushed aluminium finish. The touch screen system for the radio and settings also worked very well but the DIS seemed not to be able to display as much information as my current A3. The information was all there but sometimes needed a change of screen to see it. When I took the car back and explained it was not really what I wanted to try they agreed to find a 2.0TDI-150 DSG SE 5-door for me to try. It will be interesting to see how that handles on standard suspension, 16" wheels and 205/55 tyres compared with my existing A3 which has SE suspension but 17" wheels and 225/45 tyres.

This coming Thursday I am having a A3 2.0TDI-150 Sportback s-tronic in Sport trim for the day. It will be good to see what I think of the suspension and seats compared to the Golf and my existing A3.

As the VW dealer is right next to my normal Audi dealer I had a look in to see what they had in the way of A3s. In the showroom they had a new S3 in bright red but no 'ordinary' A3. In second hand A3s all they had was a large number of S-Line models in either black or white. Obviously a glut of A3 S-lines on the second-hand market with a choice of two colours.