The "facts according to cemerson" are being presented condescendingly....
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meh.... SE, Sport, S-Line.... it's not an S3 is it 
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I could not agree more. It would be even nicer if we could spec our cars as they can in Germany but UK cars must come with all sorts of items that are options in Germany. Audi UK think they know best what the UK driver wants. This may be true of the company car driver who generally wants everything included in the 'basic price' but what about who do not have a company to finance our car purchase for us.
Anyway this thread has developed into an 'S-Line is best' type of thread which was not the intention. There are a lot of S-Line models about, no doubt for good reasons, but I wanted to see how many members drive an 8V A3 that was NOT an S-Line. Can we just get back to the original purpose and use a new thread to discuss the merits or otherwise of the different models. Thank you.
And my dealer is still trying to find a 2.0TDI-150 s-tronic "Non-S-line" for me to drive. The Sport he was borrowing from another dealer has just been sold so it's not going to be that one.
I've got an A3 Sport 1.4 COD with Xenon headlights, interior light pack, B&O, heated seats, lumbar support and comfort pack in brilliant red. 
Hi there,
My first words on this forum just to say that I ordered a non S-Line A3 Sportback (not delivered yet). Could I afford an S-Line ? Yes, definitely.. Why not an S-line then? Well first because I find the exterior S-Line kit ugly and second because in my view a sporty look on a 5 doors diesel car (2.0 150 HP in my case) is not far from being ridiculous...
I have therefore gone for specs that do suit my needs/envies, such as B&O, Full Led, Full leather, etc.
That being said, when someone pays 30-40k (or even more) to buy a car, he definitely should be right. So there's no need to argue, just enjoy your car !
PS: I am a french-speaking Belgian so please apologize for any mistake
My first words on this forum just to say that I ordered a non S-Line A3 Sportback (not delivered yet). Could I afford an S-Line ? Yes, definitely.. Why not an S-line then? Well first because I find the exterior S-Line kit ugly and second because in my view a sporty look on a 5 doors diesel car (2.0 150 HP in my case) is not far from being ridiculous...
I have therefore gone for specs that do suit my needs/envies, such as B&O, Full Led, Full leather, etc.
That being said, when someone pays 30-40k (or even more) to buy a car, he definitely should be right. So there's no need to argue, just enjoy your car !
PS: I am a french-speaking Belgian so please apologize for any mistake
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I've got an A3 Sport 1.4 COD with Xenon headlights, interior light pack, B&O, heated seats, lumbar support and comfort pack in brilliant red.
can you post some pics up please as this is pretty much the same car as I've bought. The wait is killing me
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can you post some pics up please as this is pretty much the same car as I've bought. The wait is killing me
Im sure Karl has posted pics in the pics thread at the top of this section.
x
Well despite telling me their 2.0TDI SE s-tronic had been sold when I rang them yesterday Milton Keynes Audi have agreed to let my dealer borrow it for a couple of days so that I can drive it.
Now all I need is to try a Sport but trying to find one anywhere in the country including Audi UK seems impossible at the moment. I telephoned a couple of dealers today who have a second hand one for sale but both will only agree to a quick trip down the road which is a waste of time. The main thing I want to try with the Sport is the suspension and seats. If anyone has a 2.0TDI Sport s-tronic and would be prepared to let me drive it or alternatively take me out in it as a passenger please send me a PM. I could easily get my insurance company to insure me to drive it and of course I would treat it just as I would my own car. I live on the Cambridgeshire/Bedfordshire border just off the A1 but would be quite happy to travel say 100 or so miles. Thanks
Now all I need is to try a Sport but trying to find one anywhere in the country including Audi UK seems impossible at the moment. I telephoned a couple of dealers today who have a second hand one for sale but both will only agree to a quick trip down the road which is a waste of time. The main thing I want to try with the Sport is the suspension and seats. If anyone has a 2.0TDI Sport s-tronic and would be prepared to let me drive it or alternatively take me out in it as a passenger please send me a PM. I could easily get my insurance company to insure me to drive it and of course I would treat it just as I would my own car. I live on the Cambridgeshire/Bedfordshire border just off the A1 but would be quite happy to travel say 100 or so miles. Thanks
Try a standard s-line then. They share both of these. With the s-line the suspension can be lowered further, but the default is sport suspension and the only difference in the seats AFAIK is what material they are finished in - the seat itself is identical.
TDI-line
Uber Post Whore
I've already driven a S-Line some months ago but as it's on 18" wheels and 40 series tyres it can make a difference to the ride when compared to the normal Sports on 17" and 45 series tyres. The seats are different as well.
I have no intention of spending £29k before discount on a car that I have not driven a similar model.
That's almost what I have at the moment - 2.0TDI-170 Sportback SE s-tronic. Apart from the fact that Audi don't make the 184 available as an SE and only in a Sport s-tronic as a quattro I think that would be a bit more than I would like to pay both in purchase price and diesel. Sounds like fun though! But I bet dealers would only have one available as an S-Line anyway.
I know exactly what I want, even down to the options I would order, it's just that Audi dealers and Audi UK themselves seem so fixated on the S-Line that they cannot provide anything else in the range for potential customers to drive. I can undersatnd Audi dealers want to have a demonstrator for the popular S-Line but I would have expected Audi UK to have some of the other models available for dealers to borrow.
Perhaps I'll just wait until I next go to Germany!!
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So when you said suspension and seats, you meant tyres and seats. How are the seats different, other than material?
I can understand that completely
Reading Audi have a 3dr sport auto and 3dr se auto.
Nottingham Audi have a SB se auto. Sorry if you have already tried these and they have gone..... Was just searching the Synter app.
Nottingham Audi have a SB se auto. Sorry if you have already tried these and they have gone..... Was just searching the Synter app.
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Thanks for that info. I have spotted the one at Reading and will give them a ring today. I will also try Nottingham as well.
From my experience with the eight A3s that I have owned and the many others I have driven in the past the wheel and tyre combination can make a significant difference to the ride and handling of an A3. When the wheel size increased, so does the width of the tyres and the depth of the sidewalls decrease. 18" wheels with 225/40 tyres can feel a lot different to 16" wheels with 205/50 tyres which is why I would like to try each of the models available. When I drove the S-Line I found the grip was very good but the ride a little harsh. The 16" wheels on the SE will no doubt give a better ride but probably at the expense of grip. Wheel size is important because it determines what tyre size can be used. This is why my current Sportback is an SE but with 17" wheels with 225/45 tyres. It's an excellent compromise giving good handling and grip but with a comfortable ride. Providing the sport suspension and the seats of new Sport with it's 17" wheel and 225/45 tyres are OK I will probably go for that over the SE as it does have the 3-spoke steering wheel which I prefer to the 4-spoke of the SE. Most of the other items that are standard on the Sport I would probably add as options to an SE so the difference in price would only be about £200. Looking at the current Price and Specification Guide the S-Line seats seem quite different to those in the Sport as the do not have an adjustable head restraint which having quite a long body I find necessary. Only a test drive in each model will tell me what I need to know.
Yup... I can understand that!
The non-adjustable headrest seats are NOT the standard s-line seats. Those are the super sport seats - a £1590 option on the s-line (see page 49 of the brochure). The standard s-line seats are the same as the sport (but in slightly different material)....
Well that explains why I don't remember the seats being like those on P49 when I drove an S-Line. Still not worth paying an extra £900 for things I don't want. All I really need is to drive a car with the correct seats, wheels, tyres and suspension. to compare one with the other and preferably with a 'round' steering wheel. I would not of thought that was too much to ask of a company like Audi.
If you want to test the right wheels, bear in mind that Sport and SE have different wheels too...
Yes I realise that. I am collecting an SE this afternoon which I can keep for 24hrs that my local dealer has borrowed from another dealer and I have just spoken to Tamworth Audi who have a Sport as a demonstrator which I am going to have for an extended test drive on Saturday. It will be good to drive them close together to compare. If I find the Sport suspension a bit hard I can always deselect it when I place an order in the same way as you have done.
I have already worked out a list of options to add to whichever model I order, perhaps not quite as long as yours!!
Whether this is a Good Thing is probably down to personal body shape. If I could have ordered the s line with SE seats, I would have as the bolsters push into my thighs..
I agree and have had the same problem in the past. I am perfectly happy with the standard SE seats on my current car. It all depends on the size of you ar**
Well I did have the SE for 24hrs and spent over a hundred miles driving it and quite a few more going through all the different control system. I was very comfortable both the suspension and the seats and the handling was if anything a little better than my current Sportback even though it was running on 16" 205/55 tyres as opposed to my 17" 225/45 tyres. It was also quiet for a diesel.
But.... I still don't like the interior. The quality is fine but I still don't like the MMI system. I also found the interior mirror far too small and I would hate to drive at speed on the wrong side of the road on a German autobahn with a mirror that small.
So.... For now I'm going to keep my 2012 Sportback. I am also going to borrow a Golf 7 again and see if I still prefer the interior to that of the A3.
But.... I still don't like the interior. The quality is fine but I still don't like the MMI system. I also found the interior mirror far too small and I would hate to drive at speed on the wrong side of the road on a German autobahn with a mirror that small.
So.... For now I'm going to keep my 2012 Sportback. I am also going to borrow a Golf 7 again and see if I still prefer the interior to that of the A3.
Few thoughts
1 a larger auto dim mirror comes with comfort pack.
2. Golf is a rarer motor than an A 3 these days I reckon and comes with a fair bit of standard kit.. But
3 a Golf is not an Audi
4. Having used old and new MMI side by side in our cars for many months, once you get used to it the new one is better and intuitive. I now hate the older 8p Audi tech pack MMI location
1 a larger auto dim mirror comes with comfort pack.
2. Golf is a rarer motor than an A 3 these days I reckon and comes with a fair bit of standard kit.. But
3 a Golf is not an Audi
4. Having used old and new MMI side by side in our cars for many months, once you get used to it the new one is better and intuitive. I now hate the older 8p Audi tech pack MMI location
the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
I think so. Have driven a few A 1 and A3 with little standard interior mirror which I don't like that much . Pretty sure the auto dim mirror is larger.
Itguy
Registered User
I don't think I've seen a new a3 without the comfort pack or auto dim rear view mirror yet. I have seen the small mirror in the a1, surely they're not fitting that in the a3
In connection your no 1 - what is the size of the interior mirror with the comfort pack.
re 3 - I have had a number of Golfs, including GTi's and a VR6, in the past and I'm not really a badge snob.
re 4 - I don't have any form of MMI in my present Sportback just the standard Symphony radio. I don't use a smartphone or iPod so a connection to those is not necessary. I don't even play the radio or the 6 CDs that often. But if and when I do I would prefer to use the touch screen in the Golf to the current set up in the A3.
Also a Golf with the same spec as I would have with an A3 would actually cost me nearly £2,500 less. Quite important as I now retired and the money will come from my savings. Both cars start off with an on-the-road price only £60 apart but I would add £5,450 worth of options to the A3 to get the to spec I would want whereas the Golf comes with much more as standard and I would only need to add £3,090.
Speaking to the chap I have bought all eight of my A3s from at the local dealers, who is now a sales manager, he has said he would be happy to supply which ever one I choose, Golf or A3. He also said they will both hold their value by the same amount.
I had a test drive in a 2.0TDI Golf with DSG back in April and I am going to have one for a day again soon so I will again be able to compare. I will probably decide that I prefer my current 2012 Sportback to either of them and keep it for another couple of years at least.
I have had the auto dimming rear view mirror on both the 8P and 8V and can confirm it is smaller in the 8V, and also think it is a little on the small side. But, after a couple of months you do not notice the difference and have driven in Europe (France) on a couple of occasions already and do not think the smaller size hinders the visibility significantly when driving on the right.
Dave R
Daveotto has confirmed the 8V auto dim mirror is slightly smaller. In an 8P Black Edition and a 2012 Golf match the mirrors are a similar size.. circa 10in x 3in. I do not see how a slightly smaller size will make any difference driving in Europe (of which we do a lot).
Re the other points I am not suggesting you are a badge snob! Both are good cars, just seems VW's are less common than Audis these days which is probably because of many factors. 1. The perceived build quality and materials appear better and actually feel nicer in an Audi. 2. Discounts in my experience can be greater with an Audi than VW. Residual values (based on desirability) are undoubtedly greater. The overall cost over 2/3 years is probably very comparable.
We have experience of a touch screen Nav RNS510 in a Golf and have used new MMI Nav in new A3's, A7 regularly and MUCH prefer MMI to the VW Touch screen which appears far more clunky and less user friendly. The VW Nav is also not positioned so well in the Mark 6 or Mark 7 Golf.
I understand the 'being retired' comment but surely we all seek to get the best value for money from all our purchases whatever our situation.
Good luck!!
