Honest Opinions 8P S3 v 8V S3

[Brett Butler]

Anyone had the pleasure of driving both, owning both so far?

Looking for people thoughts between the 2.

I have a 2010 S3 DSG, and 4 yr old this yr, warranty ends this year, so need to decide where to go next Was seriously thinking A45 AMG.

I was not planning to get another S3, but credit due, Audi have made some substantial changes on the new S3 over the previous, far more than I expected.

Thoughts on:-

1/ Performance, & Low End Torque, pulling at low revs with out gear change on DSG (especially if you have / Had stage 1 S3 8P
2/ Ride / Handling / Hardness
3/ Headlights at night (how good are the optional ones @ £800 odd
4/ My Next car will be a Saloon, Anyone got the Newer Audi 3 series Saloon and thoughts over 3 and 5 door hatches)
5/ Fuel Consumption better by how much?
6/ Marks out of 10 difference between the 2 i.e 8/10 8P & 9/10 8V or vice versa

Thanks

 

[cemerson]

I had an 05 reg 8P as a company car for 6 months, more than 3 years ago (!), so probably not the best for comparison. It was an SE 1.6 Petrol as well, compared to my current Sport 2.0 TDI. I can't answer any of your specific questions, but the interior and quality of the 8V are a huge step above what I had before.

 

[geefunk1978]

Anyone had the pleasure of driving both, owning both so far?

Looking for people thoughts between the 2.

I have a 2010 S3 DSG, and 4 yr old this yr, warranty ends this year, so need to decide where to go next Was seriously thinking A45 AMG.

I was not planning to get another S3, but credit due, Audi have made some substantial changes on the new S3 over the previous, far more than I expected.

Thoughts on:-

1/ Performance, & Low End Torque, pulling at low revs with out gear change on DSG (especially if you have / Had stage 1 S3 8P
2/ Ride / Handling / Hardness
3/ Headlights at night (how good are the optional ones @ £800 odd
4/ My Next car will be a Saloon, Anyone got the Newer Audi 3 series Saloon and thoughts over 3 and 5 door hatches)
5/ Fuel Consumption better by how much?
6/ Marks out of 10 difference between the 2 i.e 8/10 8P & 9/10 8V or vice versa

Thanks

Think I'm in a good position to answer this having traded in my 08 Shark stage 1 S3 to an 8V S3 and having it 2 months!

1/ performance is better than 8P straight out the box. Doesn't feel as 'pin you in the seat' quick but it is relentless when you watch the speedo and definitely a lot quicker especially off the mark. I have S Tronic and it is seemless shifting and you cannot get bored of the bangs on upshifts.
2/ ride feels a lot harder to me but also a lot more planted. I think the roads have got a lot worse this year though around where I live as I notice every bump. Or it could be me getting older!! It handles very well, you can notice that it is lighter than the 8P. The steering is not as bad as all these journo's keep saying, there's enough steering feel to let you know what's going on. I tend to keep mine in auto setting. I think looks wise it would look a lot better on 19's although this would probably destroy the ride even more!
3/ got standard xenon's and they're a lot better than the 8P. The LED running lights look cool as f**k too!
4/ mine's a 3 door. Love the looks of it especially in white with black pack, shows all the lines off and looks aggressive.
5/ averaging about mid 20's as I don't do many miles (daily commute is 3 miles each way). I've seen 30 on a run but I didn't expect anything more.
6/ 8P I'd say 8/10, very good car especially at stage 1.
8V I'd say 9/10, massive step forward in technology and generally everything else, but it would be as the 8P was based on a 10yr old platform.

I think once it's been to Milltek and Shark have worked a bit of magic it will be a 10/10 car for everyday use and practicality but also have the performance to embarrass nearly everything on the road.

All this is my opinion obviously!!!!

 

[veeeight]

I have a MY2011 8P S3, and had an extended test drive with a MY2014 8V S3

1. Much quicker, but because it is more refined, you won't necessarily feel the rawness. Much less turbo lag, max torque available from 1800rpm. Go for the DSG on the 8V. It really suits the car (I have a manual in my 8P). The upshifts are phenomenal.

2. Suspension is stiffer than 8P (maybe because it's new) - though harder, not harsher. Does not crash into potholes. 8V is quieter and more refined. Steering is much more precise, turns in better than 8P. There is plenty of feel, but perhaps not as raw as a Focus RS or Megane RS.

3. Headlights - can't comment, haven't driven the 8V in darkness. I've just stuck with the standard Xenons, though I will be investigating how I can upgrade to the combined DRL/Indicator LED Strip!

4. Can't comment, I'm a 3dr person. But the Saloon shape is great, it will sell oodles in the Far East.

5. Because it has an extra injector upstream of the inlet valve, plus the redesigned cylinder head incorporating the exhaust manifold, plus the elimination of the thermostat and revised cooling/heating valves, its much more efficient from cold. I really couldn't tell you real world consumption as I was ragging the 8V, but by all accounts (see seperate threads on economy) the 8V is more economical.

6. 8P 7.5/10, 8V 9/10. The new MQB platform is very very good.

It was a no brainer for me to upgrade. Much better APR% offered on the 8V than my 8P, a whopping discount on the 8V, factory order, start again with the 3 year warranty, and only a modest increase in my monthly payments

I also drove the A45 AMG. But I could not live with the interior, and the suspension at low speeds. Everything else was great about the A45 though.

 

[Fanboy]

8p3 looks much better to me, but 8v has definitely improved in whatever angle you look at it except look, if I was to get s3 8v I would get saloon as it sands out much more... New and not many people have it...

 

[PilotAudi]

I had an 05 reg 8P as a company car for 6 months, more than 3 years ago (!), so probably not the best for comparison. It was an SE 1.6 Petrol as well, compared to my current Sport 2.0 TDI. I can't answer any of your specific questions, but the interior and quality of the 8V are a huge step above what I had before.

Isn't this topic meant to be comparing 8P S3 and 8V S3???

 

[cemerson]

Ah yes, missed that! Never mind.

 

[Brett Butler]

Thanks for all comments so far, no worries Cemerson, I took your account as it was and good to hear much better interior etc.

Gonna be a tough call, my problem is mine is stage one now, how is a stock S3 8V compared, I can see better lower torque, but not too sure I want to mess with an 8V S3 for an upgrade to stage 1. I had loads of issues with Revo early on, took them a year to update their software to solve the issues that were caused by their software,(this is another matter do not want the thread to go off track please)
though interested on anyone who has upgraded.

I have DSG all ready and would always opt for DSG.
Great comments on the Steering, Steering on my S3 never been a problem for me, but I just want a safe very fast point it and it goes car.
Looks again not as important for me as under the bonnet, I love the understated.

 

[BGS]

Can't cover most of your queries but I do have some input on the headlights. Went for the full LED option and my A3 Saloon and have to say I am throuroughly impressed. Visibility at night is the best I have experienced; a mostly white light with the smallest hint of blue.

And the look is Legen.. wait for it ... dary!

 

[PilotAudi]

I had use of a 2010 8P for about 2000 miles back in 2010 and loved it BUT for me it was a little raw alongside the A5 I also had. The 265PS engine just buzzed but rarely got more than 24mpg. The one I had was a 3door and I felt the handling wasn't as tight as an 8P sportback we owned (also quattro but diesel).

All in all the 8v Appears to be a great improvement.

 

[veeeight]

Gonna be a tough call, my problem is mine is stage one now, how is a stock S3 8V compared, I can see better lower torque, but not too sure I want to mess with an 8V S3 for an upgrade to stage 1.

The correct answer is for you to test drive a 8V S3 for 3 hours, to see if you miss the power from a Stg1 8P and report back here!

 

[S3Alex]

Interesting seeing both veeight and geefunk's comments.

I've only driven and owned the 8P,but I can see where a lot of those comments come from.

The 8P from stock lacks decent suspension,and understeers quite strongly,and that along with the lack of steering feel can make driving a bit of a chore.

The engine at 265bhp looks pretty strong,until you discover that it needs a fair bit of hoof to release a few of those ponies,and low end torque is limited.
This undoubtedly has a lot to do with mapping,but also the different turbo may be at the root of it.

Clearly,buying now,I would look very closely at the 8V,although for those wanting a lot more power,the immediate lack of tuning options other than boxes may be an issue.

 

[Brett Butler]

The correct answer is for you to test drive a 8V S3 for 3 hours, to see if you miss the power from a Stg1 8P and report back here!

I dont think there will be less power with the new 8V over my stage 1 8P, the question is will I be satisfied with a new car with similar power, although I do think the bottom end will be better which is actually a lot more important.

I will prob test drive eventually, just intersted in other peoples views as well. all helps to build a picture.

 

[Flibble]

I thought the ride on the 8V S3 was better than my s-line 8P, and the salesman specifically took me on a bumpy back road to test it out. Standard non-magnetic suspension on both.

 

[geefunk1978]

I dont think there will be less power with the new 8V over my stage 1 8P, the question is will I be satisfied with a new car with similar power, although I do think the bottom end will be better which is actually a lot more important.

I will prob test drive eventually, just intersted in other peoples views as well. all helps to build a picture.

Well you can always buy a tuning box from Shark Performance and it will add another 50bhp nearly. Then it would make a stage 1 8P look slow.

 

[Brett Butler]

Think I would need a lot of convincing of reliability of a stage 1 upgrade and an easy way to remove in case of warranty issues.

 

[geefunk1978]

Well if they're talking about an S3 Plus with 370bhp I'll guarantee that's just different map.

 

[PaulAr]

Owned 2 Stage 1 8P S3s, one with Milltek TBE.

Test drove an 8V S3 last year and it felt like a massive step forward in every way IMO.
I think the styling is spot on too, not too different to the 8P (which is a nice shape despite it age) but sharper edged and more modern looking.
To be fair the 8P is an 11 year old platform so no surprise the new model trumps it pretty much everywhere.

Performance wise I reckon the stock 8V S3 felt at least as quick as my Stage 1 + Milltek 8P S3.

Still think AUDI chickened out a bit with the new S3 and could have been braver with some go faster styling.