A3 or S3 - Advice needed

NICK-C

NICK-C

Nick
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Hi Guys,

I am due to change my company car next year and I am looking for some advice on what to get next. I currently have an Astra diesel which is mapped to about 200BHP and after shed loads of issues with this particular car I want something different and quicker and I want one of the following:

A3 - 2.0TFSi
A3 - 2.0TDi
S3

My head is saying go for the A3 Diesel because it will be cheaper on fuel & co. car tax and much better MPG but my heart says get the S3! So my questions are:

If I went for the A3 Diesel and mapped it would it be quicker than the Astra? Currently the Astra can do 0-60 in around the high 6's on a good run.
If I went for the A3 TFSi and mapped it would it be as quick as the S3 and are there any real MPG gains from mapping it?
If I went all out and got the S3 and mapped it would there be any real MPG gains from mapping it?

It will also come down to lease costs but having a quick looks at the A3 TFSi and S3 there isn't too much difference.

What are peoples opinions of these models? I know Audi's are very reliable solid cars but anything I should look out for?


Thanks very much,
Nick
 
If you fancy the 20TFSI, it might be worth trying the Golf Gti also.
Maybe you can get an unregistered MkV for a good price??

If you can stretch to it get an S3.
(Not that Im biased at all)

The S3 can be a thirsty ****** though depending on driving style and the type of driving you do. But more than worth it IMO.

There is also the 3.2 but I think that has been discountinued and I would imagine you will get thumped for Co. Car tax??

cheers
Paul
 
PaulAr said:
If you fancy the 20TFSI, it might be worth trying the Golf Gti also.
Maybe you can get an unregistered MkV for a good price??

If you can stretch to it get an S3.
(Not that Im biased at all)

The S3 can be a thirsty ****** though depending on driving style and the type of driving you do. But more than worth it IMO.

There is also the 3.2 but I think that has been discountinued and I would imagine you will get thumped for Co. Car tax??

cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

Yes the 3.2 has been discontinued. There are none in the current A3 Price and Specification Guide.
 
Thanks for the replies.
S3 is really what I want, I do about 80% of driving on Motorways and dual carriageways so best kind of driving for MPG but I do have a heavy right foot! :)
What MPG do you or did you guys normally get?
 
PaulAr said:
If you fancy the 20TFSI, it might be worth trying the Golf Gti also.
Maybe you can get an unregistered MkV for a good price??

If you can stretch to it get an S3.
(Not that Im biased at all)

The S3 can be a thirsty ****** though depending on driving style and the type of driving you do. But more than worth it IMO.

There is also the 3.2 but I think that has been discountinued and I would imagine you will get thumped for Co. Car tax??

cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul,

I do like the Golf GTi but it isn't 4wd so I would prefer the A3 TFSi quattro.
I noticed you had put up a thread saying that you are looking at getting rid of your S3 due to new baby and that is another thought I have to go through because my wife is pregnant and due in March so I was thinking of a Sportback but now seeing the replies I may go back to 3DR! Although no leccy seats on 3DR as far as I can see!
 
CLARKE09 said:
Thanks for the replies.
S3 is really what I want, I do about 80% of driving on Motorways and dual carriageways so best kind of driving for MPG but I do have a heavy right foot! :)
What MPG do you or did you guys normally get?
Click to expand...

Best MPG of about 35mpg,and worst....22.

Still not bad for 360bhp,when you compare it with another 370bhp car I had which would easily do less than 10mpg.
 
S3Alex said:
Best MPG of about 35mpg,and worst....22.

Still not bad for 360bhp,when you compare it with another 370bhp car I had which would easily do less than 10mpg.
Click to expand...

That is pretty good for 360BHP, so it should be a little better for a standard S3 then. I used to get around 25 to 30MPG in my old Celica GT4 which was 300BHP so S3 is sounding even more tempting! :icon_thumright:

Just need to find a decent lease company & get a good price.
 
audi upgrades
CLARKE09 said:
That is pretty good for 360BHP, so it should be a little better for a standard S3 then. I used to get around 25 to 30MPG in my old Celica GT4 which was 300BHP so S3 is sounding even more tempting! :icon_thumright:

Just need to find a decent lease company & get a good price.
Click to expand...

To be honest,I get better mpg now than when it was stock,obviously if driven carefully,as the torque is so much better now,and as a result if you're just pootling along in traffic etc,you don't need to use as many revs.

On the other hand,if you boot it,you can almost see the petrol guage moving!
 
CLARKE09 said:
Thanks Paul,

I do like the Golf GTi but it isn't 4wd so I would prefer the A3 TFSi quattro.
I noticed you had put up a thread saying that you are looking at getting rid of your S3 due to new baby and that is another thought I have to go through because my wife is pregnant and due in March so I was thinking of a Sportback but now seeing the replies I may go back to 3DR! Although no leccy seats on 3DR as far as I can see!
Click to expand...

That wasnt me looking to sell my car mate, although Im sure I had my 2p in the thread at some point!

And yes, the 3dr will serve you fine.
If you really need the extra boot space I think the SB will give give you that bit extra although none are particularly deep due the 4wd set up.

The Golf is an excellent car, although if you are thinking about a remap it can be a handful in the wet/damp or anything but in the straight ahead when you re giving it beans. A bit of a giant killer once you are moving though.

The S3 is my first 4wd and as you have had a GT4 already I can see why you want to stick with 4wd.

Cue 2wd v 4wd debate.........Oh and Hotbox tellin us all to go real wheel drive. (If the 1 series didnt look so bleedin awful we might have done!)

cheers
Paul
 
PaulAr said:
That wasnt me looking to sell my car mate, although Im sure I had my 2p in the thread at some point!

And yes, the 3dr will serve you fine.
If you really need the extra boot space I think the SB will give give you that bit extra although none are particularly deep due the 4wd set up.

The Golf is an excellent car, although if you are thinking about a remap it can be a handful in the wet/damp or anything but in the straight ahead when you re giving it beans. A bit of a giant killer once you are moving though.

The S3 is my first 4wd and as you have had a GT4 already I can see why you want to stick with 4wd.

Cue 2wd v 4wd debate.........Oh and Hotbox tellin us all to go real wheel drive. (If the 1 series didnt look so bleedin awful we might have done!)

cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

Sorry mate thought it was you selling, obviously didn't read it properly! Yeah boot space doesn't really bother me tbh it was just thinking 5 doors maybe easier to get kiddie seat in etc. although I have my 3dr astra for a few more months so that will give a good test anyway.

I do like the Golf and the new 'R' is nice but very expensive and yes 4WD is good for handling and to get the power down. I miss the GT4 but it was only a weekend car really and I think the S3 will be a great alternative to use all week.
 
S3Alex said:
To be honest,I get better mpg now than when it was stock,obviously if driven carefully,as the torque is so much better now,and as a result if you're just pootling along in traffic etc,you don't need to use as many revs.

On the other hand,if you boot it,you can almost see the petrol guage moving!
Click to expand...

That is probably true mate as I have found fuel is better with remap and sport on in my smoker as throttle response is better so you don't need to put your foot down as hard in traffic or off the lights etc. How mich difference does the remap make? about 40bhp? and how much better is the 0-60 time roughly?

Cheers,
Nick
 
the best I've got out of my mapped s3 is 34 mpg, and the worst on the road is 14mpg.

Worst on track is about 9mpg
 
mitch78 said:
Well my next one is going to be a diesel. I've loved the S3, but the mileage I do, in the past 2.5 years I've spent just over £20k on fuel.
Click to expand...

Holy s**t that is a lot on fuel. I thought I spent a lot!

Working on 30mpg for an S3 it would cost me about 10k in 2.5 years, but in saying that if I kept my Diesel it would still cost about 7k!
 
mitch78 said:
You'll be lucky to get 30mpg average. On a long motorway run (and I do a lot of those) I've seen 30 about 3 times. 24-26mpg is a more realistic average in my experience.
Click to expand...

Really... I can drive to my parents house about 15 miles away and get 32mpg. Obviously wuth a light foot, but I've seen 39mpg on a longer run!
 
mitch78 said:
You'll be lucky to get 30mpg average. On a long motorway run (and I do a lot of those) I've seen 30 about 3 times. 24-26mpg is a more realistic average in my experience.
Click to expand...

Ditto unfortunately. I am not that overly concerned about MPG other than I would prefer better as you would imagine. However as others will testify the MPG range does vary quite a lot: Staz and Iggu seem to fair better than most. My average over the last 10k or so hovers around 24\25 mpg. But I don't mind the reletive cost against the smile on face/bang for buck factor. That said, a well mapped Quattro Diesel would be a nice choice too for the majority of UK travelling, depending on your needs. Good luck, I doubt you will be disappointed whatever your decision.
 
mitch78 said:
You'll be lucky to get 30mpg average. On a long motorway run (and I do a lot of those) I've seen 30 about 3 times. 24-26mpg is a more realistic average in my experience.
Click to expand...
I would have thought you would see a bit more than 24-26 in the S3 to be honest as combined figure for my old car was 31mpg and I easily got 26+. Think the new S3 figure is about 34mpg so was working on the same difference. Wonder if a delaer will lend one for a week so I can test it? :yes:
 
I reckon I get around 26-28mpg on motorways , unless I've got my bikes on the roof, in which case I get around 23mpg.

The lifetime average on the DIS says 24.3mpg, but thats because my journey to work doesnt involve motorways, but does involve lots of start stop traffic.

I saw 65mpg once, when I was coasting down the hill from glenshee ski 'resort'
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I will see how the first couple of months go in the new year workwise and work out some figures and hopefully will sort an S3 out!
 
Saw 31mpg from Slough to Newcastle.
Wasnt exactly hanging about neither.

I get high twenties on a 50mile run, mostly M-Way. But thats not driving Miss daisy and Im running REVO Stage 1.
I reckon I could see lows 30s if I tried but where the fun in that !!:weight_lift2:
TBH, MPG is not that important as I do 10K miles a year max.
That said, I couldnt live with anything much more thirsty.

To put it into perspective, a mapped S3 is about 2mpg down on a mapped 200ps MKV Gti. But worth it.

BTW, Auldreekie has a lead foot, he probably only sees as much as 24mpg because he has his floor mat stuck behing the loud pedal !!:) :undwech:

cheers
Paul
 
PaulAr said:
Saw 31mpg from Slough to Newcastle.
Wasnt exactly hanging about neither.

I get high twenties on a 50mile run, mostly M-Way. But thats not driving Miss daisy and Im running REVO Stage 1.
I reckon I could see lows 30s if I tried but where the fun in that !!:weight_lift2:
TBH, MPG is not that important as I do 10K miles a year max.
That said, I couldnt live with anything much more thirsty.

To put it into perspective, a mapped S3 is about 2mpg down on a mapped 200ps MKV Gti. But worth it.

BTW, Auldreekie has a lead foot, he probably only sees as much as 24mpg because he has his floor mat stuck behing the loud pedal !!:) :undwech:

cheers
Paul
Click to expand...

Thanks again for the info Paul.

This sounds OK then, although I do have quite a heavy foot as well, but have been trying to lay off a bit recently! :racer: I am sure when the little 'un comes and is in the back I will take it a bit easier!!
 
Clarke, not even gonna post a long reply answering all your questions. Pm 'mattandrew' and go out in his 370bhp S3 (he's in tideswell) and that will end all of your thinking - TRUST ME :laugh:
 
I think that the A3 2.0T quattro is now only available new with DSG auto transmission - at least in the Sportback. That may influence your decision.

I imagine that, until recently when the S3 became available in Sportback flavour, a lot of potential S3 SB owners went for a manual 2.0TQ.
 
PaulAr said:
The S3 is my first 4wd and as you have had a GT4 already I can see why you want to stick with 4wd.

Cue 2wd v 4wd debate.........Oh and Hotbox tellin us all to go real wheel drive. (If the 1 series didnt look so bleedin awful we might have done!)
Click to expand...

Oi, I'm not going to take part in this mass debate about correct-wheel drive versus others :whistle2: am fully aware that not everyone shares my views and prejudices.

When I decided to get out of the Audi a Golf GiT was first on the list, in my head I was loving that car and looking forward to sitting in those funky check seats and chucking it around...but a longer drive just confirmed even an excellent FWD is not for me...last time I enjoyed a frontscratcher it was a Panda 100HP :sorry:

That's why I gave the Golf a :thumbsup: earlier in the Fred - there's loads of great cars about that I like, but don't necessarily want to own or drive.

Just because the prospect of a new S3 didn't pull me into the Audi dealership by the wallet, doesn't mean I think it's crap :p
 
PaulAr said:
BTW, Auldreekie has a lead foot, he probably only sees as much as 24mpg because he has his floor mat stuck behing the loud pedal !!:) :undwech:
Click to expand...

pot-and-kettle.jpg


* minus the grumpy faces, it's all good. :moa:
 
HotboxDeluxe said:
Oi, I'm not going to take part in this mass debate about correct-wheel drive versus others :whistle2: am fully aware that not everyone shares my views and prejudices.
Click to expand...
He He , you just did, sort of.:moa:
And not a single mention of a sideways shoe:laugh:

cheers
Paul
 
N8 said:
Clarke, not even gonna post a long reply answering all your questions. Pm 'mattandrew' and go out in his 370bhp S3 (he's in tideswell) and that will end all of your thinking :laugh:
Click to expand...


AuldReekie said:
Where's that figure from N8? Ta much.
Click to expand...

Think hes just assuming and been a little over. Justcharlie had his on the dyno at the weekend with the same hardware at pulled 365 on the rollers

CLARKE09 said:
Thanks again for the info Paul.

This sounds OK then, although I do have quite a heavy foot as well, but have been trying to lay off a bit recently! :racer: I am sure when the little 'un comes and is in the back I will take it a bit easier!!
Click to expand...

Where in Derbyshire are you mate?
 
N8 said:
Ok sorry, its 5bhp
Click to expand...

:uhm: No, where/which RR did you use?

Edit: That'll teach my to scroll up, just seen your other post. :keule: Yeah, Gaz's results were blinding.
 
Last edited:
mattandrew said:
Think hes just assuming and been a little over. Justcharlie had his on the dyno at the weekend with the same hardware at pulled 365 on the rollers



Where in Derbyshire are you mate?
Click to expand...

About 10 minutes away from Burton on Trent mate, where abouts are you?
 
HotboxDeluxe said:
Oi, I'm not going to take part in this mass debate about correct-wheel drive versus others :whistle2: am fully aware that not everyone shares my views and prejudices.
Click to expand...

With the prospect of snow coming I am sure some of the rear wheelers will be abandoned on the roads! Good for drifting, not so good any other time. Oops hope that doesn't start a debate again. :whistle2:
 
Not wanting to wave the willy or anything, but I've never had to ditch a RWD due to snow or ice :happy: dinged a couple of barriers, but kept on going :laugh:
 
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