Had my S3 for four months and covered 7,000 miles...
Good
- Averaged 33.6 mpg over the 7k and regularly get 35 to 40mpg on long lazy runs. Really good.
- Performance is excellent and there's not much on the road that can keep up with the car in real world terms
- Steering is best I have experienced in an Audi product for a long time
- Discreet looks I think is a bonus when you're on the road and parked up. Must admit though, I wish the S3 looked a bit meaner. I had pondered a SB, but they look too much like an estate for my liking and the saloon isn't my thing really. Still, it's an A3, not a sports car... I need to remember that!
- Tyre wear has been good, so I'm thinking I will probably stretch the continentals to 20k if I can
- Gearbox is much better than the double clutchers I have had before in TT's. Doesn't try to down change at low revs so much and is much smoother
- No idea why, but after I past about 4k the car started sounding better and now if I lift off quickly I get a nice low tone whump sound. Love that.
- No faults as such, but see 'bad' below for the gripes
Bad
- Front seats I have got used to, but they don't adjust the way they should and I have been unable to find a completely comfortable driving position
- Steering wheel sits too high as the amount of adjustment is pitiful, hence it doesn't help the driving experience for me
- Audi Sound System was a mistake I made when ordering, should have gone B&O. My sisters Ford has better sound quality than my car!
- Gear change paddles are pants. Almost no feel when you press them. The previous versions Audi were fitting were much better
- Stupid 12v socket that lights up like an 80's fag lighter. Looks really out of place IMO
- Lag you occasionally get as the turbo fills its lungs can be annoying
Ugly
- The throttle pedal is dreadful. I find on any journey of more than an hour I fatigue in my right leg. Why oh why did Audi dropped the hinged from the floor pedal design? I now have a pair of 'driving boots', in other words, I wear a certain pair of healed boots when doing longer journeys that make it easier to balance my foot and avoid fatigue. Anyway, it really impedes on the pleasure of driving the car for me.
Overall
I'm happy but not over the moon with my S3. It looks good, but not amazing. It's fast, but not expensive to run. On the right road it's engaging and when I want to 'just get there' it's happy to poodle along and sip the petrol. The car is however let down by a few minor things that really shouldn't be there on such a car. Would I recommend one? Yes, but only because there's no much else that is actually better in the same class of vehicle. I am sitting on the fence until the RS3 comes along and I am hoping that I will want to order one. Else I will probably raid the piggy bank and buy an RS4.
Score: 7/10
Good
- Averaged 33.6 mpg over the 7k and regularly get 35 to 40mpg on long lazy runs. Really good.
- Performance is excellent and there's not much on the road that can keep up with the car in real world terms
- Steering is best I have experienced in an Audi product for a long time
- Discreet looks I think is a bonus when you're on the road and parked up. Must admit though, I wish the S3 looked a bit meaner. I had pondered a SB, but they look too much like an estate for my liking and the saloon isn't my thing really. Still, it's an A3, not a sports car... I need to remember that!
- Tyre wear has been good, so I'm thinking I will probably stretch the continentals to 20k if I can
- Gearbox is much better than the double clutchers I have had before in TT's. Doesn't try to down change at low revs so much and is much smoother
- No idea why, but after I past about 4k the car started sounding better and now if I lift off quickly I get a nice low tone whump sound. Love that.
- No faults as such, but see 'bad' below for the gripes
Bad
- Front seats I have got used to, but they don't adjust the way they should and I have been unable to find a completely comfortable driving position
- Steering wheel sits too high as the amount of adjustment is pitiful, hence it doesn't help the driving experience for me
- Audi Sound System was a mistake I made when ordering, should have gone B&O. My sisters Ford has better sound quality than my car!
- Gear change paddles are pants. Almost no feel when you press them. The previous versions Audi were fitting were much better
- Stupid 12v socket that lights up like an 80's fag lighter. Looks really out of place IMO
- Lag you occasionally get as the turbo fills its lungs can be annoying
Ugly
- The throttle pedal is dreadful. I find on any journey of more than an hour I fatigue in my right leg. Why oh why did Audi dropped the hinged from the floor pedal design? I now have a pair of 'driving boots', in other words, I wear a certain pair of healed boots when doing longer journeys that make it easier to balance my foot and avoid fatigue. Anyway, it really impedes on the pleasure of driving the car for me.
Overall
I'm happy but not over the moon with my S3. It looks good, but not amazing. It's fast, but not expensive to run. On the right road it's engaging and when I want to 'just get there' it's happy to poodle along and sip the petrol. The car is however let down by a few minor things that really shouldn't be there on such a car. Would I recommend one? Yes, but only because there's no much else that is actually better in the same class of vehicle. I am sitting on the fence until the RS3 comes along and I am hoping that I will want to order one. Else I will probably raid the piggy bank and buy an RS4.
Score: 7/10
