SE?

Gazjs

Gazjs

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So, almost every thread I read (and quite rightly I suppose) is S3 orders. Are there any A3 SE owners out there?

Any pictures?

Does the standard "Bluetooth interface" allow the use of hands free?

Has anyone's car told them to "take a break"? Lol (rest recommendation system)

Thanks
 
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The SE is effectively the base model and not very popular I don't think - most people go for the Sport or S-Line.

The spec of the SE is a bit too basic for such a car in my mind. Whilst you obviously still get the build quality and "prestige" of an Audi, there are a few too many compromises in terms of equipment. Externally it only has 16 inch wheels and lacks the aluminium trim. Internally there's no climate control, no colour DIS and a lower quality of interior trim.

Personally I'd stretch to the Sport if you can.
 
I have tried a few SE spec cars as courtesy cars and a friend has one too.

I actually quite like it. As an entry way to the A3 range, it is quite a good package (as you get all the quality of the normal A3 range but with a lower price, albeit without some of the gadgets and features). At the end of the day, folks paying circa £40K for a top spec S3 feel need to feel they are getting a quality product and the interior of an A3 SE 1.2 TFSI at £19K isnt all that far off.

In London, I see significantly more SE spec cars than Sports / S-Line / S3.

I reckon if you go for an SE Technik and maybe spec a couple of sensible options like Comfort Pack, Folding mirrors, you've got yourself a nice car. SE suspension with the 16' wheels is a little bouncy but still comfortable nonetheless.
 
Gazjs said:
So, almost every thread I read (and quite rightly I suppose) is S3 orders. Are there any A3 SE owners out there?

Any pictures?

Does the standard "Bluetooth interface" allow the use of hands free?

Has anyone's car told them to "take a break"? Lol (rest recommendation system)

Thanks
Click to expand...

Some of my previous A3s was an SE mainly because I preferred the seats in the SE and the fact that I could have a Grey rather than Black interior.. I upped the spec to include 17" alloys, climate control and some other items. The price usually worked out about the same as a Sport with the options I added but at least I got what I wanted.

With the 8V model I went for the Sport because the sport seats in the new model I found much better than in the 8P and better the than SE seats. I could also deselect the sports suspension so it mean I could get just the spec and options I wanted from the Sport.

With regard to the "take a break", yes on my current and previous A3s the warning has popped up in the DIS, mainly when I've been driving from Calais to Germany. Normally I stop every four hours or so for a break at a service area but sometimes it's been a little over and the warning has come up. The car is basically very comfortable to drive that I could go on for longer but it's worth stopping once in a while.
 
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The spec I have on order is

A3 SE sportback 1.6 tdi manual
Monsoon grey

Cruise control
Privacy glass
Xenon pack with the interior lighting, adaptive and sensonrs.
Non smoking pack
De badged.

This is not locked down yet and has been estimated as late April for delivery.

I would love the sport or sline model but this is a company car where to get a sport I would have to "buy up" at the cost of 1500 a year payable for 4 years. So basically 6k, or stick to the SE and only pay for my optional extras as a one off payment.

Would you change any of the selections to make it more comfortable etc?

That is interesting on the "take a break" and will be good to see what is responds with on long drives and how I feel myself.
 
I had an SE model as a courtesy car a few weeks back and although build quality was same as s-line (and was impressed by the 1.6TDI engine) it felt considerably cheaper inside, but still far better than equivalent bmw,s Mercs and VW's.

It is actually quiet reassuring that you can see a noticeable difference as you go from se to sport to s-line. The difference is not so obvious in other makes especially Mercs where you pay for any optional extra above base model in a lot if cases
 
Ditch the Privacy Glass and get Dual-Zone Climate instead at £100 more. Not having climate control in a car of this class is bonkers and would annoy the hell out of me.
 
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Gazjs said:
That is interesting on the "take a break" and will be good to see what is responds with on long drives and how I feel myself.
Click to expand...

We've had the coffee cup symbol come on on a couple of occasions when my wife was driving. We'd only been going for a couple of hours so I've switched it off in the DIS.
 
Here's a pic of mine. Monsoon Grey, upgraded 17" wheels, dual air con, parking sensors front and back, reverse camera, privacy glass, hold assist. If I was you I'd go for a Sport depending on your budget. For me the seats let it down, crap pattern, the ones in my golf were much nicer. And the headlights look crap compared to the ones on the S Line. If I was ordering again I'd go for an S Line but if it's a budget thing, the Sport is probably the better option, at least you'll get better alloys, seats and the dual air con, etc.

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/attachments/image-jpg.37830/
 
Vertigo1 said:
Ditch the Privacy Glass and get Dual-Zone Climate instead at £100 more. Not having climate control in a car of this class is bonkers and would annoy the hell out of me.
Click to expand...

I would agree completely. I would NEVER EVER want a car without a good quality Climate control. Far better to spend the money on that than privacy glass, which to me just makes the car look like a van !!
 
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SJR88 said:
Here's a pic of mine. Monsoon Grey, upgraded 17" wheels, dual air con, parking sensors front and back, reverse camera, privacy glass, hold assist. If I was you I'd go for a Sport depending on your budget. For me the seats let it down, **** pattern, the ones in my golf were much nicer. And the headlights look **** compared to the ones on the S Line. If I was ordering again I'd go for an S Line but if it's a budget thing, the Sport is probably the better option, at least you'll get better alloys, seats and the dual air con, etc.

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/attachments/image-jpg.37830/
Click to expand...

Car looks really nice here! Colour looks great when clean and polished up. The wheels do look so much better than the SE wheels though.

Need to look into the climate control now, money money money :D
 
Gazjs said:
Car looks really nice here! Colour looks great when clean and polished up. The wheels do look so much better than the SE wheels though.

Need to look into the climate control now, money money money :D
Click to expand...

Yeh the colour is nicer than I expected it to be. If I was you I think I'd consider the Sport tho, I don't think I'd be going for an SE again... Might sound stupid but the seats really let it down, remind me of something that should be in a Citroen or something!
 
SJR88 said:
Yeh the colour is nicer than I expected it to be. If I was you I think I'd consider the Sport tho, I don't think I'd be going for an SE again... Might sound stupid but the seats really let it down, remind me of something that should be in a Citroen or something!
Click to expand...
Sounds like your not too happy with the seats then. Can you not stick some nice seat covers down if it's the Pattern your not keen on?
 
I used to like the seats in my previous A3s which were SE models but they have changed them a lot for the 8V model and when I test drove an new SE I did not find them anywhere near as comfortable. When I then test drove a Sport model they were much better and having driven my current 8V for 12k miles including a couple of long trips to Germany I can honestly say they are very comfortable in deed.
 
I suppose I could cover them but I think I'll just put up with them, I'll be getting an S Line next time, if I do get another Audi.

H5DJR, I agree. I had an S Line A3 loan car before I got mine and the seats had so much more support (they're probably more like the Sport). There's not really any support with the SE seats, they're as standard as you can get.
 
Mine is a saloon, so base level is Sport anyway. I was looking to get base plus a few options when looking for an SB. But did come to the conclusion that the Sport was a better bet (with SE suspension!).
So when we decided to go saloon there was no decision anyway.
It's quite interesting how Audi has produced the same car that spans double the price of the base model. But then it's not really the same car is it?
 
You have to realise most of the people here are car enthusiasts. You may find the thread below interesting. It would appear from the poll that most of the people on this section of the forum are Sline drivers.

http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/which-trim-level-did-you-pick.212482/

My wife has a A3 SE. We both think it is a really nice car. Looks good too with the Xenon light pack.
 
h5djr said:
I would agree completely. I would NEVER EVER want a car without a good quality Climate control. Far better to spend the money on that than privacy glass, which to me just makes the car look like a van !!
Click to expand...
Hmmmm...

I have climate control. My wife has the standard A3 air con. I don't like the way climate control uses fan speed to control the temperature. The car can feel a bit stuffy when the fan is turned right down. I often find myself turning the fan back up. This may be why CC is seen as more energy efficient. If it was just me in the car I would prefer standard air con - where I control the fan.

However... I have come to realize that air con was a huge mistake in the A3! I now realize that my wife has no internal thermostat. When we drive my car, she wacks her side to full heat. I can even feel from my side. Or she can be too warm and wacks the temp control fully down. This is fine because my side is always set to 22 and rarely moves.

Though I have come up with a solution. When it becomes so hot in the A3 that I can hardly breath, I simply put the window down. So in effect we have dual zone air con in the A3. :)
 
Last edited:
People here have lots of different opinions. Make sure and decide what is right for you.

Have they told you not to go for the SE yet because it has inferior rear suspension? ;)

When you are going round that race track on your way to work you might notice the difference.
 
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I cancelled my SE order once I realised the shape and colour of the seats. In the dealership was the sline and I knew the se wouldn't be the same, but just didn't feel the seats reflected the overall quality of the car.
 
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Seems like a good choice for what you want, but I've never been convinced about privacy glass to be honest. Particularly as its only the rear windows, I feel it makes the car look a bit odd and not quite sure what the benefits are? Particularly for £290. I'd rather spend that on something that gave me a tangible driving benefit........

SE is a great way to get a premium car and entry into Audi ownership. Not every one can afford nor has the need for an S3 so please stay on the site.
 
Daz Auto said:
Have they told you not to go for the SE yet because it has inferior rear suspension? ;)
Click to expand...

Actually that's a very good point - I'd forgotten about that.

When you are going round that race track on your way to work you might notice the difference.
Click to expand...

If the difference was subtle enough that it was only noticable on a track then I doubt they'd have gone to the bother of fitting two different types of suspension.
 
In response to the Bluetooth question, the basic MMI does allow hands-free, but without the steering wheel button being fully configured.
So, I can initiate a call from the steering wheel, but I have to use the large centre console button to answer an incoming call.
There are some other minor differences in how it works, but the Bluetooth interface is adequate.

My SE is a company car, and I would have had to spend quite a bit more on the monthly charge to get an equivalent Sport model to suit my requirements.
 
Daz Auto said:
Hmmmm...

I have climate control. My wife has the standard A3 air con. I don't like the way climate control uses fan speed to control the temperature. The car can feel a bit stuffy when the fan is turned right down. I often find myself turning the fan back up. This may be why CC is seen as more energy efficient. If it was just me in the car I would prefer standard air con - where I control the fan.

However... I have come to realize that air con was a huge mistake in the A3! I now realize that my wife has no internal thermostat. When we drive my car, she wacks her side to full heat. I can even feel from my side. Or she can be too warm and wacks the temp control fully down. This is fine because my side is always set to 22 and rarely moves.

Though I have come up with a solution. When it becomes so hot in the A3 that I can hardly breath, I simply put the window down. So in effect we have dual zone air con in the A3. :)
Click to expand...

It seems it's not that you need better control over the air-conditioning but better control over your wife!!
 
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Daz Auto said:
People here have lots of different opinions. Make sure and decide what is right for you.

Have they told you not to go for the SE yet because it has inferior rear suspension? ;)

When you are going round that race track on your way to work you might notice the difference.
Click to expand...

The think the 'inferior' rear suspension is related to the engine fitted rather than whether it's an SE or a Sport or S-Line.
 
Thanks for all the input, recommendations and advice.

Appreciate it and fully understand that everyone will more than likely be enthusiast of the S3 on this forum, I also am really into my cars, especially detailing, and I am just looking to make best of what has been offered to me as available by my company. I will more than likely be jumping around topics regarding home improvement’s etc. that can be achieved and made.

The Bluetooth hands free sounds adequate for my needs. Nice to see this available on the SE option.

The good news!
I managed to catch my order at a good point to make a few amendments, and get a great BW, the person I am dealing with confirmed BW at the end of February for delivery late March.

My chosen spec:
A3 1.6 TDI SE Sportback Manual
Monsoon Grey

Cruise Control
Privacy Glass
Xenon light package

Non smoking package
Black cloth interior
Badge less rear

Looking forward to receiving delivery, where I will probably update the Alloys at some point down the line and cash is available.
 
I can see Daz Auto's point on the dual zone climate control. Mrs JohnnyM feels the cold so has her side turned up high. Makes dual zone a real bonus. Am half expecting to see a cloud formation and some rain between the two sides of the car someday....
 
JohnnyM100 said:
I can see Daz Auto's point on the dual zone climate control. Mrs JohnnyM feels the cold so has her side turned up high. Makes dual zone a real bonus. Am half expecting to see a cloud formation and some rain between the two sides of the car someday....
Click to expand...

My wife also feels the cold much more that I do and as far as she is concerned the greatest option on my current A3 is the heated front seats. It she can have the seat heating on and leave the sir-con at a normal setting.

We had a test drive in an A3 with the heated seats fitted and she fell in love with them straight away. I have never actually switched mine on!
 
I went SE, no regrets, its a car for getting to work.
Saved a load of money over the higher specs, who seem to go for s-lines and spec SE suspension.
I just added,
Ally interior trim
LED Interior lights.
Auto Lights
Auto Dimming mirror
Auto wipers.

Still came out cheaper than a sport which has nothing I wanted over an SE.
 
alistairm1 said:
In response to the Bluetooth question, the basic MMI does allow hands-free, but without the steering wheel button being fully configured.
So, I can initiate a call from the steering wheel, but I have to use the large centre console button to answer an incoming call.
There are some other minor differences in how it works, but the Bluetooth interface is adequate.

My SE is a company car, and I would have had to spend quite a bit more on the monthly charge to get an equivalent Sport model to suit my requirements.
Click to expand...

I don't on mine I have full call functions on the wheel
 
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