Facelift S3 vs New/Old RS3s
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I think he means the current baby blue 4wd one.
Ahhh yes just re-read it! either way, the mk1 is an immense drivers car, although I am unashamedly bias!! Wouldn't mind having a go in the latest variant.
Yep the Mk3.... awesome car.... I own one so totally biased.
I had a Mk1 when it was current for 24 hours, borrowed it from work, yes was great fun car once you learnt how to drive around its foibles. MK2 was epic as well, nearly bought one when they came out, but bottled it at the time and kept my redundancy money. I didn't hesitate when the Mk3 was launched..... apologies for thread divert ...LOL
I had a Mk1 when it was current for 24 hours, borrowed it from work, yes was great fun car once you learnt how to drive around its foibles. MK2 was epic as well, nearly bought one when they came out, but bottled it at the time and kept my redundancy money. I didn't hesitate when the Mk3 was launched..... apologies for thread divert ...LOL
I'm not a fan of the looks of the RS3 Sportback, but it looks a hell of a lot better than a Focus RS.
Nope, joined because just traded wife's Ibiza Cupra in for a 2014 A3 2.0 Tdi 184 Quattro DSG 3 Doors S-Line in red, looking for tips and info and possible mod's
Nope, joined because just traded wife's Ibiza Cupra in for a 2014 A3 2.0 Tdi 184 Quattro DSG 3 Doors S-Line in red, looking for tips and info and possible mod's
You'll go far on here ...lol,l had a MK3..ST3 for 2 years...13 plate one of the first on British Roads...it was a good car to drive.....but...problems...problems....especially lights/interior door sill lights replaced 4 times/boost/oil gauges/ on dashboard replaced,headlights replaced and Fords dealership engineers are ****** useless they replaced one headlight which had a chrome bezel with a headlight that had black bezel...see photo below,l wouldnt go near a Ford again...Besides that l dont think Ford could have made the new Focus RS anymore uglier even if they tried to...
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Let's see how the Audi experience pans out... some of the dealers haven't impressed me so.... having both the A3 and the RS will be great position to compare ownership experience. ...... moving on.... won on eBay some S Line suspension for the A3 last night... 100 quid, 1000 miles old....
no it doesn't .... all A3's look the same
Perhaps, but they all, therefore, look better than the Focus RS.
As good as it is to drive, you'd have to look at it every day you wanted to drive it......
Shame as the previous version looked good.
There's a thread on the focus RS forum that states Evens halshaw arnt accepting mk3 RS trade ins because of known engine problems lol plenty of engine problems being reported too.
I've driven a focus RS briefly and I could t really get all the handling hype, it felt the same as any golf R, S3 etc I'm sure on a track with huge run offs you can exploit it a lot better but it certainly didn't make me think 'ooh im having bags more fun than in my RS3'
I got back in my RS3 (mk2) and the quality, grunt and exhaust noise immediately reminded me why it's 10k more
I've driven a focus RS briefly and I could t really get all the handling hype, it felt the same as any golf R, S3 etc I'm sure on a track with huge run offs you can exploit it a lot better but it certainly didn't make me think 'ooh im having bags more fun than in my RS3'
I got back in my RS3 (mk2) and the quality, grunt and exhaust noise immediately reminded me why it's 10k more
I need to drive a Focus RS sometime.
As bad as they look, I bet they go very well.
To offset my comments on the looks of the Focus RS, I don't think the RS3 drives very well.
As bad as they look, I bet they go very well.
To offset my comments on the looks of the Focus RS, I don't think the RS3 drives very well.
No point your an Audi fan boy ...lol
Mines magnetic grey, so imo looks pretty good, bit more classy than the loud Nitious Blue...
If people think it drives same as a golf or S3 then you either stuck in town traffic or didn't know how to drive it...
Hint... drive it like a RWD not a FWD..... anyone who thinks it undeesteer seriously cocked it up.... you can steer it on the throttle right through to power oversteer.
Anyway... I'm collecting the SLine suspension for the A3 on Sunday so hopefully that will sharpen it up a bit... then remap it.
Ozmosis
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So tell us, how do you drive like a RWD and not a FWD? Slow in, fast out?? Oh.. The norm then...
I am by no means an Audi fan boy.
Yes I've had many, but currently driving something slightly more dynamic and less quality focussed.
My wife still has an Audi though, and I do like hers......and her Audi......
I prefer a well set up FWD car to any AWD car I've driven, and I've owned all set ups, including both RWD and FWD biased AWD cars.
Drive a very good FWD car and it's the most rewarding with the best feel compared to AWD.
The best and the most exhilarating drive is mid engined RWD.
That's where driving needs real talent and is truly engaging.
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Sorry no RS3 included.... lets face it would have come last anyway, now where did I put my flame suit.
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No worries I got flamed on an RS forum for daring to suggest a modification to a safety system should at least be tested and certified. I'm only an engineer for such systems. didn't count for much against the keyboard warriors.
i think it was Chris Harris that said the RS understeers, TBH the RS is a good car I just don't believe it is quite worth the hype, I've heard sentences that have actually said its a hot hatch game changer, hmmm really?
Woeful 1/4 mile times for a 350bhp 4wd hatchback and track times that are quick but hardly head and shoulders above the rest of the field which leaves it with the 'fun' trump card and that's mainly because it has a drift button, if that's your priority get an M140i that will smash the RS in a straight line and drift far better.
Woeful 1/4 mile times for a 350bhp 4wd hatchback and track times that are quick but hardly head and shoulders above the rest of the field which leaves it with the 'fun' trump card and that's mainly because it has a drift button, if that's your priority get an M140i that will smash the RS in a straight line and drift far better.
Rayner_1704
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Driven a mk3 RS and I liked it very good drivers car and lots of fun yes the interior compared to Audi is poor but then each to their own. My problem with the new RS is it looks nothing special and has lost the imense sound of the mk2.
Imo the mk2 should have been awd coupled with the 5 pot noise and the crazy styling it would have been a hell of a car for many years. Love the look of the mk2
Imo the mk2 should have been awd coupled with the 5 pot noise and the crazy styling it would have been a hell of a car for many years. Love the look of the mk2
Wait til the new RS3 Saloon comes out. That will blow everything else out of the water in terms of looks, feel and driveability than anything else mentioned in this thread.
RS3 Saloon wins. End of.
RS3 Saloon wins. End of.
Rayner_1704
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Is 13.2 1/4 mile woeful against an RS3 12.2 which has more power and DSG box? ....
it's nothing about drift mode that is just a bi product of the torque vectoring system they developed, was planned for. It is about how the 4WD system works and torque vectors to give the car a balance, feedback, feel and fun to drive.
Soon as it's anything short of a dry road the BMW won't be even able to keep in the same county as the RS.
Ford weren't chasing top trump stats, they wanted to make a hot hatch that got back to putting a big smile on the drivers face. Something most people I think will agree has been missing by most manufactures of late... think back to Early Golf GTi or 205 GTi.... the straight line race has dominated, okay of you like that, buy an RS3 or A45.
Yes, the A3 has more mature restrained interior with greater use of soft touch materials and nice chrome bezels rathen just plastic. The graphic and resolution of the pop up display/Nav is terrible though.
Yep MK2 looks great, 3 door helps, the sound was nice, the MK3 isn't bad, still not a straight six though. ( I have a Z4 as well, so I do know the difference)
Ford wanted a more restrained look on the Mk3 so as not to scare off some possible customers.... Golf and Audi drivers perhaps??? Who are use to a low key look. Guess you can't please all of the people all of the time.
What VAG group needs to do is ditch the Halax system, put the GKN system on and retune the chassis, with the 5 pot power and latest interior and displays they would have it nailed, but at a huge cost I don't doubt
it's nothing about drift mode that is just a bi product of the torque vectoring system they developed, was planned for. It is about how the 4WD system works and torque vectors to give the car a balance, feedback, feel and fun to drive.
Soon as it's anything short of a dry road the BMW won't be even able to keep in the same county as the RS.
Ford weren't chasing top trump stats, they wanted to make a hot hatch that got back to putting a big smile on the drivers face. Something most people I think will agree has been missing by most manufactures of late... think back to Early Golf GTi or 205 GTi.... the straight line race has dominated, okay of you like that, buy an RS3 or A45.
Yes, the A3 has more mature restrained interior with greater use of soft touch materials and nice chrome bezels rathen just plastic. The graphic and resolution of the pop up display/Nav is terrible though.
Yep MK2 looks great, 3 door helps, the sound was nice, the MK3 isn't bad, still not a straight six though. ( I have a Z4 as well, so I do know the difference)
Ford wanted a more restrained look on the Mk3 so as not to scare off some possible customers.... Golf and Audi drivers perhaps??? Who are use to a low key look. Guess you can't please all of the people all of the time.
What VAG group needs to do is ditch the Halax system, put the GKN system on and retune the chassis, with the 5 pot power and latest interior and displays they would have it nailed, but at a huge cost I don't doubt
Seriously..... Why do you think BMW's are better? have you driven the RS3 saloon or the BMW's
Rayner_1704
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Yes iv driven m3s I am not saying nothing bad about any of the cars I like them all all I said was if I needed a daily it be the RS3 if I wanted a performance weekend car I'd buy the RS focus
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I was just referring to the cars mentioned, if I was to buy a weekend performance car I'd probs buy something completely different more then likely something older and jap
The sole reason the MK3 RS looks sedate isn't that ford wanted it to its because they admitted more flared arches would need different door pinnings which would have added cost, they've also stated an automatic option would have added too much weight which is the reason one wasn't added, early press cars have already been confirmed to have an uprated diff that wasn't added to the road going car it's widespread knowledge on RS forums. A full second over a quarter of a mile is a huge difference, it's also the terminals speeds with early owners struggling to register past 100 mph terminals at one point! DSG box or not that's poor for a 350 bhp 4wd hatchback, an EVO X 360 manual will do the 1/4 mile half a second quicker than the RS.
Its even lost to the A45 AMG in a couple of track tests namely the autotrader group tests So it's not as if it's head and shoulders faster in handling terms either.
The RS is billed as the bargain of the century yet at 35k for a decent spec but still rather poor quality interior and some fun people seem to have forgotten that the run out megane RS275 cup- S was being sold for 24k a little while ago, now as people say the RS is a bargain for being 10k less than the RS3/a45 the RS seems expensive to the megane.
Its even lost to the A45 AMG in a couple of track tests namely the autotrader group tests So it's not as if it's head and shoulders faster in handling terms either.
The RS is billed as the bargain of the century yet at 35k for a decent spec but still rather poor quality interior and some fun people seem to have forgotten that the run out megane RS275 cup- S was being sold for 24k a little while ago, now as people say the RS is a bargain for being 10k less than the RS3/a45 the RS seems expensive to the megane.
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Rayner_1704
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Presumably the OP wants brand new, so no, you can't get either of those models you mentioned.
Second hand wise, I'd hate to see what interest you'd be paying monthly on a 60K used RS6. Likely 11% meaning the monthlies will be out of this world insane.
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As 4K says, it depends how you're buying. Not many people have £50k - £60k knocking about so if you're looking for a PCP deal on an RS3 it's going to be a lot more affordable than a PCP deal on a used RS6, M5, C63.
