With 4 months gone and 10,000 miles haved rolled under the wheels I guess its time for a little update on progress.
Overall the A3 is the best Audi I've owned (company or privately) - better than the previous model A3 1.8 Sport and an A3 1.8T Quattro and of course the A4 Cabrio for both long distance comfort and outright performance.
Absolutely no rattles or squeaks (well nearly got one after carrying a 19" CRT monitor (V heavy!)) in the back seat - turned out that the rear sear back catch needed locking back.
The S-Line suspension remains firm, (just about bearable) though the upside is absolutely sublime handling.
Of the total mileage thus far, 5,000 of the miles have been with the REVO remap installed. This is something I'm very pleased with - aside from the simply wicked performance (you S3 guys wouldn't be disappointed as the huge torque figure delivers massive punch) the fuel economy is just amazing.
There have been many, many disappointed posts on here where the 2.0TDi mob have posted low 40s/high 30s mpg figures when Audi quote something around the 50 mark . It sounds slightly mad to say a remapped 140bhp engine that produces 187bhp-293ft/lb now does a true 55mpg (brim to brim calc) @ a steady 80 on the motorway. I have proved for myself that the remap adds 8 to 10 mpg.
Last week I had a trundle down the M1 to Luton a lot of traffic on the motorway meant a steady 50-55 mph - the DIS displayed 60.1mpg, mile after mile. And all the while that insane kick in the back was just another 1/4 inch of throttle away...... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Before I move off this I feel duty bound to add a note of caution here - you do have to learn to drive differently with the remap on board - the throttle pedal becomes VERY sensitive and passengers complain if you 'indulge', even for a moment.
The external paint finish is holding up very well to the task of toil up and down the motorways. The Avus silver probably masks the stone chips - though I'm actually aware of only a couple - and I hand wash the car every week, I'm exceedingly fussy and I would notice. By this sort of mileage, over a similar winter period my 54 plate Carribean Blue A4 Cabrio was looking a bit battle scarred. I reckon Audi have found a more flexible water based paint to use that resists chipping better.
Any major dislikes now? No is the honest answer, and now the revenue have sorted out my tax code properly (thanks for the heads-up on that Bowfer) I have a Company car and a positive tax code - great result.
Any regrets? I wish I'd ordered the interior-light pack, I had it on the Cabrio as well.
Overall the A3 is the best Audi I've owned (company or privately) - better than the previous model A3 1.8 Sport and an A3 1.8T Quattro and of course the A4 Cabrio for both long distance comfort and outright performance.
Absolutely no rattles or squeaks (well nearly got one after carrying a 19" CRT monitor (V heavy!)) in the back seat - turned out that the rear sear back catch needed locking back.
The S-Line suspension remains firm, (just about bearable) though the upside is absolutely sublime handling.
Of the total mileage thus far, 5,000 of the miles have been with the REVO remap installed. This is something I'm very pleased with - aside from the simply wicked performance (you S3 guys wouldn't be disappointed as the huge torque figure delivers massive punch) the fuel economy is just amazing.
There have been many, many disappointed posts on here where the 2.0TDi mob have posted low 40s/high 30s mpg figures when Audi quote something around the 50 mark . It sounds slightly mad to say a remapped 140bhp engine that produces 187bhp-293ft/lb now does a true 55mpg (brim to brim calc) @ a steady 80 on the motorway. I have proved for myself that the remap adds 8 to 10 mpg.
Last week I had a trundle down the M1 to Luton a lot of traffic on the motorway meant a steady 50-55 mph - the DIS displayed 60.1mpg, mile after mile. And all the while that insane kick in the back was just another 1/4 inch of throttle away...... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Before I move off this I feel duty bound to add a note of caution here - you do have to learn to drive differently with the remap on board - the throttle pedal becomes VERY sensitive and passengers complain if you 'indulge', even for a moment.
The external paint finish is holding up very well to the task of toil up and down the motorways. The Avus silver probably masks the stone chips - though I'm actually aware of only a couple - and I hand wash the car every week, I'm exceedingly fussy and I would notice. By this sort of mileage, over a similar winter period my 54 plate Carribean Blue A4 Cabrio was looking a bit battle scarred. I reckon Audi have found a more flexible water based paint to use that resists chipping better.
Any major dislikes now? No is the honest answer, and now the revenue have sorted out my tax code properly (thanks for the heads-up on that Bowfer) I have a Company car and a positive tax code - great result.
Any regrets? I wish I'd ordered the interior-light pack, I had it on the Cabrio as well.
