Potential S3 Purchase & Dealer Issues

[Splathead]

Hi

I'm a newbie here and a potential S3 owner. I am new to the world of Audi and have a couple of questions with regard to new car supply / buying issues.

I had my first test drive today on muddy, salty country roads of my choice and was very impressed with the speed, traction, ride comfort and handling. It really is an awesome car especially when I had worked out to keep my foot on the throttle all of the way through corners - that's a shock after driving a powerful front drive car!

However, it all started to go wrong when I got back to the dealer; first with a laughable offer for my current car and then with what feels like Pressure Sales Techniques.

I have managed to negotiate a £1000 ish discount off the S3 but now the pressure is really on.

The Dealer (Stealer?) says that they have been allocated just 3 S3's for the next year - 2 of them 5 Door Models!!!! (That's news to me!) Therefore, if I order one now, they will not be able to get hold of any more for the whole of next year and would rather wait for someone who will pay the full price. Therefore, I am being hassled for a decision. (Four calls while I have been writing this - un-answered!) If I buy, they have offered me a ride in an R8 though!!!!!

My question is, are S3 numbers really limited or am I just being subjected to pressure sales? Also, as they have offered me the ridiculous trade-in value for my mint Alfa 147GTA, I am thinking that I should forgoe the dealer experience and buy over the internet (Autoebid, Motorlogix, Coast2Coast, etc) as I will have to sell my car privately anyway. However, if S3 numbers are limited, will the internet brokers struggle to get hold of one?

Just FYI, My S3 Spec would be:
Sprint Blue
Leather / Alcantara Seats (Black)
Parking Sensors
Adaptve Lights
Flat Bottomed Steering Wheel
Automatic Wipers / Lights
Dimming & Folding Door Mirrors
Tyre Pressure Sensors
(With DVD Sat Nav to be retro-fitted later)

In other news, I was also told that there will be no A3 facelift next summer - I am starting to think that I should look elsewhere..!

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Matt

 

[N8]

There will be a facelift next summer followed by a new shape in 2010, there isn't a 5 door S3! Sounds like the dealer is chatting **** mate, go to another audi garage, and compare your experiences!

Nath.

 

[s3mike]

I was told only 1500 S3's per year are available and my dealer said they could order 5 per year, 2 of which would be demonstrators.

They gave the impression that if there were none left in the allocation they couldn't get one. There was no pressure on me to buy, in fact I waited a couple of weeks after the test drive and they didn't call - seemed like they would have no trouble shifting them!

You could always try another dealer if yours runs out of allocation though.

Not sure how internet brokers get them.

 

[dipstic]

As above ring a few dealers and ask the question,seems to me all dealers are crap once they have your money be it Audi/Bmw etc

 

[N8]

Why don't u try a pre-registered one with your spec? Just saw one on pistonheads for £24k

 

[Splathead]

Thanks for your quick response, advice and tips. It's great to find an active, helpful and non-bitchy forum. (The Alfa one that I occasionally use is full of people trying to score points)

I will try one or two other dealers tomorrow and see how I get on.

With regard to buying second hand, I do quite high mileage and I am therefore looking for either a new or nearly new car with low mileage.

 

[julians]

The dealer is full of sh!t.

Theres plenty of cars out there in stock sitting unregistered, and at this time of year/month they should be willing to do a reasonable deal.

I went to the dealers in manchester and they wouldnt budge on price, and made me a laughable offer on my part ex. So I rang around a few dealers further afield (and possibly more importantly from a different group) and found a brand new unregistered car in a reasonable spec, they were keen to sell , so I haggled for a reasonable price to change, and was in the car by the next weekend.

 

[mikey_abz]

sounds like aload of **** to me......

If people want them they will supply them.....loads of pre-regs on autotrader. Its also healthy to compare quotes with other dealers once you have decided what car you want.

Its coming up2 Xmas the last thing on most ppls mind is changing the car so sales are usually low this time of year - also new reg in Jan 08.
Dealers will have sales targets to think of the pressure is on!

Mike

 

[JohnS3]

I think there is an S3 sportback next year. There's also the cab version but I'm unsure when that will be.

 

[mitch78]

:thumbsup:

 

[N8]

I'm not sure about the sportback version, can someone give me a link confirming they are making it?

 

[Kontraband]

I'd definately go try some other dealers Splathead... recently placed an order myself with much that exact spec and got it well discounted, tho the sales guy did mumble in a polite way that it was the first one hed had to bargain so much on...

When I spoke to the sales bloke the following week after placing the order he wasnt particularly concerned at all about my finalising spec etc and that he'd just specified an order for an S3, which makes me think they werent hard pushed to get hold of them. He did mention that Audi had set some tough targets for next year and that he'd rather sell to me @ discount than loose me to BM. Bonus!