Will I be the first here to get their second A3 8V? :D

[Vertigo1]

Well I was one of the first to get an 8V, in October 2012, and it was only on a two year lease so will be due for replacement in just over nine months!

Already wondering what to get next. The Sportback e-tron is looking very interesting I must say but a lot depends on when exactly it's available and the prices. Failing that, the dealer currently has an A3 S-Line Saloon in white on 19" rims which looks amazing!!

 

[s33nyboy12]

If it was me and now it's out I would go for anything with the new 184 tdi engine linked with Quattro system FTW !
It wasn't available when I ordered mine otherwise I would have it, failing that I'm thinking new a5 2.0 tdi s line 184 Quattro or q5 when they're available .

Sean

 

[Dylock]

I may beat you, had my 8v S3 since August and have my second one coming to replace it in April

 

[Vertigo1]

If it was me and now it's out I would go for anything with the new 184 tdi engine linked with Quattro system FTW !

Company car so it's all about CO2 emissions for me although I think the 184 is actually in the same band as the 150. Definitely appealing as I had two 170PS 8Ps and had to drop down to 150 with the 8V, although Quattro is usually a non-starter as it jacks the CO2 up too much so the cost of the option itself plus the additional tax doesn't justify it and I'd rather spend the dosh elsewhere

 

[MA3RC]

I may beat you, had my 8v S3 since August and have my second one coming to replace it in April

8 months?!? I thought I was bad changing cars How come you're swapping it?

 

[h5djr]

Company car so it's all about CO2 emissions for me although I think the 184 is actually in the same band as the 150. Definitely appealing as I had two 170PS 8Ps and had to drop down to 150 with the 8V, although Quattro is usually a non-starter as it jacks the CO2 up too much so the cost of the option itself plus the additional tax doesn't justify it and I'd rather spend the dosh elsewhere

The 150 manual is 108 g/km, the 150 s-tronic is 119, the 184 manual is 110 and the 184 s-tronic quattro is 129.

 

[Dylock]

8 months?!? I thought I was bad changing cars How come you're swapping it?

My dealer who's a mate rang me and asked if I want a new one for no cost... It would be silly not to

 

[Vertigo1]

The 150 manual is 108 g/km, the 150 s-tronic is 119, the 184 manual is 110 and the 184 s-tronic quattro is 129.

The 150 manual is actually 106 g/km but yeah, basically Quattro whacks the emissions right up and hence more tax.

 

[h5djr]

The 150 manual is actually 106 g/km but yeah, basically Quattro whacks the emissions right up and hence more tax.

The 150 is 108g/km in the current Pricing and Specification Guide not that it makes any difference to the tax band.

 

[cemerson]

The e-tron does look really good, I would be tempted with that to be honest

 

[Vertigo1]

The 150 is 108g/km in the current Pricing and Specification Guide not that it makes any difference to the tax band.

Weird, mine's definitely 106. Not sure why it's gone up slightly, perhaps a few changes to the standard spec has altered the weight a bit.

The e-tron does look really good, I would be tempted with that to be honest

Yeah the e-tron looks amazing - basically a full 150PS diesel A3 but with a small electric motor and battery for short trips. Even putting aside my affinity for Audis, it genuinely looks like the first sensible hybrid that's not a horrible compromise. You get a "normal" diesel A3 but with the benefit of an electric mode for short journeys. The vast majority of my trips are just a few miles to and from work or the shops and so on and this is when any diesel or petrol engine is at it's least efficient. The e-tron would allow me to do all of these trips solely on electric power, keeping the diesel engine for longer journeys.

 

[cemerson]

The e-tron has a 1.4 petrol, not a diesel. There are actually very few diesel hybrids around - Volvo do one, I think Lexus have just brought one out, but they are few and far between.

I've said long before I got this car that I want, and intend, for it to be my last car with an internal combustion engine - I want to go fully electric on my next car. I hope they make an all-electric A3 by then! Only trouble at the moment is that I live in a block of flats with communal parking and nowhere to charge a plug in car, but part of the plan is to move somewhere that I can do this!

 

[cemerson]

Audi A3 E-Tron Video Review | Drive.com.au - YouTube

 

[Vertigo1]

Ah my mistake.

Fully electric cars only really make sense as short range city runabouts at present due to the range and recharging issues. That said, if such a car works for you then things like the new BMW i3 look amazing.

The full electric revolution won't take off until someone solves the "power supply" problem. Carting around a shedload of batteries isn't the answer - we either need an efficient means of generating the electricity on the go (from small efficient combustion engines, hydrogen or whatever) or else a revolution in battery technology. Until that happens then, for those of us who want the benefits of electric for short urban trips but with the flexibility of a combustion engine for longer journeys, cars like the A3 e-tron look very attractive.

 

[rams_s3]

Well I was one of the first to get an 8V, in October 2012, and it was only on a two year lease so will be due for replacement in just over nine months!

Already wondering what to get next. The Sportback e-tron is looking very interesting I must say but a lot depends on when exactly it's available and the prices. Failing that, the dealer currently has an A3 S-Line Saloon in white on 19" rims which looks amazing!!

Im on my second 8v a3, first was a 1.4 tfsi s-line that I got October 2012 (one of first I saw on road for about 6 months!) on my second a 63 s3!

 

[cemerson]

Ah my mistake.

Fully electric cars only really make sense as short range city runabouts at present due to the range and recharging issues. That said, if such a car works for you then things like the new BMW i3 look amazing.

The full electric revolution won't take off until someone solves the "power supply" problem. Carting around a shedload of batteries isn't the answer - we either need an efficient means of generating the electricity on the go (from small efficient combustion engines, hydrogen or whatever) or else a revolution in battery technology. Until that happens then, for those of us who want the benefits of electric for short urban trips but with the flexibility of a combustion engine for longer journeys, cars like the A3 e-tron look very attractive.

Just take a look at the Tesla Model S if you think range is a problem - has a better range than my old petrol car in top spec! Although it's rare anyone would do a journey that needs the whole range, you don't use them like you do a normal car - you are charging / topping it up every time you aren't driving it, rather than letting it run down and then charging it all at once.

I don't think there is a power supply problem really. Batteries are improving all the time. Hydrogen isn't the answer either - prohibitively expensive at the moment, and a very inefficient means of transporting electricity around to be honest. You might be able to store more of it at once, but I don't think that'll be the case for much longer.

Battery swap-out is a good answer, combined with the current Renault and Nissan schemes where they rent the battery to you rather than you owning it (you wouldn't want to swap out a battery you owned!), and Tesla have started with this concept as well. I look forward to their launch in the UK with the Model S, and am keeping a close eye on them for what they come up with next!

 

[Zig81]

Bought my 2.0 TDI S-line in September 2013, pick up my new S3 first week in March.

Keeping the TDI too for work.

 

[h5djr]

Ah my mistake.

Fully electric cars only really make sense as short range city runabouts at present due to the range and recharging issues. That said, if such a car works for you then things like the new BMW i3 look amazing.

The full electric revolution won't take off until someone solves the "power supply" problem. Carting around a shedload of batteries isn't the answer - we either need an efficient means of generating the electricity on the go (from small efficient combustion engines, hydrogen or whatever) or else a revolution in battery technology. Until that happens then, for those of us who want the benefits of electric for short urban trips but with the flexibility of a combustion engine for longer journeys, cars like the A3 e-tron look very attractive.

The A3 e-tron certainly looks an interesting car. I think the main problem will be the price. The current estimate I have seen puts it at £32-33,000 which puts in £8-9,000 more than a 2.0TDI.

 

[cemerson]

Yes, but you have to offset that with the fuel savings to make it a meaningful comparison

 

[h5djr]

Yes, but you have to offset that with the fuel savings to make it a meaningful comparison

True but I spend around £2,000 a year on diesel so I'd would have to keep an e-ron for quite a while as I'm sure it would spend a lot of the time with the petrol engine running rather than just running on the batteries. A lot depends on how many local short journeys you do and I don't do that many now. It would take a very long time to get to Germany in 30 mile electric only sections!!

The RSPB where I volunteer has a couple of electric only vehicles but they are only used to take people the mile or so into the town or to the station. More for show than a practical vehicle in their case.

 

[Vertigo1]

Bear in mind there's also a £5k rebate available.

 

[PilotAudi]

Bear in mind there's also a £5k rebate available.

What's the rebate?

 

[Vertigo1]

Government will basically give you a £5k rebate/subsidy for buying an electric or hybrid car

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plug-in-car-grant

 

[Daz Auto]

What's the rebate?

£5,000 from the government for any plug in car AFAIK.