No mention of PPs though so he wouldn't have taken the bait
Think I've opened a can of worms here chaps.
Ouch on the TT! Possibly the worst car / engine / gearbox combo . If I were in a diesel A3 then I'd go for s-tronic all the way, as I hate diesels with a manual. Do you want some TT Speedlines? I've got some stacked in my kitchen! The mrs is going ape as they've been there since Christmas!
A reasonably good natured can of worms though, especially as PA is no longer here and we are not talking about Private Plates!Think I've opened a can of worms here chaps.
Think I've opened a can of worms here chaps.
To sum up then:
If you want to work 2 paddles - buy a S-tronic
If you want to work 3 pedals - buy a Manual
Has that spiced it up? Am I PA in disguise
I just like changing gears with a stick less boring - in My opinion ,
Hi Sunscreemer - be careful about the g/f buying an s-tronic A1, I drove one (with an up spec'd engine) as a loan car last year and it was gutless. May be a manual might be more the go.
It keeps on going!This thread is not going to run out of steam is it ...
It keeps on going!
What would I have chosen if the s-tronic had not been available. Having only driven a ordinary auto many years ago and an A4 with a multitronic, both of which were horrible I have no idea. If the chose was between a multitronic and a manual then it would have been a manual. If Audi had not offered the s-tronic but did offer the 'ZF 8-speed' I would have tried it and then decided.
Just out of interest the new A4 when it comes out later this year is going to offer a 9-speed s-tronic.
This thread is not going to run out of steam is it ...
Real men drive Manuals
(I have a DSG )
There's actually been a lot of constructive debate on here so i don't think we're necessarily flogging a dead horse, i think some of it is quite interesting.
What I think is clear are maybe two things, firstly that although the S3 is a performance car we all probably buy it for different reasons. This, combined with the second fact in that we will all have different driving styles means that whereas only some may experience the true finer points of the car the converse is true in that only some may also experience its limitations. Add to this the combination of gearbox, drive select options and the unique driving cycle that we each embark upon it's no surprise that views can differ on certain characteristics.
Interestingly, apart from saying that the steering could "perhaps lack a bit of feel" (a comment that to me at least the motoring press seem to attribute to just about every single car they review in any case) the reviews that i've seen (like many of you, LOTS while researching and waiting) all tend to be very positive towards the S3. Maybe this is because the journalists are experienced enough to take cars bases on their core capabilities and on the "vanilla" nature that every manufacturer need to find to avoid catering only for a very niche market.
I know that my criteria for a car were AWD and an automatic gearbox. I also wanted a quality finish, good performance but something that could be docile and reasonably economical should I wish (I have to do work miles before anyone jumps on the "if economy is important to you then you've bought the wrong car" bandwagon).
Had it not been for a need to compromise in one or two areas Audi would probably have lost my business here. As it is, i'm happy the S3 can tick just about all the boxes I need.
If having an auto box is the extent of me getting in touch with my feminine side i'll be happy ;-)
Mrs Pulp brought a work car home the other night - it was a Mercedes Citan "traveliner" diesel manual.
Basically it's a small van with seats instead of a load space. A small people carrier if you will.
I fancied a drive of it for ***** & giggles and you know what.......I actually enjoyed manually shifting myself. Haven't driven a manual for 6 months, but oddly this gutless diesel actually put a little smile on my face.
Found pleasure from having to get my clutch right, revving the tits off it and changing gear just at the right time. Only issue was I kept forgetting to put the clutch in when coming to a stop or at a junction. Don't think that smile would last though if I had to drive a lot more though.....
Love a bit of kangarooing!
Mrs Pulp brought a work car home the other night - it was a Mercedes Citan "traveliner" diesel manual.
Just out of interest, if you had the chance to change to a manual S3, would you ? or would you stick with your s-tronic?Real men drive Manuals
(I have a DSG )
Just out of interest, if you had the chance to change to a manual S3, would you ? or would you stick with your s-tronic?
Would be interesting to find out the percentage of people who own S-tronic and would swap to manual.
Just out of interest, if you had the chance to change to a manual S3, would you ? or would you stick with your s-tronic?
Would be interesting to find out the percentage of people who own S-tronic and would swap to manual.