S3 Saloon or S5 Sportback??

[BowkA86]

Ive been getting quotes on carwow for an S3 saloon recently. Ive taken them to my local dealer and they havnt been able to match it, but the discount they have offered brings the car down to £40,900, thats for Black edition, Auto, Ara blue, advance tech pack, virtual cockpit, pan roof and folding mirrors. So a decent spec.

Out of curiosity, i have also asked for quotes on carwow for the S5 sportback, no options other than Crystal Paint. Today ive had a quote from my local dealer quoting a 13.1% discount. Which brings the price down to £41,500. ONLY £600 more than the S3.

So the question is. Would you go with the speced up S3 or the standard S5???

 

[wab172uk]

Suppose it depends on your needs to be honest. Do you need rear door for regular aces for passengers?

Also, it the S5 the new model or the old one? That's a huge difference if it's the old model.

In handling terms, the S3 will be the more agile car, being smaller and lighter, plus it's probably faster in the real world too.

As for discounts on the S3. Just hold your ground or go elsewhere. Or even use Carwow. I test drove an S3 with the saleswoman explaining just before I drove away that they don't discount S or RS cars. Once back after test drive, I got to within £100 of Carwow's best price. I was haggling for an hour, mainly them hraging their feet. Just tell them, you will buy the car, whether its with this dealer or another, you don't really care if you have to travel 200 miles, the saving are worth it.

The S5 is more a GT car than anything else. Big and more for munching miles than tearing down a back road when the moment suits.

What's more worrying for me is the price of the S3 even with a discount. When I got mine, it's a decent spec car, and with discount I only paid £33,500. Has anyone else noticed car prices rising a silly rates?

 

[paradigital]

@wab172uk, Yes I've thought that the current pricing is bonkers. With the exception of the pano roof (and the Navarra vs Ara paint) my car is the same spec as the one in the OP, and mine was nowhere near £40k!

Glad I bought when I did (October)!

 

[Tom.H]

@BowkA86 I was at £41,870 when I ordered in November and got it down to £37,215 including the £800 contribution. I know the Sportback is slightly less than the Saloon but that was based on the below spec.

Black Edition Sportback, S-Tronic, Ara Blue, tech pack advanced with virtual cockpit, auto dimming folding mirrors, rear parking sensors (now standard) Matrix LED headlights, Super Sports Seats, V Spoke 19's with mag ride and hill hold assist

 

[Daveotto]

I had the same dilemma and opted for S3 saloon as the dealer matched a car wow price significantly under the £40k mark, so did not have the £40K+ luxury car tax burden.

If you are ok with the tax burden go S5 if not go for carwow S3 if its below £40K

 

[Jassyo06]

I have been quoted £5,499 off a S3 saloon retail £46k via coast2coastcars, l found Carwow discounts to be average around 8/9%,try them and see what you get.
As for the S5 a nice specced one comes in around £53k rrp

 

[Snake Pliskin]

I thought the £40k tax kicked in at the RRP price of a car not the discounted price.

So if you get a £45k car for £39,999 you still pay tax based on the RRP of £45k.

You will only avoid the tax if you spec a car to say £39,999 and then get it discounted to £35k & win/win.

 

[DrEskimo]

I had the same dilemma couple of years ago when the B8.5 S5 was coming to the end of its life and the S3 saloon was just released.

The 18% discount on the S5 and nonexistent discount on the S3 saloon made the choice easy...!

 

[Tom.H]

I thought the £40k tax kicked in at the RRP price of a car not the discounted price.

So if you get a £45k car for £39,999 you still pay tax based on the RRP of £45k.

You will only avoid the tax if you spec a car to say £39,999 and then get it discounted to £35k & win/win.

That's correct, discount doesn't matter.

It's important to note that the manufacturers list price is the price before any incentives or discounts so may not be what is paid for the vehicle.

 

[Kuku]

I used to have S5 Sportback and loved it - as mentioned above by someone the S3 is more likely the nimble pocket rocket car with the S5 more a cruiser rocket. I do really miss the S5 and one day I'm sure I'll be back in one or maybe the RS version

 

[Palacemads3]

Interesting discussion, I have a year left to run on my s3 deal and my current preferred option is an s5 sportback.

 

[Audi Bairn]

I've just come from an S5 Sportback BE to an S3 Saloon.
It was the V6 Supercharged S5 though not the current turbo one.
I drive a lot of back roads thanks to my rural location.
The S5 is bigger and wider obviously but I have to say that, despite the S3 being smaller and seemingly more nimble, the S5 felt more planted on back roads meaning I could push it hard with more confidence.
The S5 is roomier inside with a much bigger boot especially in Sportback guise with the hatchback.
The thing that restricted me on the odd occasion when taking passengers in the S5 was that it only had two back seats not three.
S5 engine sounds better (V6 v 4 cyl).
Wasn't much in the fuel economy stakes, my commute was around 30 mpg for both.
Road Tax is much less for the S3.
I am really enjoying having the S3 since collecting her in November but so far I still preferred the S5.

 

[TYb]

If it's that close I would go S5, I have a S3 hatch and love it but I did have an 08 reg 3.0 tdi A5 and that was lovely to drive, the S3 is fun but I think the s5 would feel a little bit more special.

 

[Snake Pliskin]

I've just come from an S5 Sportback BE to an S3 Saloon.
It was the V6 Supercharged S5 though not the current turbo one.
I drive a lot of back roads thanks to my rural location.
The S5 is bigger and wider obviously but I have to say that, despite the S3 being smaller and seemingly more nimble, the S5 felt more planted on back roads meaning I could push it hard with more confidence.
The S5 is roomier inside with a much bigger boot especially in Sportback guise with the hatchback.
The thing that restricted me on the odd occasion when taking passengers in the S5 was that it only had two back seats not three.
S5 engine sounds better (V6 v 4 cyl).
Wasn't much in the fuel economy stakes, my commute was around 30 mpg for both.
Road Tax is much less for the S3.
I am really enjoying having the S3 since collecting her in November but so far I still preferred the S5.

The S5 was a great car mate & I enjoyed mine too.

I could see me getting another, or an S4 quite easily .... unless the next gen S3 is released in 2019 in which case I would consider that.

 

[Jassyo06]

The S5 was a great car mate & I enjoyed mine too.

I could see me getting another, or an S4 quite easily .... unless the next gen S3 is released in 2019 in which case I would consider that.

2019....hopefully it will mate l think the next generation S3 will be the best/fastest one to be built with probably 325 bhp...... And no doubt the best looking

 

[Snake Pliskin]

2019....hopefully it will mate l think the next generation S3 will be the best/fastest one to be built with probably 325 bhp...... And no doubt the best looking

Yeah I suspect that too mate .... a brand new platform S3 in 2019 'should' be pretty spectacular & worth waiting for.

I suppose I could slum it in my current car till then lol

& I think you could voodoo-it till then too

 

[Jassyo06]

Yeah I suspect that too mate .... a brand new platform S3 in 2019 'should' be pretty spectacular & worth waiting for.

I suppose I could slum it in my current car till then lol

& I think you could voodoo-it till then too

Definitely mate lol

 

[Kuku]

Saw a new S5 today

 

[Jassyo06]

Saw a new S5 today

It's a cracking car best looking in its class and has the best interior by far even cars twice its price, it's just a bit too large for me personally

 

[Riko0073]

Just seen this, not sure how accurate for the 2019 A/S3?

http://ekzdigital.com/?p=977

 

[Snake Pliskin]

Just seen this, not sure how accurate for the 2019 A/S3?

http://ekzdigital.com/?p=977

Hmmm nice find ... but as you say unsure how accurate this info is ?

Those front lights look a bit busy lol

 

[Audi Bairn]

Just seen this, not sure how accurate for the 2019 A/S3?

http://ekzdigital.com/?p=977

The outline shape at that back end is a bit too 1 Series for my liking, hope it's not accurate then.

 

[Kuku]

Scrolling down the article you see rendered A8 images which seems to have the Q series style grille?

 

[TDI-line]

Just seen this, not sure how accurate for the 2019 A/S3?

http://ekzdigital.com/?p=977

But wouldn't it be 4th generation, as the 8V is the 3rd Gen?

 

[Mac135]

Just an evolution of the generic Audi look. Auto Bild's best guesses I would say but not sure how accurate it might be. I thought I read with the arrival of the Q2 that future Audi's were going be less genetic and more differentiated from one one to the next.

 

[Daveotto]

ok guys, S3 SB went in for a service today and I got one of these

Looks the dogs, maybe better than S3 saloon I have on order.
Driven for around 60 miles this morning to put is through its passes.........

• Feels more stuck to the road (as mentioned above) but the steering is just as vague if not more so than the S3 (typical Audi trait I think).
• Although only about 30BHP more than the S3 it feels noticeably quicker and the new 8 speed auto box is great, although I still prefer manual
• Engine sounds great but the piped engine note is pants and if I had the car longer I would find the mute/comfort mode on the MMI for the piped sound
• VC is great as is all the other bells and whistles (version I have is fully specced) but thing that lets it down is the Mercedes like stick on MMI screen, better to be retractable or and integral part of the centre console
• Super sports seta are fully motorised with memory function but don't offer a great deal over the standard S3 seats IMHO
• Rear vision is totally pants on the s5 SB

Bottom line would on a like for like spec it be worth the £10K+ premium...although I have had smile on my face all morning, I would stick with my S3 saloon

To the OP if you wanted go basis S5 v specced up S3 saloon. Hard call!!!! but if you wanted a motorway cruiser I would go S5 but if you wanted a more nimble and agile pocket rocket go S3 saloon

now off to do a bit of work before spending another 1-2 hours enjoying the loaner until it has to go back (I might just get stuck in traffic and miss dealer closing time and have to keep it overnight)