Facelift S3 FL - 3 door v 5 door (differences and opinions)

[NevMan]

19s, yuck .

BTW, A6 ESTATE is such a great car - very classy unlike an SUV .

Very classy, and enjoyed the A6, but much prefer new Q5 Wife loves it even more so win win



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[wab172uk]

Have you actually read my posts?

I've said you're not wrong wanting and buying an S3 saloon, just that they are well overpriced for what they are. If Audi can get away with that and find buyers willing to pay then good luck to them.

I don't have or even want an S4 and have no problem with you or anyone else enjoying the car of your choice. Feel free to point out where I've said otherwise.

If the A3/S3 is overpriced as you say. And you'd be mad to buy. Then why would an Audi dealer (before haggling) then instantly give you £8000 of an S4?

Surely, that means the A4/S4 is overpriced by £8000?

And in al your arguments, you keep saying discount on the S4, but nothing off the S3. If you can get a discount off an S4, you can get one off an S3. The percentage of discount will depend on the dealer, salesman, individual haggling skills. So when comparing car prices, you have to go off list

 

[Matt Titanium]

If the A3/S3 is overpriced as you say. And you'd be mad to buy. Then why would an Audi dealer (before haggling) then instantly give you £8000 of an S4?

Surely, that means the A4/S4 is overpriced by £8000?

And in al your arguments, you keep saying discount on the S4, but nothing off the S3. If you can get a discount off an S4, you can get one off an S3. The percentage of discount will depend on the dealer, salesman, individual haggling skills. So when comparing car prices, you have to go off list

And continuing your style of replying with an answer that has no relevance to the quoted comment:
Same dealer, available today, less than £1k difference in price.

When questioned, 99% of cats who expressed an opinion couldn't tell the difference.

 

[wab172uk]

And continuing your style of replying with an answer that has no relevance to the quoted comment:
Same dealer, available today, less than £1k difference in price.

View attachment 154349
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When questioned, 99% of cats who expressed an opinion couldn't tell the difference.

Ok, so we are comparing second hand cars now?

What is the spec of the S3?
What is the spec of the S4?

S3 could be specced up well, and the S4 could be basic with no options. Maybe the A3/S3 hold their values better than the A4/S4's, as most people prefer the size of the A3.

Unless both cars have the same spec, 8 out of 10 cats said they prefer Jaffa cakes to a kick in the B0ll0x.

 

[NevMan]

Ok, so we are comparing second hand cars now?

What is the spec of the S3?
What is the spec of the S4?

S3 could be specced up well, and the S4 could be basic with no options. Maybe the A3/S3 hold their values better than the A4/S4's, as most people prefer the size of the A3.

Unless both cars have the same spec, 8 out of 10 cats said they prefer Jaffa cakes to a kick in the B0ll0x.

Just looking at above descriptions, S3 is Black Edition, S4 not, and S3 67 plate vs. 18...apples and pears and all that...


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[Matt Titanium]

S3 is black edition, S4 has all the same black bits.
S3 has whatever upgrade wheels, S4 has same wheels.
S4 is two months older, S3 has to have another 20 test pilots through it and will be another two months older when it becomes 'available'
Secondhand value calculated on base list price without options unless it suits your argument. Blah Blah Blah.
The 'nearly new' price is a good indication of the price you can negotiate on a brand new car. You prefer the S3, buy an S3, (I did!)
I'll leave it there and let you to continue arguing black is white as to which is the better value.

 

[Tom.H]

How does the S3 vs S4 argument settle the original question/topic think it's time to forget that discussion.

 

[TYb]

How does the S3 vs S4 argument settle the original question/topic think it's time to forget that discussion.

We all agreed 3 doors are better a while back and will start to scrap the SB’s and Saloons, then when I need to sell mine I’ll get more money ;-)

 

[Tom.H]

We all agreed 3 doors are better a while back and will start to scrap the SB’s and Saloons, then when I need to sell mine I’ll get more money ;-)

Haha the votes say otherwise

In all fairness I like both but the Sportback edged ahead for me.

 

[Matt Titanium]

How does the S3 vs S4 argument settle the original question/topic think it's time to forget that discussion.

I'm saying no more .
Should we invite the Dr in at this point to compare the advantages of 'buying' a 3 or 5 door A/S3 with a PCP

 

[TYb]

Haha the votes say otherwise

In all fairness I like both but the Sportback edged ahead for me.

I like them all to be fair, all have pros and cons.

 

[Jassyo06]

I like them all to be fair, all have pros and cons.

Saloon doesn't have any cons lol
Then again no matter how many doors or whatever shell style a A3 /S3 has, its the colour and external styling and wheels that make it look better .....?

 

[TYb]

Saloon doesn't have any cons lol
Then again no matter how many doors or whatever shell style a A3 /S3 has, its the colour and external styling and wheels that make it look better .....?

Definitely, I think the 3 door sits well on the standard 18’s but SB needs the 19’s due to extra size. Obviously the saloon get them as standard and a fancy blue paint job doesn’t do any harm ;-)

 

[NevMan]

I'm saying no more .
Should we invite the Dr in at this point to compare the advantages of 'buying' a 3 or 5 door A/S3 with a PCP

Hilarious


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[NevMan]

Saloon doesn't have any cons lol
Then again no matter how many doors or whatever shell style a A3 /S3 has, its the colour and external styling and wheels that make it look better .....?

I think Audi should have 5 rings


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[Jassyo06]

I think Audi should have 5 rings


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They do ye know there's one between the buttocks of each owner lol

 

[NevMan]

They do ye know there's one between the buttocks of each owner lol

Lol


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[CROCOP]

Think I said this in another thread, but the 3-door feels unfinished and slightly juvenile to me. It's the kind of car I'd expect to be driven by an overweight 40-year-old divorced father of two 10 year old boys. Gave the huse to his wife and currently lives back at his parents. He'd wash it religiously every week, and would possibly wear some kind of motorcar-enthusiast baseball cap completely non-ironically.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I drove a white AMG coupe for two years, what it said about me wasn't accurate, but it said it, nonetheless, so I'm not saying any owner on here is one of those I've mentioned, just that if you have that car, people probably think that.

 

[KenL]

What a load of CROCOP!

White AMG driver, now there's a stereotype ;-)

 

[TYb]

Think I said this in another thread, but the 3-door feels unfinished and slightly juvenile to me. It's the kind of car I'd expect to be driven by an overweight 40-year-old divorced father of two 10 year old boys. Gave the huse to his wife and currently lives back at his parents. He'd wash it religiously every week, and would possibly wear some kind of motorcar-enthusiast baseball cap completely non-ironically.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I drove a white AMG coupe for two years, what it said about me wasn't accurate, but it said it, nonetheless, so I'm not saying any owner on here is one of those I've mentioned, just that if you have that car, people probably think that.

Haha what utter nonsense, the 3 door is just as finished as any other.

I know you’re a bit bitter that you’re S3 isn’t doing 50mpg in central London traffic but don’t make a fool of yourself on here.

 

[CROCOP]

I dunno about that bud, you seem pretty bitter yourself right there.

Guess the papers are coming through this week

 

[TYb]

I dunno about that bud, you seem pretty bitter yourself right there.

Guess the papers are coming through this week

Ha far from it, to think people tried helping you before when you were questioning mpg etc, never mind you’ll be able to sell in a few years, enjoy the traffic in the meantime.

 

[Jassyo06]

Haha what utter nonsense, the 3 door is just as finished as any other.

I know you’re a bit bitter that you’re S3 isn’t doing 50mpg in central London traffic but don’t make a fool of yourself on here.

Saw my first 3 door Ara/chrome pan roofed S3 close up tonight was very nice indeed

 

[TYb]

Saw my first 3 door Ara/chrome pan roofed S3 close up tonight was very nice indeed

There is a nice Ara 3 door on here, not sure if has pano though.

 

[CROCOP]

Ha far from it, to think people tried helping you before when you were questioning mpg etc, never mind you’ll be able to sell in a few years, enjoy the traffic in the meantime.

Yeah, to think.. people tried to help me, and I THREW it back in their faces by having an opinion about the perception of a particular model of car. The sheer insult! I insulted every single person who decided to reply to me a few months ago in a completely unrelated thread about an unrelated subject. I really owed those guys big time, and here I am, pee-peeing on their good will.

What a cad!

 

[TYb]

Yeah, to think.. people tried to help me, and I THREW it back in their faces by having an opinion about the perception of a particular model of car. The sheer insult! I insulted every single person who decided to reply to me a few months ago in a completely unrelated thread about an unrelated subject. I really owed those guys big time, and here I am, pee-peeing on their good will.

What a cad!

Grow up pal, you’re making yourself look rather silly.

 

[CROCOP]

Grow up pal, you’re making yourself look rather silly.

...said TYb, moments after throwing a paddy over some comment on the internet that wasn't directed at him. He stared at the brown legal envelope on the doormat that had been there since mid-morning. Adjusting his Larkspeed baseball cap, he thought, just for a second, that maybe if he'd have got the Sportback, she might've stayed...

 

[wab172uk]

Think I said this in another thread, but the 3-door feels unfinished and slightly juvenile to me. It's the kind of car I'd expect to be driven by an overweight 40-year-old divorced father of two 10 year old boys. Gave the huse to his wife and currently lives back at his parents. He'd wash it religiously every week, and would possibly wear some kind of motorcar-enthusiast baseball cap completely non-ironically.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I drove a white AMG coupe for two years, what it said about me wasn't accurate, but it said it, nonetheless, so I'm not saying any owner on here is one of those I've mentioned, just that if you have that car, people probably think that.

Absolute rubbish. Since this thread started I've seen a Blue 3 door driving around a few times. Made me realise just what a good looking car it is. Far better than the Sportback in fact.

If we are stereotyping the type of driver who buys a 3 door over the Sportback, I'd say it was the younger age gentleman, who has not been burdened with the pitta-patta of tiny screaming kids.

If the Saloon hadn't come out, I'd have bought the 3 door. It's lighter than both the sportback and saloon, to technically the fastest S3 you can buy. It isn't burdened with that cr.ap mag ride sh.1te, so therefore will be the purer drivers car. It looks the sportiest out of the 3 too.

But I do think the 3 door is colour sensitive. See them in Yellow and they look awfull (mind you they all do) but get it in a nice Blue, and it looks fantastic. In fact, I kind of regret not getting the 3 door after seeing this one driving around.

Now if only Audi had done a 3 door RS3 !!!!!!!

 

[Bristle Hound]

I really can't decide if I should get the 3 or 5 door. For the most part I think the 5 door is a little better looking as I prefer the shape of the back and definitely prefer the back lights.

One thing that really bugs me about the 5 door is that it almost looks like an estate when it's meant to be a hatchback. The 3 door has been growing on me more and more, I prefer the more sporty look and I like the smaller size.

I know most people prefer the 5d, but what do you guys think? Also are there any differences between them I might have missed other than the different back lights?

@S3 Muzzy - I like 'em both equally
BUT prefer the saloon out of all the A3/S3 shapes TBH

 

[Bells]

There is a nice Ara 3 door on here, not sure if has pano though.

There is definitely a few S3 3doors on here in Ara including mine and now you mention it the one option I wish I’d ticked when ordering mine is pano roof!

My dad had it spec’d on his A3 ex demo he bought and it’s made me jealous ever since. Didn’t think I could justify the extra cost at ordering though

I’m also 22, so not your 40 year old divorced father of two

 

[Jassyo06]

There is definitely a few S3 3doors on here in Ara including mine and now you mention it the one option I wish I’d ticked when ordering mine is pano roof!

My dad had it spec’d on his A3 ex demo he bought and it’s made me jealous ever since. Didn’t think I could justify the extra cost at ordering though

I’m also 22, so not your 40 year old divorced father of two

Keep it till yer 40 years old then you'll probably be divorced lol

 

[Scottyg]

I actually prefer the Sportback even though I bought a 3dr. The 3dr is cracking looking but the SB just seems in better proportion. And having kids it would have been nice getting a extra few doors!

 

[Daveotto]

It isn't burdened with that cr.ap mag ride sh.1te, so therefore will be the purer drivers car. It looks the sportiest out of the 3 too

Less off the disguised blasphemy please.

I beg to differ on mag ride IMHO makes the saloon a far better and more rewarding drive than the bouncy castle the HB/SB can be on an typical British lumpy bumpy road .... @jassyo06 might have a view here

 

[CROCOP]

Absolute rubbish. Since this thread started I've seen a Blue 3 door driving around a few times. Made me realise just what a good looking car it is. Far better than the Sportback in fact.

If we are stereotyping the type of driver who buys a 3 door over the Sportback, I'd say it was the younger age gentleman, who has not been burdened with the pitta-patta of tiny screaming kids.

If the Saloon hadn't come out, I'd have bought the 3 door. It's lighter than both the sportback and saloon, to technically the fastest S3 you can buy. It isn't burdened with that cr.ap mag ride sh.1te, so therefore will be the purer drivers car. It looks the sportiest out of the 3 too.

But I do think the 3 door is colour sensitive. See them in Yellow and they look awfull (mind you they all do) but get it in a nice Blue, and it looks fantastic. In fact, I kind of regret not getting the 3 door after seeing this one driving around.

Now if only Audi had done a 3 door RS3 !!!!!!!

Doesn't matter what S3 you buy, it'll never be a "purer drivers car". And only on Audi-Sport will you ever find someone who can notice a 0.1 quicker to 60.

 

[CROCOP]

Less off the disguised blasphemy please.

I beg to differ on mag ride IMHO makes the saloon a far better and more rewarding drive than the bouncy castle the HB/SB can be on an typical British lumpy bumpy road .... @jassyo06 might have a view here

Mag ride is excellent. Have driven with and without, and it makes a ton of difference day to day.

 

[Snake Pliskin]

@Daveotto is spot on

I have mag ride on my sportback and it is bouncy as hell and total waste of money on the sportback.

I've not driven a saloon so can't comment but sounds like mag ride is set up much better on the saloon.

 

[wab172uk]

Less off the disguised blasphemy please.

Appologies

 

[wab172uk]

Doesn't matter what S3 you buy, it'll never be a "purer drivers car". And only on Audi-Sport will you ever find someone who can notice a 0.1 quicker to 60.

Well, yes you're right, just as Audi state the RS3 Saloon is actually the better drivers car over the Sportback, as it's lower and wider. But how many of us could really notice.

While an S3 will never be a pure drivers car, the 3 Door on passive suspension will feel better more of the time. I had a MK7 Golf GTI Performance before my S3, and tried both passive and mag ride. I bought with passive suspension.

Not once did I wish I had a button to soften things up. The ride was fine
Not once did I wish I had a button to harden things up. The firmness was fine.

Apart from a few people who will regularly switch modes, most Audi customers will just keep mag ride in auto. So why bother having it?

The best setting for the S3 over bumpy back roads if you want to make progress is suspension in comfort, and everything else in dynamic. But I bet a passive suspension 3 Door will flow over a bumpy back road better than a Sportback or Saloon.

back in the Olde days I could jump in my horse and cart, and it would be set soft if it was a average Chia/Titanuim variety of cart, or it would be set firmer but still soft enough for everyday driving, if my cart was a GTI / XR / RS version. Not once did I (or probably anyone) wish they could fiddle about with settings.

BMW started this rot. 7 different gearbox settings. 5 different steering wheel weight settings. 5 different ESP settings.

Take cars like the Sierra / Escort Cosworth. Many Subaru STI's / Evo's / Audi RS4's / GTI's / XR's / RS's. They were all great cars, and not one of them needed buttons to make them great. They were designed and built to be great the minute you got in and drove off.

Now? Everything has to have setting that are a compromise. If its a sporty car, make it sporty from the outset.

 

[Jassyo06]

Well, yes you're right, just as Audi state the RS3 Saloon is actually the better drivers car over the Sportback, as it's lower and wider. But how many of us could really notice.

While an S3 will never be a pure drivers car, the 3 Door on passive suspension will feel better more of the time. I had a MK7 Golf GTI Performance before my S3, and tried both passive and mag ride. I bought with passive suspension.

Not once did I wish I had a button to soften things up. The ride was fine
Not once did I wish I had a button to harden things up. The firmness was fine.

Apart from a few people who will regularly switch modes, most Audi customers will just keep mag ride in auto. So why bother having it?

The best setting for the S3 over bumpy back roads if you want to make progress is suspension in comfort, and everything else in dynamic. But I bet a passive suspension 3 Door will flow over a bumpy back road better than a Sportback or Saloon.

back in the Olde days I could jump in my horse and cart, and it would be set soft if it was a average Chia/Titanuim variety of cart, or it would be set firmer but still soft enough for everyday driving, if my cart was a GTI / XR / RS version. Not once did I (or probably anyone) wish they could fiddle about with settings.

BMW started this rot. 7 different gearbox settings. 5 different steering wheel weight settings. 5 different ESP settings.

Take cars like the Sierra / Escort Cosworth. Many Subaru STI's / Evo's / Audi RS4's / GTI's / XR's / RS's. They were all great cars, and not one of them needed buttons to make them great. They were designed and built to be great the minute you got in and drove off.

Now? Everything has to have setting that are a compromise. If its a sporty car, make it sporty from the outset.

My standard sprung S3 sportback suspension was abysmal, horrid to drive, it even had a few attempts at bouncing me off the road and the reason l wanted rid of it after just a couple of months
Magride makes a real difference my saloon handles very well indeed and instills confidence something my Sportback could never do

 

[wab172uk]

My standard sprung S3 sportback suspension was abysmal, horrid to drive, it even had a few attempts at bouncing me off the road and the reason l wanted rid of it after just a couple of months
Magride makes a real difference my saloon handles very well indeed and instills confidence something my Sportback could never do

Does seam a bit strange that. Maybe that's why the saloon can't be ordered without it. But if the 3 door is like my old Golf, there is no bounce you speak of. Maybe the Sportback and saloons extra bodywork is a factor.

To me the saloon bounces excessively over speedhumps which makes it feel overly soft.