Navarra S3 Has Landed

M

Matt Titanium

Registered User
Joined
Aug 8, 2016
Messages
831
Reaction score
788
Points
93
IMG 7249
Hi, First post so please go easy on me.
Finally decided on a manual S3 in Navarra with Rotor grey interior - been to see it at the dealers this morning. Very few photos show this colour at its best (believe me I must have seen them all) and it really does look the dog's in the flesh, so very relieved.
Went easy on the options - B&O, parking plus, 10 spoke wheels, dimming mirror and HHA.
I'm having the car professionally detailed and collecting 1st Sept.
I'd been researching for some time and really pleased that I came across this forum before ordering (sorry for lurking in the shadows for so long). Some great opinions and advice on here so many thanks to all.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: richinsoton, Reznor, Pook and 14 others
Hi Matt, welcome to audi-sport.net. Car colour looks amazing. Not long till collection. We will eagerly await more pics. Enjoy the forum :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scottyg, pburv and Rob2k68
Actually surprised with how many people are going for/have gone for a manual facelift S3. :D

Great photo and welcome Matt!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rob2k68
Welcome Matt look forward to more pictures
 
Decision on manual was easy. I had a saloon S3 loan car with s tronic for 1200 miles last year so I did 'learn' how to use it. The auto was a big improvement on the torque converters boxes of yesteryear and a very clever innovation, but just not for me. Did what I expected 90% of the time but too much thinking time before changing down, snatchy around town if you happened to give it too much toe, couldn't get on with the flappy paddles. A novelty for the first couple of weeks but ended up just leaving it in auto. Was happy to get my 1.8 manual back and the feeling of being in control again.
Audi know what they are doing when they tempt you with more expensive loan cars to play with...
 
  • Like
Reactions: richinsoton, S32B, Daveotto and 3 others
Awesome first post - car looks stunning !!

Welcome to the forum ;o)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Falmouthboy, Gordo77, Sandra and 1 other person
Welcome along. Great work getting it pro detailed before hand. What protection you getting on?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rob2k68
Did you get any more of the leather? I've gone for the same colour combo, but haven't seen a good shot of rotor and navarra in the same shot.
 
It's on Bridgestone's but from experience, they'll be gone in 10000 miles.
Black surrounds in the face vents (phew), the configurator showed red when I ordered.
 
You don't see many S3's with the 10 spokes. First thing on my options list when I bought mine and many people comment on them. Great choice.
 
  • Like
Reactions: batch
Sorry, no pics of the Rotor grey against the paint. but I think it lightens the interior a treat compared to black, black, black and black. I Considered a pano roof, but the area open to the light on the inside really isn't that big compared to the full width outside and didn't think it was worth an the money. It is quite a bit darker than lunar but obviously grey.
I thought the grey/blue theme with the chrome, wheels, rear diffuser, grille and the interior would work well together

The detailer is using a two coat ceramic sealing system, the results are stunning and last. Audi have been asked do no more than remove the covers and pressure wash to inspect the paint - no sponges or cloths before he gets to it. He seems very picky, which is good - and not much more than half the price Audi were asking for their coating when I bought my last car.
 
  • Like
Reactions: richinsoton
I'm not keen on the standard wheels. I think they look great when on the move or from the a shallow angle, just a bit chunky. Love both 19" options but again, didn't think it was worth the extra with mag ride.
 
Looks nice, didn't the facelift have the new flashy display like the TT?
 
Great post and thanks for the photos. We took a punt and went for Navarre Blue with the Rotor Grey interior without seeing it 'in the flesh'. Having originally ordered Daytona because we hadn't seen the blue we're now really pleased to have put the change in, especially as the photo's we're beginning to see are looking really good. Delivery expected in September - it can't come soon enough now!
 
  • Like
Reactions: batch
Looks like Navarra Blue / Rotor Grey S3's might be more commonplace than we suspected. Mines due sometime in October.
 
  • Like
Reactions: paradigital and Gordo77
GSB said:
Looks like Navarra Blue / Rotor Grey S3's might be more commonplace than we suspected. Mines due sometime in October.
Click to expand...

I took the safer approach and went black, black, black and black (Black with rock grey stitching, Dashboard: Black, Carpet: Black, Headliner: Black). Mine also due mid-October.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rasA4
SJ43 said:
Unfortunately not standard Dan, virtual cockpit is an extra


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

So cheeky,
Audi literally give you nothing as standard do they.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SJ43
Matt Titanium said:
Decision on manual was easy. I had a saloon S3 loan car with s tronic for 1200 miles last year so I did 'learn' how to use it. The auto was a big improvement on the torque converters boxes of yesteryear and a very clever innovation, but just not for me. Did what I expected 90% of the time but too much thinking time before changing down, snatchy around town if you happened to give it too much toe, couldn't get on with the flappy paddles. A novelty for the first couple of weeks but ended up just leaving it in auto. Was happy to get my 1.8 manual back and the feeling of being in control again.
Audi know what they are doing when they tempt you with more expensive loan cars to play with...
Click to expand...

I know exactly what you mean. I am an out and out manual driver, my Dad likes his DSG (VW)s, so i've had plenty of experience with DSGs, but just don't gel with them. They do what you want most of the time, but they either want to stick you in 6th at 30 using 20% of the throttle, or have you screaming the engine with any more - there seems no middle ground. The odd occasion it does something truly dim-witted, like you wanting to accelerate from 50-80 and it knocks it down to second for a nano-second and then goes to third (where it should've gone in the first place, given there was only a few mph accelerating potential which more than negates the time taken to get there), and the thinking time very often negates the gear changing speed, jerky in stop-start traffic, and it feels slow to cut in on the stop-start system, because by the time you've dipped the clutch on a manual he car is ready to go vs DSG/S-tronic when you press the accelerator and wait...
In direct comparison between my cars and when my dad has had the same in DSG flavour and i've driven it, real life driving the DSG is 10% thirstier than the manual. The new 7 speed DSG looks to be a significant improvement in mpg/CO2/0-62 times vs manual - might be time to convert.

I was certain my next car was going to be an S3 (currently in a Golf R Manual) until recently visiting the local Audi dealer for warranty work on the wife's A1.

The rubber door seal on the drivers side that runs across the top of the door and comes to a point around the wing mirror had split along the flexible edge, so it went in for a new one. They did a **** poor job of lining the new one up - it all bunched up at the wing mirror end, making the door hard to close. They also put 3 small dents on the windscreen pillar, right where it meets the troublesome bit of seal. I assumed some kind of clamp/stay for keeping the door held in the open position was to blame. They denied doing it. Seal 2 was fitted the other day and that isn't fitted right either, there's a bulge on the inside, which again makes the door hard to close. After going down there and having it out with the aftersales manager (calmly pointing out how crap they'd been and how much of an inconvenience it was to keep coming back for the same issue - in front of 5 customers waiting to get their cars back from servicing/warranty) , they've agreed to fitting seal number 3 and repairing the indentations at the bodyshop. No apologies for time wasted or the damage.

And then I saw a brand new S3 on Hankook tyres - ***! I thoought I was hard done to when I got my R on Bridgestones.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GSB
Matt Titanium said:
It's on Bridgestone's but from experience, they'll be gone in 10000 miles.
Click to expand...

Bridgestones are hard as nails (one of the reasons they are so poor) - you'll get at least 15k miles from the fronts. My Golf R with 19" Prets came on Bridgestone RE050As and they are truly awful in the damp, properly wet or temps under 12C. Considering the mild winter we had, when the back end of my R started to slip going around a large roundabout at about 20mph on a very slightly damp 9C morning, following a BMW 120D that went around a good 10mph faster with no drama, I decided to ditch the Bridgestones and get Michelin PSS. The difference is night and day - I can fling that car around in all conditions with no twitchiness at all, it is glued to the road.

It is a complete ****-take that for the sake of potentially adding £100 to the retail cost of the car (they'll probably pay an extra fiver per tyre at their volumes for a decent tyre), VW and Audi are putting cheap tyres onto a performance £30k+ car and inhibiting its potential. Their penny pinching cost me £600 to rectify, and at 6k miles when I made the change the Bridgestones had barely noticeable wear.

I only got the R (for the 4WD) because the GTD that came before it tramped like buggery on the Bridgestone S001s that it came with.
 
Hi there, I haven't been posting for long time, but now I got my facelift S3 coming in, so it's about time to start. I currently have monsoon pre-fl S3 sportback, that has been a great allrounder. Almost every aspect that I don't like my current car is being improved in the facelift.

I just put my order in couple of days ago and it is(was) glacier white sedan... BUT now seeing Matt Titanium's AMAZING Navarra blue, I just sent a message to the dealer to get glacier changed to Navarra! Hopefully I still can change it... :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rob2k68
Hi Matt and welcome to the forums, the car looks great and it's even better to see more MANual drivers joining the forums ;) :p

Matt Titanium said:
It's on Bridgestone's but from experience, they'll be gone in 10000 miles.
Click to expand...

10,000 mile for a set of tyres!!!....just looking on my service receipt: @ 7500 mile the Conti Sport Contact tyres were reading 6/5/6 for the rears and 6/5/5 for the fronts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scottyg and Gordo77
S32B said:
10,000 mile for a set of tyres!!!....just looking on my service receipt: @ 7500 mile the Conti Sport Contact tyres were reading 6/5/6 for the rears and 6/5/5 for the fronts.
Click to expand...

Don't you just love paying main dealer service prices for someone to measure your tyres.

Agree with monkeyhanger's review of the DSG/S-tronic. Do people spec it to get the better 0-62 time? I can see the advantage of it upchanging quickly bang on the red line every time, but do people really treat their own cars like this every day? Launch control? Drag strip, yes, but where would you use this on UK roads (without looking like a complete knob)? As for the upchange farts - nooooo.

I've only ever had Bridgestones on a Mondeo, they were ok but didn't last long. I didn't look which series were fitted to my S3 but believe the Hankooks get good reviews so would probably have preferred those.
 
  • Like
Reactions: monkeyhanger and Gordo77
audi upgrades
Matt Titanium said:
Agree with monkeyhanger's review of the DSG/S-tronic. Do people spec it to get the better 0-62 time? I can see the advantage of it upchanging quickly bang on the red line every time, but do people really treat their own cars like this every day? Launch control? Drag strip, yes, but where would you use this on UK roads (without looking like a complete knob)? As for the upchange farts - nooooo.
Click to expand...

On paper, and in a black/white world the S-Tronic is better than the manual. It's faster from 0-60, gives better mpg, has more torque and outputs less CO2... for me though, it's just too clinical and lacks any sort of personality. Yes, you can change gear manually with the paddles, but the novelty of doing that would last about 2 weeks for me. Any idiot can drive an S-tronic fast, and that's why I've gone manual. :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matt Titanium, S32B and monkeyhanger
Gordo
Your thought process and path to ordering an S3 seems similar to mine.
I have a 1.8TFSI Sport and was going to change to a manual FWD 184TDI s-line for the torque, economy and trim.
I wanted leather, a nice blue colour and plenty of go.
Waited for the FL to be announced, no manual FWD 184! only in 184 S-Tronic/quattro (pricey and auto)
Do I go with the new 2.0TFSI? No Scuba blue, a bit more torque but no better economy than the 1.8, no cheap tax. Not much point in changing.
Do I wait for Audi to put the 190 ultra in the A3? Cheap tax will have gone by then.
By the time I added leather and an exclusive colour (would have gone racing mica blue) when finally available I would have been close to the price of an S3, which let's face is much nicer to drive than diesel.
Wife liked Navarra so didn't have much choice but to go S3.
:s3addict::yahoo:
 
  • Like
Reactions: richinsoton, Rob2k68 and Gordo77
Great minds Matt! :friends::D

I find on the front wheel drive TT TDI, it's really easy to get the front wheels to struggle for grip, especially on damp roads. Looking forward to Quattro. :)
 
As expected, the Navarra seems very similar to the outgoing Scuba.

 
Last edited:
Gordo77 said:
On paper, and in a black/white world the S-Tronic is better than the manual. It's faster from 0-60, gives better mpg, has more torque and outputs less CO2... for me though, it's just too clinical and lacks any sort of personality. Yes, you can change gear manually with the paddles, but the novelty of doing that would last about 2 weeks for me. Any idiot can drive an S-tronic fast, and that's why I've gone manual. :D
Click to expand...

Gordon the S3 is too clinical no matter if you change gear with left hand or....right fore finger,its power delivery is far too linear....there's no sense of speed or noise after 60 mph,the S-Tronic is better in the respects....of ease of use,traffic jams,interior aesthetics,external noise ie up shifts,it's a baw hair faster,its far more desirable in the used car market and has a better residual price,so its well worth the extra £1500 banger's yeah its idiotic.....lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gordo77, SpeedyFrog and Rob2k68
Gordo77 said:
Great minds Matt! :friends::D

I find on the front wheel drive TT TDI, it's really easy to get the front wheels to struggle for grip, especially on damp roads. Looking forward to Quattro. :)
Click to expand...
Matt Titanium said:
Gordo
Your thought process and path to ordering an S3 seems similar to mine.
I have a 1.8TFSI Sport and was going to change to a manual FWD 184TDI s-line for the torque, economy and trim.
I wanted leather, a nice blue colour and plenty of go.
Waited for the FL to be announced, no manual FWD 184! only in 184 S-Tronic/quattro (pricey and auto)
Do I go with the new 2.0TFSI? No Scuba blue, a bit more torque but no better economy than the 1.8, no cheap tax. Not much point in changing.
Do I wait for Audi to put the 190 ultra in the A3? Cheap tax will have gone by then.
By the time I added leather and an exclusive colour (would have gone racing mica blue) when finally available I would have been close to the price of an S3, which let's face is much nicer to drive than diesel.
Wife liked Navarra so didn't have much choice but to go S3.
:s3addict::yahoo:
Click to expand...

Most people go manual because they cant afford it because of the options they have chosen and really want, prior to choosing which box they want..as its become too expensive, so something has to give...in most cases that is...all Audi's are about options
 
jassyo06 said:
and has a better residual price,so its well worth the extra £1500 banger's yeah its idiotic.....lol
Click to expand...

Let me stop you right there... :blow: :D

If you check the Audi online PCP finance calculator, the manual has a slightly higher optional final payment (residual value in terms of %) than the S-tronic...

At the end of the day it really is down to personal preference.

Ok, carry on... :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matt Titanium and Jassyo06
Gordo77 said:
Let me stop you right there... :blow: :D

If you check the Audi online PCP finance calculator, the manual has a slightly higher optional final payment (residual value in terms of %) than the S-tronic...

At the end of the day it really is down to personal preference.

Ok, carry on... :p
Click to expand...

When a unstoppable force hits a unmovable object.....A.K.A...we all learn the hard way....its all down too ****** budget lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gordo77
jassyo06 said:
Most people go manual because they cant afford it because of the options they have chosen and really want, prior to choosing which box they want..as its become too expensive, so something has to give...in most cases that is...all Audi's are about options
Click to expand...

Let me just stop you again... :blow::D

I seriously considered the S-tronic, the sales guy even asked if I was sure!!! but cost had nothing to do with going for the manual. I spoke to a few manual S3 owners on here and they had no regrets with their choice. I've had an auto before, couple of years ago, but just got really fed up with it after a few months. I think the biggest thing that irritated me was when it chose a gear that I wouldn't have chosen... what can I say, I'm a control freak! :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: richinsoton and monkeyhanger
jassyo06 said:
Most people go manual because they cant afford it
Click to expand...
jassyo06 said:
...its all down too ****** budget lol
Click to expand...
I disagree on that and to be honest it sounds a bit snobbish and offensive to say people only buy manuals because they can't afford s-tronic!

My test drive was in the s-tronic and I mentioned that I thought I'd like it, the sales guy said you will get bored quickly, he then went on to say which cars he's driven with which boxes and which gave him the most fun/involvement. I took his advice and went for the manual box. Since having the manual S3 I've never thought I wish I had the s-tronic. I've had the s-tronic RS3 for a few hours and the R8 for a full day and I got bored driving them, I just didn't feel involved enough.

My next car = manual, it has nothing to do with the cost.

Before it all kicks off: This isn't a start of a which is best, is all about what you prefer and not what you can afford! :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: monkeyhanger and Gordo77
jassyo06 said:
Gordon the S3 is too clinical no matter if you change gear with left hand or....right fore finger,its power delivery is far too linear....there's no sense of speed or noise after 60 mph,the S-Tronic is better in the respects....of ease of use,traffic jams,interior aesthetics,external noise ie up shifts,it's a baw hair faster,its far more desirable in the used car market and has a better residual price,so its well worth the extra £1500 banger's yeah its idiotic.....lol
Click to expand...
Must be something wrong with yours me old mucka, mine feels far from linear and very punchy at higher speeds! Can't think why!
:tonguewink:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

D
The eagle has landed
Replies
2
Views
833
dav63
D
y3sjy
New Navarra Blue s3 owner
Replies
55
Views
8K
SpeedyFrog
SpeedyFrog
HulkRS3
S3 Saloon Navarra & Daytona photos please
Replies
7
Views
2K
HulkRS3
HulkRS3
F
Pictures of Navarra blue s3 saloon
Replies
3
Views
1K
foofoo
F
Ghostneo
Facelift Navarra Blue (pic heavy)
Replies
68
Views
18K
Spinstorm
Spinstorm
Top
Back