RS3 (PFL) vs RS3 (FL)

fastolsen said:
Everybody that claims the FL is lacking sound, have you tried it without secondary cats? Here in norway we dont have them and I think it sounds awesome! Also driven the PFL and yes, the loud bangs when downshifting is gone, but the sound is still great. Think I would get tired of the pops and bangs everytime I downshift anyway:)
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Yep here in the UK our FL's also do not have secondary cats. Personally I think the sports exhaust on mine sounds awesome and am quite glad it's not popping and banging like a boy racer Corsa!
 
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zaka7 said:
Only in Sport does it pop and bang on downshift at the moment, and it was in all gears, Mine has done circa 400 miles. Hopefully it will give me something in Dynamic with more miles :)
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You must have a one off, zaka! Trust me, I tried everything and all modes I could to get it to pop and bang!
 
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teslaboy said:
Yep here in the UK our FL's also do not have secondary cats. Personally I think the sports exhaust on mine sounds awesome and am quite glad it's not popping and banging like a boy racer Corsa!
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The PFL does not sound like a Corsa with a drainpipe exhaust! The pops and crackles on downshifts are deep and purposeful and make for a much more fun driving experience IMHO.

Re the secondary cats, I've never been under my car but assume the PFL has the secondary cats. And it still sounds louder.
 
D0C said:
You must have a one off, zaka! Trust me, I tried everything and all modes I could to get it to pop and bang!
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I'm so confused, don't get me wrong it's not as much as the PFL, but mine definitely pops on downshifts in sport, it's just annoying it doesn't seem to in dynamic, or as much in manual. From earlier comments @teslaboy has the same as me, so it could of been you with the one off :grin: -
One thing's for sure it doesn't pop and make people run and find cover like the PFL does, but it definitely still turns heads.
 
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zaka7 said:
I'm so confused, don't get me wrong it's not as much as the PFL, but mine definitely pops on downshifts in sport, it's just annoying it doesn't seem to in dynamic, or as much in manual. From earlier comments @teslaboy has the same as me, so it could of been you with the one off :grin: -
One thing's for sure it doesn't pop and make people run and find cover like the PFL does, but it definitely still turns heads.
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This is why I'm keen to have mine side by side with a FL!
 
D0C said:
This is why I'm keen to have mine side by side with a FL!
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Well if anyone is near the Cambridge area that has a PFL I can help. I did see one driving around the other day, Might stop and ask him :grin:
 
zaka7 said:
I'm so confused, don't get me wrong it's not as much as the PFL, but mine definitely pops on downshifts in sport, it's just annoying it doesn't seem to in dynamic, or as much in manual. From earlier comments @teslaboy has the same as me, so it could of been you with the one off :grin: -
One thing's for sure it doesn't pop and make people run and find cover like the PFL does, but it definitely still turns heads.
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Didn't do it on my test drive either. After 2 years in one I think I know how to get the noise if it is there ;) same with @D0C

TX.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
 
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terminator x said:
Didn't do it on my test drive either. After 2 years in one I think I know how to get the noise if it is there ;) same with @D0C

TX.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
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Agreed, and that's why I'm confused because in sport, mine 100% pops and burbles on downshifts.
 
Are you saying it won't do it in dynamic either sport gearbox or normal but it will do when not in dynamic but with sport gearbox eg pull the stick down say in Auto drive mode?

TX.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
 
terminator x said:
Are you saying it won't do it in dynamic either sport gearbox or normal but it will do when not in dynamic but with sport gearbox eg pull the stick down say in Auto drive mode?

TX.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
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Yep definetly some clarity required here....?
My FL bangs on upshifts when switched into dynamic mode and you get engine blips on downshifts (but I wouldn't really say these are pops on downshifts like in the PFL). And the bangs on upshifts occur when the gearbox is in Sport mode which is also in dynamic.
Think I'm making sense!!
 
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terminator x said:
Are you saying it won't do it in dynamic either sport gearbox or normal but it will do when not in dynamic but with sport gearbox eg pull the stick down say in Auto drive mode?

TX.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Drive select on Dynamic and virtual dash saying D1 - D2 (etc) for gears - Nothing.
Drive select on Dynamic and virtual dash saying S1 - S2 (etc) - I get pops on downshifts, particularly 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 2nd.
Not driven it in any other mode bar dynamic. so not sure what it does in auto or comfort (etc)
I'll try and get someone to record it and upload.
 
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it might just be that to you they are not pops and bangs because they are far more aggressive on the PFL.
 
And by the way, the bangs on upshifts are pretty mad, but you have to be hooning it a bit in Sport mode. Definitely turns heads!
 
zaka7 said:
Drive select on Dynamic and virtual dash saying D1 - D2 (etc) for gears - Nothing.
Drive select on Dynamic and virtual dash saying S1 - S2 (etc) - I get pops on downshifts, particularly 4th to 3rd and 3rd to 2nd.
Not driven it in any other mode bar dynamic. so not sure what it does in auto or comfort (etc)
I'll try and get someone to record it and upload.
Click to expand...
Yeah agreed, the FL in D1 D2 etc and the sports exhaust is quiet compared to S1 S2 etc...
 
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teslaboy said:
And by the way, the bangs on upshifts are pretty mad, but you have to be hooning it a bit in Sport mode. Definitely turns heads!
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I've not hooned it at all yet, only at around 400 miles. so look forward to that, it's just this downshift pop is frustrating me, I know it isn't PFL standard, but why do I have to be in sport for it to do it, standard dynamic absolutely nothing :( exhaust note sounds superb still though.
 
teslaboy said:
And by the way, the bangs on upshifts are pretty mad, but you have to be hooning it a bit in Sport mode. Definitely turns heads!
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The FL is definitely loud and it sounds awesome as I could hear it from a long way off as the dealer drove off. Just a shame that they have lost the drama on downshifts imho although I appreciate that some hear it as chavtastic ;)

TX.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
 
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Bangs on upshift? Are you talking about the DSG farts? Don't think I've seen a bang on upshift before.
 
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Get huge cracks on upshifts with PFL. Also get them on FL. It's the downshifts where there's little or no sound.
 
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The down shifts on the PFL do sound amazing - proper rally car esque :yes:

Appear loudest to me too when you are in dynamic, blipping down on the paddles and reducing speed / braking quite heavily :sunglasses:

They also appear to alternative between 2 sounds - hard to describe - one pops and bangs and the other a series of over run blips or something :)
 
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They also appear to alternative between 2 sounds - hard to describe - one pops and bangs and the other a series of over run blips or something :)[/QUOTE]
Yeah that's the extra fuel being burnt off in the exhaust, and its not happening on the FL due to the nanny state!
 
teslaboy said:
They also appear to alternative between 2 sounds - hard to describe - one pops and bangs and the other a series of over run blips or something :)
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Yeah that's the extra fuel being burnt off in the exhaust, and its not happening on the FL due to the nanny state![/QUOTE]

Bizarre isn't it.
I just don't get why they felt compelled to drop some of the sounds ?
There are cars out there which sound waaaaaaaay louder than an RS3 so I just don't get it !
 
Radman said:
Surprising how many FL are available to buy and not many PFL. PFL were like rocking horse poo when they were released.
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Audi in Aberdeen have three PFL RS3’s in the forecourt, all sitting on or just below £40,000


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zaka7 said:
Only in Sport does it pop and bang on downshift at the moment, and it was in all gears, Mine has done circa 400 miles. Hopefully it will give me something in Dynamic with more miles :)
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How do you mean in sport mode? Gearbox? It will only make noise if it’s in dynamic altogether.
 
AudiNutta said:
How do you mean in sport mode? Gearbox? It will only make noise if it’s in dynamic altogether.
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Drive select to dynamic. Then flick the stick to sport so the dash says S as the prefix for the gears. Then it pops and bangs on downshifts. Flick back into basic Dynamic so they prefix is D. Nothing.
 
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zaka7 said:
Drive select to dynamic. Then flick the stick to sport so the dash says S as the prefix for the gears. Then it pops and bangs on downshifts. Flick back into basic Dynamic so they prefix is D. Nothing.
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What about Manual Mode in Dynamic? Nobody has mentioned that.
 
OK but does it make any difference being in M1, M2, etc. but not in S? (so, the lever to the left and not pulled back).

I don't like using S in my S3 with its unnecessarily high idle and needless gear changes.
I'm assuming that the RS3 is the same.
 
sve170 said:
Audi in Aberdeen have three PFL RS3’s in the forecourt, all sitting on or just below £40,000


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I bet they won't be on there long though.
 
Splathead said:
OK but does it make any difference being in M1, M2, etc. but not in S? (so, the lever to the left and not pulled back).

I don't like using S in my S3 with its unnecessarily high idle and needless gear changes.
I'm assuming that the RS3 is the same.
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Yes mate the same that’s what irritates me. I can’t get pops without high revs. So going from S to M it works but less brutal than leaving it in S. D to M nothing.
 
The best sound of all is when you have been honing it at high revs and the temp gauge is over 100c.
Then bang down into 2nd and there is that high-pitched whip-like noise which can likely be heard in the next county.
Only happens for me about 1 in 10 attempts - my god it is loud.

It's akin to somebody blowing up a paper bag in your ear without warning. :)
 
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zaka7 said:
Drive select to dynamic. Then flick the stick to sport so the dash says S as the prefix for the gears. Then it pops and bangs on downshifts. Flick back into basic Dynamic so they prefix is D. Nothing.
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If you cycle through to dynamic after startup you will automatically be in s on the dis. This is the loudest setting you can get. If you flick the stick back after doing that you will be back in d on the dis. This takes you out of dynamic. There is no flick back to dynamic. Flick back to boring.
 
Silly question but when in M1 M2 etc is there a sport version?? If so I didn't realise when the gear lever is to the left in manual mode there is normal manual and sport manual !!??
 
Apologies as in the pub having beerssss hence brain not engaged! When I'm manual mode there's only one mode, i.e shifting back and forward mrans your changing manually!!
When my FL is in manual mode M1 M2 etc it's definetly quieter than when in auto sport mode S1 S2 etc.
 
Just kick it in to dynamic after startup and that's all you'll ever need, whether in the left over to manual or in auto. Pfl is loud either way not sure about fl.
 
kayemill said:
If you cycle through to dynamic after startup you will automatically be in s on the dis. This is the loudest setting you can get. If you flick the stick back after doing that you will be back in d on the dis. This takes you out of dynamic. There is no flick back to dynamic. Flick back to boring.
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No you are still in dynamic, it’s just your gearbox is in Drive not Sport.....
 
kayemill said:
Just kick it in to dynamic after startup and that's all you'll ever need, whether in the left over to manual or in auto. Pfl is loud either way not sure about fl.
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“Kick it into dynamic”...

... do you mean select dynamic on drive select? Because pulling the gear-lever back into Sport doesn’t engage dynamic.
 
Sorry, maybe a bit confusing with my terminology. Yes select dynamic on drive select when you get in. I drive in dynamic 100% of the time in S. Makes no difference if you flick to manual same noise. Depends when you change gear.
 
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Interesting debate but really not sure that a sample of 2 cars PFL and FL with different usage is ever going to be that conclusive. Looks are clearly there for comparison but different age, usage tyres etc etc will all impact on a somewhat subjective yet interesting review.


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teslaboy said:
Silly question but when in M1 M2 etc is there a sport version?? If so I didn't realise when the gear lever is to the left in manual mode there is normal manual and sport manual !!??
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Sport gearbox just holds the revs longer in auto before changing gear. Don't need it in manual as you can hold the revs to the red-line if you like of course.

TX.

Sent from my STV100-4 using Tapatalk
 
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