FL v PFL a few questions

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jebusRS

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Been looking for over a year now for a PFL with the spec I want, hens teeth lol and not had a car for a year now so loosing patience. The other upside being I now have a budget that would stretch to a FL RS3. So a few questions as im still not decided. Car would be a sportback....probably.

Pan roof: does the FL still suffer from the creaking noise the PFL does?

Exhaust/sound: I know the PFL is louder/better sounding but is there much between them? (sports exhaust) and the PFL crackles on the over run/lift off is it possible for the FL to do this?

Interior: The FL has the virtual dash which seems better but does it have the other upgraded items as stock i.e the tech pack stuff, bigger screen and touch input etc? Does it also have the juke box upgrade or like the PFL is that an optional extra?

Tuning: Would probably be looking to go around 500hp in the future from my understanding this easier in the FL and quite a bit cheaper too compared with the PFL?

Not model related but is it worth getting GAP insurance on a 2nd hand car or is it just new ones? Wouldnt be a PCP purchase. How does it work?

Anything else thats different or any opinions from people who have had both more than welcome too.

cheers for any replies :icon thumright:
 
Hi, the only thing I can comment on is the GAP insurance.
I have this on my PFL rs3 when I bought it over two years ago. The car was 18 months old then.
Gap works by making up the difference money wise from what the car is worth book price and what you paid for the car. So the gap insurance covers this extra cost so you don’t loose out by being out of pocket if it was stolen etc.
I got a quote with ALA and Audi to be fair to them matched it. I think o paid about £400 for three years.

Hope this helps.

You are right the PFL is the rugged sounding rs3 in the range and I love it.

Enjoy your search
 
PFL won't tune past 450hp without a turbo change. The FL will get to 500hp "easy" on a tune only although people do seem to sort intake at same time. The GPF version is back to harder to tune :tearsofjoy:

TX.

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Deffo for Gap and I like my noisy cars so went PFL.The noise still shocks me 3 months after getting it and I actually prefer the sound over a C63 I had with the big 6.2 V8 in it. The rest I can't comment on.
 
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Honestly, I’d probably go for a FL (pre GPF, though!). Had both engines. PFL does sound better, but I must say I really grew to love the FL’s engine. It’s a bit freer at the top end of the rev range (has a larger turbo) tunes easily to 500bhp and still sounds utterly brilliant. Go through a tunnel at full chat and it sounds like an 80’s F1 car.

I was also initially not a fan of the virtual dash but also ended up loving it! The central Lambo style rev counter is just awesome.

Just to go back to the sound, the FL just doesn’t seem to filter as much sound into the cabin as the PFL. However, from the outside they both sound similarly loud. I think perhaps it’s the different pitch and tone of the new engine and perhaps extra sound deadening (not sure if there is) that just means it doesn’t come through to the cabin as much.
 
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Going to be tuning a GPF car soon, will let you know how it sounds with a decat and OPFs removed
 
jebusRS said:
Been looking for over a year now for a PFL with the spec I want, hens teeth lol and not had a car for a year now so loosing patience. The other upside being I now have a budget that would stretch to a FL RS3. So a few questions as im still not decided. Car would be a sportback....probably.

Pan roof: does the FL still suffer from the creaking noise the PFL does?

Exhaust/sound: I know the PFL is louder/better sounding but is there much between them? (sports exhaust) and the PFL crackles on the over run/lift off is it possible for the FL to do this?

Interior: The FL has the virtual dash which seems better but does it have the other upgraded items as stock i.e the tech pack stuff, bigger screen and touch input etc? Does it also have the juke box upgrade or like the PFL is that an optional extra?

Tuning: Would probably be looking to go around 500hp in the future from my understanding this easier in the FL and quite a bit cheaper too compared with the PFL?

Not model related but is it worth getting GAP insurance on a 2nd hand car or is it just new ones? Wouldnt be a PCP purchase. How does it work?

Anything else thats different or any opinions from people who have had both more than welcome too.

cheers for any replies :icon thumright:
Click to expand...

Having owned both a PFL and now the FL model from new and tuned both cars, I will give you some answers based on my experience with them.

Sunroof: I have had the Pano roof on both cars and have not experienced any issues with sticking or creaking. Guess it's just luck with these things.

Exhaust sound: If you are comparing the stock cars then yes the pfl car has a better more sonorous exhaust sound with those big pops and bangs. However, when you fit a downpipe with decats to the FL car it comes alive and makes a wonderful sound very similar to the R8 V10. Pops and bangs can be mapped in to suit your preference (MRC did mine).
Here's a vid of a FL car with a Scorpion exhaust (same as fitted to my car)


Virtual dash: Absolutely love the virtual dash, it is a big step up over the PFL car. The colour changes on the rev counter as you hit the higher revs are a great touch. Most FL cars come with a high spec.

Tuning: I progressively added stage 1 & then stage 2 tunes to both cars (custom MRC tuned). As Doc mentioned in his post, the pfl car is limited by the smaller stock turbo and can safely make around 450ps and 700nm (MRC figures) for a daily driver. To go beyond these numbers will require a hybrid or big turbo upgrade. The FL car is blessed with a bigger turbo straight from the factory and with a decent tune running 99RON with larger air intake, turbo elbow and downpipe you can expect to see around 520/530ps and 725nm+. The FL engine responds well to high octane fuel and with additives or E85/Race fuel in the tank the power rises to anywhere between 550 and 600ps (my car runs up to 560ps on additive but I know a guy who has 611ps & 800nm on race fuel). Be aware that venturing over 600ps and north of 750nm on the FL engine risks con rod failure (bending).

As for GAP insurance, I suspect that there are plenty of members on here who can guide you on that.
 
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Fantastic figures on that FL engine I would agree.
 
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cheers for the replies folks.

Done a bit more digging and the tech pack (PFL) seems to be standard on the FL, is this true?

I do seem to be leaning more towards a FL now.
 
jebusRS said:
Been looking for over a year now for a PFL with the spec I want, hens teeth lol and not had a car for a year now so loosing patience. The other upside being I now have a budget that would stretch to a FL RS3. So a few questions as im still not decided. Car would be a sportback....probably.

Pan roof: does the FL still suffer from the creaking noise the PFL does?

Exhaust/sound: I know the PFL is louder/better sounding but is there much between them? (sports exhaust) and the PFL crackles on the over run/lift off is it possible for the FL to do this?

Interior: The FL has the virtual dash which seems better but does it have the other upgraded items as stock i.e the tech pack stuff, bigger screen and touch input etc? Does it also have the juke box upgrade or like the PFL is that an optional extra?

Tuning: Would probably be looking to go around 500hp in the future from my understanding this easier in the FL and quite a bit cheaper too compared with the PFL?

Not model related but is it worth getting GAP insurance on a 2nd hand car or is it just new ones? Wouldnt be a PCP purchase. How does it work?

Anything else thats different or any opinions from people who have had both more than welcome too.

cheers for any replies :icon thumright:
Click to expand...

It really all depends what you want.

I’m a prefl owner. Big spec model, only option missing is the Audi side assist and adaptive cruise control.

Get gap, it’s a no brainer. ALA or one of the many others companies online will do 4-5 year dealers for £200-300.

Pan roof....my roof doesn’t squeak.

With the facelift you get MIB2 which is standard fit. This is basically just carplay. I have retrofitted carplay to my prefl for a cost of about £1500. This money is deferred and the units can be used in any car so selling isn’t an issue.

Now comes the bigger questions....you’re gonna get around another 70bhp out of a fl compared to a prefl with similar stage 2 tune and hardware. This translates to around the same 0-60 time, but the 100-200kph is about 2 seconds quicker. It’s also 80kg lighter as a whole, with 26kg of that gone from the front end.

Sound wise there is no comparison. Massive cracks, bangs and pops from the prefl as stock, further amplified by the sports exhaust. The fl doesn’t have any of this. Pops need mapping in, and to be honest they sound absolute w**k when they’re mapped in, so artificial like some s**tbox Honda Civic, it’s really not for me.

So it really comes down to what you want. Do you want the better sounding, cheaper more characterful car, or do you want to spend an extra 10 bags for a faster, lighter car? For me, I hardly ever go over 100, so performance up to 100 is all I’m really bothered about. An extra 2 seconds in the 100-200kph sprint....it’s all pub talk and on the road you’re really not going to notice. I’d rather snap necks with the sound.

I’m going to really struggle to replace this car to be honest. The only cars which have crossed my mind are the new awd m5 in a few years, they’re already sub 60k and I need to scratch that v8 itch. Either that or an f type V8 R AWD. Again, just to scratch the v8 itch.
 
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I have had the FL model from new, it was an early 2018 model, high spec including the sports exhaust. The pops, bangs and everything else were terrific, not quite PFL but overall fantastic.
Then in May this year and totally out of the blue I had the chance of a brand new 2019 FL RS3 with every single option on it had I factory ordered it. The trade-in offer from the original dealer was great, but I shopped around and an independent dealer specialising in fast quality motors out bid the Audi main dealer by £7000.
I hardly lost any money on the 2018 model, but and there is a but, the pops, bangs and farts have not quite disappeared on the 2019 model but with the OPF filters the sound is disappointing compared to my 2018 FL model. But having now got a few miles on the clock the exhaust sound is returning, and I now hear the amazing sound of the 5-pot up front along with a few pops here and there.
Overall it’s an amazing motor, turns heads everywhere I go, I can live with the slightly muted sounds, just enjoy whichever one you choose.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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sve170 said:
I have had the FL model from new, it was an early 2018 model, high spec including the sports exhaust. The pops, bangs and everything else were terrific, not quite PFL but overall fantastic.
Then in May this year and totally out of the blue I had the chance of a brand new 2019 FL RS3 with every single option on it had I factory ordered it. The trade-in offer from the original dealer was great, but I shopped around and an independent dealer specialising in fast quality motors out bid the Audi main dealer by £7000.
I hardly lost any money on the 2018 model, but and there is a but, the pops, bangs and farts have not quite disappeared on the 2019 model but with the OPF filters the sound is disappointing compared to my 2018 FL model. But having now got a few miles on the clock the exhaust sound is returning, and I now hear the amazing sound of the 5-pot up front along with a few pops here and there.
Overall it’s an amazing motor, turns heads everywhere I go, I can live with the slightly muted sounds, just enjoy whichever one you choose.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Good to know that the exhaust noise improves slightly over time, it was the same in my S4. Whilst I’m glad that the OPF cars have lost the pops and bangs I have noticed not much in the way of expected ‘burble’ on downshifting and overrun, hopefully this will improve over time once I get a few thousand miles in.
 
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cheers for the replies guys, going to view a FL rs3 with good spec, will let yous know how i get on :grinning:
 
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wow, i knew they were fast i just didnt expect that fast :yes: when does the smiling stop?

and all things going well, i should be taking ownership of it by the middle of next week :rockwoot::racer:

cheers for the help everyone:icon thumright:
 
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picked it up today, im buzzing.

Took me a year to find one but it was well worth the wait :smiley:
 
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Riko0073 said:
Nice one!

What spec mate?
Click to expand...
Mythos black
Sports exhaust
Pan roof
Black pack
Black rotors
Roof bars
Matrix Head lights
SS seats
Red Calipers
Carbon inlays
Privacy glass

67 plate with 15k on it

decided i dint need mag ride after (most) of the comments on here
 
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jebusRS said:
Mythos black
Sports exhaust
Pan roof
Black pack
Black rotors
Roof bars
Matrix Head lights
SS seats
Red Calipers
Carbon inlays
Privacy glass

67 plate with 15k on it

decided i dint need mag ride after (most) of the comments on here
Click to expand...
Great spec mate
 
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