Can't say I like the price of the S3 either - £50K+ for the Black Edition with Tech Pack Pro and a metallic colour - £55K if you opt for the sports exhaust - Utter madness
Face lift A3 2024
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I noticed no difference in any materials. Even the basic cloth on sport seats had the old pattern - they only changed the name of it! I wasn't allowed to test drive that sedan which had the Sonos speakers, it was meant to be sold as a new stock car after sitting in the showroom for a while. Since I was interested to find out if they had changed something in the MHEV drivetrain functionality I took an Allstreet version to a test drive. It had no additional options at all so no Sonos there, thus I have no idea how it sound. The car itself felt very much the same as my own one, everything felt unchanged. Even the ride felt quite the same as my Sportback with sport suspension if not even firmer. I guess they compensated the higher ground clearance by stiffening the springs. Hopefully the sedan and Sportback aren't stiffer than the old ones! I think the car felt somehow better built but it might just be the new car feel.
Dropped my car to the dealer because of the newly occurred SOS malfunction and they had just a got an S3 showroom car. It was a Navarra Blue sedan, which I found very cool looking even though I hated that color on pre-FL A3's. Now it truly gave me that "now we are talking" feeling. Especially the rear I think looks better than the predecessor and the minor interior tweaks were nice. It even had the Pro interior lighting package. Didn't see the actual lights but the door cards were better looking than the basic ones.
But the price. 74 thousand frigging euros and this is without Akrapovic pipes. Good luck selling this one and only FL S3 we have on the country.
The service guy told they had also just got the prices for new A5 and S5. A5 starting from about 47 k€ - and the S5 slightly over 100 k€. Quite a price gap there I'd say!
Here's a pic of the S3 front. I think it profits from those chrome / aluminium accents.
But the price. 74 thousand frigging euros and this is without Akrapovic pipes. Good luck selling this one and only FL S3 we have on the country.
The service guy told they had also just got the prices for new A5 and S5. A5 starting from about 47 k€ - and the S5 slightly over 100 k€. Quite a price gap there I'd say!
Here's a pic of the S3 front. I think it profits from those chrome / aluminium accents.
I just found out Audi has ditched the torsion beam rear axle of 30 TFSI by the facelift. Maybe because it's the 1,5 l engine now instead of the discontinued 1,0 l. I picked that up from Carwow's Golf facelift review and checked the German Audi website which offers boarder technical data than most others, now it really says it's the same 4-link axle for 30 TFSI as in the 35 TFSI. Now there's an improvement.
I've just placed an order for an S3 Black Edition with the Tech Pack Pro and Akrapovic exhaust. I like my current TT-S a lot, but it's coming up to 10 years old and obviously isn't as versatile as a hatchback. This will be my 7th A/S/RS3, so a safe bet for me.
The finish will be District Green. I've missed my Exclusive green PFL 8V RS3 since selling last year and I have green-theme private plate too. I'd prefer an Exclusive shade but I wasn't prepared to fork out another £3.5k, so this will do.
I was also going to go with the multispoke alloys but decided on the 5-twin-spoke option as they'll be easier to keep clean.
I'm being told 4-6 months for delivery.
The finish will be District Green. I've missed my Exclusive green PFL 8V RS3 since selling last year and I have green-theme private plate too. I'd prefer an Exclusive shade but I wasn't prepared to fork out another £3.5k, so this will do.
I was also going to go with the multispoke alloys but decided on the 5-twin-spoke option as they'll be easier to keep clean.
I'm being told 4-6 months for delivery.
My dealer finally got a FL Sportback for test drives, so I took one yesterday. The car was very interesting, 30 TFSI with Plus trim (looks exactly like UK Sport trim but has got some additional equipment) and not a single additional option. So I got to find out how the less powerful engine compares to mine and what kind of car I get without optioning. It had a standard suspension and sport seats without adjustable lumbar support like my previous car. Sonos stereo is also included to Plus trim and I was quite curious about it beforehand. Tyres were 17" Nexens.
I gotta say it was quite an underwhelming test drive. The engine was ok until 100 km/h speed but then it felt like there was not much power left, the acceleration was mild. I remember the old 3-pot was quite similar. At lower speeds it didn't feel slow, actually quite close to 35 TFSI when driving normally (not flooring it). The road noise was quieter than in my pre-FL cars, without the annoying sine wave-like howl. That was definitely very nice but I think it's because of the Nexen tires. I think they must be quite soft since the steering felt so much lighter than mine, almost felt similar to what mine's like with winter tyres. The suspension was kind of a letdown, I think Audi must have tweaked it somehow and it's worse than the pre-FL one. It was constantly letting through some small tremble, don't remember it being like that in my old car. I think my sport suspension now is more comfortable. The Sonos sound system was a total joke, absolutely no reason to pay for it. The higher sounds were overly sharp, the mid range didn't feel wide enough, higher bass was too prominent and there was no low bass at all. I tried to adjust it but couldn't get it any better. Even though I put the subwoofer to the fullest it barely sounded like it was there. My basic stereo is somehow easier to listen to, of course there's no low bass either but talking voices sound natural - and it didn't cost extra.
So the final verdict is there's nothing why I'd want to change to a new one anymore. The car absolutely needs some options to be even on par with my current one - the lumbar support adjust needs to be there, which now only comes with all-electric seats with extra cost. Also it needs the sport suspension to look sharp enough, I think with the new front the standard suspension looks higher than before. Don't know how's the ride of the FL sport suspension but I have a bad feeling about it. Also the standard rims with plump looking Nexen tyres look shy so need to upgrade those too. Thus the price gets so high it doesn't feel like a good deal at all. Guess I'm gonna keep my current car for a while, it's got precisely good spec and it also looks and drives better than the new one.
I gotta say it was quite an underwhelming test drive. The engine was ok until 100 km/h speed but then it felt like there was not much power left, the acceleration was mild. I remember the old 3-pot was quite similar. At lower speeds it didn't feel slow, actually quite close to 35 TFSI when driving normally (not flooring it). The road noise was quieter than in my pre-FL cars, without the annoying sine wave-like howl. That was definitely very nice but I think it's because of the Nexen tires. I think they must be quite soft since the steering felt so much lighter than mine, almost felt similar to what mine's like with winter tyres. The suspension was kind of a letdown, I think Audi must have tweaked it somehow and it's worse than the pre-FL one. It was constantly letting through some small tremble, don't remember it being like that in my old car. I think my sport suspension now is more comfortable. The Sonos sound system was a total joke, absolutely no reason to pay for it. The higher sounds were overly sharp, the mid range didn't feel wide enough, higher bass was too prominent and there was no low bass at all. I tried to adjust it but couldn't get it any better. Even though I put the subwoofer to the fullest it barely sounded like it was there. My basic stereo is somehow easier to listen to, of course there's no low bass either but talking voices sound natural - and it didn't cost extra.
So the final verdict is there's nothing why I'd want to change to a new one anymore. The car absolutely needs some options to be even on par with my current one - the lumbar support adjust needs to be there, which now only comes with all-electric seats with extra cost. Also it needs the sport suspension to look sharp enough, I think with the new front the standard suspension looks higher than before. Don't know how's the ride of the FL sport suspension but I have a bad feeling about it. Also the standard rims with plump looking Nexen tyres look shy so need to upgrade those too. Thus the price gets so high it doesn't feel like a good deal at all. Guess I'm gonna keep my current car for a while, it's got precisely good spec and it also looks and drives better than the new one.
Interesting. I suppose it might become a more attractive purchase after a few years when they've added some extra spec as standard.
Makes me feel even better about buying my pre-facelift car this year rather than holding out.
Makes me feel even better about buying my pre-facelift car this year rather than holding out.
That's what I thought too. The salesman also said he's not all convinced about the current option policy, makes it hard for them to sell the cars as some of the options are "locked behind" S-line trim or expensive packages. So they are well aware of the problem.
Actually this has become an order for a Vorsprung in Daytona with those multi-spoke wheels. I had an 8V FL S3 in the same colour and, with a sensible look ahead, I can see the grey car being more in keeping with the fly-under-the-radar ethos.I've just placed an order for an S3 Black Edition with the Tech Pack Pro and Akrapovic exhaust. I like my current TT-S a lot, but it's coming up to 10 years old and obviously isn't as versatile as a hatchback. This will be my 7th A/S/RS3, so a safe bet for me.
The finish will be District Green. I've missed my Exclusive green PFL 8V RS3 since selling last year and I have green-theme private plate too. I'd prefer an Exclusive shade but I wasn't prepared to fork out another £3.5k, so this will do.
I was also going to go with the multispoke alloys but decided on the 5-twin-spoke option as they'll be easier to keep clean.
I'm being told 4-6 months for delivery.
That price is complete madness and I agree the new grill and the flat rings high up have ruined the looks
Glad I'm not alone with not liking the look of the Facelift 8Y...I mean its not hidious but it looks too "normal" now...
Kinda glad I got my Vorsprung when I did especially in light of the fact that the Facelift S3 Black Edition is £10k more than I paid for a pretty much fully loaded car - thats pure madness and there's alot you can do to the S3 in terms of upgrades with that saving...
Kinda glad I got my Vorsprung when I did especially in light of the fact that the Facelift S3 Black Edition is £10k more than I paid for a pretty much fully loaded car - thats pure madness and there's alot you can do to the S3 in terms of upgrades with that saving...
I'm still neutral. I prefer the pre-FL front but the FL one isn't unbearable, and the rear of the FL especially non-S-line is better than the original. I didn't like the S-line front of the 8V facelift either so can't say this is the worst looking A3 ever. For me it's always been the best looking car in it's class but not every trim has always been perfect. What comes to pricing, yes, it's ridiculous. Sadly that's the case with most cars nowadays. At least now by the facelift you don't get a technical downgrade if you go for the cheapest powertrain option of the A3.
No problem with different opinions but there are ways to express them without looking like a soak.
No problem with different opinions but there are ways to express them without looking like a soak.
Audi's Design language inside and out,has been one mistake after another,they've lost a lot of loyal buyers IMHO...
Just look how busy this forum has become,ghost town,from dieselgate onwards gradually they've became less and lesser the brand they once were...now they are in serious financial decline yeah,the Chinese market has a lot to do with this,but so has the European market,competition has caught up,because the writing on the wall was written ever since 2016
Just look how busy this forum has become,ghost town,from dieselgate onwards gradually they've became less and lesser the brand they once were...now they are in serious financial decline yeah,the Chinese market has a lot to do with this,but so has the European market,competition has caught up,because the writing on the wall was written ever since 2016
AFAIK all the German car manufacturers are in that same situation, some more some others less. VAG downhill got a head start by the dieselgate, but at the moment Merc and Bimmer forums are also full of discussion about design and build quality gone worse and still ongoing. Whilst I personally think there's still success in Audi's recent exterior designs, the one thing I really hate is that after the presentation of their new interior in Q6 they just copy-pasted it virtually unaltered to every single new model that's come out since. I thought we had some hope left when the physical HVAC control panel carried on to E-Tron GT and Q4 but it looks like the 8Y will be the final A3 to feature them. Now Audi's also lost in the screen mania that needs to stop.
I agree that it’s across the board. I just read that VAG are closing three factories in Germany and workers facing pay cuts. As I suspected, it quoted poor EV sales and tough competition from the likes of China as the reason. Makers are no doubt looking to make savings wherever they can, hence quality issues.
Looks like the configurator has been updated. Saw some rumours about the badges being changed due to customer feedback and Audi might have listened. The red badge on the rear boot lid designating an s line trim has been removed and just has the plain ‘A3’ like the pre facelift now. Also the s line badges on the front wings are back like the pre facelift. Appears that the A3 badge on the boot lid is in black even without opting for a black edition.
Would be interesting to know when the switch over will happen at the factory
Would be interesting to know when the switch over will happen at the factory
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To be fair the Red was always for the S and RS with S-Line having the side badges
Still no S3 or RS3 Badge on the Front Grill though by the looks of things
I see that you can now spec the sports exhaust as well finally for the S3 - Price still ridiculous though with and without the sports exhaust £50K and £55K+with the exhaust
I like the red badge on the back , it goes well with ascari blue paint on my car
Apparently the S3 and RS3 front grill badges are coming back shortly
Does anyone know if the speed limit warning beep of the new cars can be deactivated by default using OBD11 like you can do to the lane keeping assistant? I drove a new A6 recently and it even added a note to the virtual cockpit warnings tab saying there's an alteration set by driver, when I set the warning off from the MMI. I don't like the (!) sign being there at the tabs only because of that, as it usually means there's something you should react to, but that could also mean it's a feature you're not allowed to touch easilly. If you compare to the lane keeping assistant, the dealer refused to change it to remember the last setting but in OBD11 it's not even behind the SFD barrier.
Manufacturers, especially the huge established western corporations, are between a rock and a hard place. In the UK, the govt imposed target for pure EV sales in 2024 was 22%, but only 19% of all new sales were EVs. This year (2025) the target rises to 28%. The suppliers are being hugely penalised for not selling cars that nobody wants. I say 'nobody', but lets just say only a small minority. And a pure EV is no more attractive in 2025 that it was in 2024, arguably less so with the road tax changes due on 1 April. The dumb govt is probably hoping for an oil crisis!
My mother in law got the facelift (i have 22 pfl).
I almost pulled the trigger on a FL, but then when i heard the residual value would be 75% i laughed my *** off so loud that the seller started blushing.
Also, the prices are quite high (at least northern Europe), a base very naked spec (much worse than UK) is around 33k €, add some minor thing and it easily goes up to 40k.
Waiting times were around 6-7 months for base 35 auto, manuals were available straight up.
Tbh, better get low mileage or on-sale pfl with more gear.
I almost pulled the trigger on a FL, but then when i heard the residual value would be 75% i laughed my *** off so loud that the seller started blushing.
Also, the prices are quite high (at least northern Europe), a base very naked spec (much worse than UK) is around 33k €, add some minor thing and it easily goes up to 40k.
Waiting times were around 6-7 months for base 35 auto, manuals were available straight up.
Tbh, better get low mileage or on-sale pfl with more gear.
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75 % ?! That's goddamned 10 more %-units than they offered me! An FL car with pretty much similar spec as mine costs about 43 k€. That's around 4 k€ more than mine was as a new and then the depreciation on top = no ******* deal. I hope the new car pricing and residual value will even out at some point, at least when the 8Y gets older and they compensate it by adding equipment. Then I might be interested again. Until then, I'm fortunately driving quite a nice car!
Guess you've test driven your mother in law's FL, how did you like it?
Guess you've test driven your mother in law's FL, how did you like it?
Ride felt stiff for some reason, also it was manual but that meant it shifted like pretty much any VW last 20 years, just fine i guess. Also got annoyed that lumbal support was not as adjustable as mine.
I do like that they finally figured there's no point in charging extra for reverse camera and adaptive cruise control, even base KIAs have those as standard.
I suppose I can understand why many car makers choose not to load up cars with too many goodies too early. They need to hold some sweetners back to offer only on the higher spec cars or future facelift models. Admittedly, Audi are particularly stingy in this area.
Interesting what you said about stiffness. I assume it's a standard suspension, not the sport one? I made the same observation while test driving the FL car with a standard suspension, so it seems they've really tweaked it - for the worse! I don't get the point, both suspensions were very good on the pre-FL cars. The sport one of mine felt more comfortable than the standard one of the facelift. And it felt stiff without being any more precise than the older one.
Interestingly I was also surprised when I put winter tyres on my car - even though they are much softer than the summer tyres the ride quality went worse, I think some slight roughness comes through more than on summer tyres. Could it be the suspension works better with harder tyres? They seem to fit W-rated tyres now on FL cars as standard, whereas they were Y for the pre-FL.
I'd rather pay a few hundred extra for some individual options than a few thousand more for the car with the same options as standard. Also the lumbar support was individually available for pre-FL cars for two hundred but now you have to get full power seats to get it, for almost a 1k€. They also had a bonkers option deal when I ordered mine, adaptive cruise control plus parking heater combined under 1 k€. Since then the heater alone has been almost 2 k€.
Nope, it's the factory fitted gas-powered heater. It really was a bargain!
The electric one is post-factory fit, I got that for my previous car since it was a stock car that came without.
The electric one is post-factory fit, I got that for my previous car since it was a stock car that came without.
One of the reasons I was originally interested in getting the 35 was for that suspension set up. I once asked a sales rep about that and he said they were both the same on the 30 and 35.
However, most of my driving is city and these days my driving is quite sedate.
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From what I've just read, it seems my pre-facelift Saloon 30 1 litre does in fact have the independent multi-link suspension set-up on the rear. It appears that all the saloon models have it, regardless of engine size. I don't know how accurate some of these car spec websites are, but it also shows the Sportback 1 litre with MHEV having it, but the Sportback 1 litre non-MHEV, having the semi-independent, coil spring - Auto-data.net
There's also this older thread (albeit the 8V saloon) - So the salesman who told me both the 1 litre and 30 litre have it, would have been correct - at least regarding the saloon anyway. I can't get mine up on ramps to confirm visually but I'm now confident it does have it which I'm pleased about. Unless someone knows otherwise!