With you on that one - but lots of screens and voice commands are the way that the industry is going. Also, to be fair, the A/C control switches are another common failure for the A3 lineup.
Interior update for the A3 range
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I think voice commands are the most absurd reason to justify ditching the buttons. You want to turn the heat up by one degree, you push the temp button twice, takes a second. Using voice commands, "Hey Audi, turn the heat up by two degrees, please"... way more laborious and takes three-five seconds at best - if the system understands what you're mumbling. Plus the function refuses to work here - you can't switch the voice controls to English if your system uses Finnish, and guess what, Audi doesn't speak Finnish. On the other hand, why would you want to talk to your car anyway.
Never had an A/C switch failure, even though I've had 3 8Y's - with several failures...
RS3 is maybe the least touring car from Audi's lineup, so I find the self-driving functions quite pointless there. I understand they have been added since the tech is there anyway and it makes it look like something was added... but who ever asked for that? Buttons, goddamnit!
These days I probably use it a bit less than I did when I first got the S3 but it's still very handy for the dreaded 50MPH average speed checked stretches of m-way maintenance where I just set the speed slightly over (so my actual speed will be exactly 50) and let the car do the work. Also we drive to France a fair bit and it's quite good to set the cruise about 125-130KPH on the autoroute and, again, let the car do the boring bit. Having had adaptive cruise I don't think I'd like to go back to a standard non-intelligent system.
But, honestly, is it that much hassle to do my own lane changes or actually stop at traffic lights manually? No, not really.
Would I give up Python Yellow for that? As previously stated, no thanks.
Agree with everything. Adaptive cruise is a must, a car without it these days is absolutely out of question. Some automatic steering for the long, boring trips I might also find useful, but as you said, the automatic lane changes and such, what's those for. In real life, when you change lane (outside of the USA), there's something else happening too, so it's an active driving situation. Especially on the Autobahn, so hard to understand the Germans here.
Totally agree, my current car the 8.5 golf r has the park pilot and I've never once used it. If you cant park yourself you shouldn't be driving. Also with regards to the Adaptive cruise that can change lanes, why buy an Audi RS3 and not drive it yourself. To me there are a lot of gimmicks coming into the car world that are only there to say look what my car does, plus its a way to get more money out of us by upgrading and adding expensive packs ect.
I think the gimmicks also serve to make cars a more clinical experience, detaching drivers from the act of driving. Many of them cater to laziness rather than convenience (there are exceptions to that, of course), and I think it's all part of the move towards autonomous vehicles, as drivers do less and less of the work.
Sad, but unfortunately more and more people test driving as so ethjng that gets them from A to B, rather than an experience to be savoured.
Which might explain why an increasing number of drivers are so ****** awful
For me, adaptive cruise is the one bit of advanced tech I use. I have had it on a couple of VAG cars and it was one of the must-haves when I bought the 8V. I don't feel the need to 'drive' it everywhere, I drive it well enough when I am in the right place and time and happy to let the car take the strain other times.
For long motorway stretches like the M6 or M40 which I tend to do at night or early morning, it is nice to be able to give the right leg a rest and relive a bit of cramp sometimes. The ability to slow down behind slower traffic while you wait for the next lane to clear IMHO a huge leap over the constant connect/disconnect/fiddle with speed/ overshoot the setting I had when using dumb cruise control. Wouldn't trust it to change lanes for me though
Everything else, you can keep. One of the reasons I am still sat in the 8V. Nothing in the latest one to make me change my mind.
Yea I agree about the adaptive cruise is good to have but there is no need for it to overtake for us, even when the mirror indicated lights that tell us when its safe to pull out and overtake, I still glance over my left shoulder to make sure its safe, so god knows how I would react letting it pull out into traffic by itself lol.
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One of the reasons I never got the 8V was that it was only offered in a very spartan spec here, unless you paid ridiculous money for the options. It's a truly rare find if you come across one with the front parking sensors here. Otherwise I might still be driving one as well. I'm not familiar with the glorified interior quality of it, but there were things I really appreciated - not a single glaring surface anywhere and the MMI screen that could be folded into the dash when you don't need it, those are very driving-focused as well as elegant in a way that we won't see again.
Well, the 8Y design managed to impress me so that I wanted one the moment I saw it. As well as way more refined chassis, though I'm talking about the regular A3 here.
Absolutely, I always do the same. What a lot of people don't realise is the car accelerates back to cruise as soon as you indicate. It means you can't indicate until the last minute if cruise has slowed you down behind something, so I am always looking to make sure I am not going to surprise someone when I do.
I had budgeted for a full-spec car when they stopped DAZA production. Luckily I found one exactly as I would have spec'd it. Still not many with adaptive cruise here either. Annoying as it was standard on the Golf 7.5 R. Thankfully options are not as prohibitively expensive as they are in other countries (Ireland for example
)I always liked the sleeper aspect of the RS3, the design of the 8Y may have looked more aggressive but to me it lost the main reason I bought my 8V. Only things that come close are electric and I'm not there yet
They are moving to the electrification of the RS3 for the next gen, these screens will be Audi's 'norm' from now on.Absolutely, I always do the same. What a lot of people don't realise is the car accelerates back to cruise as soon as you indicate. It means you can't indicate until the last minute if cruise has slowed you down behind something, so I am always looking to make sure I am not going to surprise someone when I do.
I had budgeted for a full-spec car when they stopped DAZA production. Luckily I found one exactly as I would have spec'd it. Still not many with adaptive cruise here either. Annoying as it was standard on the Golf 7.5 R. Thankfully options are not as prohibitively expensive as they are in other countries (Ireland for example
I always liked the sleeper aspect of the RS3, the design of the 8Y may have looked more aggressive but to me it lost the main reason I bought my 8V. Only things that come close are electric and I'm not there yet
Sadly from July 27 that will be it for the 5 pot as it doesn't meet Euro 7 standards.
It's the way of things unfortunately - EVs, more driving "smarts", more data sent back to the mothership in real time and the gradual evolution of full self driving. Quietly included in the press release is the fact that the A3 can use "swarm data" from other cars to figure out what speed you are safe at. Give it ten years and humans will probably not be allowed to drive cars themselves at all. At which point ownership becomes a bit pointless - just book a self-driving uber (suber?) when you need.
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The 8V was the best A3 for me. We even have an 8Y and the build quality doesn’t even come close to the 8V. And now they have finally put the nail in the coffin with these screen that mirror the B10 A5 which I just got rid off to go back to the much superior B9.5.
I think I am done with Audi now. When the B9.5 goes to the scrap yard as I will be keeping it unless it starts going wrong big time I won’t be buying another Audi
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I think I am done with Audi now. When the B9.5 goes to the scrap yard as I will be keeping it unless it starts going wrong big time I won’t be buying another Audi
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah, the 8V was definitely the best A3 for me as well. I can't really standard the 8Y build and material quality and all the cost cuttings done to it (so many subtle things visually, but when you actually use the car, you feel it right away). The 8Y.5 improved it slightly with slightly better materials and now while this 8Y.75 has a crappy screen, but honestly, the "downgrade" isn't as big as going from 8V to 8Y.
Going from a dial climate control to the 8Y toggle is already bad (sure still physical, but toggle sucks), so I actually don't find that climate control in the screen is that much worse anymore.
I was texting a friend the other day about the new 8Y interior he agreed (ex 8V owner) that we’d had the best RS3 of its time when we had our 8Vs
Looks like I might be tolerating the 8Y easier than some others since I never had the 8V. I did have an 8P back in the day, and the build quality was also great. Had the Golf Mk 7.5 between it and the 8Y and I feel the 8Y is slightly better built. Significantly better in some places, you notice it when driving on the cobblestone streets.
My neighbour with their families had three 8V's at the same time at best. Now their own one has changed to 8Y. It appears to be a PHEV and not a brand new one, so I guess they bought it for cheap city driving and got a good trade-in deal. After they've owned it for some time, I'll have to chat with the guy and ask what he thinks about it.
My neighbour with their families had three 8V's at the same time at best. Now their own one has changed to 8Y. It appears to be a PHEV and not a brand new one, so I guess they bought it for cheap city driving and got a good trade-in deal. After they've owned it for some time, I'll have to chat with the guy and ask what he thinks about it.
This is something I hear a lot but don't agree. Usually when you adjust the temp you don't have to change it much, so turning the dial is more fiddly than just clicking the toggle by one finger, once or twice. I prefer the toggle. The Golf had the dials, admittedly they weren't that bad either. The ones in 8P A3 were stupid - toggles you had to use by twisting.
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The new BMW Neue Klasse interior innovations are actually pretty interesting, the "instrument cluster" projected at the foot of the windscreen looked very promising when I sat in the iX3. Too bad everything else is one big mess-up just in sake of being extraordinary. Integrate the central screen, add climate control buttons and design a steering wheel that looks like one of a car, and do not assemble it upside down. I think that would leave Audi and Merc scracth their heads for their next move. Now BMW seems to even the odds with their designs that irritate quite a few potential customers.
If anyone's interested, the German configurator is now updated.
Their accessory policy seems pretty silly! Looks like you'd probably be forced to tick the wheels as an option too, if they didn't need them to get the car to roll out of the factory
Their accessory policy seems pretty silly! Looks like you'd probably be forced to tick the wheels as an option too, if they didn't need them to get the car to roll out of the factory
I could not find the German configurator. There are some additional images of the new dash, but the graphics look generic and but surely not the RS3-specific version. I dislike it slightly less but will wait for proper images.
Sorry, I didn't notice the RS3 configurator wasn't up yet, only the A3 and S3 ones. But if you want to see what the dash looks like, there's not that much difference between the S and RS models, just the trim list materials I think.
The passenger side air vent area looks cheap as hell. I wondered why there wasn't any pics from the passenger side amongs the first press pics set, maybe because there's nothing to see, and it looks exactly like that.
S3 configurator: https://www.audi.de/de/neuwagen/a3/s3-sportback/konfigurator/?pr=8YYS5Y0_2027|9W9W|EI#configurator
The passenger side air vent area looks cheap as hell. I wondered why there wasn't any pics from the passenger side amongs the first press pics set, maybe because there's nothing to see, and it looks exactly like that.
S3 configurator: https://www.audi.de/de/neuwagen/a3/s3-sportback/konfigurator/?pr=8YYS5Y0_2027|9W9W|EI#configurator
I had the Climate Control switch failure, I could lower the temp but not raise it, one cold day I wodered if I adjusted it all the way down it might then work upwards? but it didnt and I was freezing, but, thank god it still responded to voice commandsI think voice commands are the most absurd reason to justify ditching the buttons. You want to turn the heat up by one degree, you push the temp button twice, takes a second. Using voice commands, "Hey Audi, turn the heat up by two degrees, please"... way more laborious and takes three-five seconds at best - if the system understands what you're mumbling. Plus the function refuses to work here - you can't switch the voice controls to English if your system uses Finnish, and guess what, Audi doesn't speak Finnish. On the other hand, why would you want to talk to your car anyway.
Never had an A/C switch failure, even though I've had 3 8Y's - with several failures...
RS3 is maybe the least touring car from Audi's lineup, so I find the self-driving functions quite pointless there. I understand they have been added since the tech is there anyway and it makes it look like something was added... but who ever asked for that? Buttons, goddamnit!
Not a fan of the BMW 3 series look alike new display, I still use the twin circular one, perhaps I'm a bit old school
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Probably not a popular opinion, but as someone coming from a 8V, the latest 8Y.75 interior is not really any much worse than the 8Y or 8Y.5.
As someone used to the MMI dial and climate control knobs, all the different 8Ys are all touch screen without a climate control knob and without a proper gear selector. The climate control toggle is only a tiny bit better than the touch screen in 8Y.75, but I reckon the design (minus the bezel) is much cleaner in the 8Y.75 than the 8Y or 8Y.5. They 8Y and 8Y.5 have way too many sharp lines in the interior, which make it feel so mechanical in a bad way.
As someone used to the MMI dial and climate control knobs, all the different 8Ys are all touch screen without a climate control knob and without a proper gear selector. The climate control toggle is only a tiny bit better than the touch screen in 8Y.75, but I reckon the design (minus the bezel) is much cleaner in the 8Y.75 than the 8Y or 8Y.5. They 8Y and 8Y.5 have way too many sharp lines in the interior, which make it feel so mechanical in a bad way.
The loss of the gear selector for me has always been a deal breaker. On twisty roads, especially if you slip the wheel police-style, you can end up with the paddle not under either hand or even on the opposite side. For me it has always been easier to knock the leaver up/down as it falls easily to hand. Far better to have paddles fixed to the column like one machine I drove for a while.
Only wish the lever moved in the 'correct' sense like the shift in competition cars and some Porsches, but that is in the process of being fixed.
The loss of the gear selector for me has always been a deal breaker. On twisty roads, especially if you slip the wheel police-style, you can end up with the paddle not under either hand or even on the opposite side. For me it has always been easier to knock the leaver up/down as it falls easily to hand. Far better to have paddles fixed to the column like one machine I drove for a while.
Only wish the lever moved in the 'correct' sense like the shift in competition cars and some Porsches, but that is in the process of being fixed.
Yeah, hopefully there is a 8Z (or whatever it may be codenamed as) with a "new" high quality interior that the Audi executives have indicated that they are going back to.
I am really hoping that this current generation of car is the trough for Audi and it can only be better from here. There is some hope looking at the new Q7/Q9 and the fact that they reversed back to the proper font. Even if they lose money, they should replace that current screen in the lineup as quickly as humanly possible to avoid ruining the brand image even further.
I wonder why they can't just relaunch the 8V and B9 interior but with better tech. I think they will sell like hot cakes and they wouldn't need to put in as much development cost.
Many car channels in YouTube keep repeating how they see hope in the Q7 and Q9, some even in Q3. I completely refuse to see it. Yes there are some small improvements like the window and mirror controls, which are basically just putting back the old stuff, and finally some alternatives for the piano black trim, which I don't hate as much as many do. Other than that, I see just the same crap repeated over and over. Considering how determinedly they have reworked the lineup to unify the interiors to this style and the same screen, I don't have the slightest faith there would be any real improvements for a long time.
The repice wouldn't be that complicated though - fix the grapics and the ridiculously wide frames of the screen, add (back) the most commonly used physical controls and ditch the cheapest plastics and rough cloth-alike materials, and we are talking again. Oh, and get rid of the useless passenger screen or at least don't force to buy it alongisde if you want to add some tech to your configuration, and offer a nice trim list insted of it. And do not continue any further with the newly designed stalk configuration.
Be optimistic!
There is definitely hope. You have to remember that there is a few years of lag time between initiating a design and us actually seeing it in a product. The fact that they went back to tradition for the easy-to-fix items indicates that they do intend to switch back. Things like the screen and stuff are definitely harder to fix items. I am confident that they will fix those in the next gen design.
Well, if they don't, byebye Audi.
I hope you're right. But it looks to me that since they overhauled basically the whole lineup in just few years, they won't be able to do it again right away. I also have no idea how they would make it happen without crazy price increases, since every European car maker seems to deal with the same problems now and the new Q7 is already crazy expensive. I'm not sure if you could even spec the old one as expensive as where the new one starts.
Basically they can only give as glimpses and promises of a better future, but there's no guarantee they'll be able to ever pull it off. Also looks like many manufacturers are confused of what they should be pulling off, since lots of newly presented cars have some ridiculous features that surely cost money, but only being unnecessary show-off tricks, while some of the basics are so off that people don't want to use their money to them.
Basically they can only give as glimpses and promises of a better future, but there's no guarantee they'll be able to ever pull it off. Also looks like many manufacturers are confused of what they should be pulling off, since lots of newly presented cars have some ridiculous features that surely cost money, but only being unnecessary show-off tricks, while some of the basics are so off that people don't want to use their money to them.
Yeah, unfortunately, it will be at least 2028 before we see the "good" interior. As their CTO said, they first car that will have the new interior would be the new A4 Etron and Q7 Etron, which are scheduled to be released in 2028. So for those of us that are waiting for the good interior in ICE cars, it would probably be 2029 or even 2030. It is very unfortunately, but I will at least give them a chance to see if they keep their promise. Well, if they fail, then I think they are done anyways as a car company.
I don't think a good interior will save them; by 2028, Europe will have been eaten by Chinese imports. If Audi had not lost one of their USPs in being known for excellent interior design and finish they may have fared better. It will take years to earn that reputation back if they can.
The new RS3 dash may not put me off ordering, but the graphics will if they are anything like the renders. I still haven't seen any real-world photos or RS3 specific images.
The new RS3 dash may not put me off ordering, but the graphics will if they are anything like the renders. I still haven't seen any real-world photos or RS3 specific images.
The designers and all those executives/board that approved the current design really destroyed the brand. It is sad and unfortunate.
IF you go to the Audi.de website, you will be able to find RS3 specific images of the new dash and graphics.
From Audi.de
Those white tiles are horrible. It's the worst GUI design I've seen, and if this is it, enough to make me look elsewhere. Awful
There's one thing I dig though: The icons are clear and not using too loud colors - the screen isn't too distracting. Merc and BMW screens look way more flamboyant but I only ask what the hell they are doing in a car.
On the other hand, what's the point of a huge screen if you only use it to show some dim icons?! The smaller old screen does its job just fine.
On the other hand, what's the point of a huge screen if you only use it to show some dim icons?! The smaller old screen does its job just fine.
You have a point about the font, I really dislike the font BMW uses on the M3, it's hard to read at a glance. Porsche set the standard for legibility.
It's the use of white backgrounds that I find odd in a world of dark themes - maybe that can be changed.
It's the use of white backgrounds that I find odd in a world of dark themes - maybe that can be changed.
Buying a theme changes some. If this is good enough or not is up to you, here's one example I found:
I think this also shows up one of the problems in the screen design: the empty black bevel looks even worse now. It could also be kind of ok-ish, if the wallpaper would go all the way to the edges of the screen.
I've even previewed many of them in my car but I think at least in the "old" screen the icons are a bit too transparent on the wallpaper and just look messy. I had one in my previous car that worked nicely but I didn't want to use the same one again.
Edit: I see you meant if the icon color can be changed, while just keeping the background blank. Not sure about that but I have some kind of memory like I had seen them in a different color.
I think this also shows up one of the problems in the screen design: the empty black bevel looks even worse now. It could also be kind of ok-ish, if the wallpaper would go all the way to the edges of the screen.
I've even previewed many of them in my car but I think at least in the "old" screen the icons are a bit too transparent on the wallpaper and just look messy. I had one in my previous car that worked nicely but I didn't want to use the same one again.
Edit: I see you meant if the icon color can be changed, while just keeping the background blank. Not sure about that but I have some kind of memory like I had seen them in a different color.
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Morning,
I ordered a new RS3 Carbon Vorsprung Sportback on the 11th June. Build week 31, now Status 20.
Neither the dealer nor Audi UK can 100% confirm if this car will be a MY26 or MY27.
Historically, the tooling and MY changeovers happen in May/early June. Also, week 31 is right before the summer shut down.
The Audi press release states cars will arrive at dealers mid September which is when mine is due.
Personally, Iw oddly prefer the MY27 with the new features.
Interestingly, I also bought my son a Seat Ibiza FR a week later. This has updated from MY26 -MY27 at the Status 30 stage.
Appreciate it a different vehicle however the VW group are fairly consistent with the MY changes across the brands. Almost always weeks 21/22 every year.
I ordered a new RS3 Carbon Vorsprung Sportback on the 11th June. Build week 31, now Status 20.
Neither the dealer nor Audi UK can 100% confirm if this car will be a MY26 or MY27.
Historically, the tooling and MY changeovers happen in May/early June. Also, week 31 is right before the summer shut down.
The Audi press release states cars will arrive at dealers mid September which is when mine is due.
Personally, Iw oddly prefer the MY27 with the new features.
Interestingly, I also bought my son a Seat Ibiza FR a week later. This has updated from MY26 -MY27 at the Status 30 stage.
Appreciate it a different vehicle however the VW group are fairly consistent with the MY changes across the brands. Almost always weeks 21/22 every year.
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Sounds like your car is being built around the changeover point. What new features do you like with the update?
The announcement of the new interior was soon followed by the updated German configurator. The UK version still isn't, so if you ordered today based on the configurator, you may get a surprise when your car arrives.
The announcement of the new interior was soon followed by the updated German configurator. The UK version still isn't, so if you ordered today based on the configurator, you may get a surprise when your car arrives.
Starting with the RS badge on the front
. I also prefer the new screen. I know many dont. Having the M3 - I dont mind the buttons for air-con now touch based.
I think the interior looks better overall. The upgraded adaptive cruise is also a bonus.
Agreed on the screens and climate, I don't mind them on the M3 either. The graphics concern me. I hope the RS3 graphics are similar to the current RS3, but the German configurator shows not.