Looking at buying a 57 plate S3

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Nicki

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Hi all,

I'm looking at buying an S3 at the moment, and the one I've got my eye on is a 2008 57 plate in Phantom Black.

Have a few quick questions for you:
- Am I right that it won't have DRLs & that these are only on the later ones?
- How expensive are the xenons to replace if they go? How frequently do they go? (I had one go on my Lupo - stupidly expensive)
- Is it 5 years / 75k for the cambelt / water pump etc?
- Folding mirrors?
- Cruise control?
- Is the BOSE worth it? (Seems a lot of people think it's not?)

Thanks in advance :)
 
Hi, I am not sure on the top 2 as mine is a 2010 model but the cam belt is every 5 years or 75 000 miles and water pump should be changed at same time.
Folding mirrors and cruise control are both optional extras some have them some don't it depends what options the first owner chose.
Cruise can be retro fitted quite easily but not sure on the folding mirrors I imagine it would be fairly expensive.
I love the Bose in mine and think it is much better than my previous one which just had standard. Everyone has there own opinion really. If you like the sound with the standard system then I wouldn't worry about it.
Haldex oil and filter is every 40 000 miles and brake fluid every 3 years I think.
 
Brilliant, thanks :)

I thought it would be 5 yrs / 75k but worth checking as the one i'm looking at has just turned 5 years old and hasn't had it done yet. Dealer selling it seemed to think it wasn't needed yet, but I'm going to use it as a bargaining point to get the price down. Last thing you want when buying a new car is a £400 bill on top!

Will phone the dealer re cruise/mirrors then so see if it has either. :)
 
I have 2007 s3. There fantastic fun cars but running costs are high especially when modifying. Get as many extras as possible. I've got rns drl zenon s adaptive headlights Bose cruise control auto wipers auto headlights stc but want buckets so much. But blimey are they expensive. Just buy one and let the fun begin
 
Hi,

Don't intend modifying it, so that should hopefully keep costs down a little. Also don't do a massive amount of miles, so that helps with running costs too (although, i'm sure the number of miles I do will increase when I've got a car I enjoy driving, rather than one that just gets me from A to B...)

Didn't think of auto lights / auto wipers (have both on my Mazda), so will add that to the list of questions for the dealer.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the buckets (there's a couple on autotrader at the moment with them) - I just don't think they suit the more mature sophisticated look of the S3. Look a bit too Evo-ish in my opinion... <Awaits being shot down in flames> ;) I'm after the leather / alcantara interior...
 
Nicki said:
Brilliant, thanks :)

I thought it would be 5 yrs / 75k but worth checking as the one i'm looking at has just turned 5 years old and hasn't had it done yet. Dealer selling it seemed to think it wasn't needed yet, but I'm going to use it as a bargaining point to get the price down. Last thing you want when buying a new car is a £400 bill on top!

Will phone the dealer re cruise/mirrors then so see if it has either. :)
Click to expand...
£400? And the rest. My car has done 39,000 miles and the tensioner started to squeal. £570 i believe from Audi (discounted) for Cambelt, Water Pump and tensioners thrown in.

Also Bose is 100% worth it. The standard speakers are crap.

With regards to cruise - I have in all honesty never even used it in my car. It's a novelty extra.
 
Friend of mine works for an Audi specialist and said he thought it'd be about £400 for the cambelt / water pump. Obv that's on top of the normal service cost.

Good to hear some positive feedback about the Bose - was disappointed when I read negative comments about it.

Got cruise control on the Mazda and use it quite regularly. I live in an area with a lot of 40mph static cameras and 50mph & 70mph average speed cameras so it's handy late at night on an empty dual carriageway, when your speed can accidental creep up... Not essential, but would be nice.

:)
 
Nicki said:
Hi all,I'm looking at buying an S3 at the moment, and the one I've got my eye on is a 2008 57 plate in Phantom Black.Have a few quick questions for you:- Am I right that it won't have DRLs & that these are only on the later ones?- How expensive are the xenons to replace if they go? How frequently do they go? (I had one go on my Lupo - stupidly expensive)- Is it 5 years / 75k for the cambelt / water pump etc? - Folding mirrors?- Cruise control?- Is the BOSE worth it? (Seems a lot of people think it's not?)Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...
Just a few things....even if you don't like the look of the buckets,they are grippy and comfortable,and maybe as importantly,they do add to the resale value significantly.
Xenons....the bulb is about £150,but if it blows and takes the ballast with it,you're into about £700,as I know to my own cost!
Bose,and cruise control.....mine has Bose,but I don't rate it terribly highly like all things Bose,as it produces a lot of upper bass noise,and not much real meat.
 
davicio said:
£400? And the rest. My car has done 39,000 miles and the tensioner started to squeal. £570 i believe from Audi (discounted) for Cambelt, Water Pump and tensioners thrown in.

Also Bose is 100% worth it. The standard speakers are crap.

With regards to cruise - I have in all honesty never even used it in my car. It's a novelty extra.
Click to expand...


Cruise control is awesome for the long motorway journeys, it's far from a novelty...

i wouldn't go back to car without cruise control now.
 
That's about what I expected for the xenon to be honest.

My Lupo had a xenon go, which cost me about £570 for the bulb & ballast, without labour. Long story short, my local dealership (now under different ownership) took 4 weeks to fix it after continually ordering the wrong parts. Ended up having a "discussion" with the DP and he agreed to drop the labour charges in the end.
 
One other thing.....get yourself a good independent for tuning and repairs.... AMDTuning are just down the road from you,and well able to fix things that the dealers won't even find.
 
Hi- I am new to this forum and will formally announce myself this weekend....but I have a 2007 reg S3 and it simply is superb!

Options from factory were- Flat bottomed wheel
Bose with Ipod dock in glove box
Front and rear armrests (not sure if rear armrests are an option?)
2x trackers
Reversing sensors
Light pack with auto dimming all round.

Mods so far- DV valve by Forge
MY09 rear lights to be fitted this weekend....
Future plans are to get the brake servo fitted and the triangle knee grab handles in leather with the armrests also restitched :)
 
Nicki said:
Hi all,

I'm looking at buying an S3 at the moment, and the one I've got my eye on is a 2008 57 plate in Phantom Black.

Have a few quick questions for you:
- Am I right that it won't have DRLs & that these are only on the later ones?
- How expensive are the xenons to replace if they go? How frequently do they go? (I had one go on my Lupo - stupidly expensive)
- Is it 5 years / 75k for the cambelt / water pump etc?
- Folding mirrors?
- Cruise control?
- Is the BOSE worth it? (Seems a lot of people think it's not?)

Thanks in advance :)
Click to expand...

Just to add my bit mate - Mines a 2007 S3
- i have DRL's as standard
- Xenons can be expensive to replace but factory xenons are unlikely to go never had a fault with mine...
- cambelt i would go with 5 years or just get it done between 60k-75k
- iv not seen an s3 till date with folding mirrors (thats if you mean electric folding)
- cruise control is an optional extras but if you dont have it can easily get it installed through a number of users on here depending on location ( i used dannyk9)
- And the BOSE is good if you enjoy your music :)
 
avvy786 said:
Just to add my bit mate - Mines a 2007 S3
- i have DRL's as standard
- Xenons can be expensive to replace but factory xenons are unlikely to go never had a fault with mine...
- cambelt i would go with 5 years or just get it done between 60k-75k
- iv not seen an s3 till date with folding mirrors (thats if you mean electric folding)
- cruise control is an optional extras but if you dont have it can easily get it installed through a number of users on here depending on location ( i used dannyk9)
- And the BOSE is good if you enjoy your music :)
Click to expand...

Brill, thanks for your input :)

Don't think this one has folding wing mirrors or cruise control, but if cruise is easy to retrofit, then that's not a big problem.

I do like my music, so pleased that you seem to rate the BOSE :)

Thanks guys :) x
 
Just to be specific, the DRLs on the pre facelift S3 are a single halogen bulb either side, not the LED strips on the newer A3 models.

A lot of owners will change the bulbs for a whiter halogen or an LED bulb
 
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