Panoramic roof / roof bars / magnetic ride

[sunscreemer]

I've a separate thread covering my possible return to Audi from the dark side and my specification is pretty much nailed on in most aspects thanks to some great help and input from people on here.

There are however a couple of "luxury" items I added to my spec as I aimed to start high, but as my part-ex valuation is not as i'd like and the deal is quite costly i'm reviewing those extras. Please, your input again is valuable....

I would like to keep the panoramic roof as it makes the car that bit different and having seen a Monsoon grey sportback with this is looks awesome. I had thought the sportback looked great with roof bars, but now i've added the panoramic roof i think that both this and roof bars don't look right so thinking of ditching the roof bars - thoughts?

I also added the magnetic ride. This is obviously costly and i'm wondering whether it's a must have or something i would never miss if didn't have it. The dealer didn't seem to think i'd miss it so perhaps this is something i could remove to get the cost down a but and not regret - again, thoughts please!

Thanks guys, really appreciate your help. Any pics of your similarly specced S3's welcome too... maybe help sway me ;-) (my current code = ACEB365P)

 

[Dtwm1]

I personally don't like the roof bars, i think it makes the car look longer than it is, almost avant like. I think the general opinion of mag ride is that it isn't worth the price tag

 

[naughts4187]

I've a separate thread covering my possible return to Audi from the dark side and my specification is pretty much nailed on in most aspects thanks to some great help and input from people on here.

There are however a couple of "luxury" items I added to my spec as I aimed to start high, but as my part-ex valuation is not as i'd like and the deal is quite costly i'm reviewing those extras. Please, your input again is valuable....

I would like to keep the panoramic roof as it makes the car that bit different and having seen a Monsoon grey sportback with this is looks awesome. I had thought the sportback looked great with roof bars, but now i've added the panoramic roof i think that both this and roof bars don't look right so thinking of ditching the roof bars - thoughts?

I also added the magnetic ride. This is obviously costly and i'm wondering whether it's a must have or something i would never miss if didn't have it. The dealer didn't seem to think i'd miss it so perhaps this is something i could remove to get the cost down a but and not regret - again, thoughts please!

Thanks guys, really appreciate your help. Any pics of your similarly specced S3's welcome too... maybe help sway me ;-) (my current code = ACEB365P)

Hi! I've gone for the roof but I'm a 3 door hatch. It's not the proper pan roof of old as it has to fit the saloon on the 8V but it's still a nice touch. For me, roof bars are there to serve a purpose, if you're going to be carrying stuff then it's a no brainer. As for mag ride, I personally love it, my old man has a 991 with it and it's backbreakingly good when giving it a thrash, but it's 90% off for normal driving. I didn't spec this on the S3 as I wanted to drop the ride height slightly, there's too much body roll and the S3 stock suspension is too spongy for my liking. Rather than £995 on mag ride from factory, I'm going to go for a KW suspension kit which can be electronically set up and adjusted from in the car, giving the best of both worlds. I like to drive hard so for me it's worth it.

Hope that helps!

 

[Rob2k68]

I have sunroof with no roof bars on my Daytona Grey S/B check out my pictures in the collection thread. For me it looks fabulously clean and pretty stealthy on the grey car.

Functionality wise everything I carry will be in the hatch or with the seats folded so no need for roof bars. The sunroof adds much needed light to the interior and when tilted adds a really nice breeze of fresh air into the cabin. Mag ride probably a bit more of a risk I went with it mainly for the comfort setting which is spot on but not had a play on Dynamic yet as only had the car a week - prob best to test drive both back to back.

 

[sunscreemer]

I think confirmed deletion of roof bars now i'm set to stick with the panoramic roof.

Just the magnetic ride to debate....

 

[leosayer1]

You don't need roof bars to carry stuff on the roof.

 

[HawkeyeS3]

You don't need roof bars to carry stuff on the roof.

Really - I thought you did - how do you fit a rack then without roof bars (I'd be interested as I have a S3 SB with Pan roof and no roof bars)

 

[HawkeyeS3]

I think confirmed deletion of roof bars now i'm set to stick with the panoramic roof.

Just the magnetic ride to debate....

I don't have mag ride, but then I don't think you need it, the handling - unless you are going to put your car on the track - is more than adequate for sporty driving on UK roads, and I say this having come from having owned an Evo X beforehand where the handling really was immaculate!

I've had my SBS3 for just on a year now, and am very impressed with the way it handles after the Evo. By all means do go for the magnetic ride, but for my money, I'd say its a "nice to have", rather than a "must have" on the SB in all honesty.

Oh - and I have the pan roof, no roof bars. Looks better IMO without the roof bars with the pan roof.

 

[WeeDram]

The S3 we test drove did not have mag ride and I took it on some rough roads and tight bends. It worked fine and in fact I had to ask the sales person whether it really was the regular suspension. I found there was a psychological difference between Comfort and Dynamic because the steering was lighter/stiffer. Since the steering feedback is a little dead either way it made it feel like the suspension was lighter/stiffer when in reality it was the same.

The S3 I actually got does have mag ride. I find it corners a little better than the tester under full steam but that may be psychological too, to justify dropping a wad on it

In summary I'd say for most driving it's a nice-to-have.

 

[M_D_O_London]

I have aluminium roof bars and pano roof. Bring a bit biased here but I think the combo works well.

The A3 SB shape is a more stretched version of a conventional hatchback and is almost estate-ish. I think the roof rails complete the mini-avant look with the added practicality advantages.

 

[sunscreemer]

I have aluminium roof bars and pano roof. Bring a bit biased here but I think the combo works well.

The A3 SB shape is a more stretched version of a conventional hatchback and is almost estate-ish. I think the roof rails complete the mini-avant look with the added practicality advantages.

I think you're right that the stretched look of the S3 benefits from something, which is why i thought it really suited roof bars. Having become taken by the panoramic roof i think it suits one or the other, or maybe even both, but I guess if i don't need the practical benefits of roof bars then just panoramic should be fine.

 

[steeve]

If you don't need roof bars why on earth would you pay extra for them????????????

 

[sunscreemer]

If you don't need roof bars why on earth would you pay extra for them????????????

For me it was only aesthetics as i thought the car looked better with them on but the panoramic roof is practical and aesthetically i think means no need to look at roof bars. Let's face it i'm sure many of us have specced elements far costlier than £250 just simply for how they look rather than any practical benefit!

 

[Hartwell]

Audi describes them as 'roof rails' and they are rails - not bars as in the thread title. They look better in photos than in reality IMO. The solid rail looks a little odd to me. There primary purpose appears to be cosmetic, as others above have said, visually they elongate the car and give it a mini-estate look. The transverse roof bars can be fitted without the rails (https://roofracks.co.uk/Thule-Fit-G...=without-roof-rails&modelYear=2013-plus&id=42 or an Audi accessories equivalent).

 

[fivespice]

If you don't need roof bars why on earth would you pay extra for them????????????

Purely aesthetics for me too.
If I were to spec roof rails, it would have to be in black. And if i'm having black roof rails then I'll have to have the black styling pack, etc etc..

To the OP - Monsoon grey looks fab on the S3. I'm sure you will have seen the pictures on Flickr. Matches beautifully with the bright front grill.

 

[mjcourtney]

Audi describes them as 'roof rails' and they are rails - not bars as in the thread title. They look better in photos than in reality IMO. The solid rail looks a little odd to me. There primary purpose appears to be cosmetic, as others above have said, visually they elongate the car and give it a mini-estate look. The transverse roof bars can be fitted without the rails (https://roofracks.co.uk/Thule-Fit-G...=without-roof-rails&modelYear=2013-plus&id=42 or an Audi accessories equivalent).

So what does that clamp on to then? Because looking at my roof its all smooth without any traditional gulleys to fit it to. Interested to know in case I do ever get round to needing a roof box.

 

[........]

l have the Black Roof Rails + Panroof,why the Roof Rails..? l have always liked the Audi Avant Styley for years,yeah it makes the car look longer but thats not a bad thing,in my opinion the Black Roof Rails in conjuction the Pano-roof and Black Styling Pack work very well indeed,the car looks great with or without them....l got them just to enhance the Black theme.....l will never carry anything on the roof,unless her indoors Chuck's me oot....lol

 

[Richy_C]

Ok so back to the Mag ride.

i deleted this option based on the conclusion that it was designed to stiffen up the suspension. now an adverse benafit of this is that when the system is off it makes it slightly softer that the normal suspension. this is because the normal suspension has to be both firm and soft so is somewhere in between.

i tested as others did cars without and it is not too firm at all for me so there was no way i was going to blow the extra cash on this when i could get some other goodies that i would actually enjoy.

 

[Rob2k68]

I've got mag ride but still getting used to it and only 300 miles on the clock so not pushed it yet by any means. What I can say is that comfort mode is exactly that a very plush ride probably softer than the s-line A3 8P that I had then switch to dynamic there's nothing immediate that you can sense it still soaks up the bumps well but there's less bounce. There's a speed bump going into our estate it's quite large and has a zebra crossing on it - the number of bounces in dynamic is 2 but there's probably 4 in comfort. Not very scientific I know but try them both and see what you think also what roads are you driving on most of the time and what pace ?

 

[sunscreemer]

Losing the magnetic ride from the spec helps bring a deal a lot closer. If it's not something I'll always regret leaving off the list then maybe I should lose it. I like firm suspension and my 10 plate s-line suspension was fine for me in all circumstances so maybe I should save the £1k.

 

[veeeight]

If you are at all an enthusiastic driver and like pushing the car, keep the mag ride. The standard dampers on the S3 are absolutely woeful when pressing on. Pitchy, fidgety, bouncy, shocking (no pun intended) compression/rebound characteristics for an S car.

On the other hand if you just potter around the standard S3 suspension is fine.

 

[sunscreemer]

Ahhhhhh!!!! Damned if i do, damned if i don't ;-)

 

[HawkeyeS3]

Much as I respect your views veeeight, I have to say that I don't find what you describe when I'm pushing on around country lanes - and trust me I do push on when I'm by myself. Yes would 100% agree with you if you are pushing on the limit on a track, but on UK roads, I find the suspension perfectly adequate for keeping the S3 planted and don't find it fidgety at all, up to as much spirited driving as one can use sensibly.

OK, I can't go quite as quick as when I had my Evo X, but for standard suspension on the S3, I'm quite impressed how well it does handle and grip. I've not found any of the characteristics you mention, the only time I've had mine break is if I turn in a bit quick, and that is the Conti's not gripping as they should.

 

[sunscreemer]

A couple of reviews i read suggested the magnetic was being a bit inconsistent, i guess i'm slightly worried that a variable setup could be more prone to inconsistency than the standard suspension - of course i'm not avoiding all extras as "more things to go wrong", far from it, but concerns over the suspension set-up are more clear.

 

[veeeight]

Much as I respect your views veeeight, I have to say that I don't find what you describe when I'm pushing on around country lanes - and trust me I do push on when I'm by myself.

I'm not alone in this......
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/s3-or-golf-r-or-even-an-s1.219948/page-7#post-2320334

The most recent evo road test also commented on this characteristic.

I find the compression/rebound characteristics of the dampers quite unlike any other go-faster car I've driven.

 

[ACWKGYTO]

Can the roof rails be retrofitted on the sportback ? Please say no !

 

[HawkeyeS3]

Can the roof rails be retrofitted on the sportback ? Please say no !

Strangely I asked my dealer that question some months back, and the answer was that he "couldn't see why not". What the cost would be though and whether I'd want all the headlining etc pulled out to fit them is another question.

Didn't fancy that anyway so bought roof bars for the wife's A1 instead!

 

[ACWKGYTO]

Strangely I asked my dealer that question some months back, and the answer was that he "couldn't see why not". What the cost would be though and whether I'd want all the headlining etc pulled out to fit them is another question.

Didn't fancy that anyway so bought roof bars for the wife's A1 instead!

Thank **** for that !