Facelift Time to say goodbye.

[Mark_R]

After 3 years with my A3 S-line saloon, the longest I’ve been in the same car, I’ve decided to head over to the dark side after being 11 years away from BMW. Managed to get a good discount on a new BMW 320i M sport (with M sport plus pack), it’s a car coming into stock so should get it in the next couple of weeks.

So the process of VT’ing the Audi as been put in place, as I was only getting trade in values just above what the GFV of the car is worth next August.

Have enjoyed my time in the Audi, but with the current Audi range there is nothing which appeals to me as a replacement. Anyway a least it gives me an excuse to post a photo of my A3

 

[Chris4410]

Enjoy the new car, lack of something which I liked in the current Audi range was my reason for a brand change this time around as well. As much as I loved my S3 Saloon I didn’t want to be in the same car for another 3 years, I really liked the TTS but it’s just not a practical choice at the moment.

 

[S32B]

So the process of VT’ing the Audi as been put in place, as I was only getting trade in values just above what the GFV of the car is worth next August.

The new 3 series is a nice looking car mate, what colour have you gone for and does the plus pack give you the black front grill? Not 100% on that! but the rest looks good.

I looked into my left to pay vs sell price, if I sold it now I'd have to add £800 to pay it off to walk away. The px price is only £3k more than what the GFV will be next october, so I'd imagine year 2-3 will drop by more than £3k, so it's looking like I'll just be handing the keys back. No VT option for me, that kicks in 4 months after the car goes back lol!

Is that you Ford Orion Ghia as well? That has to be E-F plate with those alloys??? worth a few quid these days!

 

[Mark_R]

The new 3 series is a nice looking car mate, what colour have you gone for and does the plus pack give you the black front grill? Not 100% on that! but the rest looks good.

I looked into my left to pay vs sell price, if I sold it now I'd have to add £800 to pay it off to walk away. The px price is only £3k more than what the GFV will be next october, so I'd imagine year 2-3 will drop by more than £3k, so it's looking like I'll just be handing the keys back. No VT option for me, that kicks in 4 months after the car goes back lol!

Is that you Ford Orion Ghia as well? That has to be E-F plate with those alloys??? worth a few quid these days!

I’ve gone for Alpine white for the new car, I like my white cars. The plus pack gives the black front grill, black exhaust tips, 19” alloys, adaptive suspension, privacy glass and the bigger brakes with blue callipers.

That’s my Orion, just turned 30 years old on a G plate.

 

[S32B]

I’ve gone for Alpine white for the new car, I like my white cars. The plus pack gives the black front grill, black exhaust tips, 19” alloys, adaptive suspension, privacy glass and the bigger brakes with blue callipers.

That’s my Orion, just turned 30 years old on a G plate.

Yeah white is easy to look after I like the new dash display as well...very up to date

The orion looks in good condition, how long have you had it?

 

[KenL]

New 3 series sounds great. Ford Orion was a very classy car in its day.

 

[Mark_R]

Yeah white is easy to look after I like the new dash display as well...very up to date

The orion looks in good condition, how long have you had it?

The dash and tech are great, the dash though is not as customisable as the Audi virtual dash. The rev counter also goes counter clockwise which looks a bit odd.

I’ve had the Orion just over a year now and not done a 1000 miles in it yet. It’s in good condition but would benefit from a bit of tidying up underneath before the rust takes hold, my job over the winter.

 

[wab172uk]

I’ve had the Orion just over a year now and not done a 1000 miles in it yet. It’s in good condition but would benefit from a bit of tidying up underneath before the rust takes hold, my job over the winter.

Orion Ghia 1.6i? Always liked the Orion. Think they were ever so slightly quicker than the equivalent XR3i too.

The XR3i for the family man !!!

 

[winrya]

Great choice, a m sport plus 3 series will replace the s3 when the time comes. Ticks all the boxes for me. Waiting to test drive a 330e but I really want to hold out to see what the 4 series brings

 

[Ron240]

Orion Ghia 1.6i? Always liked the Orion. Think they were ever so slightly quicker than the equivalent XR3i too.

The Orion had identical performance to the XR3i from an identical engine. There was however a very slight increase to the performance of the engine around 1990 when Ford gave it electronic fuel injection.
I bought a brand new Orion 1.6 GLSi in June 1989 which was an F plate. Cost at the time if I remember correctly was £9300.
Was a good car when new....but turned out to be a rust bucket due to Ford using crap metal at the time. It needed welding done in the boot at just over 3 years old!
I kept it a total of 8 years.

 

[Jassyo06]

Hi nice choice of car,l like the all new 3 Series a lot well there are 2 niggles that annoy me about it,1 The deep sculpted inlay for the door handles...OK i could oversee that to be honest but the other issue l have that i dont like that l could not get over, is everyone would think its a Company/Fleet car ie they will become extremely popular on the UK roads

Same dilemma if l were choosing the new A4....ITS JUST....that car sector to be honest that bugs me

 

[Mark_R]

Hi nice choice of car,l like the all new 3 Series a lot well there are 2 niggles that annoy me about it,1 The deep sculpted inlay for the door handles...OK i could oversee that to be honest but the other issue l have that i dont like that l could not get over, is everyone would think its a Company/Fleet car ie they will become extremely popular on the UK roads

Same dilemma if l were choosing the new A4....ITS JUST....that car sector to be honest that bugs me

Never really noticed the door handles before, but the only reservation I have on the styling is the grille, one minute I think it looks good then the next time I see it I think it’s way to big.

I do agree on your second point but that’s just the class of car it is, but it is getting great reviews as being more of a drivers car than it main rivals. I did look at the Merc A class saloon and CLA but after sitting in the back of both of them the rear seat space is terrible, I felt like I was perched on the seat, with no support under the back of my legs.

 

[Jassyo06]

Never really noticed the door handles before, but the only reservation I have on the styling is the grille, one minute I think it looks good then the next time I see it I think it’s way to big.

I do agree on your second point but that’s just the class of car it is, but it is getting great reviews as being more of a drivers car than it main rivals. I did look at the Merc A class saloon and CLA but after sitting in the back of both of them the rear seat space is terrible, I felt like I was perched on the seat, with no support under the back of my legs.

**** the Merc....cheap tat interior....plus it's bland exterior styling,ye made the right choice with the 3 series plus its never going to be as popular on the roads as the A Class is,my son is a Sales Manager for BMW....and its a possibility l may end up in a BMW next,3 series looks good in white

 

[Jcbmally]

Enjoy the new car, lack of something which I liked in the current Audi range was my reason for a brand change this time around as well. As much as I loved my S3 Saloon I didn’t want to be in the same car for another 3 years, I really liked the TTS but it’s just not a practical choice at the moment.

So you didn't have the Merc long, what happened mate ??

 

[Chris4410]

So you didn't have the Merc long, what happened mate ??

A series of problems with the car, the most serious (annoying) being loud continuous creaks in the car while driving.

Several phone calls and independent assessments later the car was successfully rejected, my money returned with some compensation on top.

And a lesson learnt never to deal with Mercedes Benz again (well certainly not my local dealer), to be fair the AMG division of MB were very good.

I may considered a mid cycle AMG A35, hopefully by then they will have sorted all the issues out, including the terrible build quality.

 

[Jcbmally]

A series of problems with the car, the most serious (annoying) being loud continuous creaks in the car while driving.

Several phone calls and independent assessments later the car was successfully rejected, my money returned with some compensation on top.

And a lesson learnt never to deal with Mercedes Benz again (well certainly not my local dealer), to be fair the AMG division of MB were very good.

I may considered a mid cycle AMG A35, hopefully by then they will have sorted all the issues out, including the terrible build quality.

Wow, well at least you got sorted. Who says German cars are the best !!!! They can all go wrong for whatever reason, Anyhoo, how does the Golf compare to your recent cars mate.

 

[Chris4410]

Wow, well at least you got sorted. Who says German cars are the best !!!! They can all go wrong for whatever reason, Anyhoo, how does the Golf compare to your recent cars mate.

Quite close to the S3 in terms of the build quality and use of quality materials as you would expect it being from the VAG group, I was concerned about the FWD nature of the car but the mechanical diff is really impressive and provides a very enjoyable driving experience.

Its not quite as good as the S3 was, but in TCR spec and mine being pure grey which is a TCR only colour it is rare sight on the roads. Added to that, it is significantly cheaper than the A35 and S3, largely due to a VW discount and a dealer contribution.

I am more than happy with it so far, it ticks the boxes for being fun, practical and with the active dampers comfortable when you need it to be. It is also well spec'd, the only thing it is missing that I would have liked again is the pan roof. With the money I am saving it gives me extra to put towards the next purchase, which will definitely be a 2 seater roadster or coupe.

 

[Jcbmally]

Quite close to the S3 in terms of the build quality and use of quality materials as you would expect it being from the VAG group, I was concerned about the FWD nature of the car but the mechanical diff is really impressive and provides a very enjoyable driving experience.

Its not quite as good as the S3 was, but in TCR spec and mine being pure grey which is a TCR only colour it is rare sight on the roads. Added to that, it is significantly cheaper than the A35 and S3, largely due to a VW discount and a dealer contribution.

I am more than happy with it so far, it ticks the boxes for being fun, practical and with the active dampers comfortable when you need it to be. It is also well spec'd, the only thing it is missing that I would have liked again is the pan roof. With the money I am saving it gives me extra to put towards the next purchase, which will definitely be a 2 seater roadster or coupe.

Spot on mate, the Golf always seems to deliver fun/practicality/value for money.

 

[Mark_R]

Have picked up the A3’s replacement last Saturday, sorry the pictures are not the best.

 

[TYb]

Have picked up the A3’s replacement last Saturday, sorry the pictures are not the best.

View attachment 191412
View attachment 191413

I do like the latest 3 series and was on my list before the MX5. How’s the performance in the 320?

 

[Mark_R]

I do like the latest 3 series and was on my list before the MX5. How’s the performance in the 320?

At the moment it feels quick (BMW quote 0-62mph in 7.1s), compared to my A3 diesel (150). It’s helped by the 8 speed auto and it seems pretty good on fuel as well for a large petrol saloon.

 

[KenL]

Very nice indeed.

 

[NevMan]

Have picked up the A3’s replacement last Saturday, sorry the pictures are not the best.

View attachment 191412
View attachment 191413

Very nice mate, white with blacked out bits looked great!

 

[Lehn]

Have picked up the A3’s replacement last Saturday, sorry the pictures are not the best.

View attachment 191412
View attachment 191413

Really nice car mate. I like the looks of the new BMW but what I like the most is the new interior. That was the only reason I didn't got a M140i over the S3 two years ago - however, today I'm glad I ended up with the S3 for several other reasons.

Can you post some pictures from inside the car?

 

[Terminator x]

Audi need to sort themselves out as a lot of us seem to have moved or be moving to the dark side!

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

 

[wab172uk]

Audi need to sort themselves out as a lot of us seem to have moved or be moving to the dark side!

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

I think the rot has set in though.

Questionable exterior design language.
Horrible dash design.
Lack of manual on anything sporty.
Build quality taking a downward spiral.
Penny pinching by taking `S3` badges out and replacing with standard `S` logo's, cheapen the cars
Packs that give you things you don't want, just to get the one thing you do.
And ever rising retail prices.

I think the only exception for me is the RS5. When the new shape RS5 came out, you could spec it to over £100,000. Now the car is pretty much fully loaded for £70,000 all in. Car looks great in Red. It's the only Audi I could see myself buying. But it would require a huge discount in order for me to consider ordering one. But it's a big old bus, so more a GT than anything sporty. And for that price you're talking lightly used 911's

 

[Jassyo06]

Have picked up the A3’s replacement last Saturday, sorry the pictures are not the best.

View attachment 191412
View attachment 191413

Very nice indeed the 340i is on my list for my next car

 

[Jassyo06]

I think the rot has set in though.

Questionable exterior design language.
Horrible dash design.
Lack of manual on anything sporty.
Build quality taking a downward spiral.
Penny pinching by taking `S3` badges out and replacing with standard `S` logo's, cheapen the cars
Packs that give you things you don't want, just to get the one thing you do.
And ever rising retail prices.

I think the only exception for me is the RS5. When the new shape RS5 came out, you could spec it to over £100,000. Now the car is pretty much fully loaded for £70,000 all in. Car looks great in Red. It's the only Audi I could see myself buying. But it would require a huge discount in order for me to consider ordering one. But it's a big old bus, so more a GT than anything sporty. And for that price you're talking lightly used 911's

You've more next cars on yer list than what kids have on their toy list for Santa mate ....dont see you ever getting shot of yer pfl S3

 

[wab172uk]

You've more next cars on yer list than what kids have on their toy list for Santa mate ....dont see you ever getting shot of yer pfl S3

Lol, yeah. I bounce between cars every week. St, RS5, X3 40i, A35 AMG. and 911 Carrera T.

I've currently got 3 cars, and need to sell at least one. The biggest dilemma is between my S3, and my late fathers Tuscon. The engine failure has knocked my confidence in the S3. What next will go wrong? Clutch? Dampers? Will all be money out of my pocket. But cheaper than buying a new car I suppose?

Tuscon still has 2 years warranty and the GF likes driving it. It's a better car for our holidays too.

The S3 is such a good car, it's really hard to decide what to change it to. The other snag is I work from home, and work a lot of weekends, so whatever I buy will be very lightly used. Lot of money to spend to fill the garage up with.

 

[cuke2u]

I think the rot has set in though.

Questionable exterior design language.
Horrible dash design.
Lack of manual on anything sporty.
Build quality taking a downward spiral.
Penny pinching by taking `S3` badges out and replacing with standard `S` logo's, cheapen the cars
Packs that give you things you don't want, just to get the one thing you do.
And ever rising retail prices.

I think the only exception for me is the RS5. When the new shape RS5 came out, you could spec it to over £100,000. Now the car is pretty much fully loaded for £70,000 all in. Car looks great in Red. It's the only Audi I could see myself buying. But it would require a huge discount in order for me to consider ordering one. But it's a big old bus, so more a GT than anything sporty. And for that price you're talking lightly used 911's

Agreed, however I cannot see any reason to get into another new Audi at the moment, I've done both a A3 and A4 now and it's time to move on...