g7jhp Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 My local dealer gave me a call to say he could get hold of one from another branch in the group and so I arranged to go down and test drive it this morning. The roads were streaming wet but there was little traffic when I arrived to see the Phantom Black Audi S3 sitting outside the showroom. The car had standard alloys, seats, wheel but had the following options Sat Nav, Park Assist, Bose, Split Load, various lighting packs. My first impression is that Phanton Black doesn't really do the car justice it makes it look a little dull, on opening the door the car appears low slung and the cabin is rock solid (although I'm not wild about the dash material). The standard seats were very comfortable (although I'd have liked electric rather than manual adjustment) and it all wraps nicely around you. The clutch is light, the new gearstift is a delight and at the first opportunity I had I buried the throttle into the floor to see what the performance was like. The power is superb, there is no noticable lag (it certainly feels better than my old 225bhp S3) and with the much improved gears the car feels so much better. Add in the cornering with little body roll, great grip, light but communicative steering feel and I can see this car being as if not more popular than the old model. To me Audi have taken the previous model and improved the performance, gears, body roll but left the core of a Q car which doesn't need to shout at everybody but delivers when you need it to. I'm certainly going to get one, but I'm going to get some 19"RS4 alloys put on to give it the look the performance and build quality deserves. Forget about reading the reviews, go and get a test drive and make your own mind up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S3Rob Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Thanks for the review. Isn't it funny that everyone who drives the new S3 is really positive about it and yet a few magazines have been quite lukewarm. It will be interesting to see UK grouptests, I guess they will be tested soon. Quite a few orders for it on here now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark88 Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 19's RS4s for the A3 don't exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colly Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 I'm sure they do in replica form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark88 Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 [ QUOTE ] I'm sure they do in replica form. [/ QUOTE ] They don't. Not with the correct offset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g7jhp Posted November 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I'm sure they do in replica form. [/ QUOTE ] They don't. Not with the correct offset. [/ QUOTE ] They may not exist, but I'm sure they could be made to fit by machining the correct offset or spacers. Where there's the will there's the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banwelll Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 Is it just me or do all the new reviewers of the s3 only have 1 or 2 posts to their name? Dealers drumming up sales? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitas3 Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Is it just me or do all the new reviewers of the s3 only have 1 or 2 posts to their name? Dealers drumming up sales? [/ QUOTE ] or maybe it is users with new S3 orders trying to drum up support! Anyway, I just wish some people would stop getting upset about what's written on here about this car FFS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark88 Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 hmmm, I did think it was rather strange that every user road test we've heard has been positive and every pro review has been average-below average. But I'm not sure these are fake posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prt57 Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 I can say that my post was not fake! I really had a good time last Sunday morning on my 2 hour test drive. prt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitas3 Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 I will have a test drive of the new S3 next week - I just hope it will be on my own. However I'm under no illusions the new car will have moved the game further on than mine in some respects and will appeal to those people new to small marque, prestige marque high performance cars like the S3 or moving from other marques. Feck mine is 62k miles and is 4 years old now. Personally, who gives a monkeys how slick the gear shift is or how neat the engine bay looks? As far as I'm concerned mine will take a lot of beating with its remap and porsche brakes/R32 rear anti-roll bar. Performance-wise A B6 S4 couldn't overtake me this morning from the traffic lights (admittedly I did dump the clutch on a wet road! ) and I'm sure as hell likely to give him a hard time on the track (For sure, the original S3 isn't the best handling-wise from the factory but a very simple swap of the rear anti-roll bar in favour of the R32 one changes the S3 dynamics significantly if you press-on). The impression I'm getting at the moment is that most people have just driven the car on the road. Take the car on the track for a few hours and it may be a different animal but in reality most drivers won't drive the car on public roads like they would on a track (or are simply mental). The new S3's looks are subjective IMO - I think Audi should have done a proper job on this - why buy an introductory S-series car (one that is expensive at that) that looks very little different to an S-Line both exterior and interior-wise. I say the same about an S4 - I've had one and then I bought the RS4 and without doubt you knew which one felt more special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spook Posted November 17, 2006 Report Share Posted November 17, 2006 [ QUOTE ] The new S3's looks are subjective IMO - I think Audi should have done a proper job on this - why buy an introductory S-series car (one that is expensive at that) that looks very little different to an S-Line both exterior and interior-wise. I say the same about an S4 - I've had one and then I bought the RS4 and without doubt you knew which one felt more special. [/ QUOTE ] I saw the S3 in Phantom Black today, and I felt it made it stand out from the S-Line standing next to it in the showroom. Maybe it was just the colour that did it; it seems to suit black for some reason, gives it a touch of class IMHO. It does need 19" wheels though - with these, there'd be less arguments about how special it looked compared to an S-Line. Having said that, in the meantime I reckon the RS6 (aka S-Line) alloys would suit the car better - the bigger gaps between spokes makes the wheel look bigger and shows off the braking system better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g7jhp Posted November 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Is it just me or do all the new reviewers of the s3 only have 1 or 2 posts to their name? Dealers drumming up sales? [/ QUOTE ] Wrong assumption in my case. I currently drive a 3.2 Carrera and Caterham 7 HPC, but having previously had an S3 for day to day use am thinking about the new model and keeping the 7. Other options seem to be a Cayman S or wait to see if an RS3 materialises. I thought my review would have been of interest to people on here (as well as R246.com). Usually spend more time on Pistonheads or Blatchat but it's good to dip in and out of other forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliAUDI Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 I am a dealer, but i'm not "drumming" up sales. The car (in my mind) is supurb. Quick, great looks, wonderful handling etc etc. as in a previous post, jsut go and drive it, the reviews do not do it justice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banwelll Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 I am booked in next weekend so'll see for myself. It'll take some car to beat my current v6 & dsg combo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil84afc Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 SiTaS3 - does an R32 rear anti roll bar really make that much of a difference to the S3's handling? If so, how much did it cost and where did you get it done?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliAUDI Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 tt? that has launch control, which is nice....but youll be impressedby the S3-i promise!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Wilson Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 Had a test drive today, no regrets that I have ordered one. The new S3 out-performs, out-handles and out-brakes the outgoing model with ease. Wasn't overly impressed with the S-Line seats, this is one area that the old S3 was way out in front as the reccaros in that were excellent. However I've taken the plunge and ordered the bucket reccaros with the new one. Incidentally speaking to the dealer it looks as if the S3 is going to be rare sight on the roads. My local dealer had only been allocated 8 for 2007! and they are the main dealers for the whole of the North of Scotland. More good news is that my build week has come forward from wk1 in 2007 to wk50 this year so should get the car mid January Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattW Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 [ QUOTE ] Had a test drive today, no regrets that I have ordered one. The new S3 out-performs, out-handles and out-brakes the outgoing model with ease. Wasn't overly impressed with the S-Line seats, this is one area that the old S3 was way out in front as the reccaros in that were excellent. However I've taken the plunge and ordered the bucket reccaros with the new one. Incidentally speaking to the dealer it looks as if the S3 is going to be rare sight on the roads. My local dealer had only been allocated 8 for 2007! and they are the main dealers for the whole of the North of Scotland. More good news is that my build week has come forward from wk1 in 2007 to wk50 this year so should get the car mid January [/ QUOTE ] Swindon have 5 for 2007 So not many here either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippiemick Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 I had a 2 hour test drive this morning. Didn’t get much of a chance to throw the car about as my wife was in with me but I do fell that the ride is much better than my current s3, but I thought the steering was awful, much too light and with very little feel for the road, the seats were comfortable but not really supportive, and had no electric adjustment making them very awkward for altering the angle of the seat back when if like me have the wife driving it as well and have to alter it every time I get in. The engine seemed excellent but I didn’t feel that it was much faster than mine, but then again I’m no boy racer and don’t exactly thrash my cars and when it came to stopping the brakes were really sharp, a little to keen at slower speeds but you just have to get used to having a lighter right foot. The interior trim was very nice and I really liked the sat nav/ radio set up, hand brake and gear leaver were well placed and could both be used with the arm rest down as apposed to mine can only really be down on long motor way journeys. The exterior is a bit of a let down and doesn’t do the car justice, it just doesn’t stand out and the “alloy look “wing mirrors as they call them in the brochure look a pit cheep. Over all I think it’s a great car that could heave been brilliant, I just don’t think Audi have tried hard enough to make a drivers car, and the worst thing for me was the steering and I think that is what will stop me buying one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark88 Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 Which dealer chippie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chippiemick Posted November 20, 2006 Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 Leeds audi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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