Audi S3 8P

Soldato
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What are peoples general thoughts on these?

I am hoping to look at one tomorrow. It is up for £11k but will look to get closer to 10k. It is standard if the description is to be believed and the images look decent. It is a manual 5 door which is what I am looking for. 86k on the clock and is an MY11.

I am looking to sell my Merc (MY16 C250d Estate) and purchase this.

I am only doing, minus some family trips, about 75-100 miles a week max these days and my trip to work is 34 round one day a week, 95% A roads.

Any opinions?
 
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Other than the fact it's not slow, this is going to feel like a significant downgrade from your C Class. The C Class is an excellent car with a class leading (at the time) interior and it's reasonably modern. By contrast, the S3 is a quick version of an A3 which first appeared on the road 19 years ago. It will feel every bit like a 20 year old car when you get in, especially compared with your C Class.

You'd need to really, really want the performance it offers to make this a good idea. I don't personally think its quick or special enough to make up for the fact it's just an old Audi A3.
 

mjt

mjt

Soldato
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Watch out for chain rattle and high oil consumption. Do a search on here and further afield; there’s quite a bit of information out there.

I had an ‘07 3dr S3 for a year in 2014 and it was fast and solid, but not particularly involving to drive. What do you want from a car?
Surprised it’s commanding so much though! Granted I took mine from 110k to 130k miles in a year and it was an ‘07 3 door, but I paid around £10k for mine 8 years ago :eek:

-edit, I assumed you were coming from a W204. As Fox says, this is a downgrade from a W205. And the C250d isn’t particularly slow either.
 
Soldato
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Other than the fact it's not slow, this is going to feel like a significant downgrade from your C Class. The C Class is an excellent car with a class leading (at the time) interior and it's reasonably modern. By contrast, the S3 is a quick version of an A3 which first appeared on the road 19 years ago. It will feel every bit like a 20 year old car when you get in, especially compared with your C Class.

You'd need to really, really want the performance it offers to make this a good idea. I don't personally think its quick or special enough to make up for the fact it's just an old Audi A3.

The C Class is just, boring? Its annoying as its not a bad car. It is the W205 AMG Premium Plus for reference. Owned it for 3 years and when I was looking to do 20-30k miles a year it made sense, but now I am just not so looking for a change. I have always liked the S3 and just thought about getting one.

Watch out for chain rattle and high oil consumption. Do a search on here and further afield; there’s quite a bit of information out there.

I had an ‘07 3dr S3 for a year in 2014 and it was fast and solid, but not particularly involving to drive. What do you want from a car?
Surprised it’s commanding so much though! Granted I took mine from 110k to 130k miles in a year and it was an ‘07 3 door, but I paid around £10k for mine 8 years ago :eek:

-edit, I assumed you were coming from a W204. As Fox says, this is a downgrade from a W205. And the C250d isn’t particularly slow either.

Yea I have a W205, so 204bhp and 369ftlb.

What do I want from a car? I want something quicker than I have and fun to drive not just on the way to work and back but general driving. I used to go just for a drive when I had my Primera GT, Celica GT and Accord Type Rs for fun, but tried in my Merc to enjoy a drive and it just doesnt do it. I do want to try 4WD as I have not had one before. My dad has a V70R and brother actually has an S3, but a 3 door or I would ask to by his. It must have 4 doors, fairly quick and manual.
 
Soldato
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To add, I am not worried about it being the latest tech etc. I am not worried about it having SatNav etc as it just will be out of date anyway. Bluetooth for phone helps. I do like my audio, and I am going to miss the Burmiester in the Merc if I am being honest.
 
Soldato
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I'm personally really struggling to see the appeal in switching - they are a nice enough, quick enough car but not at £10k plus and in all honesty I'm not sure that there is anything you'll actually find measurably more "fun" than the Merc.

It's not going to be significantly quicker (until you reach properly silly speeds), they're starting to look pretty old now, interior is significantly inferior, handling is very safe and the market is driving silly prices for what is really quite an old car now.

If I were you I'd either bank the "extra" cash you can get from selling the C class and run around in something worth next to no money or stay where you are for at least a year
 
Man of Honour
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The C Class is just, boring?

The A3 is not the last word in driver involvement either though, is it? I think the time to own one of these has long passed, once the novelty wears off (quite quickly) it'll just feel like driving around in a near 20 year old Audi A3. The C Class would need to be a little more than just boring to make that worth bothering with.

You probably need to look elsewhere if you want something sufficiently exciting to justify this change.
 
Soldato
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All above comments are really fair and making me think.

The C Class feels boring as its just not engaging - maybe its the diesel sound, the gearbox....I don't know.

So let me change the question here. If you had 10k, or there abouts, what you wanted 4WD, nippy, engaging, but could take a family (3 people, youngest being 6 and growing fast) what would you think to buy? I am happy with estates, saloons and hatchbacks.
 
Man of Honour
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I think the biggest problem here is your budget is insufficient to replace a 2016 C Class with anything that isn't fundamentally a worse car once the novelty wears off. In the current car market even ordinary £10k cars are not brilliant, once you start wanting something interesting and fun to drive it becomes even more difficult.

The C Class is worth considerably more than £10k - can you not spend its entire value? That might open up more engaging and interesting cars.

The other problem you've got it is that there isn't often much overlap between cars which are 4WD and cars which are engaging and interesting to drive.
 
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I was in a similar position to you. Mazda 6 to a mk6 gti. I agree with those saying it's old and it will feel dated. If you really want the S3 I would say go for a 8v instead if you can stretch your budget. Alternatively, golf r?
 
Soldato
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I think the biggest problem here is your budget is insufficient to replace a 2016 C Class with anything that isn't fundamentally a worse car once the novelty wears off. In the current car market even ordinary £10k cars are not brilliant, once you start wanting something interesting and fun to drive it becomes even more difficult.

The C Class is worth considerably more than £10k - can you not spend its entire value? That might open up more engaging and interesting cars.

The other problem you've got it is that there isn't often much overlap between cars which are 4WD and cars which are engaging and interesting to drive.

I can probably push to 14k, but as I was going to sell mine to afford this change, I wanted to have a few £k in the bank for any repairs or anything associated with an "older" car. The issue is that I know the car I want (The C43) is really not going to be viable, and when it is, it will be as old relatively speaking to what I am looking at now.

I think I am just fed up the with diesel, a 1st world problem I know. The Merc is a good car, I am not denying it, but I do not find it fun.
 
Soldato
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If you’re only keen on fun, I would be looking at a hot hatch, something like a Fiesta ST, or Focus ST if you need something bigger.

It’s going to be a downgrade in quality, ride, comfort and pretty much everything else, but you will find it more fun.


I’m surprised you don’t find the merc fun - I went from a Fiesta Zetec S, which while not powerful, was immense fun to drive, to a 320d, and I’m still able to have fun on twisty roads up and around the South Downs if I’m in sport.
 
Soldato
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Much of this depends on your idea of a fun car. I don’t think anyone ever described an Audi 8P S3 as fun. I had an 8V S3 with 306hp from new and being a much better car, was still fairly boring to drive.

As has been said, your budget is the limiting factor here and you aim to lose much in changing to a much older car design (build quality, ride comfort, reliability, etc) and pick up all the unknown risks associated with an old 2nd hand car.

If you just want more speed, I dare say you could chip the Merc and get a reasonably improvement that would make it more ‘fun’ for minimal outlay.

^ damn, beaten to the punchline lol
 

233

233

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tbh i would keep the C class and spend 1500-2000 on a small hatchback for a bit of B road fund as and when the mood takes you,

early Mini Cooper S alongside the C class might be a good shout or a Fiesta ST150?

as it stands the C class (more so with a remap) will do 95% of what the S3 will do in more comfort
 
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