RE: Audi RS3 Sportback: it's back
Thursday 19th July 2012
It's like the Clio Williams all over again. After all 500 UK-bound Audi RS3 Sportbacks (a car much beloved of editor Dan) were snapped up in 2011, the fastest of the A3-based Audis is to return for a small encore - Audi has released 250 more build slots for right-hand drive UK cars.
The return of the RS3 (at the same £39,930 price it originally sold for) is due, says Audi, to 'consistent demand' and will be strictly limited to 250 examples.
Audi RS3 Sportback: it's back
250 more build slots released for UK RS3 Sportbacks
But whether this consistent demand is customers who wanted one originally but were too far back in the queue, or whether it's those who have seen the car out and about and decided they want one, is unclear.
Either way, it should be a nice fillip for Audi, though a drop in the ocean of the 113,703 vehicles it shifted in the UK last year. Quite what it'll do for residuals of existing cars, however...
Discussion
I test-drove one of these, thinking it would be ideal. And by God they're really very quick for something that looks like a gussied-up version of my mother's 7yr old Sportback and they sound pretty good too! Just a shame about the DSG gearbox - it definitely detracts from the interactivity of the experience (in my view).
The real eye-opener however was a purchase price with options of £46k and just a GFV after 3 years of just over £12k!! That (i) makes financing options very, very expensive and (ii) suggests Audi are not very confident about the long-term residuals.
In the end, I have gone for a 5dr M135i instead. Not quite as extraordinarily quick but three quarters of the price, much better finance offers, much more modern (albeit a bit fugly) design and technology (the Nav in the RS3 is out of the Ark) and you can have it with a manual gearbox. And RWD vs 4WD is a debate that can rage all day!
The real eye-opener however was a purchase price with options of £46k and just a GFV after 3 years of just over £12k!! That (i) makes financing options very, very expensive and (ii) suggests Audi are not very confident about the long-term residuals.
In the end, I have gone for a 5dr M135i instead. Not quite as extraordinarily quick but three quarters of the price, much better finance offers, much more modern (albeit a bit fugly) design and technology (the Nav in the RS3 is out of the Ark) and you can have it with a manual gearbox. And RWD vs 4WD is a debate that can rage all day!
Wolands Advocate said:
I test-drove one of these, thinking it would be ideal. And by God they're really very quick for something that looks like a gussied-up version of my mother's 7yr old Sportback and they sound pretty good too! Just a shame about the DSG gearbox - it definitely detracts from the interactivity of the experience (in my view).
The real eye-opener however was a purchase price with options of £46k and just a GFV after 3 years of just over £12k!! That (i) makes financing options very, very expensive and (ii) suggests Audi are not very confident about the long-term residuals.
In the end, I have gone for a 5dr M135i instead. Not quite as extraordinarily quick but three quarters of the price, much better finance offers, much more modern (albeit a bit fugly) design and technology (the Nav in the RS3 is out of the Ark) and you can have it with a manual gearbox. And RWD vs 4WD is a debate that can rage all day!
Wow, that's a shocking gfv! From Audi I assume? I've got a significantly higher gfv on my A6 and that's with a much lower purchase price too. The real eye-opener however was a purchase price with options of £46k and just a GFV after 3 years of just over £12k!! That (i) makes financing options very, very expensive and (ii) suggests Audi are not very confident about the long-term residuals.
In the end, I have gone for a 5dr M135i instead. Not quite as extraordinarily quick but three quarters of the price, much better finance offers, much more modern (albeit a bit fugly) design and technology (the Nav in the RS3 is out of the Ark) and you can have it with a manual gearbox. And RWD vs 4WD is a debate that can rage all day!
I'd be keen to hear what deal you got on the M135i though, PM if you prefer. Cheers.
Wolands Advocate said:
In the end, I have gone for a 5dr M135i instead. Not quite as extraordinarily quick but three quarters of the price, much better finance offers, much more modern (albeit a bit fugly) design and technology (the Nav in the RS3 is out of the Ark) and you can have it with a manual gearbox. And RWD vs 4WD is a debate that can rage all day!
Yep, they need to shift these quick before people realise how overpriced they are next to the 135i. Wolands Advocate said:
The real eye-opener however was a purchase price with options of £46k and just a GFV after 3 years of just over £12k!!!
ive heard that RS3 had some of the highest residual values of any car. and judging by the values of the second hand ones on pistonheads this is backed up!
.
mikebradford said:
Wolands Advocate said:
The real eye-opener however was a purchase price with options of £46k and just a GFV after 3 years of just over £12k!!!
ive heard that RS3 had some of the highest residual values of any car. and judging by the values of the second hand ones on pistonheads this is backed up!Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff