RE: (Also) official: Audi S3 Sportback

[MyCC]

CraigyMc said:

MonkeyMatt said:

MyCC said:

Is anyone else hugely bored with Audi's at the moment?! Just can't get excited about their point & squirt mentality, aside from the R8 of course.

Regards,

My CC.

Have you driven a new A3?

He doesn't need to drive it to hate it. It's an audi.

If Skoda made the same car though... then it'd be ace.

That's one of the perks of my job, I get to drive all the new cars. It just has not moved the game on at all. A beautifully well built, sure footed car no doubt but it needs a touch of excitement added.

Regards,

My CC.

[NelsonR32]

toppstuff said:

oojonoo said:

toppstuff said:

I think Audi misjudged the market with the A3. It will sell well I am sure. But it is too conservative.

it will sell well - and this is a misjudgement of the market?

Yes, because it will lose ground to competitors such as the A class IMO. If the A3 was more innovative, and not a clone of the previous model, they would sell more.

I can't imagine an owner of a , say, 2011 model A3 being in a desperate rush to upgrade. In contrast, every potential buyer in this class will look at the new Merc. Some will buy one. In the past they would have all probably defaulted to the A3. Not any more.

It will sell well. It is an Audi after all. But IMO they would sell more if they had been a bit braver.

Hmm. The new A3 is lighter, faster, has much more efficient engines with the lowest CO2 in its class, has a better designed interior, has more room inside, has technology Mercedes can only dream of and is cheaper when compared spec for spec.

Yeah, they really dropped a clanger there didn't they.

[HighwayStar]

NelsonR32 said:

Hmm. The new A3 is lighter, faster, has much more efficient engines with the lowest CO2 in its class, has a better designed interior, has more room inside, has technology Mercedes can only dream of and is cheaper when compared spec for spec.

Yeah, they really dropped a clanger there didn't they.

And yet all that doesn't make it a better car... What is this technology Mercedes can only dream of???

[anonymous-user]

HighwayStar said:

And yet all that doesn't make it a better car... What is this technology Mercedes can only dream of???

The new A3 is way better than the last one. I havnt driven the A-class but in all the tests I have read the A3 comes out on top.

[HighwayStar]

MonkeyMatt said:

HighwayStar said:

And yet all that doesn't make it a better car... What is this technology Mercedes can only dream of???

The new A3 is way better than the last one. I havnt driven the A-class but in all the tests I have read the A3 comes out on top.

The previous A3 was so woefully boring and devoid of anything beyond being achieving it's it's fundamental role of getting you from here to there. So the new A3 being 'way better' than the old one is only to be expected. I find the A3 to be one of Audis most clinical cars. A new one lives 6 or so houses down the road... I passed if for weeks before I realised it was the new one. The sort of car the would be discribed as nice... Nice to drive, nice be in, nice touches. If you press this button here, oooh isn't that nice. I get what people like about Audis, I have one too, great build, pleasing to the eye, attractive cabins but for the enthusiast... Low on character and involvement.
I really like my car, for what it is it's cheap to run, looks great but I don't love it. If Audi don't get it together come time to change then I'm done with Audi.

[toppstuff]

NelsonR32 said:

toppstuff said:

oojonoo said:

toppstuff said:

I think Audi misjudged the market with the A3. It will sell well I am sure. But it is too conservative.

it will sell well - and this is a misjudgement of the market?

Yes, because it will lose ground to competitors such as the A class IMO. If the A3 was more innovative, and not a clone of the previous model, they would sell more.

I can't imagine an owner of a , say, 2011 model A3 being in a desperate rush to upgrade. In contrast, every potential buyer in this class will look at the new Merc. Some will buy one. In the past they would have all probably defaulted to the A3. Not any more.

It will sell well. It is an Audi after all. But IMO they would sell more if they had been a bit braver.

Hmm. The new A3 is lighter, faster, has much more efficient engines with the lowest CO2 in its class, has a better designed interior, has more room inside, has technology Mercedes can only dream of and is cheaper when compared spec for spec.

Yeah, they really dropped a clanger there didn't they.

Yes. I think they did "drop a clanger".

Old A3 owner rocks up to a dealer to maybe chop in their 2 year old A3. Only problem is that if they buy the new one, their neighbours and workmates are not going to even notice they got a new car. This matters !

A friend of ours has an A3. Early 30's, professional couple, classic target A3 customer. Fancied a change. Looked at the A3. Got a bit bored. They have a new Mercedes A220Cdi on order. By all accounts Mercedes dealers are seeing a LOT of traffic from A3 owners making a change. I can understand why.

[k-ink]

The Audi is HUGELY better looking than the Vauxhall Astra, I mean new Mercedes Astra thing.

[Guvernator]

MonkeyMatt said:

Guvernator said:

This to be honest ^^^^

I have no idea why Audi decided that it's smallish 5 door hatchback should look like an estate from now on but it looks sh*t.

In fact why do all modern hatchbacks either look like an MPV, an estate, boring or are otherwise badly designed? SOMEONE please design a good looking normal 5 door hatchback so I can buy one!

The sportback is longer than the 3 door and has always been marketed as a halfway house between estate and hatch

Oh I know, just really confusded why they decided to go with the "sportback" model in the first place. The first gen Audi A3 5 door was normal hatched shaped and IMO looked much better for it.