Discussion
While not exactly the most PH of cars, the A/S3 series have tended to fit my needs well over the years.
My first was a 2006 8P 2.0T quattro S Line Special Edition:
...before I upgraded to a 2010 8P facelift S3 S-Tronic:
As a stop-gap car, I later came back to a 2006 8P 2.0T SE with a huge spec...
The most recent A3 being a humble, but surprisingly adequate, 2014 8V 1.4T Sport:
I passed my 40th birthday last year and, despite having lots of nice cars in the past, I've run fairly unremarkable ones since going out on a high with a supercharged Golf R32... and then being persuaded by the wife to buy our van in 2015/6.
Like many a car fan of a certain age; I have gotten to the point in life where I have family commitments, a mix of life experiences, but also a little more flexibility with finances – so I felt I’d now like to mark the big occasion with a special-to-me car, probably another S3 or Golf R. (City centre living doesn't permit something less sensible, sadly.)
Yet somehow that big birthday came and passed... and I didn’t press the button on a more tasty car.
In fact, six months afterwards I got as far as ordering a new A3 8Y 1.5T as I'd been happy with my old 1.4T Sport and wanted something newer. But while this would have undoubtedly served us well as a family runabout, renewed parental health issues caused me to reflect again, to cancel the new car order and to look back towards a performance car instead. 100-mile round trips to support care are in sight for the years to come and I've been reminded of the importance of enjoying today.
As I say, we do already have one fairly life-affirming vehicle in the house: Bus Blue.
This has been a huge amount of fun to run as the main family wheels for the last 5 years, though the base van is now over 8 years old and we are now tending to do more miles in whatever car is run alongside it. So, in addition to meeting my needs by being more joyful, the next car also needed to accommodate the family, be good for long distance trips (hopefully business miles, too, when post-pandemic normality resumes) and yet docile around town. I also want to own this long-term, as having our Bus has shown me just how beneficial this is to me because I really look after my vehciles... the van is still on original tyres, brake pads, discs etc at 55k miles.
I did think about upgrading the new order to an 8Y 2020- S3. I'm sure it's a great car... but the styling hasn't grown on me and there are some details like standard privacy glass that put me off. Moreover, I think that the facelift 2017- 8V S3 is a bit of a high water mark for the S3 range - arguably it's just as good and more suitable for me than a Golf R Mk7.5. The facelift guarantees some things like 7-speed DSG, more standard equipment, re-tuning of the Haldex system and the digital dash. It's also the very last of the pre- particulate filter engines, with 310hp standard.
Most crucially, by sticking with the same bodyshell and interior, there's a good chance that my wife won't notice that the car has changed.
(She didn't say anything when my old R32 was supercharged, but that's another story).
I also decided in the end that would prefer to dip into my savings rather than borrow, which further undermined spending c.£40k upwards new S3 or equivalent Mk8 Golf R. Counting my previous A3 as part of the budget, this meant I was comfortable to budget £25-£30k and I knew this would get me into one of the latest facelift S3s.
Handily, an under-budget March 2018 model came up at a well-respected BMW / multi-marque specialist locally:
It's a "Daytona Grey" Sportback S-Stronic with the Technology Pack inc. virtual dash, folding mirrors, hill-hold assist, rear camera, wireless phone charging and some natty 10-spoke polished alloys. Being a facelift means it also gets some spec highlights including the Audi Sound System that I wanted, too. Mileage at sale was 21,811, it has a first Audi dealer service in its record and recent Potenza tyres all round. A service and MoT were due and the original handbook was missing, but it all seemed good on V-check, Cazana and Audi's Erwin system - plus the service record is digital nowadays anyway.
So, it seems a decent spec and the understated colour akin to my old Golf R32 makes it likely to fit in with my needs - moreso than my old, very red, 8P S3. On balance, I'd have preferred to find one at an Audi franchise because of the warranty - but it made sense overall and so a deal was done. I found myself doing the handover last week:
And here it is at home, its understated looks melting somewhat into the background - very much as I intended. I will get some better photos when I have the chance:
I've always found that I can't properly assess a used car until it's been at home with me for a week or so, to clean it, drive it and digest the paperwork.
The history of the car is that it was PDI'd and had its first oil change service at 7,369 miles in 2019 with a main Audi franchise up north. Its next maintenance was the inspection service, rear discs and pads and MoT I negotiated with the supplying dealer at 21,811. Although it would have been nice to see an oil change in between, it still meets the VAG "Longlife" servicing criteria.
However, it gets a bit confusing because the car's MMI screen suggests an inspection service was also done around 19k miles / August 2020:
The VAG Erwin system (digital service schedule) is only recording the PDI and first service at 7k miles in 2019, but I suspect another was done in 2020 without it being recorded digitally. This would tally with the fact that the car has 4 fairly recent tyres, all on about 6mm. I checked with the Audi franchise who did the first service and it wasn't them. Ho hum.
Condition
A good clean reveals completely original paint with no evidence of repairs anywhere, including the wheels. Sadly, I suspect said wheels will meet our massive local kerb stones and I know refurb options are limited to just 1-2 sessions on the lathe with these. They look good in the meantime though!
There's a little tar to the sides of the car and slight fine marking from car washing all over, but really it's very good bodywork. Inside the car, it's also perfect apart from a tiny repair to the driver's side bolster - again done as part of the sale. Unfortunately, I did notice this crack on the windscreen on the drive home from the dealer - it's in a really unfortunate location and could be a replacement issue, but either way it's being attended to at their expense this week:
Done so far:
- Added a dateless 3x3 plate
- Remap; fairly conservative at 350hp / 335lb.ft - I've had enough of them over the years to be confident in going for one
- Added OEM accessory boot lip protector and boot tray; OEM rear door sill protectors ordered
To do next:
- Windscreen inspection this week - with a view to repair or replacement
- Haldex oil and brake fluid being changed next week
- Drive it and get some decent photos!
I've only managed to do around 80 miles in the car so far and it won't be rising quickly as we do a lot on-foot locally and commute by bicycle. The upside being that driving is now something to look forward to, usually longer-distance / for fun and the overall annual miles are still kept low - probably 4-5,000 per year. Business miles (should they take off again) and care visits will be more easily tolerated in this car, I think.
Within those limitations, I'll just say that this new S3 is a fine, fine car on first acquaintance - feeling mainly like my old 8P S3 in the body of my last 8V A3. The combination of S-Tronic 'box and Hill Hold make it really easy to use and I just love shifting manually for those up-change exhaust parps.
I am going to be very boring and say that the performance potential of this car won't be used very often... but I've tested it and can assure you it's there (traction control kicks in at full throttle even at high speeds, unless you disable it!). It's certainly more usable than my old and admittedly lower-order supercharged R32 or tuned Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo, both of which ran slightly higher peak horsepower figures. But it's mostly "more usable" in the sense that it only slightly less comfortable than the last A3 and still has a comfy interior, decent boot etc.
I'll keep the thread updated as things develop...
My first was a 2006 8P 2.0T quattro S Line Special Edition:
...before I upgraded to a 2010 8P facelift S3 S-Tronic:
As a stop-gap car, I later came back to a 2006 8P 2.0T SE with a huge spec...
The most recent A3 being a humble, but surprisingly adequate, 2014 8V 1.4T Sport:
I passed my 40th birthday last year and, despite having lots of nice cars in the past, I've run fairly unremarkable ones since going out on a high with a supercharged Golf R32... and then being persuaded by the wife to buy our van in 2015/6.
Like many a car fan of a certain age; I have gotten to the point in life where I have family commitments, a mix of life experiences, but also a little more flexibility with finances – so I felt I’d now like to mark the big occasion with a special-to-me car, probably another S3 or Golf R. (City centre living doesn't permit something less sensible, sadly.)
Yet somehow that big birthday came and passed... and I didn’t press the button on a more tasty car.
In fact, six months afterwards I got as far as ordering a new A3 8Y 1.5T as I'd been happy with my old 1.4T Sport and wanted something newer. But while this would have undoubtedly served us well as a family runabout, renewed parental health issues caused me to reflect again, to cancel the new car order and to look back towards a performance car instead. 100-mile round trips to support care are in sight for the years to come and I've been reminded of the importance of enjoying today.
As I say, we do already have one fairly life-affirming vehicle in the house: Bus Blue.
This has been a huge amount of fun to run as the main family wheels for the last 5 years, though the base van is now over 8 years old and we are now tending to do more miles in whatever car is run alongside it. So, in addition to meeting my needs by being more joyful, the next car also needed to accommodate the family, be good for long distance trips (hopefully business miles, too, when post-pandemic normality resumes) and yet docile around town. I also want to own this long-term, as having our Bus has shown me just how beneficial this is to me because I really look after my vehciles... the van is still on original tyres, brake pads, discs etc at 55k miles.
I did think about upgrading the new order to an 8Y 2020- S3. I'm sure it's a great car... but the styling hasn't grown on me and there are some details like standard privacy glass that put me off. Moreover, I think that the facelift 2017- 8V S3 is a bit of a high water mark for the S3 range - arguably it's just as good and more suitable for me than a Golf R Mk7.5. The facelift guarantees some things like 7-speed DSG, more standard equipment, re-tuning of the Haldex system and the digital dash. It's also the very last of the pre- particulate filter engines, with 310hp standard.
Most crucially, by sticking with the same bodyshell and interior, there's a good chance that my wife won't notice that the car has changed.
(She didn't say anything when my old R32 was supercharged, but that's another story).I also decided in the end that would prefer to dip into my savings rather than borrow, which further undermined spending c.£40k upwards new S3 or equivalent Mk8 Golf R. Counting my previous A3 as part of the budget, this meant I was comfortable to budget £25-£30k and I knew this would get me into one of the latest facelift S3s.
Handily, an under-budget March 2018 model came up at a well-respected BMW / multi-marque specialist locally:
It's a "Daytona Grey" Sportback S-Stronic with the Technology Pack inc. virtual dash, folding mirrors, hill-hold assist, rear camera, wireless phone charging and some natty 10-spoke polished alloys. Being a facelift means it also gets some spec highlights including the Audi Sound System that I wanted, too. Mileage at sale was 21,811, it has a first Audi dealer service in its record and recent Potenza tyres all round. A service and MoT were due and the original handbook was missing, but it all seemed good on V-check, Cazana and Audi's Erwin system - plus the service record is digital nowadays anyway.
So, it seems a decent spec and the understated colour akin to my old Golf R32 makes it likely to fit in with my needs - moreso than my old, very red, 8P S3. On balance, I'd have preferred to find one at an Audi franchise because of the warranty - but it made sense overall and so a deal was done. I found myself doing the handover last week:
And here it is at home, its understated looks melting somewhat into the background - very much as I intended. I will get some better photos when I have the chance:
I've always found that I can't properly assess a used car until it's been at home with me for a week or so, to clean it, drive it and digest the paperwork.
The history of the car is that it was PDI'd and had its first oil change service at 7,369 miles in 2019 with a main Audi franchise up north. Its next maintenance was the inspection service, rear discs and pads and MoT I negotiated with the supplying dealer at 21,811. Although it would have been nice to see an oil change in between, it still meets the VAG "Longlife" servicing criteria.
However, it gets a bit confusing because the car's MMI screen suggests an inspection service was also done around 19k miles / August 2020:
The VAG Erwin system (digital service schedule) is only recording the PDI and first service at 7k miles in 2019, but I suspect another was done in 2020 without it being recorded digitally. This would tally with the fact that the car has 4 fairly recent tyres, all on about 6mm. I checked with the Audi franchise who did the first service and it wasn't them. Ho hum.
Condition
A good clean reveals completely original paint with no evidence of repairs anywhere, including the wheels. Sadly, I suspect said wheels will meet our massive local kerb stones and I know refurb options are limited to just 1-2 sessions on the lathe with these. They look good in the meantime though!
There's a little tar to the sides of the car and slight fine marking from car washing all over, but really it's very good bodywork. Inside the car, it's also perfect apart from a tiny repair to the driver's side bolster - again done as part of the sale. Unfortunately, I did notice this crack on the windscreen on the drive home from the dealer - it's in a really unfortunate location and could be a replacement issue, but either way it's being attended to at their expense this week:
Done so far:
- Added a dateless 3x3 plate
- Remap; fairly conservative at 350hp / 335lb.ft - I've had enough of them over the years to be confident in going for one
- Added OEM accessory boot lip protector and boot tray; OEM rear door sill protectors ordered
To do next:
- Windscreen inspection this week - with a view to repair or replacement
- Haldex oil and brake fluid being changed next week
- Drive it and get some decent photos!
I've only managed to do around 80 miles in the car so far and it won't be rising quickly as we do a lot on-foot locally and commute by bicycle. The upside being that driving is now something to look forward to, usually longer-distance / for fun and the overall annual miles are still kept low - probably 4-5,000 per year. Business miles (should they take off again) and care visits will be more easily tolerated in this car, I think.
Within those limitations, I'll just say that this new S3 is a fine, fine car on first acquaintance - feeling mainly like my old 8P S3 in the body of my last 8V A3. The combination of S-Tronic 'box and Hill Hold make it really easy to use and I just love shifting manually for those up-change exhaust parps.
I am going to be very boring and say that the performance potential of this car won't be used very often... but I've tested it and can assure you it's there (traction control kicks in at full throttle even at high speeds, unless you disable it!). It's certainly more usable than my old and admittedly lower-order supercharged R32 or tuned Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo, both of which ran slightly higher peak horsepower figures. But it's mostly "more usable" in the sense that it only slightly less comfortable than the last A3 and still has a comfy interior, decent boot etc.
I'll keep the thread updated as things develop...
Various commitments and the lack of an exotic setting have prevented me from taking some pics of the S3, but I have been able to do the following:
- Haldex oil and brake fluid replaced
- Checked tracking (no adjustment necessary)
- Checked whether any upgrades / functions were available via Carista (couldn't find any; assume it was due to spec already having it all)
- OEM accessory boot liner added from old A3 and new boot lip protection film applied
- OEM rear door sill protectors added... can't believe they weren't standard
- c.350hp remap done
- Started removing some tar and mildly polishing some panels
- Windscreen chip repaired professionally
I've covered just under 200 miles since picking up the car, including its first run over to check on my parents. Fuel economy on mundane weekend runabout duties is around 25mpg, but I thought 42mpg on the longer run was pretty good.
I've driven more miles with the remap than not, so can't really say much about it to be honest. I find that the traction control is very aggressive on full throttle unless turned off, including at higher speeds.
It's a lovely car overall, though. I'm very impressed.
- Haldex oil and brake fluid replaced
- Checked tracking (no adjustment necessary)
- Checked whether any upgrades / functions were available via Carista (couldn't find any; assume it was due to spec already having it all)
- OEM accessory boot liner added from old A3 and new boot lip protection film applied
- OEM rear door sill protectors added... can't believe they weren't standard
- c.350hp remap done
- Started removing some tar and mildly polishing some panels
- Windscreen chip repaired professionally
I've covered just under 200 miles since picking up the car, including its first run over to check on my parents. Fuel economy on mundane weekend runabout duties is around 25mpg, but I thought 42mpg on the longer run was pretty good.
I've driven more miles with the remap than not, so can't really say much about it to be honest. I find that the traction control is very aggressive on full throttle unless turned off, including at higher speeds.
It's a lovely car overall, though. I'm very impressed.
Before escaping to the country this weekend, I managed to put the car through its paces in between kids' sporting activities. Disengaging the traction control seems to be the only way to get full power and I managed to get the rear wheels to slip on the best test I know for this sort of car: a full throttle launch on an off-camber sliproad incline, while turning sharply to exit a junction. Few cars I know do it better than this S-Tronic equipped S3.
Thankfully the car seems to attract little road warrior attention, though people do seem to know what it is. Perhaps the 718 Cayman S that pulled up alongside me at some lights could sense that I was primed in "S" mode with the traction control off, because we both made away from the light change onto a very empty dual carriageway ahead with remarkable restraint. :laughing: I'm happy with this sort of calmness, though - it suits me and the car.
Driving us as a family of four to visit relatives in the country for an al fresco lunch also reminded me of how similar this new S3 is to my last, 2010 S3 S-Tronic.
It's a supremely under-stressed car in these conditions - I barely have to feather the accelerator or get involved in gear-changing to make rapid but very relaxed progress. There was a sharp intake of breath at least once when making a rare overtake, but the 39mpg overall for the 120-miler is a better illustration of how it's driven. The kids found the ride a little jiggly in the back over some of Salisbury Plain's roads, but the low-speed ride and cabin's plushness offsets that I think.
Apart from lower fuel economy and more shouty Brilliant Red colour, this is exactly how I remember my 2010 S3. A downsized luxury express, excelling at mild-mannered distance covering - but with fuller entertainment being just a temptation away.
While the last 10 years see a similar package for the S3, that's not the case for all other cars. My father-in-law wants to update his Mk7 Golf 2.0 TDI 150 GT for something ULEZ-compliant, as they have a house in London too. I was shocked to see how few manual, mid-range diesel Golfs and A3s there now are in the 0-3 year age bracket - it feels like they were once a default choice, but there are barely a handful of each now on Autotrader.
Finally, a note on the registration plate. TOT 1 was the number gracing my first car... a blue and red plastic ride-on toy c.1981. The real TOT 1 seems to be registered to a Range Rover somewhere, though I'm quite satisfied with the 3 x 3 I picked up earlier this year.
Thankfully the car seems to attract little road warrior attention, though people do seem to know what it is. Perhaps the 718 Cayman S that pulled up alongside me at some lights could sense that I was primed in "S" mode with the traction control off, because we both made away from the light change onto a very empty dual carriageway ahead with remarkable restraint. :laughing: I'm happy with this sort of calmness, though - it suits me and the car.
Driving us as a family of four to visit relatives in the country for an al fresco lunch also reminded me of how similar this new S3 is to my last, 2010 S3 S-Tronic.
It's a supremely under-stressed car in these conditions - I barely have to feather the accelerator or get involved in gear-changing to make rapid but very relaxed progress. There was a sharp intake of breath at least once when making a rare overtake, but the 39mpg overall for the 120-miler is a better illustration of how it's driven. The kids found the ride a little jiggly in the back over some of Salisbury Plain's roads, but the low-speed ride and cabin's plushness offsets that I think.
Apart from lower fuel economy and more shouty Brilliant Red colour, this is exactly how I remember my 2010 S3. A downsized luxury express, excelling at mild-mannered distance covering - but with fuller entertainment being just a temptation away.
While the last 10 years see a similar package for the S3, that's not the case for all other cars. My father-in-law wants to update his Mk7 Golf 2.0 TDI 150 GT for something ULEZ-compliant, as they have a house in London too. I was shocked to see how few manual, mid-range diesel Golfs and A3s there now are in the 0-3 year age bracket - it feels like they were once a default choice, but there are barely a handful of each now on Autotrader.
Finally, a note on the registration plate. TOT 1 was the number gracing my first car... a blue and red plastic ride-on toy c.1981. The real TOT 1 seems to be registered to a Range Rover somewhere, though I'm quite satisfied with the 3 x 3 I picked up earlier this year.
Yes, something I was mindful of when purchasing. I did the best I could when approaching any potential purchase - check all available data, inspect the car carefully and use my nous.
Based on some stone chips at the front and other cosmetics, I'd say it was just about right for a 21k-miler. I don't think it was pampered during its previous life, nor abused though. Just very good, original condition - with a little tar and light swirl marks to show that it wasn't a Detailing World-enthusiast's car.
My scanner found error codes relating to a flat battery, and 10 uses of the launch control feature. Seems consistent with the pandemic and a bit of exuberant use averaging 3-4 times a year.
Some would try to maintain an Audi franchise history, but I trust my VAG independent more. The 2017-18 pre-OPF S3 is regarded as the best of the 8V range, but they do have issues like blocked Haldex units and the procedures of main franchises mean they don't do things like clean the filter gauze.
Based on some stone chips at the front and other cosmetics, I'd say it was just about right for a 21k-miler. I don't think it was pampered during its previous life, nor abused though. Just very good, original condition - with a little tar and light swirl marks to show that it wasn't a Detailing World-enthusiast's car.
My scanner found error codes relating to a flat battery, and 10 uses of the launch control feature. Seems consistent with the pandemic and a bit of exuberant use averaging 3-4 times a year.
Some would try to maintain an Audi franchise history, but I trust my VAG independent more. The 2017-18 pre-OPF S3 is regarded as the best of the 8V range, but they do have issues like blocked Haldex units and the procedures of main franchises mean they don't do things like clean the filter gauze.
The inevitable happened in the last few weeks - a wheel met the chunky kerb outside our house, while the car was being driven by my wife. I gave up making a big deal about this sort of thing a very long time ago and don't even mention it to my wife... I suppose it's just a small thing in the scheme of life, but my secret OCD persona finds it a bit annoying all the same!
After many years of this, however, I am one step ahead:
It's a refurbished original wheel. I'll swap this over and then get the original refurb'd - which will then be ready for the next repeat offence!!! I'm just not sure whether to order a new matching Pirelli P Zero Nero GT, or whether to swap over the original tyre? The original tyre is on c.6mm, whereas a new one is 8mm-ish. Consulting the internet indicates that a slight wear difference will be ok, but it would be convenient to be able to swap myself without visiting a tyre fitter every time.
The next job was to tackle what looked like a few tiny splatters of white paint on the driver's seat. I did this by using a flat blade knife and olive oil:
The spots were quite hard to see anyway, but I'm quite chuffed with the results:
I suspect that the car was driven a lot by someone wearing high heels, due to some minor carpet wear under the brake pedal - now looking a lot better after a session on it today with fabric cleaner and a damp microfibre cloth:
Despite minor cosmetic blemishes being a fact of life where we live, I'm having a bit of a dither about whether to get a small car to run alongside the S3. This would be mainly for my wife, who uses the S3 to do local errands and will increasingly do so in the future. Our van is going to be affected by a local ULEZ-type zone, which means it effectively can't be used as our second vehicle (and I may store it in a local lock-up). Decisions, decisions.
In the meantime, we've got some family road trip miles coming up. Maybe I'll fit the new wheel in preparation for that...
After many years of this, however, I am one step ahead:
It's a refurbished original wheel. I'll swap this over and then get the original refurb'd - which will then be ready for the next repeat offence!!! I'm just not sure whether to order a new matching Pirelli P Zero Nero GT, or whether to swap over the original tyre? The original tyre is on c.6mm, whereas a new one is 8mm-ish. Consulting the internet indicates that a slight wear difference will be ok, but it would be convenient to be able to swap myself without visiting a tyre fitter every time.
The next job was to tackle what looked like a few tiny splatters of white paint on the driver's seat. I did this by using a flat blade knife and olive oil:
The spots were quite hard to see anyway, but I'm quite chuffed with the results:
I suspect that the car was driven a lot by someone wearing high heels, due to some minor carpet wear under the brake pedal - now looking a lot better after a session on it today with fabric cleaner and a damp microfibre cloth:
Despite minor cosmetic blemishes being a fact of life where we live, I'm having a bit of a dither about whether to get a small car to run alongside the S3. This would be mainly for my wife, who uses the S3 to do local errands and will increasingly do so in the future. Our van is going to be affected by a local ULEZ-type zone, which means it effectively can't be used as our second vehicle (and I may store it in a local lock-up). Decisions, decisions.
In the meantime, we've got some family road trip miles coming up. Maybe I'll fit the new wheel in preparation for that...
New wheel and tyre on:
Pirelli PZero Nero GT are a new tyre to me. Matching one with the four already on the car cost a reasonable £88 fitted. The existing (scratched) wheel will be re-finished once I get some time to make arrangements.
Now though, we're about to set off on a 400-mile trip with four up and luggage... though depending on how much luggage, I may cave in and take the van instead!
Pirelli PZero Nero GT are a new tyre to me. Matching one with the four already on the car cost a reasonable £88 fitted. The existing (scratched) wheel will be re-finished once I get some time to make arrangements.
Now though, we're about to set off on a 400-mile trip with four up and luggage... though depending on how much luggage, I may cave in and take the van instead!
I've done quite a few more miles recently (for me, at least). Here's the trip computer reading for a first leg drive to York this week:
I'm admittedly a sedate driver when covering distance with work - 65mph on cruise control is what I've found works best for me over 10 years of UK-wide business trips. That figure turned out to be 47.5mpg on a brim-to-brim basis, which I think is still impressive. I've used dozens of personal and hire cars over the same journey with this style of driving: 2008 Golf R32 (35mpg), 2014 Astra 1.6 (41mpg), 2006 A3 2.0T & 2008 Golf GTI (41mpg), 2012 Volvo V60 D5 (61mpg), 2015 Golf 1.4 ACT (63mpg), 2018 Lexus CT200h (71mpg) and *drumroll* a 2015 Nissan Qashqai 1.5 DCi (73mpg).
Sadly, I ended up doing the return leg on the same day due to my parents having another emergency - I set out at 5am from home and then had to set off unexpectedly from York again at 8pm after a full day's business. My goodness that was a long one.
But, of course, I've had some more enjoyable drives recently as well. In all of this, I am finding the S3 to be superb and I am the 7-speed DSG 'box is one of the best bits. It's an outstandingly capable car, though all the long distance driving now makes it feel totally overkill when I use it locally.
I'm admittedly a sedate driver when covering distance with work - 65mph on cruise control is what I've found works best for me over 10 years of UK-wide business trips. That figure turned out to be 47.5mpg on a brim-to-brim basis, which I think is still impressive. I've used dozens of personal and hire cars over the same journey with this style of driving: 2008 Golf R32 (35mpg), 2014 Astra 1.6 (41mpg), 2006 A3 2.0T & 2008 Golf GTI (41mpg), 2012 Volvo V60 D5 (61mpg), 2015 Golf 1.4 ACT (63mpg), 2018 Lexus CT200h (71mpg) and *drumroll* a 2015 Nissan Qashqai 1.5 DCi (73mpg).
Sadly, I ended up doing the return leg on the same day due to my parents having another emergency - I set out at 5am from home and then had to set off unexpectedly from York again at 8pm after a full day's business. My goodness that was a long one.
But, of course, I've had some more enjoyable drives recently as well.
In all of this, I am finding the S3 to be superb and I am the 7-speed DSG 'box is one of the best bits. It's an outstandingly capable car, though all the long distance driving now makes it feel totally overkill when I use it locally. Was the oil changed because you suspected an issue? I've never seen one come back from the dead (and seen it many times).
The gauze/filter on the pump gets completely clogged with congealed oil, and changing the oil won't remove this (the pump needs to be removed and cleaned manually). Surefire way to test it is car in sport mode, traction off, and give it full beans from a standstill. It should pretty much just grip and go.
The gauze/filter on the pump gets completely clogged with congealed oil, and changing the oil won't remove this (the pump needs to be removed and cleaned manually). Surefire way to test it is car in sport mode, traction off, and give it full beans from a standstill. It should pretty much just grip and go.
Dr G said:
Was the oil changed because you suspected an issue? I've never seen one come back from the dead (and seen it many times).
The gauze/filter on the pump gets completely clogged with congealed oil, and changing the oil won't remove this (the pump needs to be removed and cleaned manually). Surefire way to test it is car in sport mode, traction off, and give it full beans from a standstill. It should pretty much just grip and go.
This ^^^ The filters clog up surprisingly quickly. The gauze/filter on the pump gets completely clogged with congealed oil, and changing the oil won't remove this (the pump needs to be removed and cleaned manually). Surefire way to test it is car in sport mode, traction off, and give it full beans from a standstill. It should pretty much just grip and go.
I thought the traction issue was sorted, but a drive in rain recently had the car spinning its front wheels repeatedly. I've booked it into the garage I bought it from for inspection - it's under warranty until November.
I told them this was my fourth 4WD VAG and none of them behaved like this. It may be a case of paranoia having read all the threads on premature Haldex failures on S3 / Golf R, but it doesn't feel like it.
I told them this was my fourth 4WD VAG and none of them behaved like this. It may be a case of paranoia having read all the threads on premature Haldex failures on S3 / Golf R, but it doesn't feel like it.
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