Audi S3 2017-2019 Any thoughts?
Discussion
Looking for my next daily and I fancy an S3. Think I’d prefer the hatch over a saloon or cab. I always try to buy private but low mileage cars in private sales seem particularly thin on the ground.
Can anyone in the know advise me what model year saw CarPlay move from wired to wireless? I was hoping that a 2019 car would have it as standard, but it seems that the system was still wired.
Any opinions re particularly desirable options? I’d like the B and O audio and perhaps super sports seats. Other than that anything to look for?
I’d like something with really low miles. Main dealer listed a car with one owner and 6000 miles early last week which sold for 28K.
Can anyone in the know advise me what model year saw CarPlay move from wired to wireless? I was hoping that a 2019 car would have it as standard, but it seems that the system was still wired.
Any opinions re particularly desirable options? I’d like the B and O audio and perhaps super sports seats. Other than that anything to look for?
I’d like something with really low miles. Main dealer listed a car with one owner and 6000 miles early last week which sold for 28K.
The facelifted but pre-OPF 8V S3 (late 2016 to 2018) is considered the pick of the S3's model history and I think there's a PH buyer's guide to get stuck into the details.
I ran a 2018 S3 with the Technology Pack for a year before going backwards to the first of two pre-facelift RS3s I've since had.
As a package to run and drive, considering all the things you need to balance, it's an excellent choice. In may ways it strikes a similar balance to the Golf GTI, albeit in a slightly elevated market position. Mine had a variation on the common Haldex pump issue, which made it essentially a 2WD car for a while. Otherwise perfect and very under-the-radar.
As others have / may say, the £28k budget you mentioned is plenty for a PFL 8V RS3 but probably not enough for an unproblematic FL 8V RS3. You might want the former anyway - noise - but that's for another day. The bigger point is that S3 and RS3s are very different experiences despite similar formats and bodywork, emphatically not just a different choice on the scale of how much power you want.
I ran a 2018 S3 with the Technology Pack for a year before going backwards to the first of two pre-facelift RS3s I've since had.
As a package to run and drive, considering all the things you need to balance, it's an excellent choice. In may ways it strikes a similar balance to the Golf GTI, albeit in a slightly elevated market position. Mine had a variation on the common Haldex pump issue, which made it essentially a 2WD car for a while. Otherwise perfect and very under-the-radar.
As others have / may say, the £28k budget you mentioned is plenty for a PFL 8V RS3 but probably not enough for an unproblematic FL 8V RS3. You might want the former anyway - noise - but that's for another day. The bigger point is that S3 and RS3s are very different experiences despite similar formats and bodywork, emphatically not just a different choice on the scale of how much power you want.
Yes; cab looks great, has reasonable back seat and boot (for what it is). Roof plenty hushed on the motorway and not problematic generally.
I'm convinced the cab runs a softer spring than the saloon (both mag ride+19s) as there's a decent compliance to it. Slightly more "fast cruiser" in its nature.
Very few cabriolets around with good specification, mind.
I'm convinced the cab runs a softer spring than the saloon (both mag ride+19s) as there's a decent compliance to it. Slightly more "fast cruiser" in its nature.
Very few cabriolets around with good specification, mind.
I literally just bought a 2017 S3 Cabrio last week. Having already got an Audi with the full virtual cockpit I was happy to have the S3 with analogue guages. I really like the grey dials and boost guage plus how you can retract the central screen for a clean, retro look inside. Needles are nicely clear and very responsive plus I think the novelty of the second coming of the digital dash is starting to wear off. No longer a must-have for me. The virtual cockpit has big appeal in the showroom but being honest we never put the sat nav on the dash of our other Audi as we prefer to use Waze. The S3 has wired carplay which is just fine, you can put the whole phone in the glovebox and not see any wires if that's what bothers you.
I really like the S3 cab, it's a really smart, clean design and yes it's more of a cruiser than a hot hatch but it's very smooth and rapid when you want to get a move on and very refined with the roof up. I tried the 190hp 2.0 turbo A3 Cab on the same day and was surprised how much faster and more exciting the S3 was. I think of it more like a Golf R cabrio if they ever did such a thing. I really like the compact size compared to the S5 and most other cabrios but also that the A3 Cabrio was based on the saloon to make it more elegant and practical compared to previous S3 Cab. I read the chassis is much more rigid than A5 cabrio. Our S3 has standard stereo and seats and both work just fine for me. B&O prob worth having, I would have liked airscarf but I wouldn't get hung up on many extras, they are very well equipped. Definitely prefer the 2016-18 cars without particulate filters. 2019 on cars are much quieter and a bit lacking in character. EA888 engine is about as nice as a 2.0 turbo four gets. I was concerned about the ride of the S3 after what I had read, certainly the A3 Cabrio on 17"s rode really well but with the mag ride on 'comfort' the S3 rides really smoothly on 19"s and that was the clincher for me. In fact it's never harsh even in 'dynamic'. Compared to our 2019 Audi the S3 is refreshingly free from the annoying assist features, it's definitely a plus, especially the lack of lane keep assist and emergency brake assist. I forgot how good that pre-touch screen Audi MMI was with really nice tactile switchgear. Very impressed so far hugely capable and versatile car and the best is yet to come next Spring.
I really like the S3 cab, it's a really smart, clean design and yes it's more of a cruiser than a hot hatch but it's very smooth and rapid when you want to get a move on and very refined with the roof up. I tried the 190hp 2.0 turbo A3 Cab on the same day and was surprised how much faster and more exciting the S3 was. I think of it more like a Golf R cabrio if they ever did such a thing. I really like the compact size compared to the S5 and most other cabrios but also that the A3 Cabrio was based on the saloon to make it more elegant and practical compared to previous S3 Cab. I read the chassis is much more rigid than A5 cabrio. Our S3 has standard stereo and seats and both work just fine for me. B&O prob worth having, I would have liked airscarf but I wouldn't get hung up on many extras, they are very well equipped. Definitely prefer the 2016-18 cars without particulate filters. 2019 on cars are much quieter and a bit lacking in character. EA888 engine is about as nice as a 2.0 turbo four gets. I was concerned about the ride of the S3 after what I had read, certainly the A3 Cabrio on 17"s rode really well but with the mag ride on 'comfort' the S3 rides really smoothly on 19"s and that was the clincher for me. In fact it's never harsh even in 'dynamic'. Compared to our 2019 Audi the S3 is refreshingly free from the annoying assist features, it's definitely a plus, especially the lack of lane keep assist and emergency brake assist. I forgot how good that pre-touch screen Audi MMI was with really nice tactile switchgear. Very impressed so far hugely capable and versatile car and the best is yet to come next Spring.
Edited by twinturban on Monday 25th November 20:37
Edited by twinturban on Monday 25th November 20:39
Edited by twinturban on Thursday 28th November 09:08
Low/mid £20’s seems about right. Pity the CarPlay isn’t wireless and I’m not a massive fan of the MMI, albeit I’ve got used to it. I value low miles and history over a later car as well. Seen a few cabs in the right mileage/price band. They seem much less popular than the hatch, which is odd as cabs I usually fetch more than their tin roofed counterparts.
I called about a nice grey cab in the week but it had sold.
I called about a nice grey cab in the week but it had sold.
A bit bizarre that the Cabs can be bought for less than the S3 hatch. There was a similar age S3 saloon at the same place I bought my Cab with higher mileage with a £6k higher sticker price. It has B&O and Virtual Cockpit but still, the Cab is a much nicer thing to go away for the weekend in.
It's a great convertible, very refined roof up and based on the A3 saloon it's a much better platform for a cabrio than the older A5. As mentioned I wouldn't pay the premium for Virtual Cockpit, we have it on our other Audi and never use it, many of the features that look so cool in the showroom, like Google Earth Nav require a subscription to unlock, don't work as well as a simpler graphic in reality and Waze will always work better when you need to get somewhere as it's updated every day. Analogue dials will soon become more sought after as they will be associated with very high end cars now that everything is TFT.
S3 from 2017-8 with more power, better exhaust note, much more character and driver assist free should be the most sought after.
It's a great convertible, very refined roof up and based on the A3 saloon it's a much better platform for a cabrio than the older A5. As mentioned I wouldn't pay the premium for Virtual Cockpit, we have it on our other Audi and never use it, many of the features that look so cool in the showroom, like Google Earth Nav require a subscription to unlock, don't work as well as a simpler graphic in reality and Waze will always work better when you need to get somewhere as it's updated every day. Analogue dials will soon become more sought after as they will be associated with very high end cars now that everything is TFT.
S3 from 2017-8 with more power, better exhaust note, much more character and driver assist free should be the most sought after.
Edited by twinturban on Friday 29th November 21:53
I normally only keep a car for 2 yrs max, however the week before Covid lockdown I bought a March 2017 S3 dsg hatch with 40k miles ex VW lease for £17k and am still running it now, cant see a need to replace it, or what if ever to replace it with. It's on the 'cheaper' road tax than later ones, does 33 mpg around town and is a nice place to be in with full leather and a solid safe feel. It has good driver aids (mirror blind spot, auto headlight and dip etc) without being annoying, and the switch gear is easy to use. Apart from the known water pump issue I've had no problems, if I did look to purchase a 2019 onwards one to 'keep up with the Joneses' I'd have to find another £5k and I don't think it's worth it as the one I've got seems to be about the 'sweet spot' for the S3.
Still looking. Don’t want one enough to pay north of £26k. The new shape starts at £30 albeit with higher miles. PH classified used to contain lots of nice 1 owner low miles stuff. Making those without grandfather rights have to pay for an ad has reduced the number of private sales enormously.
It still irks me that so many people are happy to take lowball offers from dealers for all manner of low mileage, pampered cars, letting the trade mark them up enormously for doing little more than a wash and hoover- if that, and adding a mandatory third party warranty. I’ve seen a number of lovely low miles cars at franchised Audi dealers advertised at money that would make Bruce Wayne flinch.
It still irks me that so many people are happy to take lowball offers from dealers for all manner of low mileage, pampered cars, letting the trade mark them up enormously for doing little more than a wash and hoover- if that, and adding a mandatory third party warranty. I’ve seen a number of lovely low miles cars at franchised Audi dealers advertised at money that would make Bruce Wayne flinch.
I think you are overestimating the standard of the average, used S3 on the market and underestimating the work/money/time a dealer needs to put in. I've spent many years doing exactly this. Genuinely good S3s change hands within the trade for strong money within the trade and margins are modest as a direct result. Last two I bought both more than 2k in excess of CAP and after prep will have well <£2k margin.
There was a period where availability was much better as numerous cars came off their original lease/finance so supply of good used was decent.
There was a period where availability was much better as numerous cars came off their original lease/finance so supply of good used was decent.
Edited by Dr G on Thursday 5th December 10:46
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