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S3 Sportbacks - limited numbers? Discounts?


DanG
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It's a good looking car and for the money - given all the basic kit the 2014 model comes with - plus the discounts available, it's a good choice for a quick all rounder.

People bang on about the M135 being a better 'drivers car', presumably because you can hang the back end out on the school run or going to Waitrose..... Sure it's lovely to drive.

But I don't drive like that and need all wheel drive a fair bit, so the S3 would work for me.

Plus, the 1 series is just hideous to look at, in any guise.

As for DSG failures, this is a new design 6 speed box, so presumably VAG are learning the weaknesses and improving - the 5 year warranty you can get for £500 would also remove any worries in my mind.

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People bang on about the M135 being a better 'drivers car', presumably because you can hang the back end out on the school run or going to Waitrose..... Sure it's lovely to drive.

But I don't drive like that and need all wheel drive a fair bit, so the S3 would work for me.

Plus, the 1 series is just hideous to look at, in any guise.

 

 

I think that is incredibly blinkered.  Fair enough if you don't like the look of it, though I think it's a perfectly good looking car - especially in white.

 

However, the driving characteristics of the M135i go far beyond hanging the rear end out.

 

It has a stunning engine, a fabulous gearbox and the sound, feel, solidity and sure footedness (yes, it feels very well planted on the road indeed) are what makes it such a good car.  If you've not driven one then I suggest you do as a comparison and to see that BMW's aren't just about rear wheel drive fun.

 

There seems to be a lot of people who think you have to be someone who likes to have a car the rear end flies out on all the time to buy a BMW.  The reality is that they're nothing like that unless you absolutely want them to be and switch all the traction aids off.  The modern BMW is as smooth and stable as any Audi on the roads with the various bits of technology enabled.  It might not have 4WD levels of grip in the trickiest of situations, but 99% of the time you'd not feel any less grip or confidence.

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Jim lives in Yorkshire and manages to get about in his M135i all year round - all you need is a spare set of wheels with winter tyres on them and you'll get to places an S3 on summers wouldn't. And your BMW dealer will look after the other set for you if you're lucky enough to have one you can trust not to lose them. :P

 

Aside from that, there's the noise and driving characteristics of that wonderful 3 litre 6 cylinder engine that somehow manages to be just as economical as the 2 litre 4 pot in the S3.

 

As for looks, well, yeah that's subjective. Personally I much prefer the looks of the VW GTI to the S3 so (if for some bizarre reason I couldn't have the Beemer) I'd opt for a GTI and get Shark Performance to breathe on it.

Edited by garcon magnifique
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I think the Audi has a lovely interior - they've really upped their game over the old A3 and outgoing A4 - and you do get a lot of kit as standard.

 

But... the BMW just feels 'right'. I've never been a fan of the looks of the 1 - but you don't see that when you're driving it. What you do see is a very sound ergonomically designed interior - and the Sport seats with side bladders and adjustable lumbar are the most comfortable car seats I've ever had.

 

Then you get that wonderful auto box - and I really do think BMW have engines nailed these days.

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The S3 and the M135i are both great. I have lived with my 1 series for nearly a year now and think it is the perfect car for me. However I did drive a new S3 recently and enjoyed it. Both cover ground at a pace that would need serious commitment from the driver of more expensive performance cars.

However there was one area that really separated the cars for me. When driving slowly in traffic, the BMW feels sophisticated and expensive and it's characters still comes to the fore. The S3 felt and sounded just like the mk6 GTD that we also have. Nothing bad. Just ordinary.

Having said that I can see the appeal of the S3. It's a great package.

Edited by jimdiesel
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Id hang on a couple of weeks and get a 14 plate.

DSG drops 0-60 to 4.8 which is pretty quick!

You can probably still extend your warranty to 5 years too, so giving you total piece of mind and keeping residuals strong as it's transferable...

+++

 

Generational thing, but manual for me, had an R32 with DSG and just not for me after a while.

Cars going on a private plate so not to bothered with waiting till March, just means that the current S3 loses another £500 on PX value

Always take the 5 year warranty.It is a no brainer for the money, but stealers dont appear to take any acount of value of warranty, but if selling privately big plus IMO

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Jim lives in Yorkshire and manages to get about in his M135i all year round - all you need is a spare set of wheels with winter tyres on them and you'll get to places an S3 on summers wouldn't. And your BMW dealer will look after the other set for you if you're lucky enough to have one you can trust not to lose them. :P

 

Aside from that, there's the noise and driving characteristics of that wonderful 3 litre 6 cylinder engine that somehow manages to be just as economical as the 2 litre 4 pot in the S3.

 

As for looks, well, yeah that's subjective. Personally I much prefer the looks of the VW GTI to the S3 so (if for some bizarre reason I couldn't have the Beemer) I'd opt for a GTI and get Shark Performance to breathe on it.

 

See I dont get the winter tyres thing, as I do not want to have to change over a set of tyres when the snow starts falling, and just remember if you dont fit your winter tyres. with rims to the exact speciification of the original fitment, your car becomes "Modified" in the eyes of your insurers, something again I do not want to have to deal with.

 

In regards to the driver experience thing, I totally agree with  Dan, I want a safe, comfortable, quick when required for overtaking,not extortionate to run and service which is practical,asthetically "Q" and reasonable looking,  ( 1 Series looks feckin awful, if May had used a 1 series convertible to fix his sailing mast to, it would have looked at home at any sailing regatta) agreed its "Marmite" and each to his own

 

I am sure the 135M is a cracking Car, the 1M was an accident waiting to happen, drove one and it has such a short wheelbase it is downright lairy when you put the hammer down, in the wet a complete biatch to drive, even with the software switched on, and RS3 would have absolutely murdered in the wet, as would the new S3, and believe me living in one of the wettest parts of the UK that is a big plus and consideration, just a case of what you are looking for, if I wanted a real driving experience neither the S3 or the M135 would not make my top 100 of prospective buys, Mk2 Escort, quick rack with a 2.2 Cosworth Lump , leafs and a standard diff, now thats what I consider a driving experience, or maybe something like Tony Proctors Mk2 stripped out Capri fitted with a full race Cosworth DFV which was just awesome

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Mk2 Escort, quick rack with a 2.2 Cosworth Lump , leafs and a standard diff, now thats what I consider a driving experience, or maybe something like Tony Proctors Mk2 stripped out Capri fitted with a full race Cosworth DFV which was just awesome

Now we're talking. At least that puts you decidedly out of the "scared of RWD" camp. :)

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  • 1 month later...

I like red and black.  Nothing to be abused for. 

 

Just because someone else doesn't like it is irrelevant. 

 

I like beige.  Everyone knows this and they can all feck off.:roflmao:

 

*That said, I have a grey interior on the 5, but the X6 is beige-ish (Oyster as it happens, but that's beige enough for us to have chosen it).

 

Look forward to the pictures.+++

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I like red and black.  Nothing to be abused for. 

Look forward to the pictures. +++

 

 Thanks for the positive comments :grin:

 

When I work out HTF to upload the pictures, I will,

 

Apologies I can be a total technotwunt on occassion where anything is "User Friendly"

 

 Still stuck at Machine Code programming level I'm afraid from the late 80's, if only I'd have stuck at it and taken that job placement with Sony :rolleyes:

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S3 has arrived at the stealers will post up some pics shortly for anyone who has any interest

 

Gone for the "Gash" red & black leather interior so feel free to hurl abuse for doing so.

 

It matches my three piece so in the interests of interior & exterior design co-ordination it was a "Must Have"

 

Pics please!  You waiting unti March to collect I recall?

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Pics please!  You waiting unti March to collect I recall?

 

Any hints / advice on uploading pics appreciated please? +++

 

Just think of it like helping some f4t old twunt cross the road  

 

As I really cant be asred to try and work out the new OP that TSN now occupy, even my smartphone stresses me these days :blink:

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Click more reply options when trying to post, on the page you write in look at the bottom RHS corner.

Up comes a thing on the bottom LHS of page saying attach file, attach a jpg or ten and show us your newbie.

Sometimes you can upload big pictures and the site won't edit them to post format(so picture size needs to be under 2Mb, other times it auto resizes and posts.

The picture upload is a bit clunky, if all else fails throw them on to a freebie hosting picture site, open up the permissions for us and post a link to the host.

I've been waiting two fecking years so I want to see your car (btw-I hope its as good as expectation)

:). :)

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