RFredR32 Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Apologies if this has been posted before After having a MKV R32 demo out 2 weeks ago for the weekend I decided to see what else was out there. Called in to local Audi garage earlier in the week and have just picked up a brand new (130 miles on the clock) S3 for the day to leave back in the morning. OK i know they are not the same in terms of price but depending on how you spec up more or less the same. Thought i would post this now as the rest of the day will be spent driving the wheels of it. Have any of you had similar experience thoughts or dilemmas ? Will give you my feedback tomorrow when i have left the car back Car is Sprint blue, with two tone leather, flat bottom multi function steering wheel, bose sound, rear parking etc etc. So far my first impressions are high although it was hard to keep my eyes off the S5 when i was at the showroom, what an awesome looking car, and to think ther might be a possibility of an RS5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdR32 Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 When I got my R32 I had second thoughts after a while, wishing I'd gone for an S3. This really got at me for a few weeks, but now I've seen the light. Sure the R32 may not be as quick, but it is a much better looking car, has more road presence, and makes the sound that the S3 can only dream of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFredR32 Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Just came back to house for a pit stop something to eat etc. Going to wait until the hours of darkness are upon us. Before i head out for another spin Ed I agree with your comments the S3 definately misses out on the soundtrack, but it does hum along nicely, Will post more later when i get a good chance to drive it in anger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMeanBob Posted August 4, 2007 Report Share Posted August 4, 2007 Quite tempted to take one of these out for a spin in the coming weeks. I know it's definetly gonig to be down a good bit on power compared to what I got at the moment, but still very tempted. Seems relatively easy to take it over the 300bhp with not too much in the way of tuning either....certainly cheaper than converting to forced induction... b0b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyNet Posted August 4, 2007 Report Share Posted August 4, 2007 [ QUOTE ] Apologies if this has been posted before After having a MKV R32 demo out 2 weeks ago for the weekend I decided to see what else was out there. Called in to local Audi garage earlier in the week and have just picked up a brand new (130 miles on the clock) S3 for the day to leave back in the morning. OK i know they are not the same in terms of price but depending on how you spec up more or less the same. Thought i would post this now as the rest of the day will be spent driving the wheels of it. Have any of you had similar experience thoughts or dilemmas ? Will give you my feedback tomorrow when i have left the car back Car is Sprint blue, with two tone leather, flat bottom multi function steering wheel, bose sound, rear parking etc etc. So far my first impressions are high although it was hard to keep my eyes off the S5 when i was at the showroom, what an awesome looking car, and to think ther might be a possibility of an RS5 [/ QUOTE ] Hey Champ! Wait for the RS3... Same price as the new S5!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrakeSnake Posted August 4, 2007 Report Share Posted August 4, 2007 Any hard facts on whether the RS3 is coming out yet, and with which engine set up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean_H Posted August 4, 2007 Report Share Posted August 4, 2007 Having test driven both, I would say that the S3 suffers from an uneven power delivery (prob. due to the turbo)... I think that the .:R's responsiveness even when the wrong gear might be selected gives it the edge in drivability (albeit this is around London) + the sound! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFredR32 Posted August 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2007 Sorry bit late on my review but was away all weekend for the old ladys birthday S3 is no doubts a quick car, which like the R32 can cover the countryside at a serious rate, both are also easy to drive quickly. The S3 with its lighter lump up front has a better turn in but with the 2.0l not only does it lack the all important sound track it also feels like its missing some grunt. The turbo i feel is great, but how quickly would you tire of having to drive it on the turbo all the time to get the performance of it. Felt like sometimes you had to plant the foot and wait for it all to happen which is the nature of a turbo but doesnt feel as responsive as R32. The S3 interior is quality you also feel more enclosed than the R32 giving the illusion that you are in a sports car. The Audi is a fantastic car yes a little more expensive, better quality of materials in interior, more powerful, quattro 4wd etc etc. However for me as a every day driver that i would be more likely to keep long term, the R32 ticks more boxes. More cylinders, V6, better soundtrack, cheaper, more room, more practical, better looking in my opinion, etc. MKV R32 gets my vote the S3 is a great car but i cant help feeling it would begin to grate on me after a while and i would change to something else. The other half is also a big fan of R32, couldnt get on with the S3 at all. So she is behind the R32 purchase (not the deciding factor but a added bonus ) Just to add another one of my local dealers has agreed to another 24 hr test drive this time in a Subaru WRX STI with prodrive kit, no real intentions of buying one but want to see if it lives up to its reputation and what all the fuss is about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisCSL Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 Sorry, I've been off post recently. I was considering an APS R300 upgrade but I bought a TVR Tamora instead (like you do). I also considered the S3 before I purchased my R32. The soundtrack and the fact the R32 was NOT a turbo certainly ticked my boxes. I actually thought the R32 interior was more special. Maybe it's the steering wheel, more aluminum and probably as mine has leather Recaro's. Here's a previous thread which you might find interesting: http://www.tyresmoke.net/ubbthreads/show...rue#Post1091805 Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 [ QUOTE ] I was considering an APS R300 upgrade but I bought a TVR Tamora instead (like you do). [/ QUOTE ] Easy enough to get confused... Don't worry, I got confused, but the other way around. I very nearly bought an EVO IX to replace the R32, but bought and S4 Avant instead... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket_Man Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 [ QUOTE ] I very nearly bought an EVO IX to replace the R32 [/ QUOTE ] Did you test drive one Mook? If so, what did you think? I've started thinking about what i'll replace the R with (next year though) and this is an option i'm considering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 Yes - I drove a friend's EVI VIII MR370 around Spa in May. Totally feckin awesome. The anti-yaw is just phenomenal! Wanted one so badly when I came back that I nearly went out and bought one there and then. Then Mr Head got in the way and told me I couldn't get our big hairy deerhound lurcher in the boot. Well, we could have, but his complaints would have been a bit muffled... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz54 Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Audi S3 any day. Firstly don't think the R32 looks as nice as the GTI. The S3 is noticably faster. The S3 has better handling. It has a better quality interior. Although it is more expensive it will hold it's value better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrakeSnake Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 "Although it is more expensive it will hold it's value better"... On what do you base this? My old S3 ( a noticeably better and more refined car than the current S3- good, but nowhere near as refined and quality car like the original) was more expensive than the MkIV R32 and yet held it's value less over the space of 4 years (much much less infact). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Not sure I agree re the S3 holding it's value better than the R32, but it shouldn't drop too much. I agree re the interior - the Mk5 interior as a whole is well acknowledged as being of poorer build quality than the Mk4, for example. And if they'd made the Mk5 R32 a more aggressive looking version of the Mk5 GTI, I reckon they'd sell more. But the Mk4 R32 was built and sold as a lead into the Mk5 R32 - i.e. build a limited run that would gain lots of fans, then use that reputation to sell lots of Mk5 R32s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rs32 Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Just driven the S3 today. Here's my thoughts : Exterior - Prefer the MkV Golf shape but the S3 in sprint blue looks superb, particularly with the black optics pack imo. Interior - S3 wins hands down. 2-tone black/silver leather looks brilliant, and plastics, controls and dials are all of better quality. Why can't VW put the R32 logo on the speedo ? Makes all the difference. Driving - I was expecting the S3 to be a real firecracker. Ride comfort is excellent but perhaps a bit too soft. You can tell there is less weight up front. Very disappointed with the steering though - it's way too light and has absolutely no feel. Huge, huge disappointment given all the fuss about the lightweight suspension components and lighter 2.0T FSI engine. Turn-in is very good though and there's good low-down torque, with the turbo kicking in nicely by 2400 rpm. Brakes felt a bit lacking on intial bite but work nicely when they're a bit hotter. Engine noise OK but it's no V6 - with or without Milltek. Performance felt fine but not amazing - suspect a quick remap and you'd be well away with 300+ bhp. Overall ride and road presence feels less imposing than the R32. Possibly due to the extra weight with the V6 up front - the R32 always felt composed and whilst the S3 wasn't about to throw you into a hedge, it felt too light for its suspension damping imho. Like they'd forcibly made it comfortable and uninvolving rather than "sporty". Audi Marketing dept strikes again perhaps ? All in all - a bit of a disappointment given what I've read here and elsewhere. If I'd not driven an M3 "accidentally" and felt the urge to test drive the S3, I'd have kept the MkV R32 no question. Came away from the test drive feeling really quite underwhelmed - and pretty disappointed. Shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrakeSnake Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 nice brief and to the point write up Rich With an M3 behnd you now, you must have an even bigger grin on your face... So, what did you have done to it the other day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rs32 Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Brakesnake - 100-cell HJS race cats + Milltek centre section. Kept standard rear box. +13bhp at the wheels according to before/after dyno. The numbers are irrelevant, the drive is now very different. It's, erm, a bit better The clutch and steering are so light on the S3 I nearly crashed the M3 as I left my parking space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrakeSnake Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Thats the main thing, how it drives Will hopefully be able to turn up to another meet one of these days and see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyNet Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Hi RS32! Have you tested the new BMW 135i(306 bhp stock)??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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