Page 1 of 1

Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2018 8:01 pm
by stevo55
Looking to get back into the Audi fold after around 6 months away
(Quick potted history-had C6 RS6 for a year and loved it, went for the C7 RS6 which whilst awesome I had to let it go as I couldn’t justify the massive outlay every month).
Have been in a FL A45 for around 4 months now and whilst the good points (chassis, grip and B road munching capability) are great the bad points (too many to list unfortunately) are really grinding me down to the point that the car is frustrating most of the time. It’s stock apart from a ‘Peddle Box’ although I have a Tricolore Performance Stage 1 Box ready to be fitted.
Ideally a latest model RS3 saloon would be a good fit or even an S4/5. However a suggestion has been the facelifted S3 saloon and then tune it?
Question here is the difference between S3 and RS3 that great? I’ve driven neither and would go for the saloon. Online the price difference is pretty huge-around £15-18k for a low miles well specc’d one.
I paid £36k for the A45 (I really don’t think they are worth the new price of around £52k for a well specc’d one) so the £45-49k for an RS3 is quite a difference (although my C7 RS6 was around £70k).
Thoughts?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2018 7:43 pm
by stevo55
No thoughts? We’ll take that as a ‘don’t know’ then?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 7:38 am
by asifg
If you're on Facebook, have a look at the S3/RS3 group as there are likely to be plenty of users with past experience.

I've only got an S3 which is remapped, but it does definitely understeer when pushed hard, and it's a bit anonymous (but I needed that). The RS3 looks better, sounds amazing and will probably drive better, but as you said, it's £15k more, which I couldn't justify

Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 1:40 pm
by stevo55
One of the few things (think it’s about 5) I like about the A45 is that you don’t see many on the road so there’s that exclusivity which is always nice. It’s a real shame as the minus points (I think there’s about 15 so far) really add up and are bugging the crap out of me now. 4Matic isn’t as good as Quattro imo but the A45 can really hustle on tight roads. Trouble is the remainder of the time it’s a difficult car to live with an I only run one car.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:21 pm
by don0301
Get back into a C6 RS6....

Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2018 12:44 pm
by MikeFish
The noise of the 5pot over the 4 cylinder is enough of a reason to go for the rs3 alone. Both look great in a saloon but obviously the rs3 a bit more agressive.

Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2018 12:08 am
by Terminator_X
RS3 engine is worth its weight in gold imho. Sold mine a few weeks ago with a serious heavy heart. Amazing cars.

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk


Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 10:44 pm
by stevo55
Finally fitted the tuning box and at least the A45 is as quick as it should be (stock it doesn’t actually feel that quick) and it’s running around 400-410 bhp now. The other niggles I’ll never get away from but I have to wait until the finance balances out (another 4 months or so) before moving it on. RS3 saloon prices will have come down a bit by then, the RS5 has had a mixed press but is a slow burner it seems and prices are slowly coming down. New RS4 would be the sweet spot but still too new and hence too expensive.
Had a new RS3 sportback come past me the other day...engine noise and exhaust sounded awesome. A45 engine always sounds strained (although the tune makes the exhaust pop and crackle more now) and it’s tedious having to rev the crap out of it to get the results.
As for going back to the C6.....tempting but it’s really feeling it’s age now and is a very blunt weapon (A45 in the bends really is very competent). My one regret with my old one was I never took it to MRC....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Sun May 13, 2018 12:27 pm
by Paulm
I had a new S3 for around a year. Fitted a DTUK box (which I still have) and it was slightly faster than an RS3 361bhp. Cracking wee car but road noise was really annoying and the suspension was just on the limit of being too hard for a daily.

Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Sun May 13, 2018 10:12 pm
by marc1
Dynamically the A45 has it over the S3. Both have a four cylinder engine, so I think you’d be disappointed. The RS5 is a little more and the engine is just awesome, so that’s the one I’d be leaning towards.

How W you finding the tune for the 45 now? Have you launched it, and have you had 4matic unavailable at any point?

Re: Tuned S3 or RS3?

Posted: Wed May 16, 2018 11:06 am
by stevo55
By way of an update I test drove an RS3 saloon a while ago and I really expected to be totally blown away by it and lust after it....that just didn’t happen which shocked me. I also test drove an S5 and a B7 RS5 (S5 surprisingly quick and impressive, the RS5 felt solid, stuck to the road but way down on torque and felt dated tech wise). Fast cornering on the RS3 I could feel some understeer coming on but overall while it was a great car it didn’t have the affect I was hoping for! Maybe it’s because I need a larger car, could t put my finger on a single point but was enough for me to look at other models.
Have been looking at RS7’s and test drove a pre FL 2014 one with most of the must have options ticked. Huge delivery and looked great, felt very heavy though (that’s what happens when you drive a lighter car) and also dated inside?
On a whim I went to BMW and drove an M3 Competition Pack and the handling and drive was frankly sublime....conditions were dry and it just handled better than any Audi I’ve ever driven (sorry Audi). Tech was bang on and it’s cheaper than the RS7, newer and with great tech. Very very strong contender and I wasn’t looking for a RWD car...trouble is the UK is a damp country and thats where AWD comes into its own.
As for the A45, never launched it, I still own it but it’s up for sale. The tuning box and pedal box have gone as someone snapped them up (by far the most popular mods on an A45 and a worthwhile investment as you can sell them on and get some money back). Tuned it was running at around 400-410 bhp I guess (never dyno’d it) and it really transformed the car from a deeply flawed one to a fast flawed one. It’s become a car I don’t even want to drive anymore and the sooner it goes the better. Easily the most disappointing and frustrating car I’ve ever owned by a long way. Far too one dimensional and not even remotely worth the asking price (with the spec I have mine would’ve been around £52k which is total robbery). They are very capable at handling but that’s about it bar one or two other hints like good brakes. In my eyes the A45 is crap.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk