Facelift Anti S3 review bias

[Masslob]

So in the run up to me getting my S3 and out of curiousity readu Golf R 7.5 reviews ive noticed a trend with reviewers

So mechanically S3 and Golf R 7.5 are the same car and as far as i can tell driving dynamics are identical..yet all S3 reviews describe it as numb and boring and yet the golf is fun and responsive..same ****** car! :/

Also when they talk about a competitor for the golf they always say rs3, amg a45 and focus rs..which arent even in the same class (faster and more bhp) its direct competitors are the bmw 140i and completely ignored s3.

Sometimes i question the neutrality of some of these reviews as it seems they favour one brand over another even when the data says different...

They gush about the Rs3 and Golf R yet our poor FL S3 seems to always be ignored....

 

[Weeb]

So in the run up to me getting my S3 and out of curiousity readu Golf R 7.5 reviews ive noticed a trend with reviewers

So mechanically S3 and Golf R 7.5 are the same car and as far as i can tell driving dynamics are identical..yet all S3 reviews describe it as numb and boring and yet the golf is fun and responsive..same ****** car! :/

Also when they talk about a competitor for the golf they always say rs3, amg a45 and focus rs..which arent even in the same class (faster and more bhp) its direct competitors are the bmw 140i and completely ignored s3.

Sometimes i question the neutrality of some of these reviews as it seems they favour one brand over another even when the data says different...

They gush about the Rs3 and Golf R yet our poor FL S3 seems to always be ignored....

Maybe because the S3 is regarded by some as an 'old' model & the Golf R is relatively new to market?


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[Lehn]

Maybe things would have changed if Audi had launched an S3.5?

 

[Timi8888]

Isn't the 7.5 just the same thing as the facelift S3? Could have compared those two...

I don't understand why they compare with the A45 or RS3 either!

 

[Masslob]

But its the same car, the 7.5 is using the platform that the FL S3 introduced first, its not a coincidence that both cars have the same bhp, torque, mpg etc cos they are using the same gb, chassis and engine. I always look for a mention of the FL S3 in these reviews but they always seem to be glossed over and i wonder why..the current AMG and Focus RS both came out before the FL S3 did yet they always get a mention so it cant be cos the S3 is 'old news'

 

[Jassyo06]

Who cares......? What so called motoring journalists say...... I don't

 

[Satory]

So mechanically S3 and Golf R 7.5 are the same car and as far as i can tell driving dynamics are identical..yet all S3 reviews describe it as numb and boring and yet the golf is fun and responsive..same ****** car! :/

It was always reported as far back as I can remember that the R and the S3 are very different dynamically, running different dampers, different geo and with enough dimensional variation in the wheelbase that one couldn't easily replicate the R geo on the S3 (also toe angle different and not adjustable?) etc. Is it now the case that there is no difference at all after the FL?

 

[Vertigo1]

It's not the same car!!!

 

[Daveotto]

Who cares......? What so called motoring journalists say...... I don't

Exactly, but the reality is that VW's are more mass market than Audi's and journalists are paid by page reads/hits so pays them to favour the more popular marque in their reviews .'Cos no one wants to read their pride and joy is worse than a similar one and by default there are more VW owners reading car reviews than Audi owners. - or am I just an old cynic

 

[S32B]

Price up a Golf R on a PCP after available discount and your deposit, then do the same with an S3...the S3 comes in lower! I've been looking at loads of options this last few months and it's normally the same result!

I was going the sensible route and looking at the 2018 FL X-Trail Tekna 1.6 petrol, with the available discount and £1k from me it was £415 per month over 3 years. I then did the same on the A5 S-line coupe, 2.0 petrol s-tronic (rest in my sig) again £1k down from me and it's under £390 per month!!! No brainer...who needs a practical car anyway

The GFV on the Audi is great for those that want to keep changing every few years. I'm 2.5 years into a 4 year deal on my S3, Mike Brewer is offering me more today than what the settlement figure was last week! Plus now I've paid it off I've saved the Aug, Sept and Octobers payments 3x£380= £1,140.
If I'd kept the S3 the full term, I'd need to spend around £900 on tyres, MOT, service and breakdown cover, change now and it's costing me £1,000 deposit on the A5, which is £100 more than to keep the S3 or £140 less than what I've saved between ordering the A5 until delivery....win win

 

[mikemod]

I have driven Golf GTIs(MK2, MK4, MK5, MK6) for the last 20 Years and have just moved to the S3 last year and I can't see me going back.

I don't get the negative attitudes either because I don't find the S3 dull or boring compared to my MK6 GTI.
Initially I thought the handling wasn't as good but then I realised I was heading into familiar corners 20MPH faster than I used to as the s3 seems to gather speed at an alarming rate.

I love the car and will definitely get another, although being a 3 door man this may be a problem. At least the R8 will always be three door

I remember Tiff Needell criticising the MK6 GTi because he couldn't get it to go sideways with lift off oversteer, called it boring.
Well I was very happy with it when the ESP saved me going through a hedge when I hit a lot of mud on a bend.
The car had sorted it before I had even clenched my buttocks.

 

[davc]

I agree with Jassy, who cares?

Journalists are d*cks anyway, most of them can't see beyond the blue and white propeller, it surprises me the golf even gets a look in.

 

[Simonb1975]

Could this be a pointless thread on a pro audi forum. Just saying

 

[Masslob]

Reason i said this it almost seemed like there was some media conspiracy to ignore the S3 as a hyper hatch contender. They gush about every other one (including the golf r which while not exactly the same car, shares much of the tech and mechanics). It makes me think..is the S3 a black pariah? is it media bias for hits, popularity, getting paid?? (much like over gushing on apple products even when inferior to their competitors). I like to read about other cars and see the car i have given a little respect.

 

[Tom.H]

I guess the one way to look at it is that they seem to review the top of the range models, as the RS3 is the top model, along with the Golf R, A45 AMG, Focus RS etc, the S3 gets left out - despite the fact the Golf R and S3 are more on par performance wise.

 

[Jassyo06]

To be honest,l think its all about bribery and corruption with the car manufacturers and motoring journalists l really do.....plus Marketing...A Golf R....is a VAG....car and being a Golf.....its marketing has to be different from a S3...so they will make it slightly driver focused,Audi's sell just by there image alone as they are perceived more posh than a Volkswagen......Ye dont get a Volkswagen R8.....etc.....Ye dont get Volkswagen showrooms....that look like a Audi showroom.....That's my Conspiracy Theory.....lol

 

[GSB]

Whilst they are based on the same 'platform', the R and the S3 are very different cars. Crawl under them with a tape measure and you'll find a host of different dimensions, different parts, different materials used for the same parts.

Drive them and whilst the power deliver and straight line performance are almost indistinguishable, the way they ride, brake, turn and handle is quite different. The Q3 also uses the MQB platform, as does the Skoda Kodiaq and the Seat Ateca, and we aren't saying these are the same cars.

MQB is more of a toolkit and a design philosophy than an an actual platform, there's actually very little commonality between the cars using it.

 

[Rob2k68]

As above suspension geometry is different between the two and materials are different the front subframe being a good example I believe.

MQB is a high level strategy for part sharing and not a single underframe or platform to echo GSB.

I’ve never driven an R hatch but I’ve got a 7.5 on order so I’m interested in experiencing any differences first hand when the car arrives.



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[Jassyo06]

As above suspension geometry is different between the two and materials are different the front subframe being a good example I believe.

MQB is a high level strategy for part sharing and not a single underframe or platform to echo GSB.

I’ve never driven an R hatch but I’ve got a 7.5 on order so I’m interested in experiencing any differences first hand when the car arrives.



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Didn't you test drive the R mate

 

[AndyKnight]

I never test drove me S3, just liked the look of it and did the whole process by phone and email.

 

[Rob2k68]

Didn't you test drive the R mate

No mate - had 15 mins in an R estate during rush hour around town so the B road journey to work in the hatch will be the real test !!


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[GSB]

R estate is not quite as good as the R hatch. You should be onto a winner there Rob.

 

[T-800]

I changed my RS3 8V for a FL R.......

The RS3 was a great car, however I’d always wanted to see how the R compared.....it doesn’t disappoint Superb car in my opinion.