Facelift S3 8v or Prefacelift RS3 8v

[Pelly]

Im caught in two minds currently!

I currently have a 2017 facelift S3 with extras such as the virtual cockpit, B+O sound system, Audi connect, etc...

However I’m really unsure wether to swap it for a 16 plate RS3 and wondered if that would be seen as a downgrade or an upgrade seeing as my s3 is 310bhp and the RS3 is only 367bhp it doesn’t seem like there is a huge difference, obviously I know that the RS3 is 5 cylinder compared to the s3 which is only 4 but is it worth it seeing as my S3 has tons of extras?

I really appreciate any advice thanks

 

[Ron240]

Personally I wouldn't do it.
I don't know about the specific bhp of the older RS3 but remember the 310 is PS so around 306bhp.
I would see it as a backward step going to an older car with not as many toys and not enough power increase to make it worthwhile.
Sure the RS3 will sound better but also drink much more fuel.
For me in the same situation it would need to be a current model RS3.
I'm sure others will have different opinions though.

 

[-Ju-]

Options make a car so if you went from a nicely spec"d FL S3 to a basic PFL RS3 then it could feel like a backward step. However you could easily get one in a nice spec anyway so that wouldn't bother me.
The difference in bhp is only the tip of the iceberg tbh so it would feel like a good step up from any 8V S3 if that's what you crave

 

[RichardT]

Personall I would stay with the newer car.

 

[KenL]

Agreed. I wouldn't take a risk with the older car.

 

[Scotty75]

As already stated you could easily get a well specced RS3 on that plate. Also with a stage 1 remap you could be pushing nearer 400 PS I would imagine. If it were me I'd do it, getting a slightly older RS3 is to me the best way to get one. For a start you avoid the initial depreciation and you aren't paying near 50k.

Let's be honest, we all know the RS3 is a different beast to the S3 , though I'd happily own either.

Bottom line, it just depends how much you want to own one.

 

[Jassyo06]

For me personally speaking the RS3 would need to be a bit special to be honest, l wouldn't swap my own car for any RS3 because I don't need 365 or 395 bhp

 

[TYb]

It’s been called out that the FL s3 is a better handling car than the PFL RS3 so that’s worth considering. Really if you are getting a PFL RS3 it’s for the noise over an FL S3.

 

[MikeParkin]

Get what makes you happy.

 

[Scotty75]

This is the best advice

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

 

[Terminator x]

Many PFL RS3s were 390-400hp as standard, a fair leap over the S imho. Oh and the noise, not a better sounding car available at under £100k also imho. I never found handling a problem and even if you do it is sorted with a rear ARB for £200.

Jfdi.

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

 

[Jassyo06]

Many PFL RS3s were 390-400hp as standard, a fair leap over the S imho. Oh and the noise, not a better sounding car available at under £100k also imho. I never found handling a problem and even if you do it is sorted with a rear ARB for £200.

Jfdi.

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

It's all relevant then... ? as a stock S3 will push 320 bhp out, why would you want 400 bhp .. . Just because l can. ... would be the answer eh..... Lol
I am sure the jag F type R owners would disagree with you on your best sounding car under £100k quote mate

 

[TYb]

Many PFL RS3s were 390-400hp as standard, a fair leap over the S imho. Oh and the noise, not a better sounding car available at under £100k also imho. I never found handling a problem and even if you do it is sorted with a rear ARB for £200.

Jfdi.

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

Are they really pushing out that much? Audi do like to underestimate things, good and bad...

 

[TYb]

It's all relevant then... ? as a stock S3 will push 320 bhp out, why would you want 400 bhp .. . Just because l can. ... would be the answer eh..... Lol
I am sure the jag F type R owners would disagree with you on your best sounding car under £100k quote mate

I do like an F Type, the V6 and V8 make a great noise.

 

[Terminator x]

It's all relevant then... ? as a stock S3 will push 320 bhp out, why would you want 400 bhp .. . Just because l can. ... would be the answer eh..... Lol
I am sure the jag F type R owners would disagree with you on your best sounding car under £100k quote mate

Maybe hence imho

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

 

[Terminator x]

Are they really pushing out that much? Audi do like to underestimate things, good and bad...

Yep loads of us just under 400hp. Fyi mine was timed at 3.6s to 60 at Rockingham, standard car.

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

 

[Jassyo06]

Maybe hence imho

TX.

Sent from my BBB100-2 using Tapatalk

Or even BMW M3 competition Pack owners .. Lol

 

[Pelly]

I really appreciate the advice, the one I’ve been looking at is a well specced RS3 and has nearly every extra on it, the only things it doesn’t have on it is obviously the Virtual cockpit and upgraded mmi

But at the same time I do love my S3

 

[MikeParkin]

Why don't you just keep the S3, get some good mods and a map then you will have similar if not better figures @Pelly ?

 

[wab172uk]

RS3 has more Kudos over the S3, that's for sure. And you get the extra power and sound from the 5-Pot engine.

But apart from more power and sound, what does the RS3 have over the S3? Not a great deal TBH. Same inside, and virtually the same outside.

You can make your S3 just a quick as the RS3 with a simple stage 1 chip. You can make it sound better with an aftermarket exhaust. You can even make it handle better than the RS3 too.

The RS3 has more weight over the front axle too, so will be more prone to understeer. I read years ago, after the first RS3, that for the second Gen car, Audi engineers wanted to use the 2.0l engine that's in the current S3, as it was lighter, and made the car handle better. But Audi management had already decided the 5-pot was the RS3's `thing`

Personally, I wouldn't swap a newer car for an older car, unless it was something special. As nice as an RS3 is, it isn't special. I couldn't even justify the cost of upgrading my current S3 to a new RS3. If I was looking to buy a new S3 or RS3, I'd pick the RS3.

And as your car is a 2017 model, you're going to take the brunt of the depreciation hit

 

[Snake Pliskin]

IMHO ..... the performance of the RS3 is only part of the appeal.

The BIGGEST draw and WOW factor of the RS3 is the SOUND

The 2.5 litre five cylinder with sports exhaust is a work of art & makes you smile each & every time you drive the car and hear it.
I've had mine nearly 2.5 years and the shine still has not worn off and usually by this time I am well bored and itching to get a new car.
The car still makes me smile and it feels "very special"

I've had nice Audi's before this - a TTS and then a S5 and as great as those cars were, they did not feel 'special'.

Don't get me wrong Guys, the S cars are superb and in all liklihood I will probably get another S next when the next gen S3 comes out but all i am saying is that yes the S3 and RS3 are not that far apart in terms of performance (although as TX says the RS3's are coming in at BHP figures way over the quoted figures of Audi and the cars are seriously quick) but the sound & occasion is what makes these cars

 

[jimojameso]

I would go for the RS3 myself. The engine, the noise, RS bits just make it a special car.

 

[Jassyo06]

IMHO ..... the performance of the RS3 is only part of the appeal.

The BIGGEST draw and WOW factor of the RS3 is the SOUND

The 2.5 litre five cylinder with sports exhaust is a work of art & makes you smile each & every time you drive the car and hear it.
I've had mine nearly 2.5 years and the shine still has not worn off and usually by this time I am well bored and itching to get a new car.
The car still makes me smile and it feels "very special"

I've had nice Audi's before this - a TTS and then a S5 and as great as those cars were, they did not feel 'special'.

Don't get me wrong Guys, the S cars are superb and in all liklihood I will probably get another S next when the next gen S3 comes out but all i am saying is that yes the S3 and RS3 are not that far apart in terms of performance (although as TX says the RS3's are coming in at BHP figures way over the quoted figures of Audi and the cars are seriously quick) but the sound & occasion is what makes these cars

I wouldn't swap my S3 for any RS3 mate ....especially the facelift car just not enough difference ... .driven both FL and PFL like l said yonks ago the old car does sound awesome where the FL sounds more naturally aspirated.... But the PFL rs3 is a 2015 car and since then the A3 in general has moved on a bit in terms of looks gearbox,sound, handling especially the saloon or a hatch with magride and the S3 is great value compared to the RS3 fl which in my opinion is very overpriced.
And again l wish l got a £ for every thread that's had this topic lol

 

[Steven87]

My brother in law has just bought a PFL RS3, the MMI looks very dated compared to my FL S3.

 

[Snake Pliskin]

I wouldn't swap my S3 for any RS3 mate ....especially the facelift car just not enough difference ... .driven both FL and PFL like l said yonks ago the old car does sound awesome where the FL sounds more naturally aspirated.... But the PFL rs3 is a 2015 car and since then the A3 in general has moved on a bit in terms of looks gearbox,sound, handling especially the saloon or a hatch with magride and the S3 is great value compared to the RS3 fl which in my opinion is very overpriced.
And again l wish l got a £ for every thread that's had this topic lol

& that is why I could not justify getting a facelift RS3 - as the majority of the car would feel identical.
I did it a few years ago when I changed from a 3.2 litre TT to a TTS.
The TTS was a facelift and a very nice S spec, but once the new car shine had worn off, it felt very similar.
I had both cars 3 years so 6 years in total in similar feeling cars had its negatives.
When I went from the TTS to the S5, that was a toally different car - and then S5 to RS3, again totally different.
If I do end up getting a new platform S3, hopefully that will be different enough, being a brand new design ... unless that Merc tempts me away lol

 

[Pelly]

My brother in law has just bought a PFL RS3, the MMI looks very dated compared to my FL S3.

I thought that when I saw it but I’ve seen that you can get it updated

 

[Jassyo06]

& that is why I could not justify getting a facelift RS3 - as the majority of the car would feel identical.
I did it a few years ago when I changed from a 3.2 litre TT to a TTS.
The TTS was a facelift and a very nice S spec, but once the new car shine had worn off, it felt very similar.
I had both cars 3 years so 6 years in total in similar feeling cars had its negatives.
When I went from the TTS to the S5, that was a toally different car - and then S5 to RS3, again totally different.
If I do end up getting a new platform S3, hopefully that will be different enough, being a brand new design ... unless that Merc tempts me away lol

I feel apart the some of the dashboard that l am in totally different car going from the PFL sportback to the fl saloon the actual driving experience is night and day ie l am not sliding out the seats,slightly better steering, far more responsive gearbox and far better road holding although l may add at far more cost.

 

[Bells]

It’s been called out that the FL s3 is a better handling car than the PFL RS3 so that’s worth considering. Really if you are getting a PFL RS3 it’s for the noise over an FL S3.

There was a comparison thread on the RS3 section the other day and the FL S3 got quite a bashing , admittedly I think it was versus a FL RS3 but still don’t think the S3 is a bad car, noise lacking a little maybe yes, but never felt I needed more power etc.

 

[Bells]

Im caught in two minds currently!

I currently have a 2017 facelift S3 with extras such as the virtual cockpit, B+O sound system, Audi connect, etc...

However I’m really unsure wether to swap it for a 16 plate RS3 and wondered if that would be seen as a downgrade or an upgrade seeing as my s3 is 310bhp and the RS3 is only 367bhp it doesn’t seem like there is a huge difference, obviously I know that the RS3 is 5 cylinder compared to the s3 which is only 4 but is it worth it seeing as my S3 has tons of extras?

I really appreciate any advice thanks

Being in the same situation with regards to my FL S3 and having test driven a PFL RS3 yesterday I’m pretty sure I’ve made my mind up... to keep my current S3.

Yes the PFL RS3’s sound a lot better than my S3 but that’s about it for the positives as I’d be losing the updated tech and virtual cockpit etc. If I swapped over it worked out I’d be paying another £5-6k and be getting a car a year older than mine with more mileage. Plus the additional costs of an MOT sooner, paying for extended warranty, fuel costs and extra insurance premium etc would all be added on too. For the amount of mileage I do and with looking to buy a house next year it’s just something I couldn’t justify the extra expenditure on.

As a few others have said recently I’ve come to the decision that the S3 is the sweet spot in the range

 

[Jassyo06]

There was a comparison thread on the RS3 section the other day and the FL S3 got quite bashing , admittedly I think it was versus a FL RS3 but still don’t think the S3 is a bad car, noise lacking a little maybe yes, but never felt I needed more power etc.

Doesn't surprise does that mate ... Coz most on that section of the forum.... Are so far up their own *****.. .. They need sat nav to get back out.....

 

[Snake Pliskin]

I feel apart the some of the dashboard that l am in totally different car going from the PFL sportback to the fl saloon the actual driving experience is night and day ie l am not sliding out the seats,slightly better steering, far more responsive gearbox and far better road holding although l may add at far more cost.

Yeah totally agree on that front ... if you’ve got some tasty new extras like super sports seats, led lights, extended leatherette (lol), 19” alloys, mag ride, b&o, 7 speed auto etc which weren’t there before plus all the styling updates & virtual cockpit then that is a worthwhile update for sure

For me, the biggest updates on the face lift RS3 were virtual cockpit (which I do like as it’s on the wife’s TT) and 0.2 seconds shaved off the 0 to 62mph sprint ... all for £5k extra lol ????

I would consider the saloon but not convinced on the Kia-esque RS alloys.
Alloys on the S3 are far better imo. I’ve not heard a face lift RS3 but most say the pre fl sounds better / louder so again very little desire for the fl ... from where I am.

Still not convinced I could spend £2k on paint like you did mate ... although I do fully appreciate it gets you a totally unique car in a stunning colour (that’s not grey, black or white lol).

 

[Jassyo06]

Yeah totally agree on that front ... if you’ve got some tasty new extras like super sports seats, led lights, extended leatherette (lol), 19” alloys, mag ride, b&o, 7 speed auto etc which weren’t there before plus all the styling updates & virtual cockpit then that is a worthwhile update for sure

For me, the biggest updates on the face lift RS3 were virtual cockpit (which I do like as it’s on the wife’s TT) and 0.2 seconds shaved off the 0 to 62mph sprint ... all for £5k extra lol ????

I would consider the saloon but not convinced on the Kia-esque RS alloys.
Alloys on the S3 are far better imo. I’ve not heard a face lift RS3 but most say the pre fl sounds better / louder so again very little desire for the fl ... from where I am.

Still not convinced I could spend £2k on paint like you did mate ... although I do fully appreciate it gets you a totally unique car in a stunning colour (that’s not grey, black or white lol).

And l will do it again mate exclusive, individual colour hated seeing loads of Audi's the same colour as my last car.

 

[Snake Pliskin]

And l will do it again mate exclusive, individual colour hated seeing loads of Audi's the same colour as my last car.

Let’s see what colours are released on the next platform ... Audi ‘might’ surprise us & offer Suzuka grey, Misano Red, Mica blue, solar orange etc all as standard paints

 

[-Ju-]

I would consider the saloon but not convinced on the Kia-esque RS alloys.
Alloys on the S3 are far better imo.

Spot on mate, I knew they were pinched from somewhere lol. Totally spoil the car imho

Sent from my Note 8 using Tapatalk