Fifth Gear - Hot Hatch Shootout - inc Audi S3

[Snake Pliskin]

Anybody see this last night ?

Hot hatch shoot out.

Feaures the Audi S3 face lift, Seat Cupra R, Civic Type R and Renault Megane RS ....

https://www.questod.co.uk/show/fifth-gear/video/episode-3/EHD_226378B

 

[TYb]

Anybody see this last night ?

Hot hatch shoot out.

Feaures the Audi S3 face lift, Seat Cupra R, Civic Type R and Renault Megane RS ....

https://www.questod.co.uk/show/fifth-gear/video/episode-3/EHD_226378B

Just watched it, kind of predictable for the S3, fast in a straight line but doesn’t like corners.

Is 5th gear still being shown on TV?

 

[Fozzer]

Overstearing and it’s on Quest 144

 

[Snake Pliskin]

Just watched it, kind of predictable for the S3, fast in a straight line but doesn’t like corners.

Is 5th gear still being shown on TV?

Yeah it was a forgone result wasn't it based on the tests they set up.
I think we would ALL take the S3 any day of the week.

and yes as noted above, it has landed on an obscure channel called Quest lol

 

[NevMan]

Anybody see this last night ?

Hot hatch shoot out.

Feaures the Audi S3 face lift, Seat Cupra R, Civic Type R and Renault Megane RS ....

https://www.questod.co.uk/show/fifth-gear/video/episode-3/EHD_226378B

not yet, on planner

 

[45bvtc]

Love to see the difference on a wet - typically UK weather - track...

 

[Snake Pliskin]

not yet, on planner

I think it may be repeated on saturday afternoon around 3pm

Edit .... re-reading I think you've already got it recorded yes but not watched it

 

[Nextcar?]

Love to see the difference on a wet - typically UK weather

If you are from up north

 

[Snake Pliskin]

Love to see the difference on a wet - typically UK weather - track...

and if they had done a 0 to 60 or 100mph test, the S3 would have smashed the others

I also wonder if the test car had mag ride - as that should have improved cornering a little too ... yeah ?

 

[Leevr]

and if they had done a 0 to 60 or 100mph test, the S3 would have smashed the others

I also wonder if the test car had mag ride - as that should have improved cornering a little too ... yeah ?

Had 19s so guessing it did. Think they need to fit different tyres. Might help. Terrible understeer. A few cars ago I had an evo 9 and it had a bit of understeer till it got heat in the tyres then it was fantastic. A lot more Raw than the S3. Felt a lot faster, seat of the pants ride. Interior was woefull in comparison. But I'd have another one tommorow.

 

[Lehn]

F%CK ME

 

[NevMan]

I think it may be repeated on saturday afternoon around 3pm

Edit .... re-reading I think you've already got it recorded yes but not watched it

edit= spot on

 

[Snake Pliskin]

Had 19s so guessing it did. Think they need to fit different tyres. Might help. Terrible understeer. A few cars ago I had an evo 9 and it had a bit of understeer till it got heat in the tyres then it was fantastic. A lot more Raw than the S3. Felt a lot faster, seat of the pants ride. Interior was woefull in comparison. But I'd have another one tommorow.

ah yes good spot on the 19's and yes that would suggest mag ride woudn't it.
Maybe they need to fit wider front tyres to the S3 like they do on the RS3 to help address under steer ... high tech solution that by Audi lol

 

[dadracer55]

It was a kind of limited test as a hot hatch should be able to do multiple things as well as go quickly and none of those factors were addressed. I would also wonder what kind of tyres the Renault and Honda were on and it they were track day focussed. Anyhow I would swap mine for either of those as it is so much more than a way of covering ground quickly.

 

[Leevr]

ah yes good spot on the 19's and yes that would suggest mag ride woudn't it.
Maybe they need to fit wider front tyres to the S3 like they do on the RS3 to help address under steer ... high tech solution that by Audi lol

Heard good things about michelin ps4s. My RS3 still understeered with the tyre size difference. Never got a chance to fit any alternatives. Need maybe a softer tyre, but then you have increased wear. It's a trade off I suppose. My memory of the Evo was if id done a motorway run for a couple of hundred miles the sensation of increased grip with tyre temp was very noticeable. Anyone done lots of motorway miles and had the same outcome?

 

[KenL]

It's just a pity the S3 doesn't handle as well as it could and should.

 

[winrya]

For road use the s3 is miles more capable than I am as a driver so doesn’t bother me at all really. Much rather enjoy the nice cabin, looks, engine, gearbox, traction, feel good factor

 

[Daveotto]

It's just a pity the S3 doesn't handle as well as it could and should.

Handles well enough for a reasonably priced small family hatchback/saloon with a big engine.....it’s not a super car or even close to be a relatively exclusive car any more....btw still got mine (3rd S3) and still love it, just saying some people expect a lot for around £40k

 

[KenL]

Reasonably priced - I don't think it is at all.

 

[TYb]

Handles well enough for a reasonably priced small family hatchback/saloon with a big engine.....it’s not a super car or even close to be a relatively exclusive car any more....btw still got mine (3rd S3) and still love it, just saying some people expect a lot for around £40k

I get what you are saying but when it’s widely reported it doesn’t handle as well as a Golf R then surely Audi should resolve that.

£40k is a large amount of money, definitely not great value but we are all suckers for the premium badge.

 

[lee_fr200]

It’s funny because they love the gti and the R from VW so why does the s3 get stick???

Also whilst my gti pp loses but can keep with an s3 especially in the dry and isn’t behind much, on the very wet North Yorkshire moors a s3 left me for dead round the twists and then would fire off the corners! I was just getting wheel spin and traction control lights and understeer SO I don’t know why they get a bashing

 

[JonW]

I feel I need to ask, how? I’ve tried really hard to get the understeer everyone keeps banging on about....the first set of tyres didn’t last a year (all four equally worn) and now I’m swapping out because I think I’ve given this one some stick and want a fresh one to keep a little longer hehe. There’s a R and a RS near me and they must be pants on these country roads if they are that much better at handing, and I’m quite an average driver.

I like my S3

 

[dadracer55]

I think that with the standard seats on the Golf R combined with a manual box it gives the impression of being a better handling car than the S3. I don't think there is a whole lot in it and the S3 then beats the Golf R on any other measure. Oh and its not the badge that sold me it was the value for money over the Golf R for me thanks. Now even Car Wow has the S3 as a winner over the Golf R in a head to head.

 

[45bvtc]

ah yes good spot on the 19's and yes that would suggest mag ride woudn't it.
Maybe they need to fit wider front tyres to the S3 like they do on the RS3 to help address under steer ... high tech solution that by Audi lol

Changing the rear anti-roll bar does sooo much more, Glenn, believe me (8.5 J fronts and 8J rears with MPSS), like so:

Upgraded the wheels and tyres first and then the ARB, I now know it should have been ARB first and then the wheels and tyres...

 

[S32B]

I'd also like to have seen the GFV of them all after 3 years!!!

 

[Daveotto]

I get what you are saying but when it’s widely reported it doesn’t handle as well as a Golf R then surely Audi should resolve that.

Sells well enough though despite the continued bad press on handling ccompared to the R, so no need to change maybe ?

 

[Jassyo06]

Yawns....lol

 

[Jassyo06]

And to add...to my above post....i aint a car snob 99-9% of the time....but all of them cars are just cheap tat.....compared to the Audi

 

[KenL]

I'd also like to have seen the GFV of them all after 3 years!!!

Looking at Audi.co.uk GFV is way down on A3s (maybe not S3s?) Compared to when I got mine 2 years ago.

 

[winrya]

Looking at Audi.co.uk GFV is way down on A3s (maybe not S3s?) Compared to when I got mine 2 years ago.

I ordered a bmw 140i shadow edition the day before Audi managed to find me one of the last 310 black edition s3's and even with 10k discount the bmw was only £12 a month cheaper because the GFV was almost 5k less than the Audi. Same with the golf r, it's a similar price car with a couple of options but because the golfs GFV is so poor its actually the most expensive of the 3 on monthlies.

I read a document last month that said the s3 was the second slowest depreciating car in the uk. All these things add up to make the s3 a pretty good buy. Hate to think what the depreciation would be on one of those megannes.

 

[Jassyo06]

Looking at Audi.co.uk GFV is way down on A3s (maybe not S3s?) Compared to when I got mine 2 years ago.

Your contract states....X= GFMV then there's nowt to worry about....mate,it all depends on when you bought the car after all....Same goes with APR....i got mine's at 4-6% plus a 13% discount, my previous S3 was 6-9% with a 8% discount .....makes a difference

 

[Jassyo06]

I think that with the standard seats on the Golf R combined with a manual box it gives the impression of being a better handling car than the S3. I don't think there is a whole lot in it and the S3 then beats the Golf R on any other measure. Oh and its not the badge that sold me it was the value for money over the Golf R for me thanks. Now even Car Wow has the S3 as a winner over the Golf R in a head to head.

That Head to Head was a fight between VW R manual v S3 Dsg....NOT...a fair comparison....Golfs sell very well and to be honest VAG.....couldnt give a flying monkeys...as to what is the better car....they win either way....Perceived Brand image.....as both cars are almost identical in price once you start adding options

 

[Ron240]

I would also wonder what kind of tyres the Renault and Honda were on and it they were track day focussed.

Standard fit tyre on the Type R is Continental SportContact6 - 20" diameter super sticky road tyres which i found out wear at the rate of 1mm per 1000 miles.
I wish I had the Type R seats in my S3 because they are the best in the business!
If I tried to corner as hard in my S3 as I could in my Type R I would slide right out of the seat.

 

[TYb]

Sells well enough though despite the continued bad press on handling ccompared to the R, so no need to change maybe ?

This is true

 

[S32B]

Looking at Audi.co.uk GFV is way down on A3s (maybe not S3s?) Compared to when I got mine 2 years ago.

Irrespective of which spec you get, I bet if you spent £30k on a new Audi, Honda, Seat and Renault, the Audi would be worth the most in 3 years time.

I ordered a bmw 140i shadow edition the day before Audi managed to find me one of the last 310 black edition s3's and even with 10k discount the bmw was only £12 a month cheaper because the GFV was almost 5k less than the Audi. Same with the golf r, it's a similar price car with a couple of options but because the golfs GFV is so poor its actually the most expensive of the 3 on monthlies.

I read a document last month that said the s3 was the second slowest depreciating car in the uk. All these things add up to make the s3 a pretty good buy. Hate to think what the depreciation would be on one of those megannes.

My mate said they have an A3 2.0 quattro in the showroom and even though it's been reduced they can't shift it! Reason: the S3 can be had for £15 per month more on a pcp, as they hold the value so much better than a normal A3 2.0 quattro.

 

[steeve]

I thought I'd better check this out after I watched the programme. It's always been a fact that in general the motoring press arent particularly fond of the S3 handling. So having been on here for many many years I knew what the responses on the frum would be.
Since I sold my S3 which I kept for some years and just loved most aspects of it, I bought a new Focus RS and the handling compared to the S3 was just stunning I mean STUNNING the grip in corners was almost unbelievable as was overall performance. However the steering on a less than smooth road was at times life threatening. So it had to go.
But you guys have to accept that for a performance hatch the handling of the S3 just doesnt cut the mustard when compared to other hot hatches, I dont know why Audi have not fixed this issue. The sum of a car is to many people more than just early understeer when corning, and many aspects of the S3 can perhaps overide this fault.
So after the RS went what did I buy? I briefly thought about a new S3 but it was an easy decision for me to get a new Golf R. To me it's a more rewarding drivers car than the S3.
Lets hope if there's a new model in March, even if it is a facelift they take the opportunity to bring it up to scratch when compared with its main competitors. It's something Audi can do, the other performance models in the Audi line up handle beautifully.

 

[-Ju-]

It was always going to be a flawed test to be fair with a somewhat contrived result. I mean what is the point of including the Cupra R that is of very limited quantity and is all sold out, apart from the one in JCT600 near me that is up at £38k and they can't sell it.
Generally I use my S3 to go shopping, for work occasionally and sometimes a decent motorway trip. It does all that absolutely brilliantly whatever the weather and runs rings around the other 3 doing that.
When was the last time I felt like taking it around the track.........errr never! But if I did I have the MSS kit and an 034 Arb so no more understear for me, best of both worlds

 

[AlS3BE]

What’s the difference in suspension setup in a golf r to the s3?
The underpinning of both car is the same so is it suspension/spring combo? Anti roll bar? Traction control program?
Read that from the press over and over again when I got the s3 that the golf r drove better but on my short test drive I really couldn’t tell much difference and I wasn’t hanging around either.

 

[kevpuk]

For me, the S3 handles 'more than well enough' - to define that, however, is a little tricky (and very subjective) but then I kinda need my S3 to be more than just a go-kart.

Admittedly, I generally don't hoon around that often, being closer to 50 than 40 and frequently with my wife & children in the car, but I have always felt that the S3 has bag of grip, handles in a reassuring and capable manner, and decent road manners (e.g. not skittish, holds a line, doesn't need to be wrestled with/constantly adjusted). The power of offer is very decent, and yet is contained within the car's handling capabilities - crucially, this is for road use, where there are other vehicles (often doing daft and/or random things) and not the 'Ring.

Can't say that I have driven the competition - last hot hatch I had was a Renault 11 Turbo(!) and more recent years have seen exec barges like a Jag XF S, and a CLS 350 - but I guess what I am saying is that, for me (and I suspect that is quite similar to many/most(?) other S3 drivers) the S3 is a perfectly suitably handling car, which does an excellent job of getting me from one place to another suitably quickly

 

[TYb]

For me, the S3 handles 'more than well enough' - to define that, however, is a little tricky (and very subjective) but then I kinda need my S3 to be more than just a go-kart.

Admittedly, I generally don't hoon around that often, being closer to 50 than 40 and frequently with my wife & children in the car, but I have always felt that the S3 has bag of grip, handles in a reassuring and capable manner, and decent road manners (e.g. not skittish, holds a line, doesn't need to be wrestled with/constantly adjusted). The power of offer is very decent, and yet is contained within the car's handling capabilities - crucially, this is for road use, where there are other vehicles (often doing daft and/or random things) and not the 'Ring.

Can't say that I have driven the competition - last hot hatch I had was a Renault 11 Turbo(!) and more recent years have seen exec barges like a Jag XF S, and a CLS 350 - but I guess what I am saying is that, for me (and I suspect that is quite similar to many/most(?) other S3 drivers) the S3 is a perfectly suitably handling car, which does an excellent job of getting me from one place to another suitably quickly

I don’t think there is any issues with day to day handling of the s3 at all and it sticks like glue, it’s just a tad dull as doesn’t give much feeling back.