Golf R to RS3

[CarterRS]

newbie here... I currently drive a golf R estate which I use for work and do about 50k miles a year.

I'm Looking for a fun family car and the RS3 ticks all the boxes. I took a 2016 Nardo Grey for a test drive and was very impressed. my golf is a 2016 aswell but the interior on the Audi is next level. The only thing that I felt was abit of a let down was the exhaust sound, I've read on a lot of forums how good they sound but the one I test drove was quiet in every mode it sounded much quieter than my golf R and no pops or bangs which I've heard so much about.

The car is advertised with the sports exhaust but the dealer wasn't sure if the previous owner swapped it for the standard one as he admitted it was quiet.

I'm looking at another one next weekend with the sports exhaust.

Ive read some horror stories with some members in terms of Audi bills in excess of £10k so I will look at the warranty option. Is the approved Audi warranty the recommended option?

 

[Terminator x]

You would know if Sports exhaust. One of the loudest cars around imho.

TX.

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[CarterRS]

Really? Then this definitely didn't have the exhaust!

 

[SPIKE_]

Welcome to the forum, and nice choice in the RS3....assuming all works out for you. 50k miles a year is some motoring!

Don’t have any first hand experience, but a PFL RS3 with a sports exhaust is meant to be seriously loud as well as many pops and bangs. I’m sure your next test drive will prove this!

 

[beanoyip]

I went from a Golf R to RS3 hatch, boot wise it was smaller, that was about it

 

[D0C]

newbie here... I currently drive a golf R estate which I use for work and do about 50k miles a year.

I'm Looking for a fun family car and the RS3 ticks all the boxes. I took a 2016 Nardo Grey for a test drive and was very impressed. my golf is a 2016 aswell but the interior on the Audi is next level. The only thing that I felt was abit of a let down was the exhaust sound, I've read on a lot of forums how good they sound but the one I test drove was quiet in every mode it sounded much quieter than my golf R and no pops or bangs which I've heard so much about.

The car is advertised with the sports exhaust but the dealer wasn't sure if the previous owner swapped it for the standard one as he admitted it was quiet.

I'm looking at another one next weekend with the sports exhaust.

Ive read some horror stories with some members in terms of Audi bills in excess of £10k so I will look at the warranty option. Is the approved Audi warranty the recommended option?

I went from Golf R to 2016 RS3. Are you sure you cycled back round to dynamic mode once the car was started (if showing dynamic before starting the car, it’s actually not in dynamic with exhaust set to loud!)?

It’s by some distance the loudest car I’ve ever owned and approximately 1000 times better sounding than a Golf R.

 

[5pot4banger]

I too went from a Mk7 R to a pfl Rs3 and am hoping within the next 2-3 months to a fl Rs3.

If you plan on tuning I'd suggest trying to save for a fl. Otherwise if you're going to keep it relatively standard the pfl is great. The sound is the selling point so you definitely didn't have the sports exhaust. I had a full milltek turboback on the R and it wasn't even in the same realm to the stock sports exhaust on the pfl. That's how good the rs3 sounds..

Not sure on how the estate handles but I did find my R took corners better if pushing hard or on track days. Other than that very similar cars but the rs3 just adds that drama and excitement due to the 5cyl. Interior is up to the person but the seats in the R are miles better than the SS in the rs3 which don't hold you in on track days at all. Recarco cs sportsters are a good investment and I daily the car with no issues.

Can't go wrong with nardo grey though, stunning colour when matches with some black OZ's or similar and the gloss black pack

 

[CarterRS]

Thanks for the replies

I cycled through all the modes and I could hear the exhaust change tone but it was still quiet and I couldn't get it to pop or bang when changing up or down.

It sounded ok but no where near as loud as my golf R when In race mode.

 

[Count Drunkula]

I too came from a 2016 Golf R estate but I went for a 2018 RS3 hatchback.

If your golf is louder than a pfl rs3 something is amiss, do you hav a res delete on your golf?

Even my facelift RS3 is obnoxiously loud compared to the golf as the 2016 estates dont have flaps in the back boxes (was only added to estate golfs on 7.5 facelift)

 

[DW81]

The sports exhaust on the 2016 model has a small interconnecting pipe between the main tail pipes.
You should be able to see this if you bend down and look underneath.
I’ll try and find a pic for you

 

[Snake Pliskin]

I was gonna say did you cycle through the modes on the MMI.

The car ALWAYS defaults to a quiet setting so on every start up I always cycle through the MMI and you immediately hear a BIG difference in the exhaust tone, even at idle.

Another quick check would be to see if the car has mag ride and the sports exhaust was only available as 'dynamic pack' which combines the sports exhaust with mag ride.

 

[wuta3]

I was gonna say did you cycle through the modes on the MMI.

The car ALWAYS defaults to a quiet setting so on every start up I always cycle through the MMI and you immediately hear a BIG difference in the exhaust tone, even at idle.

Another quick check would be to see if the car has mag ride and the sports exhaust was only available as 'dynamic pack' which combines the sports exhaust with mag ride.

It is odd. When I start mine, it says "dynamic" on the dash, because I was in dynamic last, but benefits from a cycle through the settings. Annoying

 

[CarterRS]

My estate is standard, it must have not been the sports exhaust as there was no grunt to it

This is the one i test drove

https://www.mcrspecialistcars.com/vehicle-details/Audi-A3-U596

 

[K96]

That doesn't have the sports exhaust. Sports exhaust tips are coated black if I remember correctly.

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[Riko0073]

It is odd. When I start mine, it says "dynamic" on the dash, because I was in dynamic last, but benefits from a cycle through the settings. Annoying

A valve controller would sort that out.

 

[D0C]

That doesn't have the sports exhaust. Sports exhaust tips are coated black if I remember correctly.

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Not on PFL. PFL had chrome tips even with sports exhaust.
But they don’t mention any sports exhaust or dynamic pack so I reckon it’s not got it.

 

[CarterRS]

It looks like the advert has been changed it was advertised with dynamic pack before I viewed it

 

[Sug]

If it had the dynamic pack you would know tone change is night and day