Any one seen the test of new S3 Saloon ,it got a bit of a slating to be honest!
Must say I like the look of it though.
Must say I like the look of it though.
S3 Saloon tested in EVO issue 192
- Thread starter ex911driver
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the_lecht_rocks
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the_lecht_rocks
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I was right :
Apologies if this feels familiar â and itâs as frustrating for me to keep writing it as it is for you to keep reading it â but the thing that really lets the S3 Saloon down is its steering. The electrical assistance has a nasty synthesised weight to it. It can be adjusted via the different âDrive Selectâ programs, none of which give more than a fleeting impression of what the front wheels are thinking. Thereâs a predictable abundance of grip and the chassis has a nice, neutral balance at higher speeds, but the S3 Saloon follows (most of) its forebears in having absolutely no enthusiasm for exploring the area where adhesion starts to fade. The front runs out of grip and basically thatâs your lot.
Apologies if this feels familiar â and itâs as frustrating for me to keep writing it as it is for you to keep reading it â but the thing that really lets the S3 Saloon down is its steering. The electrical assistance has a nasty synthesised weight to it. It can be adjusted via the different âDrive Selectâ programs, none of which give more than a fleeting impression of what the front wheels are thinking. Thereâs a predictable abundance of grip and the chassis has a nice, neutral balance at higher speeds, but the S3 Saloon follows (most of) its forebears in having absolutely no enthusiasm for exploring the area where adhesion starts to fade. The front runs out of grip and basically thatâs your lot.
Usual mags over reaction. I'd love tgem to drive cars not knowing the manufacturer
Same steering as all the s3's so whats the problem. The whole a3 range can be described as having steering thats lacking in feel. Its all down to having electrical assistance. If you look at road tests for the mk3 ford focus you will find something similar.....
Presumably this occurs when really pushing on, not on everyday?
I used to drive my A4 hard and only got it to understeer occasionally, in the wet, and it was easily corrected by coming off the power a bit....
I used to drive my A4 hard and only got it to understeer occasionally, in the wet, and it was easily corrected by coming off the power a bit....
the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
Yes, only when driven on the absolute limits, which will lose you your licence if you drive like that on ordinary roads. All front wheel drive cars understeer, it is dialled into them and it would seem that because of the way the Quattro setup works even the S3 will do the same. However I think that the levels of adhesion is far higher than that of just front wheel drive...
pat15312
Registered User
Walter Röhrl, why don't you just cancel your order and stop moaning about how crap the S3 is.
Wrong, Megane 250/265 understeers less.
FWD, but a well sorted chasis/suspension set up and differential make all the difference on the turn in compared to the S3.
Shame the guys at Audi didn't spend a bit of time in improving the chasis, suspension and at least offering a diff as an option.
Appears they have relied on Quattro alone.
It's not that bad though and something I'll live with, but will admit there are competitors to the S3 that corner far, far better (without having to drive like a lunatic either).
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the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
I'm considering cancellation tbh. However, IMO the car is fundamentally flawed without a diff. My wife however likes it as it's black and comfortable. Go figure.
To be honest if the car is that flawed u cannot believe at all why you haven't cancelled the order. Who knowingly buys a flawed product when the flaw really annoyed them and makes the product almost unusable?
Did the previous S3 have a duff sorry I mean diff?
Funny thing is I don't even think it would take that much to dial out the under steer.
Steering you'll just have to live with but again none of this is that bad.
Personally the S3 does it all. Comfy, practical, fast in all conditions and with a few "tweeks" can be so much better so easily.
What else are you gonna buy though? The megane is pointless as you have a GT3 coming and that's the most focused hot hatch. Tbh the S3 would be a perfect stable mate to the GT3 for every day use or an A45 AMG.
Steering you'll just have to live with but again none of this is that bad.
Personally the S3 does it all. Comfy, practical, fast in all conditions and with a few "tweeks" can be so much better so easily.
What else are you gonna buy though? The megane is pointless as you have a GT3 coming and that's the most focused hot hatch. Tbh the S3 would be a perfect stable mate to the GT3 for every day use or an A45 AMG.
geefunk1978
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I love how journo's make a decision on a car they drive for about 2hrs. Car ownership is completely different to having a go in one for an hour or two. What a car is like to live with day in day out is the most important thing when you are outlaying that much money. If you're going to drive at 10/tenths all the time (which is virtually impossible on modern roads) then an S3 is not for you.
Wish people would stop moaning about a car they don't even own yet cuz they've listened to a journo doing a road test.
Wish people would stop moaning about a car they don't even own yet cuz they've listened to a journo doing a road test.
So what is so different about the differential on the Renault to the S3? As I stated it is the S3's setup that gives this front wheel bias if the Renault has a diff that is there to prevent understeer then it isn't the same as common front wheel drive cars. By the way, on normal roads, the Megane isn't as good as the Focus ST neither is it as much fun the Megane only beats the ST on the track. I haven't driven a Megane but I understand it is essentially a track car but I seriously doubt that a front wheel drive car can have a limit of adhesion greater than a four wheel drive one.
Besides, any driver that is driving a car beyond the point of its adhesion are driving dangerously and beyond the car's and the road conditions limits, whether or whether not the limits of some aren't as high as others.
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They are still just a Renault and a Ford.
They would have to come with a trailer full of naked cheerleaders for me to even consider looking twice at either - let alone owning one.
They would have to come with a trailer full of naked cheerleaders for me to even consider looking twice at either - let alone owning one.
