Day of testdrives - The feedback (hope you are sitting comfortably !)

[drisser]

ps one other point..

aren't all new cars expensive these days ?  When you look around, everything seems a lot for what it is, be it an RS3, a bog standard diesel golf etc etc ?

It doesn't seem too long ago I bought a new MK5 golf GTi for about £23k after discount, now that car is £30k and its not really any faster - most cars just got fatter and need more power to drag their butts around and I don't think anyone has bucked that trend except maybe lotus !

[phope]

It doesn't seem too long ago I bought a new MK5 golf GTi...

Well, that's at least 7 years ago

[Hawaii-Five-O]

Drisser - Just out of interest what will be the price hike with your insurance going from a GTI to RS3? Or doesn't it bother you?

[Juicetin]

Out of interest too, why didn't the m235i make the final cut ?

[drisser]

Haha true the mk5 was a while ago !! Still, cars have got too pricey all round !

Insurance is good on ttheRS3, it was slightly cheaper than 330d x drive - from memory the s3 was about £320, RS3 was about £340 and 330d £350 a year, I am 41 with full no claims.

Re the m235, love the engine but the 2 door is a bit much of a compromise to me at that price when all the others have similar real world performance with better practicality ..

[monkeyhanger]

When I was considering alternatives as my R build dragged out, I was surprised at the insurance variations. There was around a tenner between an S3 and an R (presumably the standard ACC on the R makes it that little bit safer on average), and the R was about £7 more than a GTD on the comparison sites. Considering anything by BMW was going to be about 60% more expensive to insure. Maybe the insurance companies are a bit behind on the old "BMW driver" stereotype - they're all driving Audis now. 

[Jackie Treehorn]

ps one other point..

most cars just got fatter and need more power to drag their butts around and I don't think anyone has bucked that trend except maybe lotus !

Apart from the Mk7 Golf it seems, which weighs less at 1270kg than the mk6 and mk5 (comparing Gti) with more power and more torque than the previous models.   Interesting that what is not quick enough in a GTi today it seems (as many map them or trade them for the R) was more than enough in an E30 M3 with only 192 BHP and 1225kg approx, how times change...

[fredgroves]

Yes... and the weight loss has more to do with cutting emissions and manufacturing cost than performance too!

[CraigW]

I must say the RS does look fantastic. This popped up on my Facebook feed today of a customer collecting their new sepang blue RS3. 

[drisser]

Pah Craig why did you do that !    Was just trying to talk myself out of it !

Got my "best deals" on RS3 and S3 today.  4% off RS3 and 9% off the S3.  I understand a lot of dealers are doing 0% discount on the RS, so I specced what I want, and it comes in at a shade over £42k.  Quite a lot I know but not silly compared to some RS3's. 

With a decent spec S3 and 9% it comes in at just over £32k for S tronic sportback and a few nice options.  That looks good value compared to the RS3..

Its March / April 2016 delivery on an RS3 order now.. order books are bulging seemingly, still more time to save if I go down that route !

Waiting for a best offer on the 330d tomorrow.. we shall see what they come up with.  Still love that car too, such a great all rounder - Audi dealer didn't believe I could get a fully loaded 330d for same price as a fairly basic optioned S3