I bought my GTI in June and before committing to the deal I went to an Audi dealer and looked at a S3 a few months old with around 4,000 miles. I had a 150bhp A3 s-line a few years ago. The S3 was very similar in finish to it and left me a bit under whelmed. I bought the GTI.
In November my wife bought a Q3 and while there I got talking to one of the salesmen who took me for a drive in a bright green RS3 with 400 mile on the clock. The acceleration was entertaining , it handled well and and was very well finished. It was circa £70k. I’m not sure how often you could use the performance without getting into trouble. It was a lovely car, very expensive and perhaps too much oomph for a daily driver. Recently I am thinking of a S3 again. An understated sleeper I think might suit me.
We had a 2014 A1 S Line Black Edition and was looking at the new A1 S Line competition as company car with aim for wife to drive that and for me to keep the GTI TCR that had at the time, but we were so disappointed in the quality of the A1, efficient but dull interior, and the materials were not a patch on the 2014 A1, the door cards were rigid plastic, and the metal affect dash trim looked as if it would dent on minimal of impact.
We also looked at the new Polo GTI, and absolutely loved its looks, but hated the interior, it just felt really cheap and plasticky,
There is zero doubt to me, that this next generation of VW and Audi has really taken a downturn in cabin quality and the minimalist nature has added to that feeling of sparseness.
One of my favourite cars in recent times was an 09 A3 Quattro, it was super solid and the interior materials were excellent.
The GTI TCR was returned, and selected a BMW 128Ti (less to lease than the A1 S Line competition) and replaced the 2014 Audi A1 with a 62 plate GTI.
Having said all that, the 128Ti interior is superb, but that cossetted cabin feeling and smoothness of drive and acceleration is proving maybe to be too nice, miss the DSG box dropping gears and little bit of rawness (hot hatch ness) in the drive overall, so how car drives does have equal importance, If could put the 128Ti interior in my GTI TCR would have the perfect car