Golf R vs APR stage 1 Quattro A3 2.0t

[SilvrFoxX]

Yes, the Audi's seem to have a much lower value retention than VW. Not sure why though....

Because they are basically over priced VWs, this is not a bad thing they just relevel the pricepoint to what they should cost

[kamold]

My (admittedly limited) experience with now three VAG cars is that the Audi was better finished all round. When you start to pull apart trim pieces etc to see where things have been hidden you tend to notice the attention to detail.

I am happy with the MkV and Octavia don't get me wrong, but you can see where they are having to meet a price point more so than in the A3. The underpinnings, drivetrain etc and technology are shared, but there is a reason that we now get Golfs from The Motherland rather than South Africa. It matters where a car is built.

[adamtassell]

My previous DSG gti was stage 2 (dp and tune) and would be very similar in straight line performance to my current S3. I know it is not very scientific (as opposed to a quarter mile time) but my friend has a fairly heavily modded ralliart colt and my stock S3 and my modified golf both run it pretty even. If anything the golf was a bit faster.

I agree that the audi is better finished than the golf- but not so much that it really matters. I also think the audi is better finished then our lexus, previous BMW, and my friend C class.

[Finance_Analyst]

for whatever reason, I tend to hear more problems with Audis than VWs. Maybe it is because the lower end Audis are not German built?

[khonfahm]

What I find quite interesting is that you can find a quattro a3 for about $22k , if you look at the 05 years, and 80000 km's..

Where as if you are looking at a golf GTI with those km's... you are paying the same price if not more!!

The A3 doesn't seem to hold their value at all!! Which i think is amazing from a buyers perspective!!

Finance_analyst: I thought the A3 2.0T quattro isn't very 'low end'?? Am I missing something here?

[CNBLU]

Ive been in a stock Golf R and can tell you my A3 feels abit quicker. Granted with a tune the Golf R is in another world, but for the price you pay you can have a pretty quick A3 with all the features of a luxury car without having to spend 60k.

[adamtassell]

Ive been in a stock Golf R and can tell you my A3 feels abit quicker. Granted with a tune the Golf R is in another world, but for the price you pay you can have a pretty quick A3 with all the features of a luxury car without having to spend 60k.

I think (again- from owning, but never running down a quarter mile) that the S3 (and obviously golf r) both feel slower than the tuned GTI. The smaller turbo comes on very strong. But, ultimately the K03 runs out of steam in the higher revs and the K04 powered cars will actually be faster- if less responsive initially. There was a video floating around the forum of a stage one gti vs a stock r. The gti gets the jump (rolling race) and looks like it has won, but the r reels it back in and wins eventually. If you were to drive them both I bet the Gti/a3 would feel faster because of that initial response even though it is ultimately slower.

[Finance_Analyst]

What I find quite interesting is that you can find a quattro a3 for about $22k , if you look at the 05 years, and 80000 km's..

Where as if you are looking at a golf GTI with those km's... you are paying the same price if not more!!

The A3 doesn't seem to hold their value at all!! Which i think is amazing from a buyers perspective!!

Finance_analyst: I thought the A3 2.0T quattro isn't very 'low end'?? Am I missing something here?

I guess look at it from the perspective that all A3s (and perhaps even S3s), A4s (not sure about the 3.2) are not built in Germany. Audis 'top end' are A8, R8, RS models etc. So relatively speaking, the A3 2.0T is a lower end model for Audi, but the GTI is above average for VW. My point is more that, anecdotally speaking, I have heard Audis have had more issues than VWs for one reason or another. Not sure if this is to do with where it is made. But my sample could be way off the mark.

[brimway]

Given that a national car rental company run a huge (not exaggerating) fleet of Audis. A1, A3 ,A4 ,A5 and A6 of all specs. My concern would be that all of the petrol examples have only ever drank ULP91.

Not sure if this would have any long term negative impact, but they turn them over at very low Ks and/or very early in their life. So the risk is there for potential buyers of used late model Audis.