Reply With QuoteSo I decided to look at some cars today. Here's what I tested today. It is only brief as I am no motoring journalist.
1. Golf R.
First impression: the blue is not not as good looking as the mk6 R blue. The wheels are not the best looking wheels as I am not a fan of polished finishes. However, they will probably look much better if painted black. Overall the car looks a bit bland to me, and not that much different from the Mk 6. My 7 year-old son who was with me couldn't tell the difference between mk6 and 7,
Interior: Ok, familoiar golf, similar to the EOS that I used to have. As mentioned by many, the GPS screen is not great, was cumbersome to change the setting of the driving mode. The leather is not worth the 3k extra IMO, felt artificial/synthetic.
The drive: exhaust sounds not bad, a little drone on cruising, but acceptable. The farts between gear change is good. Still a bit of hesitation on take off with the DSG, but better than I remember with my EOS. There was some turbo lag, and the throttle response is not as crisp as a good NA engine, which is to be expected. Ride is fairly good on comfort setting, better than my BMW 135i. On race mode is still acceptable to me. Felt faster than my 135i, and it just grips and go, with a hint of understeer on sharp cornering. Certainly fast enough on public road. Did not test the brakes much.
2. S3 SB. Looks better in person. I thought it was very plain, same old same old from Audi, looking on images alone. It looks nice in an understated sort of way. Wheels looks small compared to the R.
Interior: a step up from the R, again looks better in person, the screen is much better than the one in the R. The rest of the dash is a bit bare, but overall better than the R. The car I drove came with the performance pack. I thought the standard leather is nice enough, better than the R. B&O sound system is a disappointment, lack s clarity and the subwoofer is rather weak. Much worse than the Dynaudio that I used to have in the EOS and no where near comparable to decent aftermarket products.
Drive: well, my butt is not sensitive enough to detect any significant difference between the S3 and the R. Ride was much the same, no better than the R, despite the smaller 18 in wheels. Strangely enough I thought the thump from going over potholes was louder in the S3, could just be the specific to the car I drove, I don't know. Overall, the drive was much the same, but I felt a bit better driving it as the interior and the ambience was nicer.
3. a45.
Looks subjectively smaller outside and inside than the R/S3. I haven't checked the respective physical dimension. Boot is small. Not a fan of the aero kit. Overall, certainly doesn't look like a 80k car. The dull silver paint was unflattering.
Interior: seats look good. Dash top half is ok, bottom half has lots of hard plastic, looks cheap and showing it root as the cheapest Merc.
Drive: well can't say much. I had booked a test drive before I turned up, only to be told that the car was booked out for the afternoon, and could I come back on Monday. P*ssed off!
Eventually they gave me five minutes to drive around the block.
The engine sounded gruff, exhaust was loud on cold start, but quietened down a bit after it warmed up. Still louder than the R/S3. Ride I think was firmer than the race setting in the R, but probably livable for me. Louder farts between gear change, like the exhaust had suddenly blown a hole in it. I think the shift was not quite as smooth but not really sure. Didn't have the chance to tell if it was faster. Told that if I placed on order now I will get one in june next year.
Conclusion: The R and S3 are pleasant enough as a daily driver but lack excitement though. Wished the S3 had come with 19in wheels. The R is probably a better buy as the magnetic ride and metallic paints are extra in the S3.
I will see if I can get a longer drive in the a45 on monday.
As it stands, I am not particularly excited about getting the R or the S3. If I were to wait for the a45 I might as well wait for the confirmation of RS3. I think with its pumped guards the RS3 will have the visual appeal to go with its porformance.
My son said he likes the a45 best as it was the loudest! lol.
Originally Posted by KWICKS
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