Captain Rossness

Howdy guys,

After nearly two years of test driving everything from a BRZ to F-type, I finally ordered a new 2017 Audi S3.

1) I was planning on going the APR route, getting both the ECU and TCU tunes, without any other major mods. I am a little concerned about dealers denying me warranty coverage. What are the most common s3 problems and do they cost a lot to fix? Are there any nagging problems with the car- ones that come back after the problem is originally fixed?

2) there is a well rated shop around me that is an APR dealer. Will independant shops to warranty work or do I have to bring the car to a dealer?



My build is-
2017 S3
Ara Blue
Red seats
Virtual cockpit
B&O Sound System
Red Brakes
Resonater delete

junkstory

That's a cool build and you are going to love it. With APR tunes, you can (and should) restore it to stock before taking the car in for repairs. Just don't be stupid and take the car with the APR still attached. APR dealers won't honor your warranty with Audi.. they are completely separate.

Mind if I ask what made you choose the S3 over, say, the F-Type? If I had the money, F-Type would be a no brainer.. although it's probably not very practical as a mode of transportation.

Fixeroh

Talk to your Audi service people. Ask them about other local Audi owners and tunes. My service guys were all on board. They even recommended various products. I just remind them of the tunes when I bring the car in for service. At this point 2.5 years into ownership and about 20K miles on the odometer, the car has only received the standard service. Oil change, inspection, etc. The service guys do not hook up my car to the computer and nothing gets flagged.

I started going the APR route within a year of acquiring my 2015 S3. CF intake then Stage I ECU tune, then TCU tune and just this week had an APR cast downpipe installed and flashed the ECU to Stage II. Oh boy. This thing really moves out now. Next on my list is HR Sport Springs to lower the car a bit. Have my wheel spacers from ECS tuning already. 17 mm rear, 10 mm front. But only use them on my summer wheels and tires. Running winter setup currently in Ohio.

In other words, your local Audi service department may very well work with or around any tunes you may perform. If something does break and it's associated with a mod, yes you will have warranty problems. Perhaps I'm just lucky but I've not had a single issue with my car. The mods I've performed to date make my car a little more special to me. I love my S3 and drive it aggressively when road, weather and traffic allows. You will find argument for and against tuning prior to warranty expiration. All have valid points. My decision has worked out quite well for me however. Good luck with your decision! Your car sounds really sweet!

Captain Rossness

How do I restore it to stock? Do I have to take it back to an APR dealer to uninstall the tune? Would I have to pay for a new tune every time i need it flashed back to stock and reflashed with a tune? That's what I don't understand



List of cars I test drove- some used, some new, various price points-
Audi: S3, S4, Q5, TTRS, Old TTS, New TTS

BMW: 228i, m235i, M2, M335i, E92 M3, X3, X4, X5

Cadillac: xrs (rental car)

Chevy, New Camaro SS, Old Camaro ZL1, New base Corvette

Dodge: Challenger SRT8

Ford: Focus RS, Focus ST, Mustang GT

Jaguar: XE, base F-type,

Lotus: Elise

Lexus: IS350

Land Rover: 2012 Range Rover Sport Supercharged

Maserati Ghibli SQ4

Mercedes: 2012 C63 AMG, CLA45 AMG, GLA45 AMG, C450, C300, GLK

Mazda- ND Miata

MINI- Every Mini model, I love mini's but they break all the time

Mitsubishi EVO MR

Porsche: 2012 Cayman S, 718 Boxter, 718 Cayman S

Subaru: WRX CVT, STI, BRZ

Volvo: s60R, V60 Polestar

VW GTI, Golf R

The S3 was the best all around package. It has the best of everything at the lowest pricepoint. The best driving cars were the Chevy's, the Focus RS, the 718, Camyan S and the EVO. Volvo and BMW had the best seats. The Range Rover had the best seating position. I almost went with the Mercedes GLA45 AMG, but the price was just too much for what the car was- It wasn't that much better than a S3 and cost roughly $10k more. Oddly enough, while they drove similarly, the feel of the S3 and GolfR were completely different.

FWIW, I drove the S3, M235IX and Focus RS back to back one night. I thought the BMW would be great, journalists seem to love it, but it was by far the worst 2 series (I actually think the base 228i is the best of the bunch. Even better than the M2). Then I drove the RS. It was SMILE INDUCING!!! What a GREAT DRIVING CAR!! I wanted to buy one, save for the bone crunching suspension, the too-tight sport seats, and the armrest which was too low- I drive 2k miles a month and need to be comfy. The S3 was way better than the BMW, not nearly as fun as the RS, but was much easier to live with. I find the car very capable, if a little bland. But it really is the best all around car.

About the jag- I drove the base v6 RWD car and it was ok, but nothing special. It was more luxury car than sport. I want more sport than luxury, but still a little comfort (hence, I didn't buy an EVO).