whitby

Apart from an oil change the S3 has not had to see a dealer (touch wood).
Overall very happy with the car.
It is an expensive car - but a cheap Audi. The Mazda 3 I bought last year has all the toys for less than half the price (backup camera, nav, side/rear sensing, heads up display) and a 6 speed manual.
I traded an RS4 to get something closer to the B5 S4 I had previously. Size wise the result is perfect. I don't need a big car for a daily driver. Once you get over the turbo lag it feels almost as quick as the RS4. It does feel like a front wheel drive, no rear bias like the RS4, and even feels more front biased than the 50/50 split on the old S4. I do miss the 8500rpm red line of the RS4.
I never felt the need to customize anything on the RS4 - the only car I have never touched. But so far I have not felt the need to make major changes to the S3. It isn't even as common a sight as I thought it would be.
Gas mileage is a disappointment, I thought it would be significantly better than the RS4 but it isn't. Granted my driving style has not changed but I thought I would average better than 26mpg.
DSG is fine. Even though I bought another manual transmission car last year i probably won't buy another. Arguing for a manual is like arguing for a starting crank or a manual choke. It is not perfect. I still prefer the 'crude' shifts of my F1 transmission and i wish the paddles were real and fixed on the column. Finally i wish it was easier to put it in neutral - a double pull on the F1 does that - and would be a lazy way to coast to a stop and occasionally be a hooligan.
DSG, as programmed, is good for a luxury GT but the S is supposed to be a bit more sporting and could do with a more manual feel.
Last, but not least, I still admire the looks as I walk up to or away from the S3. it is a good looking car from many angles. I wanted a white car for a change and I still think it was a good choice, though i don't think I have seen bad color on an A3/S3, and it can put a smile on my face.

jsilas

It's a fantastic car. We had this one as a daily for my wife for approximately 1 year. It was a fantastic car and we had a lot of fun in it.

redwing497

Thanks for your insights, OP. I'm just turning 1,000 miles on mine and so far, I'm enjoying it as well. Just ending the break in period so I haven't pushed it at all yet.

I know what you mean about the paddles. I was expecting something more Lamborghini-ish with the paddles attached to the column. These are essentially just buttons. I also think they could be much taller than they are.

My biggest complaint so far is with the drive modes, specifically the DSG shift points. On "comfort" setting, it upshifts WAY too quickly. On top of that, when you're in a higher gear, say 5th or 6th, and push the pedal down for a passing maneuver, you have to push the pedal basically to the floor to get it to downshift. I always feel like I'm bogging the engine when trying to pass in 6th because it won't downshift.

Dynamic is great, but holds revs too much for daily driving. I would imagine it's great for the track and some twisty backroads. If I'm in dynamic, I almost exclusively use manual mode. I really think Audi should have included a "Normal" drive mode that sits in between comfort and dynamic.

Question I do have for the S3 owners, is full engine power available in comfort mode or does the engine/DSG mode HAVE to be in dynamic? Maybe it's just the DSG shfit points, but when I'm in comfort, the car doesn't feel as quick as when it's in dynamic.

These issues are in no way major for me as I'm still loving the car, especially the way Sepang looks w/the black optics package. I didn't get many packages on mine, but it still stickered for $47,950 including destination. I would have liked to see more standard equipment for that price, but I got this car because of the drivetrain and the looks.

Ken Toe

Hey redwing,

Hey redwing, that's a nice car. Did you notice any problems with the breaks? I heard about some durability problems.

redwing497

No durability problems yet, but I'm only at 1,000 miles. My only complaint about the brakes is the ungodly amount of dust they produce. I'm seriously contemplating switching to ceramic pads come springtime. I just don't have the ***** to do the install myself.

mej16489

I'm over 30k miles on original brakes - They look like they've got at least another 20k left on them.

markN1689

does the dealer cover the 10k service? i assume its just an oil and filter change?
might need to learn how to do this service myself.

redwing497

Is there a 10k service? I was told that the 5k service is free then the next service is at 15k. Did I misunderstand what my salesman said?

Edit: just checked audi website and indeed it's at 5k then 15k. 15k is considered a "major" service

markN1689

oh yeah you are right, it is 15k. but is it covered? and what exactly is involved in this so called 'major' service

nate

Depends... when I bought my S3 I paid for service ahead of time. As far as I know, Audi no longer includes that with the price, but it's available at a discount when you buy the car.