So I hit the magic 600 miles and decided to spend the last few days driving as it was meant to be driven.

Don't likes;
- The tires - they are much better than the stock contis that came with my 2015 but the Pirellis are still not very good - I had Michelin Pilot SS tires on my 2015 and they were sublime, literally the perfect performance tire for a non-track car. The Pirellis are hard and lack the magic balance between ride and stickiness.
- The tail still wants to come around in (Yaw) when slowing down in a turn, but it's much better

Loves:
- The tail Yaw has improved, I predict that this is what the '15 would have felt like with rear sway bars installed but still has some Yaw, but not the scary amount that occurred in the 2015
- The dynamic setting is much more refined and is better in that its super stiff - much more than the 2015
- Steering has much more resolution and feel
- Acceleration is about the same, just the gearing differences in the transmission really change the shift points in spirited driving
- I think it revs higher before shifting in auto (I only tried it once today, I almost always shift manually), but I don't remember what redline was in the 2015
- The understeer is almost GONE - its like a different car when in Dynamic, I could almost feel the rear bias like it was rear-wheel-drive - but going through a turn with so much more precision is really nice, perfect almost

That's about it for now, the 2018 is like a super hero - in Comfort its a mild-mannered A4 in Dynamic it's, well, an S3.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds pretty exciting.
Should get mine shortly.

 

Damn you arU4ic! Stop tempting 2015 owners like that!!! I'm very happy that you're loving your upgraded/updated S3 so much. Too invested in my 2015 at this point. Have and appointment next week to have a larger capacity APR intercooler installed. This evening, I'm changing the turbo diverter valve and replacing the intake hoses with rigid silicon units. Pretty much everything going into the turbo will be new. Already replaced everything after the turbo already. LOL. Love the power however.

Your handling description of the 18 sounds impressive. Wish they could have gotten it totally correct with the 2015 model. But first adopters always suffer something it seems. I'm still running my original Continental summer tires since I rotate to winters each year and have fairly low mileage overall. Will be going to Michelin SS tires next year probably. Your advice is appreciated there.

Enjoy your new car and please keep us posted!!

 

Fixeroh, you are too far invested in your '15
I'm not sure whether there's any difference in the '17 and '18 except for the transmission going from a 6-speed to 7-speed and the respective gear ratios. I THINK the Quattro and other items are the same? I will also vouch for Michelin SS tires as they have always been my go-to tire choice after the OEMs are done. arU4ic's description of the Michelins versus the Pirellis are spot on.

 

Sorry Fix! The thing is the 2015 S3 is almost prefect (although I still don't love 4 bangers) - your mods alone get you 80% to the 18'.

The one thing we still have in-common and it has not gone away in the '18 is the initial lag the car has because it's still just a 4 cyl.

The Michelins however, you'll love them, it will feel like a different car.

 

If they could only make a supercharged 4 banger!

 

New addition - I was going, well, very fast and a bus jumped two lanes into my lane in front of me - had to slam the brakes hard (G-meter registered .8 g) and the tail got really light and squirrelly. It was a strait line stop too, very strange. Suspension was in comfort mode (accidentally) so I think some user error - I'll try it again in DYNAMIC sometime soon and report and if I get really stupid, I'll try it in AUTO too.

 

Hopefully that was just because it was in Comfort Mode; at least that's what I'm hoping to hear after you test Dynamic & Auto (Normal). Thanks for the update and glad things worked out well for you as that could have easily been a bad outcome.

Was it you hitting the brakes (I'm assuming so) vs pre-sense?

 

It was me, but I think the ABS/Quattro/AudiSense was creating the sensation I experienced, and I think I was fighting it. (Not bragging, really) I was an amateur motorcycle racer and tend to be old-school on handling a vehicle.

 

Thanks for the tip on the Michelins! Will definitely look at putting a set on my car next spring after the winter wheels/tires come off. And I believe I pretty much have turbo lag eliminated now. Just had a new APR intercooler installed on my S3. Literally everything before and after the turbo has been upgraded. Only thing still stock is the muffler and I've had new tips put on that. LOL. Car has so much power and instantly now. But it drives fine if I'm puttering in heavy traffic or generally slower traffic. I'm 100% done on working the drivetrain now. May add some new exterior components next summer like front splitter or replacement rear spoiler but I'm not sure yet. I can't compare the ride with your 2018 S3 but I am really happy with my 2015 at this time. Realize I've invested considerable money into the upgrades but they've all be noticeable and enjoyable. Keep us informed of your experiences in your new car please!