Looks like the VR might be going..........

[Scott 0]

.... test driving an Audi S3 and A3 1.8 T Sport on Saturday morning ... :lol:

[paul 0]

Scott

 

If you have to make the change then go for the S3, don't go for the T Sport! My wife has run a T Sport for 2 years and although it is a very nice car to drive, run and own it is nowhere near the Corrado for driving enjoyment. We ran the Audi along side my VR6 for 12 month before I sold the C :( and they are like chalk and cheese, night and day. The Audi is capable, reasonably quick, smooth and very well built but has absolutely no soul whatsoever and believe me this counts for a lot if you've owned a VR6 for any length of time.

The S3 is just as soul-less, however it covers ground at an alarming rate in any weather which makes up for the lack of soul (just) and is why I'm trying to persuade the missus to changer her T Sport for one.

 

And my final 2p's worth - DON'T DO IT - KEEP THE C (you'll just regret it)

[Scott 0]

The problem is mate I am not sure I can afford the S3... they are still fetching £14k upwards which seems an awful lot of cash for what it is really.... where as I can buy a T Sport for about £6k? - Am going to look at them both.... but surely with the T sport being the 180bhp engine you can 'upgrade' to 225bhp or more?

 

As for selling the C if I like the Audi it will be going... but like I said IF - the Audi has alot to live up too ...

 

Scott.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I've always fancied an S3 but I agree with you, they are just too sterile and Germanic.

 

It's mainly the dull and lifeless steering that lets all Audis down. Audi steering has been criticised for years, but they're just not listening. Even the formidable RS6 is let down by an uncommunicative helm, apparently.

 

I used to use a company A4 1.8T Sport for a while and you had no clue as to what the front wheels were up to. But the sheer mechanical grip of an Audi, especially a 4x4 one, is awesome.

 

K

[dr_mat 0]

Ironic, coming from a person who suffers from awful steering on his Corrado (like me!)... ;)

But I know what you mean.

It is alleged, however, that Audi claim that they tried to make the new range more responsive on the steering front. Maybe they didn't try very hard?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Sure there's slop in my steering but it's not 100% of the time and it's *still* way more communcative than the current Audis!

 

Depends what you want, like Paul says, the C and Audi are worlds apart. One is a fragile, tempermental and expensive brute and the other is a solid, reliable Ham Sandwich.

 

No prizes for guessing which car fits each statement.

[paul 0]

but surely with the T sport being the 180bhp engine you can 'upgrade' to 225bhp or more?

 

I'm assuming your looking at a T Sport Quattro then? My wife's car is a T Sport but only has the standard 150BHP engine. The T Sport Quattro was upgraded to 180BHP to allow for the extra weight of the quattro system. I think the FWD models remaned at 150bhp but correct me if I'm wrong :wink:

 

Drop me a PM if you want extra info on running costs etc for a FWD T Sport.

[dr_mat 0]

You are correct paul.. :)

As I understand it there are minor differences in either the turbo itself, or the bottom end of the engine, depending on who you talk to, between the 150/180 engine and the genuine 225.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah the early 150 engines use the KKK03 turbo and is tiny, built for low end torque. The 210 & 225 engines use the bigger KKK04 turbo. It's therefore cheaper and easier to extract more power from the 210/225 engine than the 150, hence being the preferred choice for 1.8T conversions.

 

I'm not sure what the 180 engine is all about, probably a frankenstein mixture of old and new bits.

 

K

[Scott 0]

but surely with the T sport being the 180bhp engine you can 'upgrade' to 225bhp or more?

 

I'm assuming your looking at a T Sport Quattro then? My wife's car is a T Sport but only has the standard 150BHP engine. The T Sport Quattro was upgraded to 180BHP to allow for the extra weight of the quattro system. I think the FWD models remaned at 150bhp but correct me if I'm wrong :wink:

 

Drop me a PM if you want extra info on running costs etc for a FWD T Sport.

 

Yes mate - am after the 1.8 T Sport Quattro (4wd) not the 150bhp Sport version.... that would be a little dissapointment after a VR6 I feel....

 

I would love to get the 210 / 225bhp engine but the only way to get that is pay for it through my nose getting an S3.... having said that if it makes THAT much of an impression on me I bet I land up buying it anyway :roll: - doesnt help that my local dealer has 3-4 of them in stock in different colours! :lol: Got to be Dolphin Grey!!!

 

Scott.

[LJ 0]

Don't to it!!!

Especially going from a VR6.

I'd even stick with a VR6 over a 225 TT. One had soul and feel, and the other has arcade style driving.

 

I was forced to sell my previous G60 for a new (at the time) 1.8T Sport 2yrs back. Being the FWD model it had 150bhp, VVT and fly by wire stuff.

Brakes are strong but either on or off.

Dead steering made it hard to place the car on the road, was the big downer for me.

Suspension, dampers never felt they matched the springs.

Well made and quiet inside, so a nice crusier - its not a GTI. I thought it might be a good replacement for the C, but once I got used to it and started pushing it on the road, it didn't come close.

 

I now drive a quicker family mobile - A3 1.9 TDI 130 SE. Soft and comfy, eats the work motorway commute nicely and covers disbelievers in soot :-)

 

When looking for another C, I drove a knackered 2.0l 16v C that still had more steering feel than the A3 ever will have!

 

LJ

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Now that's an honest and detailed appraisal!

 

Audis are a curious car. They feel like they're forged from solid granite, but they just don't inspire or stir the soul. The good old UR Quattro is what Audis are/were all about imo and they've lost touch with that ethos in the same way VW have forgotten about what made the MK1 GTi so special.

 

I would therefore summise that although the Corrado is a fragile and fickle beast, it posseses something that is hard to find eleswhere. You don't drive a Corrado, you wear it.

 

K

[Storm 0]

The biggest issue wth all these new cars is that they are overweight. This destroys the driver enjoyment. My Mk2 GTI was slow but I loved it for the way it drove.

 

Modern day depreciation is expensive. Think what that sum of money could do to a nice C which is hardly depreciating any more.

[dr_mat 0]

I'd agree. A mate at work has an A3 1.8T quattro 180. Quick car, very surefooted, very stable, very solid. But he says himself his previous car (BMW 318ti) was much more enjoyable to drive. And that was nowhere near as quick..

I've not driven the A3, but I can tell from the passenger seat that quick tho it is, it just doesn't do anything that's less than boring. And the seats are pretty dire too.

To be honest, performance wise the 1.8t is probably more useful than my VR. Certainly in marginal grip conditions it'd leave me standing still, spinning my wheels, but it's just so goddamned BORING!!!

It's not quite a toyota, but hey it's a means of transport.

 

To put it in hifi terms the A3 is the Denon mini system: pretty, competent, powerful, convenient but uninspiring.

The Corrado is clearly the british-built hand-chosen separates kit: stunning when you get it right, but ultimately more difficult to live with.

 

Or is that one analogy too far? ;)

[Storm 0]

The Corrado is clearly the british-built hand-chosen separates kit: stunning when you get it right, but ultimately more difficult to live with.

 

Or is that one analogy too far? ;)

Probably, remember the Allegro was british built

[VR6 0]

The Corrado is clearly the british-built hand-chosen separates kit: stunning when you get it right, but ultimately more difficult to live with.

 

Or is that one analogy too far? ;)

Probably, remember the Allegro was british built

 

Shhhh Roddy might hear.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

No I hear you with the Audio analogy, being an avid fan of the stuff myself :wink:

[kangaroo 0]

The Corrado is clearly the british-built hand-chosen separates kit: stunning when you get it right, but ultimately more difficult to live with.

 

Mmmm.. I imagine something like a Quadvalve amp :)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Quad! Now that's a blast from the past! Remember their floorstanding electrostatic speakers well......and the price tag!

[vr6storm 0]

The Corrado is clearly the british-built hand-chosen separates kit: stunning when you get it right, but ultimately more difficult to live with.

 

Or is that one analogy too far? ;)

Probably, remember the Allegro was british built

 

Shhhh Roddy might hear.

 

too late i've heard you all dissing the allegro

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Allegros.....eerghh! They peaked at their direness with the Quadradtic steering wheel !

[vr6storm 0]

I'd agree. A mate at work has an A3 1.8T quattro 180. Quick car, very surefooted, very stable, very solid. But he says himself his previous car (BMW 318ti) was much more enjoyable to drive. And that was nowhere near as quick..

;)

 

 

i came out of a very nice 318ti into my VR6 and HAVE NEVER once regretted it......even tho i also found the 318ti quite an enjoyable motor to drive.........though having said that even tho there is quite a price differential between the A3 T and the S3 i would rather save a bit extra and go for the S3 for its slightly more beefier look and the fact its more than decent enough performance standard

[Henny 0]

Modern day depreciation is expensive. Think what that sum of money could do to a nice C which is hardly depreciating any more.

 

That was exactly my thoughts when I decided not to break my G60 when the engine blew up, but instead to build a car I want to the specs I want...

 

I think, as soon as the paint and body work is sorted, that I'll have achieved my goal with it, and will have a car that has cost me a damned site less than a new one, which will beat the hell out of most new "sports" cars in just about every aspect and will have the added joy of knowing that it's a one off that I built.... 8)

[STORM 2 0]

I sold my first C 3 years ago and had ideas of getting a nice new/nearly new sporty coupe or even a boxster

After doing all the research, I had the option of spending a lot of money for a rapidly depreciating car or getting a crap cheap runaround

I ended up using my bicycle for a couple of years because I couldnt find a replacement for the Corrado's performance, value, economy and practicality.I didn't realise how good the C really was until it was gone.

So when I had to buy a car - I found another Storm and now Im happy again. I had to buy some 2.4m length timber the other day and it fit nicely into the C. Now I couldn't have done that with a boxster

 

So my advice - stick with the Corrado because the novelty of the A3 will wear off and you will see a lot more of them on the road than the C

[dr_mat 0]

I had to buy some 2.4m length timber the other day and it fit nicely into the C. Now I couldn't have done that with a boxster

 

Just for a moment there I had visions that you were turning your C into the "clubman" model.. :D

 

"into".. not "onto" ... :)