ScoobP1

iTrader: (1)

I've got an A4 tdi 170 Quattro in sline guise and it's a nice car but not that great in fuel economy. Drives well and is good in the snow so suits me.

The mrs has a TFSi Leon Cupra and the ful economy in that is poor. On a 80mph motorway cruise you'll be lucky to get high 20's. Average around town is low 20's. Great sound to the engine under full chat though.

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

Moneys not so much the issue, I want a 4wd diesel hatchback preferably, but if the mpg is not that much better, then an S3 probably.

that Skoda is quite possibly one of the most hideous creations ive ever seen

ScoobP1

iTrader: (1)

My A4 is a B7 so not the most up to date. I think the new engines are a lot more fuel efficient. I get an average of about 37mpg with a mix of town, country and motorways.

thenewgalaxy

I was in exactly the same position a few months ago after I decided to move on from my mkV R32. Great car (and sounded awesome) but I started to have concerns about the DSG gearbox acting a little erratically. I was also getting a little annoyed at how often I was filling it up, even if the costs weren't a worry for me.

So as a replacement I was after a manual, four wheel drive hatchback. I also wanted something with a proper handbrake and a leather interior.

So I bought an A3 Quattro 2.0 TDI 170 S-line Black Edition back in May, after briefly flirting with the idea of the new STI saloon. This is what I got out of it on the drive home, at a steady 55mph on an A road.



I don't always get 60mpg but on the motorway I usually average high 40s sticking north of 80mph and easily 50+ below 80. The car is quick and flexible enough to pull hard in top above 40mph and is actually quite enjoyable to push hard on back lanes. It wouldn't see which way either of my Subarus went but certainly isn't a slow car and has the performance to overtake at speed.

Mine benefits from a few cool things such as the panoramic sunroof and heated seats etc. Nice place to be on a long journey.



All in all, a wonderful compromise of real world performance and mpg. The S3 is a great car but I feel you'd resent it for not being as quick as your Impreza yet not much better on fuel. If you're going to get something as an everyday car that you'll be driving reasonably sensibly 90% of the time it's not worth having something like an S3 imo.

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

Thanks buddy thats what i was looking for, owner review. Yours is pretty much the car I would be after, but a three door variant.

Thats what I am looking for, generally a more comfortable car for everyday driving, something easier to drive, due to health stuff, but retains 4wd, and a good mpg. The way i figure it, if I am going to lose the Impreza, I may as well get something the complete opposite, and get something the Impreza cant do, i.e high MPG therefore lower cost, to replace the driving experience I am going to miss.

But yeah, its going to be a shock, from a 4 sec car to an 8.5 second car

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

NG, that mpg is on '1' which I belive that updates every minute or so? The real figure is on '2' where that's calculates over more time afaik.
Well it's how I use mine otherwise I'd be doing 40+ depending how I'm driving in the last minute.

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

I didn't realise it was going to replace the scooby, I thought it was a second daily car, **** that then, get the s3!

thenewgalaxy

7.7 is what I've seen achieved by a motoring magazine, for what it's worth.

If that were the case it wouldn't steadily rise as journeys go on and would go down very quickly or very high again if I were to nail it or just cruise. I thought it recorded the mpg since the ignition was last switched off or the trip computer reset. There is a live readout you can select from the stalk though? I think 2 is the lifetime average of the car.

JDM owner sells out for a diesel Audi?

Don't be a ****** put the Impreza in the garage for weekends and have the Audi as a sensible daily.

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

They can both be reset, so in all mine has 3.
Live mpg (which goes up and down instantly)
'1' I can see it go up and down 'gradually' like you say.
'2' which is more of a longer term calculation. (I go by this, if I do a long road trip, I'll reset it to see my average mpg which should be higher)

Tbh, imo the '1' mpg can be manipulated to say 'I got this mpg' etc, when all you have to do is drive sensibly for 5-10 mins to bring it up and then post.
That's not what I class as a cars mpg over time.

I could be wrong, (in using mine, probably not learned it yet) but that how I figure it.

thenewgalaxy

If you read what I wrote, I said it was what I got on the drive home (after I picked the car up) at a steady 55mph.

I usually get somewhere around 45-50mpg depending on the type of driving.

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

Can't put a wheel chair in the Impreza very easily

Flat4x4-again

iTrader: (1)

It's great isn't it

Flat4x4-again

iTrader: (1)

From personal experience - I totally agree with this.


I would definitely have a diesel A3 quattro or A4 Avant over a mk2 S3.


For the Mk3 S3 (300ps) I had, it was utterly effortless but still had the engagement factor that the mk2 lacked. Trouble was that half the time I was driving it I was thinking I might as well be in a comfier diesel as long as it had 4wd.


Seriously if its one car only for you - buy an A4 Avant 3.0TDI Quattro S-Line with the 3.0 litre 245ps engine. Creamy smooth, 0-60 in 6.2 in standard trim and I averaged 42mpg. Grips as well as any car I've owned

thenewgalaxy

I thought wheelchair access came as standard on JDM cars, along with the engine that doesn't explode, folding heated wingmirrors and rear wiper

On a serious note have you thought about a JDM hatch? A far better car than an S3 imo, though I only have experience of Spec-C models. Just a thought if budget is no option.

Yep, love it or loathe it my R32 was a quick car - very surefooted and quite chuckable - but 90% of the time I was cruising around in it or doing family chores. It was quite enjoyable to push hard and was one of the best sounding cars I've ever driven but it was all a bit unnecessary really.

And at risk of sounding a little Rover 25 vs Ferrari, I'm not convinced many cars would be much quicker down back roads than my little diesel Audi. It's running four toyo proxes, has decent brakes and quite capable mid-range performance. I'm not going to scare any GTRs or Imprezas/Evos but I'm not sure an R32 or S3 would be much quicker in the real world, except maybe from the traffic lights or above 100mph on the 'bahn.

Good shout with the A4 3.0 TDI. In standard trim they're pretty rapid but a lot of owners get them mapped and can see mid to low 5s to 60 out of them, as well as 40+ mpg.

bustaMOVEs

iTrader: (31)

Trinity

iTrader: (28)

Dont forget the reversing beep.

I would love a JDM hatch, but to be honest,but looking for something half decent which is going to cost me less on a day to day basis in terms of fuel.

I am still undecided, but the Impreza isnt get used at all at the moment, its only had 1000 miles put on it in two years, all it ever gets done is its weekly pro valet and then the cover back on, seems pointless to own it and the prices are looking good at the moment. Hey I may even get a call from a well know quality used car company in Cheshire who may want it.

I may head towards the Black edition tdi quattro, Ive seen a nice black one at good money.

Thanks for all your comments and info