Hi All


Just wanted your opinions/ experience. I have always heard that audi's are not really "driver involving" cars to drive as they lack feel in the steering.
Is this true as I see so many on the road and was wondering if they are so boring than why are they so popular.


They even say this about the S/ RS models, was thinking of getting a S3 now as I heard the Golf R engines explode due to turbo failures.

 

All to do with set up really, Its not hard to add a bit of steering feel or reduce understeer with a few simple mods.

 

So don't get a golf r because the engine explodes.....

Get an audi s3 instead with the exact same engine?

 

I've driven one Audi......a B7 RS4, hated it. I went in thinking it was going to be the best thing since sliced bread. I'm sure it's a brilliant car, but for me 'personally', I found it dull. I think it comes down to personal preference and the fact that I'm used to the power delivery of a turbo'd car.

Sounded nice though!

 

I've had an A3 8p 3.2 and now I've got an A4 b6 1.8t. They are lovely cars. Smooth, comfortable and a nice place to be. A completely different drive to the Impreza though. The only answer is to book a test drive.

 

My mate went from 380bhp Mountune Focus RS
To an RS3

Says Focus was more fun, better handling, better brakes as he had Tarox BBK

But RS3 is faster in straight line, comfy and nicer place to be in.

Expensive tho,

Golf R wins every comparison test i can find between that and the RS3

 

Audis (whole of VAG really) have such a wide range of engines, suspension, drivetrain layouts that it is impossible to generalise. The best IMHO have at least 5 cylinders, rear biased Quattro layout ideally with sport rear diff and more even front to rear weight distribution. The best ones comprehensively trounce the average BMW for sure. I say that have owned a few BMWs and VAGs at the same time.

 

I have a vag dsg car as a daily.
It's very comfortable and well equipped but it's not very exciting to drive. But it's not designed to be

 

That last quote, I've fallen off my chair
They have the same engine

 

Whoops soz I should have added. Was think on getting the 2011 8p sportback model.

I am aware the newer German hot hatches share the same turbo problems.

 

I bought a new Golf R back in March, can you expand on this engine blowing up.
I'm a member of a popular R forum and cant say ive noticed any threads regarding this issue.

Cheers

Nik

 

FWIW, I had an S4 Avant. Quick enough in a straight line, but ultimately quite boring. Sold it for a Golf Gti (mk5)

 

People on edition38 forum mentioned it and searches done on the internet too.

I'm not sure how wide spread it is but it kinda put me off.

 

Just had a very quick look and it appears to have been a problem with a particular turbo charger fitted to early mk7 R's, now no longer used so hopefully all good.
If the worst did happen the warranty will cover it.

Nik.

 

I have an S3 Saloon, and it a very good car. It's not the last word in feedback I must say, but as a car, it ticks all the boxes. Well made, looks good inside and out, comfortable (get the Supersport seats) and will cover the ground at a very quick rate of speed.

I'd say as a comparison to my old 2005 STI PPP, it's the superior car in everything apart from feedback. I wouldn't say it was completely numb, but it doesn't buzz with excitement.

Not sure about this exploding engine business you talk of? Engines are pretty much bullet proof, to a point where Audi engineers were wanting to use a tuned version in the RS3, rather that the 2.5 they were told to use as it's the `RS3 thing`

Just depends what you want from a car?

 

and that changes over time too

 

Sure does.

Last Audi I drove did nothing but light up like a christmas tree and take over the controls every time I tried to stand it on it's nose or throw it round a bend, that was over 10yrs ago though and I didn't buy it.

I think most new cars with the plethora of electronics are much of a muchness and pretty boring to drive, the other problem is when, where and how often do you actually get to use all the power and have a proper ***** out drive without putting your licence on the line along with the world and his brother in danger of loosing their life.

I recently went the totally opposite direction and bought an old MK1 Golf, haven't stopped smiling and driven the Subaru about 3 times in around 6 weeks or so, 1.6td with i'm recently informed about 75bhp slow as all buggery, handles like a barge but it's a laugh a minute, not had so much fun in a car since I was a lad tooling about in old fords.

Go figure.

 

Lol.

Audis are very nice to drive, with stronic box and a proper torsen 60/40 split differential.
Mines been totally reliable for the past 2-3years of ownership. It's a 2.0 turbo petrol though.
Effortless power delivery on stage 1 and can cope with quite a few sports cars out there.
Yes it's not the same thrill and power delivery as the Subaru type r but it wouldn't be a great daily if so.
Depends on ones use age for car tbh.
If you want raw fun daily, buy a jap car as they gave the driver involvement, if you want luxury with power to match then buy a German whip.
As always the case, you can't have both.

 

Agree with this. As much as I like my S3, I also own a Twingo 133RS, and to be honest, it's by far more fun to drive.

You can thrash it (as it's not going that fast), you can stand it on it's nose, and have it on 3 wheels. Try that in the S3, or any modern hatch/saloon and you'll need a race track.

 

is that still 133 bhp , or more ??

 

133 bhp

 

Yep, I had my Golf on the ragged edge a week or so back, looked at the speedo and it said 100 ............................. KPH hahaha absolutely pi55ed myself laughing it was probably doing half that in MPH I'd need to be doing 100mph in the Subaru to get close to the same feeling and that's just not an option.

 

So if I'm looking for a fun DD car to have, I should avoid the Audi than. Probs head towards a golf gti.

 

But their both vag? So don't see what different your getting as most of car will be Audi.
That's like buying a a3 tfsi sline.
I'd be buying a Audi over that anyway.
Gti is fwd also,

 

Have to agree with busta, GTI is an A3 in a different frock, if you're looking for something that's going to be a bit more fun i'd take a look at something like a Civic Type R , Mazda 3 mps, Clio RS or better still a Megan RS if you're after thrills and a good chassis, of that lot I'd be seriously tempted by the Megan, saw one at a showroom recently and they do look quite nice and everyone says they handle really well.

 

The thing is Audi's are know to have a "numb" feel in their steering. The vw (gti/ r ) cars do not have this problem and have a much more spirited feel in their driving.

I have not driven an Audi before but I always come across their lack of feel issues when talking to people, even my manager mentioned it too.

Some Audi's do look nice and seem a bargain for the looks which makes me tempted but driving experience is also important factor to me so wanted people's opinions from the enthusiast community before I buy something I regret later on.

I always feel like you can't fully exploit a car's character on a test drive until you fully live with it for some time.

 

Theyre not really sold on their driving prowess are they now

probably tells you something

 

Having the S/RS models I would assume they would be classed as great quality German performance cars.

 

The B7 RS4 is the only Audi I've driven that had good steering feel and was actually fun to drive

 

I just wrote a massive reply about how Audi's certainly are not boring. But it got deleted because my Facebook login expire.

In summary.

The majority of my previous cars have been high power, heavily modified Audi's.

And yes they have all been very boring as standard cars. But everything is.

Once you understand that the wheelbase being fixed (within reason) and the track being fixed (within reason) are the only items you cannot change on a VAG car you can do whatever you want with them.

You could have whatever suspension geometry you wanted with a VAG car.

The 1.8t and 2.0TFSI engines could be made to replicate any dyno graph you wanted (within reason and budget.)

And with them being so modular you can swap out the 2.7 turn steering rack into the lower models cars, or put the Brembo's off a Leon Cupra R on, or change the 5 speed 02J to a 6 speed 02M, or whatever it may be it all fits and is available cheaply.

The pinnacle of my undesirable Audi collection was this -



A **** 2001 Audi S3 that had 17 previous owners, the last of which was my friend who used it for drag days.

I purchased it with 140,000 miles. HR Monotube coilovers went on, solid Cookbots lower arm bushes, camber adjustable top plates, LCR Brembo's and DS3000 pads, polybushed adjustable rear arms, proper Eibach roll bars, solid engine mounts and transmission mounts, paddled clutch and solid flywheel, meth injection, 3" downpipe and decat, 3" silicone intake, front mount intercooler, 18" S4 wheels, NS2R tires, stripped it out, harnesses in, Corbeau Clubsports, blah blah blah.

I drove it daily, did 10'some of track days, sprint days, Hill climbs, drag days, as well as daily driving to work, 300 mile round trips to Scotland and Wales etc etc for years. It was very competitive, lapped Donnington under 1:20 as a reference. A Noble M600 driven by a professional laps at 1:16 around Donnington.

And in 40,000 miles the only thing that ever failed was the alternator.

I then sold it on for £3500 because I was an idiot, the new owner did a further years worth of sprint days in a national Javelin ran sprint series where it was very competitive. Never heard any complaints other than an oil leak.

So yes; Audi's are boring. But they're a good base to build from.