Newbie123

The insurance quotes for my euro import (due to arrive in 2 months) have been spiraling out of control £2000 lowest one so far when I ordered 4 months ago it was £900.

So I've managed to change to an Audi S3 arriving in 3 weeks Insurance will £750.

It's costing me more to buy, but the insurance saving will more than cover that over 3 years. It's a shame but I just can't justify that level of insurance.

And to Anyone who has had an S3, what's it like to live with ?

Dave T-S

Go and get Pete Croney to take you for a ride in his MY01 and you will regret your decision. The magazines all say the S3 does not handle and is not involving to drive - Pete's car does and is.....

Phil

Test drove S3 for 2 days before ordering the scooby

I list below the advantages of the S3
1.??????????
2.?????????

Oh thats the reason I bought a scooby
Sorry for the disapointing answer

Phil

Hunk

Wow! Not only does the S3 cost a whopping 40% more than an WRX here in Holland, the insurance-costs for the Audi are higher too.

Chins

Newbie

Dont worry you wont regret it. Both the WRX and the S3 are great cars, and its tough to choose between them. I'm onto my 2nd S3 at the moment, and have had 5 Scoobies. We have been through this topic a few times before. Both cars have strengths and weaknesses. One the Audi certainly has is very high residuals at the mopment. Since the MY01 was launched the S3's waiting list has increased.

The S3 has great handling. Maybe not upto the level of my old P1, but certainly a match for for my old MY00. Around Donnington it was the equal of the Scoobies through the twisties, but let down by brakes that fade even earlier than the Scoobies. The interior is still leagues ahead of any Scooby. performance wise, as Autocar tests show, in gear its quicker than the MY01, and the same time to 100mph.

Another area the S3 is lots better than the MY01 on is tuning. A simple chip will take power to 260bhp and 265lbft (Safely). Test on such cars show 0-100 is down to 13 secs.
At Donnington the S3 was quicker than MY99/MY00's and about the same pace as a PPP car. STI was still pulling away on the straight. I owned an S3 and MY00 at the same time. Always picked up the keys to the S3.

At the moment Ive got an option on the UK300, but will drive the car before making my mind up. It need to be a big improvement over the std car to make me ditch the S3. My fingers are crossed that it is as I look forward to being behind the wheel of a Scooby again.

For a more sympathetic hearing

Dave T-S

Newbie
If you are an accountant and that worried about money you should get a Golf diesel - nice residuals and economy (JOKE)

I have been in the passenger seat of Pete's car and the handling is very impressive - it will leave my MY00 for dead....the road tests certainly don't seem to rate the S3 that highly.

At the end of the day, it's a personal thing, it's your money, and you should spend it how you think best. Don't want to start another "so and so car is better than xyz car" - it's an individual thing....

I think it unlikely that the new WRX is being put in Group 20 - there is no reason to rate it higher than the MY00 in Gp 17 - more likely they are loading you personally because of your age - being 46 has its advantages.....

MartinM

Might be worth checking that the ins. company(ies) aren't getting confused with an import WRX (quite possibly Group 20 due to repair costs). If their 'systems' aren't quite up to date. then just try getting a quote for a UK Impreza Turbo AWD MY01 and see if that makes a difference

Steve vRS

Hope my insurance is a bit more sensible than that. I don't want to pay £2000 to insure my MY01 when it lands.

However, that's one of the few advantages of living in Cumbria, the insurance tends to be quite low so that should help my case.

Steve

BT52b

That's bizarre on the insurance, because I just got another quote after reading this and it has gone DOWN from £1500 to £1200 (including 22 year old wife) for my WRX due in August.

They have got the wrong WRX believe me.

Adam M

Newbie, I can help on two counts although both maybe too late.

1. Iain litchfield at litchfield imports is selling S3s VERY VERY VERY cheaply.

2. I can give you the number of a broker who will insure your impreza for way under 1k if you are over 25. (assuming you arent a convicted insurance fraudster/murderer etc.

Newbie123

Thanks for the replies,

I am seriously gutted about not getting the WRX, but being an accountant I couldn't justify to myself an extra £1250 per year on insurance which is effectively "dead money". At least by spending the extra money on a higher value car, I will get a % of that money back when I come to sell it.

In January the figures made sense because the insurance quotes were reasonable, but over the last few months Insurers have been realigning the insurance group of the new WRX to GROUP 20 !!!! It's almost impossible to get quotes on a group 20 car when you are aged 25. In fact I actually got a lower quote for a P1 (also group 20 I think).

I know I'm going to lose some performance and probably even more handling which is a shame.

But at least I'm getting much more equipment,i.e. Electric Leather Recaro's, BOSE sound system (I'll have to make up for a lack of performance by producing a lot more noise ), Xenon lights etc

Thanks for the comments Chins, I'll have to have a look at having it chipped.

PS. I'm still going to be saving £3000 by buying an import rather than buying from a main dealer.

RobinSherwood

I sincerely hope you have better luck buying an Audi A3 from Europe than I did.

Ordered (in addition to the Scoob, not instead of) an Audi A3 1.8 T Sport, 5-dr. It was special order with 280bhp engine, Tiptronic, bigger alloys, extra trim etc.,..

The car was ordered in March 2000 and Audi quoted 3 months delivery. After 3 months they announced the facelifted model and I was advised my car would be delayed by at least another 3 months as Audi. To cut a long story short they then started blaming the very high spec of the car and eventually the car was delivered to the dealer in March 2001.

However both myself and the dealer were left speechless as the car arrived as a 3 door, with no sunroof, standard alloys and standard interior - so in fact half the stuff that Audi blamed for the wait was missing.

Audi offered the 'incentive' of not charging me for a 5 door and waiving a price rise that had just taken place if I accepted the car.

Needless to say I rejected it.

Sorry rant over. but it just shows Adi are not perfect.

kav

I'd follow MartinM's lead and check you've been quoted right - the UK WRX was group 17 last time I looked.
Best of luck.
Kav

Markus

Newbie,
I'm wondering if the insurance problem is due to the fact that if you mention WRX to most insurance companies they think it's a jap import, which would account for the ridiculous quotes.

I feel that IM made big mistake in calling the new car WRX, it has, in my opinion, caused a lot of haslle with regards to insurance companies.

ANDY330

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Newbie123:
<B>...insurance group of the new WRX to GROUP 20 !!!! It's almost impossible to get quotes on a group 20 car when you are aged 25[/quote]

???????????????? Im 23 now and got covered on my 330bhp Cossie from most insurers i phoned no problems and thats group 20!! think you been phoning the wrong people!!!!

Cancel the S3, go out and buy a cossie, less money, more fun, faster, last longer and makes more sense in the double ledger!!!

Adam M

I am 23 in and I believe the 22B is group 20 too, but dont have a problem.

Just a note to say, that a lot of people have written to me asking me for the phone number I wrote about. Can these few people write back to me when they get the chance and let me know how they got on.

Gastro

Robin,
280 BHP from a 1.8T A3.......sounds interesting.....?? Is that a typo or does it really exist ?? How much extra etc...

Thanks,

Gastro

spudgun

IMHO....
s3 is better looking by a mile than wrx. even with the tacky headlight morette things, it still looks cack.
s3 will hold its value better. interior which shames the wrx.
HOWEVER...wrx gets you noticed, especially with tacky headlight conversion, gold wheels, big wing etc. flat four engine is lovely, but you need to decat it really.
up to you mate, but personally i'd buy a pre my01 jap import.
i am now donning my flamesuit

555 BOY

I'm 25 and just got a my01 insured for £700 (group 19)with an excess of £125,that is with 70% no-claims though.
Newbie if I where you I'd keep on ringing around,don't reduce yourself to an A£$i,when you know deep inside that you will never be content with one,also don't listen to all the **** about the new bug-eyed monster being ugly and tacky inside cos thats what it is '5hite',I am well imprezed with the new interior especially the buckets,pedals & climate control,and as for the looks......well if a bird gave me eyes like that I'd know that I was in for a good time.

spudgun

555boy, its more likely she'd give you the bird with a car as ugly as the my01
and before you slate me coz IMHO i think the my01 is an ugly dog, i personally have only seen 2 on the road. one i genuinely thought was a corolla estate, the other was blue.it looked like an ugly car TRYING to be an impreza.
if the my01 was as desirable a car as you'd have us believe, why arent they selling? why are so many people here buying/wanting to buy evo7's or m3's?
i love scoobys, we have a my95, but i honestly would prefer the s3 on looks alone over a bug eye. that is my opinion, you have yours.oh, and not only do i think the front end looks wrong, the back end looks cheap and nasty, like a badly designed hyundai..
none of this matters you may say, but surely you have to love the way a car looks? otherwise everyone would buy beemers instead of jags etc etc. maybe a poor analogy, but u get my drift perhaps?
if u LOVE the way a my01 looks, great! otherwise, why not buy an evo6 or pre my01. by the time youve spent thousands modding a my01, you might aswell buy a P1

[This message has been edited by spudgun (edited 11 May 2001).]

Newbie123

I'm pleased to see that I've started a lively debate.

Adam M - thanks for the tip about litchfield imports, but I ordered my WRX with Virgin Cars and so had to use them to avoid losing my deposit. But luckily they had an S3 in stock and it's going to be delivered to my doorstep in 3 weeks .

In regards to the insurance, the new MY01 WRX UK Spec is officially a Group 19 car. I suppose new shape owners are being discriminated against because of the success of the original. As usual the difference in quotes depends on everyone's individual circumstances. What I should have done back in January when I first ordered my car is to have purchased one of the last old shape ones.

Anyway I'm over the disappointment, and I can't wait to get my new car in a few weeks.

I'll be staying on the board and hopefully I'll be coming to one of the Northern meets once my car arrives (Assuming they let traitors join in) .

Dave T-S you are the main reason I'll be staying on the board.

A Diesel...... What Comedy

Jon Jonzz

Newbie123,

I have had my S3 for nearly 2 years and have been very pleased with it. I have not driven a Scooby so I cannot comment on any handling differences etc.

However, for me, the S3 is about £100 cheaper to insure, cheaper to service, and fuel economy is in another galaxy (average 33 m.p.g. on SUL).

Dave T-S

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Newbie123:

Dave T-S you are the main reason I'll be staying on the board.

[/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Was this a compliment - if so, thanks (and funnily enough, I have been seriously thinking about leaving the board....... )

spudgun

dave, why ya wanna leave? bored with the board
nah, you know you'll stay!