2016 s3 or 2018 a3 pros/cons?

[AudiosS3youl8r]

Hello all!

For a few months now I have been on the fence as to whether or not go with a newer a3(17/18) and tune it or get an older s3(16) for the same price. I keep reading mixed reviews on what is preferred. The thing I like about the newer cars is the electronic dashboard but I am not letting that sway my decision. Another thing I like more about the newer a3/s3's are the front bumper look. Besides all that all feelings point to getting an s3. My biggest fear is getting a newer a3 then regretting my decision every time I see an s3.

What are your thoughts on the difference between the two cars? Would it be worth putting in money to a newer a3 and tuning it to get to the speed of a stock s3?

Thanks!

[BecksA3]

Hello all!

For a few months now I have been on the fence as to whether or not go with a newer a3(17/18) and tune it or get an older s3(16) for the same price. I keep reading mixed reviews on what is preferred. The thing I like about the newer cars is the electronic dashboard but I am not letting that sway my decision. Another thing I like more about the newer a3/s3's are the front bumper look. Besides all that all feelings point to getting an s3. My biggest fear is getting a newer a3 then regretting my decision every time I see an s3.

What are your thoughts on the difference between the two cars? Would it be worth putting in money to a newer a3 and tuning it to get to the speed of a stock s3?

Thanks!

I’m going to guess that a newer A3 could still have some factory warranty left and a tune will void it if a dealer scans it and finds the flag.


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[Gberg888]

Get the S3... Its the A3 but everything better. Plus you will regret it every time you see the s3. Plus it will hold its value better. And the 16+ S3s are pretty darn reliable.

[Brandon.august]

Can you expand your options to include a 2018 S3? That would be my choice haha. I was trying to make a similar decision as you are, but ultimately wanted the 7-speed DSG, a warranty, and the S. Only regret is not getting the RS3 (although that's still outside of the price range I'm even comfortable spending right now).

[TheDude420]

I would go with the 2016 S3 over the 2018 A3. Assuming of course the S3 has maintenance records and was taken care of. If you care about performance the S3 is the obvious choice. The 2018 A3 has 220hp compared to the 2016 S3's 292hp. With a a Stage 2 tune you can get the S3 to 400hp and it's a very fun car once there. The A3 can also be tuned but you cannot reach 400hp even at Stage 2. The base model of the A3 doesn't look as sporty, has a different front end that doesn't look as cool, has only 1 exhaust tip, and is FWD only. If you go for the S-line A3 you get the same nice sport body as an S3 with 2 exhaust tips. You can get an A3 S-line with Quattro AWD as well. The S3 has 4 exhaust tips and also has Quattro AWD. In reality it's a Haldex system so it's FWD most of the time but can send power to the rear on launch or when it senses wheel slippage in the rain or snow. Also the 2017+ A3/S3/RS3 models have a redesigned front end which is a bit more aggressive than the 2016 and under models.

The virtual cockpit on the 2017+ models is very nice but what if that breaks? I'd hate to get that bill! A tuned A3 is still cool just not as powerful as an A3 and I would worry a bit more because the A3 was not made for performance like the S3 and RS3 are so it's internal parts are more likely to fail or degrade quicker if you tune it.

I had to deside between a 2016 A3 S-line, 2016 S3 and a 2017 A3 S-line when I was car hunting a little over a year ago. I knew that if I went with the A3 I would end up regretting it because I really wanted the power, flat bottom steering wheel, and super sport seats which were only available on the S3. I ended up getting lucky and buying my Stage 2 S3 from a guy here on Audizine and love it.

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[AudiosS3youl8r]

Yeah thats what im thinking too. the 2018 a3 only has +20 hp compared to my 2009 a4.

[AudiosS3youl8r]

Can you expand your options to include a 2018 S3? That would be my choice haha. I was trying to make a similar decision as you are, but ultimately wanted the 7-speed DSG, a warranty, and the S. Only regret is not getting the RS3 (although that's still outside of the price range I'm even comfortable spending right now).

Would if I could but a 2018 is out of my price range at the moment.

[AudiosS3youl8r]

I would go with the 2016 S3 over the 2018 A3. Assuming of course the S3 has maintenance records and was taken care of. If you care about performance the S3 is the obvious choice. The 2018 A3 has 220hp compared to the 2016 S3's 292hp. With a a Stage 2 tune you can get the S3 to 400hp and it's a very fun car once there. The A3 can also be tuned but you cannot reach 400hp even at Stage 2. The base model of the A3 doesn't look as sporty and has a different front end and only 1 exhaust tip. If you go for the S-line A3 you get the same body as an S3 with 2 exhaust tips. The S3 has 4 exhaust tips. Also the 2017+ A3/S3/RS3 models have a redesigned front end which is a bit more aggressive than the 2016 and under models.

The virtual cockpit on the 2017+ models is very nice but what if that breaks? I'd hate to get that bill! A tuned A3 is still cool just not as powerful as an A3 and I would worry a bit more because the A3 was not made for performance like the S3 and RS3 are so it's internal parts are more likely to fail or degrade quicker.

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I didn't even think about the virtual cockpit breaking. That would be a hefty bill lol. I can only imagine what driving a 400hp car would be like hahah. All very good points!

[AudiosS3youl8r]

Get the S3... Its the A3 but everything better. Plus you will regret it every time you see the s3. Plus it will hold its value better. And the 16+ S3s are pretty darn reliable.

I am thinking about that feeling, definitely would want to avoid it if I could especially since I'm going to be driving it for some years!

[S3NICK]

No question, S3. I'd do it for the seats alone before any of the other performance advantages.

Sitting in the A3 seats constantly leaves me with the impression that they're too small. The extra bottom seat cushion and side bolsters make the S3 far more comfortable.

[949]

Get the S3... Its the A3 but everything better. Plus you will regret it every time you see the s3. Plus it will hold its value better. And the 16+ S3s are pretty darn reliable.

i have a 2015 s3 and its reliable. do you have a 2015 thats been horrible?

[TheDude420]

No question, S3. I'd do it for the seats alone before any of the other performance advantages.

Sitting in the A3 seats constantly leaves me with the impression that they're too small. The extra bottom seat cushion and side bolsters make the S3 far more comfortable.

This! Look up Audi S3 Super Sport Seats on Google. I have them and they are absolutely gorgeous! Not all S3's come with them you have to order them as part of a package. The regular sport seats are nice too.

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[JCBnice]

I just bought a pfl a3 sline 2.0t quattro. While it is waaaay better than my last car (and within my budget) if i could have gotten a low mileage s3, that would have been the route i took. The a3 is comfortable, but even on just the stock sport suspension, the seats dont hold me in place the slightest bit. If thats a big deal to you, then s3 should be your first choice. Other than that i am happy with the a3. Has most of the other bells and whistles (minus power and mag ride option) and can be had for cheaper with less miles/km. Again, if you want to go fast as hell and be held in place slightly better, an s3 is the way to go. Unless you can afford an rs3.....but a stage 2 a3 is still respectable at about 300hp which is STOCK s3 numbers. So it really comes down to what power numbers you want to end up with, how bolstered you want your seats, and if you want low miles/$.

But even if you get an a3 sline quattro and tune/upgrade suspension/is38 it may be less or equal money in the end, you'll always know that you dont have an s3, and your seats are not at all sporty

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[XMetal]

I didn't even think about the virtual cockpit breaking. That would be a hefty bill lol. I can only imagine what driving a 400hp car would be like hahah. All very good points!

Everything that breaks in an Audi will be a hefty bill if you look at it that way, especially if you're thinking about tuning it. Virtual cockpit breaking is the last thing I'm worry about.

[TheDude420]

Everything that breaks in an Audi will be a hefty bill if you look at it that way, especially if you're thinking about tuning it. Virtual cockpit breaking is the last thing I'm worry about.

Yes but that's potentially one less very expensive thing to fix. I just threw it out there as a possibility although it's unlikely. The 2016 S3 has a more traditional dash and will be much less expensive to replace. It's also a 2016 so some parts will be less expensive than a 2018 model. The A3 and S3 share a lot of parts so it just depends on the part and whether you buy Genuine or OEM.

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[BecksA3]

I would go with the 2016 S3 over the 2018 A3. Assuming of course the S3 has maintenance records and was taken care of. If you care about performance the S3 is the obvious choice. The 2018 A3 has 220hp compared to the 2016 S3's 292hp. With a a Stage 2 tune you can get the S3 to 400hp and it's a very fun car once there. The A3 can also be tuned but you cannot reach 400hp even at Stage 2. The base model of the A3 doesn't look as sporty, has a different front end that doesn't look as cool, has only 1 exhaust tip, and is FWD only. If you go for the S-line A3 you get the same nice sport body as an S3 with 2 exhaust tips. You can get an A3 S-line with Quattro AWD as well. The S3 has 4 exhaust tips and also has Quattro AWD. In reality it's a Haldex system so it's FWD most of the time but can send power to the rear on launch or when it senses wheel slippage in the rain or snow. Also the 2017+ A3/S3/RS3 models have a redesigned front end which is a bit more aggressive than the 2016 and under models.

The virtual cockpit on the 2017+ models is very nice but what if that breaks? I'd hate to get that bill! A tuned A3 is still cool just not as powerful as an A3 and I would worry a bit more because the A3 was not made for performance like the S3 and RS3 are so it's internal parts are more likely to fail or degrade quicker if you tune it.

I had to deside between a 2016 A3/S3 and a 2017 A3 when I was car hunting a little over a year ago. I knew that if I went with the A3 I would end up regretting it because I really wanted the power, flat bottom steering wheel, and super sport seats which were only available on the S3. I ended up getting lucky and buying my Stage 2 S3 from a guy here on Audizine and love it.

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Not disrespecting the S3, but feel I must defend my’16 A3 S-line.

Tunable power - Unitronic has a stage 2+ is38 tune said to be capable of 381hp and 377tq. I know website figures are debatable, but even with a small margin of error is pretty respectable.

Aggressive front end - I’m happy with mine.

https://imgur.com/gallery/DcQuPLa




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[TheDude420]

Not disrespecting the S3, but feel I must defend my’16 A3 S-line.

Tunable power - Unitronic has a stage 2+ is38 tune said to be capable of 381hp and 377tq. I know website figures are debatable, but even with a small margin of error is pretty respectable.

Aggressive front end - I’m happy with mine.

https://imgur.com/gallery/DcQuPLa




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No disprespect meant to the A3 S-line. I was just stating the numbers and mentioning the different A3 models. You have the A3 S-line which is the nicer model. The base non S-line A3 does look lame. A tuned A3 S-line is not a lame car IMO. I was going to buy an A3 S-line then I got lucky and found an S3 here on Audizine without too many miles in the color I wanted and with the tunes I wanted.

[BecksA3]

No disprespect meant to the A3 S-line. I was just stating the numbers and mentioning the different A3 models. You have the A3 S-line which is the nicer model. The base non S-line A3 does look lame. A tuned A3 S-line is not a lame car IMO. I was going to buy an A3 S-line then I got lucky and found an S3 here on Audizine without too many miles in the color I wanted and with the tunes I wanted.

I’m not offended. Just some good natured banter

The S3s are sweet and the plain vanilla A3s are lame.
I did test drive a 2018 S4 when my car was at the dealer due to an unfortunate meeting with a raccoon at 75mph. That was pretty sweet. I probably would have traded for it, but my idea of an aggressive deal and that of the sales manager were very different. No remorse though, I still have a nice car and with no warranty left, I can start really working on it.


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[Ad615]

I would go with the 2016 S3 over the 2018 A3. Assuming of course the S3 has maintenance records and was taken care of. If you care about performance the S3 is the obvious choice. The 2018 A3 has 220hp compared to the 2016 S3's 292hp. With a a Stage 2 tune you can get the S3 to 400hp and it's a very fun car once there. The A3 can also be tuned but you cannot reach 400hp even at Stage 2. The base model of the A3 doesn't look as sporty, has a different front end that doesn't look as cool, has only 1 exhaust tip, and is FWD only. If you go for the S-line A3 you get the same nice sport body as an S3 with 2 exhaust tips. You can get an A3 S-line with Quattro AWD as well. The S3 has 4 exhaust tips and also has Quattro AWD. In reality it's a Haldex system so it's FWD most of the time but can send power to the rear on launch or when it senses wheel slippage in the rain or snow. Also the 2017+ A3/S3/RS3 models have a redesigned front end which is a bit more aggressive than the 2016 and under models.

The virtual cockpit on the 2017+ models is very nice but what if that breaks? I'd hate to get that bill! A tuned A3 is still cool just not as powerful as an A3 and I would worry a bit more because the A3 was not made for performance like the S3 and RS3 are so it's internal parts are more likely to fail or degrade quicker if you tune it.

I had to deside between a 2016 A3 S-line, 2016 S3 and a 2017 A3 S-line when I was car hunting a little over a year ago. I knew that if I went with the A3 I would end up regretting it because I really wanted the power, flat bottom steering wheel, and super sport seats which were only available on the S3. I ended up getting lucky and buying my Stage 2 S3 from a guy here on Audizine and love it.

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Non S Line a3s can be awd. The 2.0 a3 is a gti and the s3 is a golf r. The a3 and s3 are also both haldex awd. Neither are the Torsen Quattro you’re probably thinking of with other Audi models. Both cars stage 2 will prob have less than a second difference in the 1/4. You got the average stage 2 a3 running high 12s and the average stage 2 s3 running low 12s.

No one mentioned the 17+ cars have revised haldex components that are less prone to failure.

Realistically do what makes you happy. I couldn’t justify over 150 bucks a month for payment alone plus a higher insuranc when I was comparing the two. If you’re going to mod both cars, the preference is yours and yes the s3 is faster but the a3 doesn’t trail behind as much as people think. The trans is the same and the motors both can hold around the same amount of power before they break.

[Ad615]

Not disrespecting the S3, but feel I must defend my’16 A3 S-line.

Tunable power - Unitronic has a stage 2+ is38 tune said to be capable of 381hp and 377tq. I know website figures are debatable, but even with a small margin of error is pretty respectable.

Aggressive front end - I’m happy with mine.

https://imgur.com/gallery/DcQuPLa




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And you’re absolutely right. An a3 with an is38 will drag an s3, just like the gti does to the R. I absolutely love s3s but if both cars are being modded I don’t see the point besides the resale being better.

[BecksA3]

And you’re absolutely right. An a3 with an is38 will drag an s3, just like the gti does to the R. I absolutely love s3s but if both cars are being modded I don’t see the point besides the resale being better.

Me either. It’s like being asked which one of your kids is your favorite.


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[Brandon.august]

The trans is the same and the motors both can hold around the same amount of power before they break.

I'm not sure this is true. From an older post on here, seems like the A3 and S3 have some other differences:

"
• Different Pistons with new bolts and rings
• Reinforced connecting rods
• New mounts transfer the power to the crankshaft
• Gray cast iron crankcase reinforced at the main bearing seats and the main bearing cover
• New cylinder head
• New exhaust valves, valve seats and springs
• New high-pressure injection valves
• New turbocharger

-Larger Brakes (rotor size 340mm vs 312mm)
-Different transmissions (S3 has tighter gearing, possibly other differences to beef it up)
-Different Suspension (and optional Magnetic ride)
-Different Exhaust
-Different Interior Stuff
"

[Ad615]

I'm not sure this is true. From an older post on here, seems like the A3 and S3 have some other differences:

"
• Different Pistons with new bolts and rings
• Reinforced connecting rods
• New mounts transfer the power to the crankshaft
• Gray cast iron crankcase reinforced at the main bearing seats and the main bearing cover
• New cylinder head
• New exhaust valves, valve seats and springs
• New high-pressure injection valves
• New turbocharger

-Larger Brakes (rotor size 340mm vs 312mm)
-Different transmissions (S3 has tighter gearing, possibly other differences to beef it up)
-Different Suspension (and optional Magnetic ride)
-Different Exhaust
-Different Interior Stuff
"

There is differences in the motor and those are accurate but they still manage to hold the same amount of power before they break. A couple of major timers have mentioned this. Ed at eqt was just saying this recently as well. Both transmissions are dq250s. The gear ratio is different but are rated to the same power limit. Everything else is superior on the s3, as I was referring to straight line antics.

[TheDude420]

Non S Line a3s can be awd. The 2.0 a3 is a gti and the s3 is a golf r. The a3 and s3 are also both haldex awd. Neither are the Torsen Quattro youÂ’re probably thinking of with other Audi models. Both cars stage 2 will prob have less than a second difference in the 1/4. You got the average stage 2 a3 running high 12s and the average stage 2 s3 running low 12s.

No one mentioned the 17+ cars have revised haldex components that are less prone to failure.

Realistically do what makes you happy. I couldnÂ’t justify over 150 bucks a month for payment alone plus a higher insuranc when I was comparing the two. If youÂ’re going to mod both cars, the preference is yours and yes the s3 is faster but the a3 doesnÂ’t trail behind as much as people think. The trans is the same and the motors both can hold around the same amount of power before they break.

Yes I'm familiar with AWD systems such as haldex and torsen. I made sure to specify that the base model A3 is FWD and that you can also get an A3 with Quattro AWD. The Quattro AWD A3 and S3 have a haldex AWD system making them primarily FWD cars. When there is wheel slippage in rain or snow power is sent to the rear to assist. I may be wrong about this but I think it also engages the rear wheels when using launch control. Other Audis like the S4 use a different AWD system and are full-time AWD cars. An S3 with stage 2 can do a 1/4 mile in the mid to high 11s on average while a stage 2 A3 will do a 1/4 mile in the mid to high 12s on average. Launch control and gear shifting is superior on the S3 and it has a larger and more powerful turbo. A Stage 2 S3 will do 0-60 with launch control in 3.5-3.7 seconds. I've seen videos as low as 3.31 seconds but that was using a P3 gauge not a Draagy or Vbox. An A3 with Stage 2 will do 0-60 in 4-4.3 seconds.

For me the super sport seats, flat bottom steering wheel (2016 A3's did not have this as an option), quad exhaust tips, more powerful engine, and nicer body on the S3 made it more appealing to me. Like I mentioned above I had to decide between a 2016 A3 S-line, 2016 S3, and 2017 A3 S-line. I keep mentioning S-line when talking about the A3 because as I said above the base model A3 without the S-line body looks lame. I got lucky finding the S3 I wanted here on Audizine. Had I not I would have gotten an A3 S-line. A stock S3 has 292hp while a stock A3 has 220hp. The extra 72hp on the S3 is a lot especially when tuning and having that much more power to work with. It makes it easier to reach 400hp (or a bit higher with the right parts) on an S3 compared to an A3. The highest torque Stage 2 A3 with 93 octane and a larger turbo can reach 386hp but most people with stage 2 A3's don't run that tune and are in the 330hp range. Most Stage 2 S3's are in the 370-420hp range depending on what octane and high or low torque tune they have. Check out Kamil Pawlak's YouTube channel where he tuned and modded his 2016 A3 S-line to be as close to an S3 as possible, quad exhaust tips and everything:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzp...v2ioZ0BIZU8V6Q

His A3 is badass and indistinguishable from an S3 for the most part. At Stage 2 Kamil's best 1/4 mile ever was 12.6s. That's after significant tuning, modding, and a custom exhaust system. I'm not bashing anyone's A3 I think they're cool and almost bought one myself. I'm just pointing out the differences to helpAudiosS3youl8r make his decision. For some people the A3 is the right option. It comes down to a combination of preferences, budget, and specs.

**I thought I'd clarify whenever I was talking about Stage 2 I was referring to APR not GIAC or Unitronic. I have APR Stage 2 so that's what I'm familiar with in terms of hp and torque.

[Spinnetti]

If you can get big savings on an A3 over the S3 and get the virtual cockpit and the 7 speed dsg, i dunno - I think A3 unless you are a total performance nut. I chose a 15' S3 based on the deal I got and don't regret it, but sure would like the newer tech.

[S3NICK]

An IS38 GTI will get ahead of an equally modded S3 from a roll because of weight.

*S3's are 3450lbs, but I am sure with full options and 19s they weigh up to 3550.
*GTIs weigh 2972-3086, and A3s weigh 3175-3560.

That's your advantage. It's up to you to make a decision on your performance and livability goals.

For me, the ultimate deal is the Golf Sportwagon with the 1.8 and 4motion. You get the DSG and Haldex AWD. Yes, the 1.8 is less tunable, but with bolt-ons and an IS20 swap (stock is IS12), it'll go mid 12s, even low 12s. Sleeper!

[Ad615]

Yes I'm familiar with AWD systems such as haldex and torsen. I made sure to specify that the base model A3 is FWD and that you can also get an A3 with Quattro AWD. The Quattro AWD A3 and S3 have a haldex AWD system making them primarily FWD cars. When there is wheel slippage in rain or snow power is sent to the rear to assist. I may be wrong about this but I think it also engages the rear wheels when using launch control. Other Audis like the S4 use a different AWD system and are full-time AWD cars. An S3 with stage 2 can do a 1/4 mile in the mid to high 11s on average while a stage 2 A3 will do a 1/4 mile in the mid to high 12s on average. Launch control and gear shifting is superior on the S3 and it has a larger and more powerful turbo. A Stage 2 S3 will do 0-60 with launch control in 3.5-3.7 seconds. I've seen videos as low as 3.31 seconds but that was using a P3 gauge not a Draagy or Vbox. An A3 with Stage 2 will do 0-60 in 4-4.3 seconds.

For me the super sport seats, flat bottom steering wheel (2016 A3's did not have this as an option), quad exhaust tips, more powerful engine, and nicer body on the S3 made it more appealing to me. Like I mentioned above I had to decide between a 2016 A3 S-line, 2016 S3, and 2017 A3 S-line. I keep mentioning S-line when talking about the A3 because as I said above the base model A3 without the S-line body looks lame. I got lucky finding the S3 I wanted here on Audizine. Had I not I would have gotten an A3 S-line. A stock S3 has 292hp while a stock A3 has 220hp. The extra 72hp on the S3 is a lot especially when tuning and having that much more power to work with. It makes it easier to reach 400hp (or a bit higher with the right parts) on an S3 compared to an A3. The highest torque Stage 2 A3 with 93 octane and a larger turbo can reach 386hp but most people with stage 2 A3's don't run that tune and are in the 330hp range. Most Stage 2 S3's are in the 370-420hp range depending on what octane and high or low torque tune they have. Check out Kamil Pawlak's YouTube channel where he tuned and modded his 2016 A3 S-line to be as close to an S3 as possible, quad exhaust tips and everything:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzp...v2ioZ0BIZU8V6Q

His A3 is basldass and indistinguishable from an S3 for the most part. At Stage 2 Kamil's best 1/4 mile ever was 12.6s. That's after significant tuning, modding, and a custom exhaust system. I'm not bashing anyone's A3 I think they're cool and almost bought one myself. I'm just pointing out the differences to helpAudiosS3youl8r make his decision. For some people the A3 is the right option. It comes down to a combination of preferences, budget, and specs.

**I thought I'd clarify whenever I was talking about Stage 2 I was referring to APR not GIAC or Unitronic. I have APR Stage 2 so that's what I'm familiar with in terms of hp and torque.

I’ve actually been following his car. Although he has done quite a bit of modding, the most relevant thing he has is apr. I actually feel like his car should be running faster than it is. Unitronic is claiming a 12.40 with their early stage 2 setup for the a3 and it’s nowhere as aggressive as apr files. A guy on YouTube with no hardware whatsoever only has apr plus software and ran high 12s. I was going off averages with the times. I know they’re are some outliers with s3s that have went mid 11s but most average pump gas set ups for stage 2 do seem to be going low 12s/high 11s. I also take major tuning companies crank numbers with a grain of salt. A few of the more aggressive tunes on is20s end up closing the gap on the mild is38 tunes like Unitronic. Most stage 2 s3/golf rs end up making 340-360whp on pump gas while a3/gti make 290-32/30 whp on pump gas. Yes the powerbands are different, but it really equates to a 2-5mph difference in average traps for run of the mill cars. Again not everyone will agree, but I feel it’s not worth a 150 dollar of payment a month. And as far as looks ago, I absolutely agree that S lines/s3 are not even in the same class as a base model. I have a non s line a3 and I def try to not compare lmao.

[Gberg888]

i have a 2015 s3 and its reliable. do you have a 2015 thats been horrible?

2015s are infamous for the alternator breaking and being over $1000 to repair. Other than that they r the same reliability wise. On another note, the 2015 and 16 transmissions are slightly more reliable than the 7spds from the small amount of research ive done on audizine.

[VWVW]

This is a very interesting question. In my opinion, it depends on what you value and which market you are in.

I am a owner of a Canadian PFL A3 S-line, and the car being a Canadian model, it gets perforated flat bottom steering wheel and sport seats, essentially making the car a weaker S3 with a GTI engine. I already found the engine somewhat overkill for my use. I see that you are in the US market, the PFL A3 gets none of those nice interior bits in the A3. if you care about these nicer interior bits, then definitely get the S3 instead of the A3. If you care about power a lot, definitely get the S3 instead of the A3. Only if you care about virtual cockpit and fuel efficiency, longer warranty, then you should get the 2018 A3 instead of the 2016 S3.

[S3NICK]

2015s are infamous for the alternator breaking and being over $1000 to repair. Other than that they r the same reliability wise. On another note, the 2015 and 16 transmissions are slightly more reliable than the 7spds from the small amount of research ive done on audizine.

I can speak to that failure. The part alone was $945.

Also heard the turbo thrust bearing was revised on the 2016+ S3s? Anyone know about this that can confirm?

[AlaskanAudi]

A different idea: I don’t know if OP is a DIYer but one thing I like about having a pre facelift 8v is that you can retrofit facelift parts into the car - making it unique while retaining factory parts.

On the facelift version, all the facelift kit is already installed so you can’t do much. Just a thought.


2010 S4 Prestige DSG Deep Sea Blue
2015 S3 Premium Plus Florett Silver

[Spinnetti]

2015s are infamous for the alternator breaking and being over $1000 to repair. Other than that they r the same reliability wise. On another note, the 2015 and 16 transmissions are slightly more reliable than the 7spds from the small amount of research ive done on audizine.

? All alternators wear out in time. I just looked and the first one that came up on google was $338 and $200 for a reman which is about the same as any other. Its about 20 min to swap out. I wouldn't consider this something to worry about.

[Gberg888]

? All alternators wear out in time. I just looked and the first one that came up on google was $338 and $200 for a reman which is about the same as any other. Its about 20 min to swap out. I wouldn't consider this something to worry about.

The OEM part is over $800 and its a known weak point on 2015 specific model years. Its also a pain in the ass to change and if you can change it in 20 mins you should be a mechanic at Audi!

The alternator is underneath the manifold on the passenger side of the front of the engine next to the throttle body hose but above the AC compressor... That particular part of the engine bay is especially cramped. It calls to remove the boost piping and then pull it out from where and how I still do not understand. There are AC lines, boost piping, coolant lines and, plenty of electrical connections all in the way.

[Spinnetti]

As I said, the OEM part is $338 and probably cheaper elsewhere. https://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts...oaAq4zEALw_wcB Saying its some kind of special problem that should lead one to reconsider purchasing a car doesn't fit the facts, none of which have been presented. Yes, stuff breaks, but compared to what? Look at consumer reports for reliability. Its no worse than average, nor more expensive to repair than average. Nobody in their right mind goes to the dealer for any kind of repair anyway.

[S3NICK]

2015s are infamous for the alternator breaking and being over $1000 to repair. Other than that they r the same reliability wise. On another note, the 2015 and 16 transmissions are slightly more reliable than the 7spds from the small amount of research ive done on audizine.

? All alternators wear out in time. I just looked and the first one that came up on google was $338 and $200 for a reman which is about the same as any other. Its about 20 min to swap out. I wouldn't consider this something to worry about.

When mine went, the shop said there were 3 alternators from the factory. One was $6xx, another $8xx, and the last $9xx. Mine was the most expensive for some reason. I was very surprised, but the thing was pissing oil onto the inside of the hood and the side of the windshield washer fluid container, and it had to get replaced. An odd thing to go at 68-69k miles.

[Spinnetti]

When mine went, the shop said there were 3 alternators from the factory. One was $6xx, another $8xx, and the last $9xx. Mine was the most expensive for some reason. I was very surprised, but the thing was pissing oil onto the inside of the hood and the side of the windshield washer fluid container, and it had to get replaced. An odd thing to go at 68-69k miles.

Stuff happens. Doesn't make it normative. I had a first year Touareg which had horrible quality ratings. in 240k miles, only replaced the alternator and cat under the hood. Only even changed the plugs and belt once! Anecdotal evidence does not prove the case one way or another.

[S3NICK]

Stuff happens. Doesn't make it normative. I had a first year Touareg which had horrible quality ratings. in 240k miles, only replaced the alternator and cat under the hood. Only even changed the plugs and belt once! Anecdotal evidence does not prove the case one way or another.

Sure, but I'm not saying there's a trend for alternator failure on 15MY A/S3s, just stating my '15 had this failure and it was a bit unexpected in terms of mileage and price.

Other than forum anecdotes, where would one find trend data for common failure points by year? I used a site called True Delta years ago, but I'm not familiar with much else.

[Gberg888]

Stuff happens. Doesn't make it normative. I had a first year Touareg which had horrible quality ratings. in 240k miles, only replaced the alternator and cat under the hood. Only even changed the plugs and belt once! Anecdotal evidence does not prove the case one way or another.

Spinn... the OP asked what to look out for and how to compare the two cars... Replacing an alternator is definitely a wear item but no S3 he'd be considering should be near the mileage to do so... But, with the 2015s they are known to fail earlier than they should comparatively to other cars and S3s. Sure its a wear part but its also extremely expensive and not a simple replacement. Sure you can get a replacement part for less than OEM... but its still $400? Thats certainly not expensive but also not a 150 part from auto-zone for your jeep. Just like the haldex pump should be checked and the screen flushed every 30k... Its another thing people need to look out for.