It might be prudent to ask this question in the VW Golf Forum

That way you will get a balanced answer

Personally, I would have the Golf over the new Octavia

If you have £3- £4k spare in your bank account, for the same thrill with less space.

Same argument between Golf GTI v Audi S3.  

S3 v Oct vRS, that's +£10k crazy money for far less less space but an additional 70 bhp and extra quality.?

Same argument between Golf GTI v Audi S3.

Audi S3 is not a competitor for the VW Golf GTI or the Octavia vRS. The Golf competitor for the S3 is the forthcoming and mechanically identical Golf R.

As I've said here before the S3 is a piece of total junk. Awful turbo lag, horrible boomy engine note and lifeless steering. Avoid it like it was bubonic plague.

Forgot 4W Drive, which you can use for 3 months of the year as a Real advantage!

My choice was between a used A4 Avant with the 2.0L TSI engine and a new/nearly new Octavia vRS estate with the same engine. Aside from difficulty of finding one of the former, the Octy 3 estate is roomy and particularly so in the boot compared with the Avant. I was coming out of a Mk1 Octavia estate as the family car, so you might say I'm biased, but it's the ease of driving the Octy which my wife finds so attractive. I have the car on winter tyres (ContiWinterContacts) and even the 18"-ers don't create much noise on the road - and this is UK roads don't forget which are pretty abysmal these days. Can't help you with the GTD comparison, but I've had plenty of other vehicles including BMW and Porsche, and this Octavia 3 is a good ride (firm but smooth enough) and particularly quiet at cruise compared with all my previous cars. Best advice is still, as you've seen already here, "Get a test drive in each for at least 2 hours, 4 if possible, and really drive the roads you know, its the only way to decide which is the car for you." Take your time in choosing too. You might feel under pressure to place an order soon, but a wrong decision will haunt you for a long while afterwards!

As I've said here before the S3 is a piece of total junk. Awful turbo lag, horrible boomy engine note and lifeless steering. Avoid it like it was bubonic plague.

 

Strange, in the main, online reviews seem to really like it. However, I'm not one to put much stock in sites that allow advertising when they're reviewing advertiser's motors

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=audi+s3+review&meta=

Audi S3 is not a competitor for the VW Golf GTI or the Octavia vRS. The Golf competitor for the S3 is the forthcoming and mechanically identical Golf R.

As I've said here before the S3 is a piece of total junk. Awful turbo lag, horrible boomy engine note and lifeless steering. Avoid it like it was bubonic plague.

What garbage, how long have you driven the new 8v S3 for? Turbo lag? Really lol

Steering is typical VAG on that front, plenty people manage

I can't see the logic in buying an S3 myself....  The A3 is overpriced as a new car, let alone the S3, which from the outside is very plain Jane.

 

We're now moving into hot hatch territory, and a Focus ST, Megane RS and Astra VXR should all be much higher up your shopping list than the S3, but I think the OP wanted a diesel.

 

I really wanted to order the Focus ST, but the vRS' mpg's was a very persuasive argument.  "Performance" diesels are fairly understated - surprised that there aren't diesel equivalents sporting the same bodykits as the models listed above ala the vRS.

Edited 30 December, 201312 yr by fiisch

I was walking the same route as yourself, golf Gti/Gtd or octy vRS TSi/Tdi but ended up going down the S3 route, the gtd and Tdi vRS were cheaper but the GTI and TSi vRS were very cloe to S3 more so the GTI so decided more power and 4wd lol

Glad that you can justify the extra £ks in your every day driving.

 

Enjoy!!

S3 v Oct vRS, that's +£10k crazy money for far less less space but an additional 70 bhp and extra quality.?

My S3 is actually less than £4k more expensive than our new octy vRS and as it's a second car I don't need space, it's also a sub 5 sec to 60 car with 4wd

Forgot 4W Drive, which you can use for 3 months of the year as a Real advantage!

I'm not sure where you get 3 months from, just try pulling away fast in a GTI or vRS in wet anyhoo each to their own.

As I say I was going for petrol vRS or git but the S3 was so much better and offers more for little more a month

Glad that you can justify the extra £ks in your every day driving.

Enjoy!!

Well for the sake of less than £30 a month over a GTi I'm happy

Glad that you can justify the extra £ks in your every day driving.

Enjoy!!

What is it you drive?

I'm ok with it's looks

My S3 is actually less than £4k more expensive than our new octy vRS and as it's a second car I don't need space, it's also a sub 5 sec to 60 car with 4wd

I'm not sure where you get 3 months from, just try pulling away fast in a GTI or vRS in wet anyhoo each to their own.

As I say I was going for petrol vRS or git but the S3 was so much better and offers more for little more a month

Good to hear that you still have the boy racer about you!

 

By the way ,my MK3 vRS COST UNDER £21K NEW -Guess your S3 COST £32K PLUS. That's £10 k plus on my calc.

Well with out estate it cost a bit more with options and the like and actually the S3 was in the 20s

Well with out estate it cost a bit more with options and the like and actually the S3 was in the 20s

£28k or £29k

Good to hear that you still have the boy racer about you!

By the way ,my MK3 vRS COST UNDER £21K NEW -Guess your S3 COST £32K PLUS. That's £10 k plus on my calc.

Nice to see you have a friendly nature, keyboard warrior no doubt.

I haven't commented to have an argument to feel free to move on.

As for the car costs I know what we are paying on both cars list and Monthly thanks though

Oh I must say well done getting approx £3-3500 off a new octy vRS tho

Edited 30 December, 201312 yr by kenny

When I priced up an Audi A3 Sportback Sport 184 with some extras, it got surprisingly close to the better specced S3. Strangely the S3 seems quite good value in the A3/S3 range, possibly due to bigger discounts. Nice car too.

What garbage, how long have you driven the new 8v S3 for? Turbo lag? Really lol

Steering is typical VAG on that front, plenty people manage

Yes. Drove it for four hours over varying roads. Have you driven it?

Yes it was the latest model with the double clutch 'box. And it is total sh1te. I've never experienced turbo lag that bad since the old Sierra Cosworth RS 500. You put your foot down at low revs and there is nothing and I mean nothing for what seems like ages and then the power comes in a big almost unmanageable rush. The artificial engine note is boomy, unrefined and plain unpleasant. Just AWFUL. If you read some of the reviews they do mention - and criticise - the lag. The Audi A3 diesel with the same engine as the Octavia is a much nicer drive. Hot hatches are supposed to be fun to drive. The S3 just isn't. BMW's M135i is better in every way except the interior finish. And that is a turbocharged car with NO lag. The only possible advantage of the S3 is the Quattro four wheel drive and the typical Audi high class interior. The rest I'd chuck in a skip.

Edited 30 December, 201312 yr by Timoctav

Yes. Drove it for four hours over varying roads. Have you driven it?

Yes it was the latest model with the double clutch 'box. And it total sh1te. I've never experienced turbo lag that bad since the old Sierra Cosworth. You put your foot down at low revs and there is nothing and I mean nothing for what seems like ages and then the power comes in a big almost unmanageable rush. Just AWFUL. If you read some of the reviews they do mention - and criticise - the lag. The Audi A3 diesel with the same engine as the Octavia is a much nicer drive. Hot hatches are supposed to be fun to drive. The S3 just isn 't.

Interesting review indeed regarding turbo lag. Not heard that comment from anyone yet

Interesting review indeed regarding turbo lag. Not heard that comment from anyone yet

I'm used to driving a fairly quick naturally aspirated sports car, so maybe the shortcomings were made more obvious to me. But that turbo lag made even my Octavia seem more responsive at low revs. And that should never be right, even allowing for a diesel's greater torque.

Want to know how a proper drivers car should behave? Go drive a Porsche Cayman. You can buy a low mileage example of the previous (987/2) generation for much the same money as a new S3.

Edited 30 December, 201312 yr by Timoctav

When I priced up an Audi A3 Sportback Sport 184 with some extras, it got surprisingly close to the better specced S3. Strangely the S3 seems quite good value in the A3/S3 range, possibly due to bigger discounts. Nice car too.

In theory yes, the reality is somewhat different.

I'm used to driving a fairly quick naturally aspirated sports car, so maybe the shortcomings were made more obvious to me. But that turbo lag made even my Octavia seem more responsive at low revs. And that should never be right, even allowing for a diesel's greater torque.

Want to know how a proper drivers car should behave? Go drive a Porsche Cayman. You can buy a low mileage example of the previous (987/2) generation for much the same money as a new S3.

Yeah maybe it might be the reason, had no issues myself. Max torque is there from approx 1700-1800rpm so felt pretty good to me.

Yeah have driven many a car inc some if them. I've not bought the S3 as a drivers car tbh. Just a quick all rounder, it's going to be used in many ways and needed 5drs. Like everything cars are a personal choice and subjective. The S 3 fits my current needs, in no way is it perfect but I wanted to avoid high powered FWD as been there done that. Where I live and work rules out RWD so situations do make ur choices and all that

I can understand your logic, it is very quick and on twisty roads, particularly in poor conditions it would be pretty much uncatchable. If you didn't buy it as a drivers car, rather a machine to get from A to B quickly then yes, it's ideal for that purpose. But as a precision driver's car - not even close I'm afraid, and that's what I was expecting and hoping for. All part of a plan to cut down from three cars to two. Scrapped the plan now, will keep the sports car!

Years back I had a hot hatch with four wheel drive - a Lancia Delta HF Integrale with what seems at the time a lot of power - 185 bhp - but my it was quick and very very precise. Nothing could keep up with it in those days!

Edited 30 December, 201312 yr by Timoctav