SEL Exec 1.4 TSI - 1k Miles Review

[Didorx]

Disclaimer

I thought I'd reciprocate the usefulness I got out of this forum over the past few months by writing a short review of my new S3, after having driven it for its first 1,000 miles. Everything you read below is my opinion and my opinion only... so don't take it too seriously! Also:

• English is my second language so... if confused, try to read in-between the lines.
• Note that I'm drinking Gin & Tonics as I write this, therefore I reserve the right to get a little happier the further I get on.

Background

I've had a VW Scirocco 1.4 TSI DSG for the past 4 years (had it from new) and therefore can use this the basis for some of my views.

Additionally, I have previously owned all sorts of cars... from toy-car Smart Roadster to truck-like Kia Sorrento, to self-decomposing Saab 9.3, to more premium BMW 330d and Mercedes E Class - you get the gist, I'm promiscuous when it comes to cars.

The Spec

SEL Exec 1.4 TSI DSG

Optional extras: Candy White, Beige Leather, Pegasus 18" Wheels, Front Parking Sensors.

​1.4 TSI Engine

I ordered my S3 without test driving it and relied on my Scirocco experience to set my expectations - in the knowledge that being a heavier car, the S3 that is, performance would suffer a little. Also knowing that on-paper 0-60 was only 0.8sec slower than the rocco... I thought I could live with that - particularly as I got past my semi-boy-racer needs, present at the time of ordering the rocco and.. more importantly, I'm now the responsible father of one little precious 18 month old biscuit muncher.

Anyway... after 1k miles and getting past the semi-gentle run-in period my view is that the engine is indeed just about OK. Of course, needless to say it is incomparable to the 2 litre petrol or even the torque delivery of the 2 litre diesel. However, it is smooth as... a baby's bum? Probably not the best analogy but I'm sure you get the point. It is very quiet and peaceful inside the cabin and - subject to the DSG box doing it's bit (more on that in a bit) - it is quite responsive too. Worth saying, have never noticed the eco-switch between 2 and 4 cylinders... apart from seeing an indicator appear on Maxidot when active... it seems to kick in when one takes the foot off the gas, sort of while in coasting mode.

After a mix of both sensible and sport mode driving across all sorts of roads... MPG is averaging 42.4 - which is a massive improvement on the rocco's ever-best of 34.6MPG, considering the colossal difference in size and weight between the two. Note: all MPG figures hereby quoted are taken from the cars own systems, therefore - using a VAG-style disclaimer - these are for indicative purposes only and could double at any point in time.

Bottom line if you're bored by now... great performing engine on such a big car.

Perhaps the best of "all worlds" with it's power/performance/smoothness/economy mix - at a lower purchase price than the 2 litre diesel.

DSG box

Right... I read on various media reviews that the S3 came with a 6 gear DSG box, which differed from what I had in my rocco which had (and still has) 7 gears. Twas all incompetent rubbish really... it has 7 gears (plus reverse, of course).

Similar to the rocco, the box spends most of its time in 7th gear... enabling greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions.

The box's dual-clutch allows lightning-quick changes... so when more power is needed and one steps on the gas, a lower gear is nearly always there rough and ready for you. I say really always because... it's not always!

There are times when the car seems emotionally confused over what do you mean by pressing the gas. This tends to happen when, for example, one quickly slows down in approach to a busy roundabout.. the car nearly stops... one promptly presses the gas hoping to squeeze in to a gap in the merry-go-round... the car goes speechless for what it feels like 2 seconds! Its probably far less than that but the reality is that it's just not the prompt response one would want.

Having said all that... I love the DSG box. The above is just one relatively minor niggle which takes a little while to get used to. The box is a truly remarkable piece of engineering and totally complements both performance and luxurious driving - whatever your mood is.

Quite some time ago (when I first got the rocco DSG) I read somewhere that these boxes are self-learning... as in, they learn your driving style and adapt gear changes accordingly. If true, it will only get better the more I drive it!

One further thing I noticed in comparison to the rocco is that Sport mode is far less... stressful. The rocco used to get a little hyper and over-excited (revving) when i slipped in to Sport mode, which was excessive in relation to what was actually happening (i.e. the increase in speed).

The S3 is far more composed in Sport mode... it does it's bit (i.e. keeps the car in lower gears for longer) but seems to appropriately make the most of them... when a certain gear is no longer performing, it moves on to the next one. Better rev mapping is my layman's guess.

I can see myself using Sport mode fairly often...

Start/Stop System

Not an issue... no difference in any way to BMWs I have previously driven. It starts then stops... then starts again... no timing issues, no issues at all.

Auto-Hold System

Brilliant... when I remember it's there! (takes time to get used to it). Great for general traffic / cueing... traffic lights, etc.

I noticed that, for example, when stopped at traffic lights and the auto-hold is on... as well as the Start/Stop (i.e. engine is off)... it is possible to gently touch the gas and get the engine to start without disabling the auto-hold. A further press on the gas will then disable the auto-hold.

Alternatively, just one less-gentle press on the gas will start the engine / get auto-hold off / get the car moving... in a jiffy!

One point worthy of note... when, for example, slowly reversing in to a space... one has to be careful with the auto-hold system... as when enabled (i.e. stopped), a careless less-gentle press of the gas can make the car spring backwards quite quickly (and more than you want it to!)... potentially hitting something or someone. One gets used to it (and aware of it) quite quickly but I can see it being an easy mistake to make when driving on auto-pilot or when distracted by something else.

Adaptive Cruise Control

Wow... very very useful system - I use it all the time, both single/dual carriageway and motorways.

It does not undertake... and it cleverly knows when you're overtaking by detecting that you've put the indicator on! This leads the car to downshift a gear in prep for the overtake... and how quickly it accelerates can be pre-set via the Columbus system (by changing ACC from Normal to Sport mode).

Windscreen Washers

Shocking and difficult to understand as to why would Skoda procure and fit such useless kit... I mean, why!?

Totally bearable though... just made me "WTF" when I first used them.

Beige Leather

Smooth and comfortable... elegant... makes the cabin bright, light and very enjoyable to be in.

Some imperfections noted (minor marks/creases)... some not-so-neat stitching.

I ordered the beige leather as I thought it would be easier to manage than black... considering I often have a little someone in the back seat making glue out of semi-chewed biscuits and other foodstuffs. To-date... it's been successful. Foreign bodies of the crumb-family appear less noticeable than on black leather and any minor marks are easily wiped with... baby wipes (always at hand).

Fully recommended.. if able to order them.

Candy White

Not the best colour out of the few choices available... but not £600-ish either.

My car is a company car so... I chose to spend the money elsewhere.

Some will hate it... some will love it... I think its fine.

Pegasus Alloys

My only regret... the S3 is a biG car... consequently needs biG wheels.

From an aesthetics point of view, my advice is... if you can, go for 19" wheels !

Columbus

Very good system... easy to use plenty of features... really good to see manufactures finally adding more user-settings to in-car software... and then issuing updates when needed (rightly or wrongly, I thank Apple for this culture).

Endless ability to add own music... SD card, Jukebox (own Columbus memory), USB, Aux, Bluetooth, CarPlay, DVD...

Disappointing point I did not realise... CarPlay only works when phone is plugged in to the USB.. as in, with a cable! (we are in 2016 aren't we??)

I look forward to the update that will address this... Skoda.

Sat Nav can be a little slow on telling you what to do (as in, it tells you in time, a bit just in time though). I'm finding some of the wording a little confusing to compute... such as "leave the roundabout at 3rd exit" rather than the usual "take the 3rd exit"

It may all be just a matter of getting used to it thought... I recall suffering from a similar syndrome when I moved from TomTom to iPhone Maps... lots of swearing involved for the first few trips. We both got over it in the end and got used to each other's manners.

Steering Wheel

Yes, a little thin... must come from the same supplier as the Windscreen Washers..

Nitpicking, perfectly bearable.

Road Noise

Compared to what!?

Compared to the rocco... the S3 is very quiet. Compared to a Mercedes E Class... the S3 is quieter. Compared to a Rolls-Royce... I donno but probably a lot noisier. I'd advise you to get the Rolls-Royce if that's what you're looking for.

Heated Seats

Not sure if it's because the seats are in leather but the heated don't get that heated... the fabric seats on the rocco use to get so hot to the point of marginally burning... perfect for days with a bad back! The S3 seats warm up to OK temperature... not ouch-that's-a-bit-warm temperature.

Wife not impressed..

Quality

OK, the leather comments mentioned above... plus some of the plastics are a little cheap (such as the black plastic surrounding the climate control dials) but overall... I think the car has remarkable interior and exterior quality for the price. Yes it could be better... yes, it could be far more expensive too!

Build quality... no issues to report whatsoever... to date. Trust me, I am as picky as they come when it comes to misalignments, imperfections, rattles, etc. - I suffer from it.

Summary

I'm out of Tonic so need to wrap up.

Right now, it is clear to me that no car can match the S3 in terms of value for money... whether one goes for the more economic trims / engines or the more luxurious or sportier ones. Perhaps a hasty view as the car and I are still in our honeymoon period but... it has already crossed my mind that I may order the next Superb when the time comes to order another company car... in 69,000 miles time.

Skoda should be very proud of what they've done with this car...

Edited 3 January, 2016 by Didorx

[Dilz]

Fantastic review Didorx, really helpful to hear some thorough thoughts on what seems to be quite a less common engine choice! Very much looking forward to sharing my thoughts on the same engine when March comes along!

Slightly concerned about your review of the Pegasus alloys which I've also gone for begrudgingly choosing to spend the money on more gadgets and gizmos! How do you find the ride comfort on them? Nice and supple over bumpy roads?

[rufusmcc]

Thanks Didrox, pick mine up on Tuesday, cant wait.

1.4tsi 150 ACT, blue sel withbsome extras.

did the dealer issue advice for the running in

[Booble]

Excellent write up, thank you for taking time to do this.

[Blueboy510]

Brilliant review, and I wholeheartedly agree on your views on the kit I have! (2.0 tdi 150 SEL estate manual)

[Fxb]

Great review. I hope you get more tonic soon, can't wait for the next instalment

[nicowalker85]

That is a well written review! Your English is fantastic! Thank you for sharing, I'm feeling even more impatient now...

[hulahoop7]

Thanks for the write up. Still undecided on getting a stripped out 190d SEL or a loaded 150petrol SEL. This has nudged me towards the 150

[Nick_H]

Thanks for spending the time to write that. Really enjoyed reading it !

[bigjohn]

 

There are times when the car seems emotionally confused over what do you mean by pressing the gas. This tends to happen when, for example, one quickly slows down in approach to a busy roundabout.. the car nearly stops... one promptly presses the gas hoping to squeeze in to a gap in the merry-go-round... the car goes speechless for what it feels like 2 seconds! Its probably far less than that but the reality is that it's just not the prompt response one would want.

 

 

Could the delay at a roundabout also be something to do with cylinder deactivation? 

 

Great review thanks, I for one will be considering the Series III 1.4  in the future as I'm sure it will be a step up (more power/less weight) from my Series II 1.4 which has been great

Edited 3 January, 2016 by bigjohn

[Leeboy]

Great review that pretty much echoes my thoughts. I've done about 850 miles so far in my 150ACT. Mines a manual rather than dsg.

Agree with quality, I've not had the pleasure to own/drive premium German brands, but at this stage there isn't much I'd fault with fit and finish. I've got black Alcantara seats which aren't cold to touch and yes heated seats on max are warm rather than hot. The gear stick gaiter and storage box arm rest cover ought to be leather rather than vinyl though. No rattles our squeaks at this stage.

Columbus with Canton is excellent.

Engine suits my driving style well and as Didorx writes, it is up to the job, certainly for UK roads and speed limits. Coming from a diesel previously, you can feel the lightness of the engine up front in terms of readiness to turn in and respond to steering input.

I can occasionally feel when the car powers all for cylinders back up. There can be a faintly detectable wobble from up front under certain throttle conditions but to be honest if I didn't feel this at the same time as the maxidot changing indication, I'd never know.

I need to work on autohold though. I'm finding that I'm raising the clutch to what I think is the bite point at the same time as adding some accelerator. This is fine on the flat but on an incline I often roll back or over rev if I don't hit the bite point as the autohold releases on accelerator. With my previous diesel auto, I used my left foot on the brake, so just need to learn the new car.

Not sure if others will agree but I am finding the steering on the motorway a little frustrating. If correcting position in a lane and you want to make a slight correction, the weighing can feel too much and I find myself over correcting. Again I'll get use to this in time I'm sure, but for rural roads steering combined with the lightness of the engine makes for surprisingly good handling for a big car with no adaptive suspension. Ride comfort and noise on the 17" rims I opted for is great.

Finally, love the colour, see brown saloon photos in the photo thread.

[ACWarwick]

Thanks for sharing your detailed thoughts.

[Didorx]

Slightly concerned about your review of the Pegasus alloys which I've also gone for begrudgingly choosing to spend the money on more gadgets and gizmos! How do you find the ride comfort on them? Nice and supple over bumpy roads?

I had 18" wheels with low-profile tyres on the Scirocco so.. that's all I've known for the past 4 years. The S3 is therefore incomparably smoother on the road... I'd say ride is pretty fine indeed.. good over bumps and potholes - you feel them of course but there is no major bang (as it was the case on the rocco). For me it goes back to... what are we comparing it to? A £40k BMW 5 Series? Again, the S3 is just fine..

19" would most likely affect the ride, but can't comment as I haven't driven on them... but in hindsight, I would have ordered them without a test drive - can't possibly be harder than the rocco!

With regards to looks... I think the size "issue" will be less noticeable on yours, because of the darker colour. The wheel arch gap seems more prominent on white. Take a look at the pics of S3s posted on here... many in darker colours and with 17" wheels... looking just great!

Ultimately... I remind myself that I'll spend most of the time enjoying the car from the inside, rather than admiring it from the outside! (60/40 ratio)

Edited 3 January, 2016 by Didorx

[Didorx]

Thanks Didrox, pick mine up on Tuesday, cant wait.

1.4tsi 150 ACT, blue sel withbsome extras.

did the dealer issue advice for the running in

Exciting... you'll love it!

The dealer did say something but... I wasn't listening. I was just focused on the set of keys he was holding! Rather long monologue on his part..

There is however some advice on this in the users manual:

"The engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres. During this period, the driving style decides on the quality of the driving-in process.

During the first 1 000 km we recommend not driving faster than 3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed, not to drive at full throttle and to dispense with the trailer.

In the area of 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres the engine load can be increased up to the maximum permitted engine speed."

Edited 3 January, 2016 by Didorx

[Didorx]

Could the delay at a roundabout also be something to do with cylinder deactivation? 

 

Great review thanks, I for one will be considering the Series III 1.4  in the future as I'm sure it will be a step up (more power/less weight) from my Series II 1.4 which has been great

 

I've never noticed what happens to the cylinders in these situations but... I do recall having similar behaviour from my Scirocco, which does not have the ACT technology. The slow response "issue" seemed to eventually disappear... either that or I just got used to it.

Edited 3 January, 2016 by Didorx

[kmc]

Hello Didorx, thank you very much for your review. I am contemplating a new S3 and am undecided whether to go for the 1.4TSI or the 2.0TDI which most people seem to be going for.  it's nice to be able to read someone's feedback on the 1.4TSI.

Are you still finding the engine powerful enough for your needs and has the fuel consumption improved with the running in period over?

Wondered if you have any comments about the size of the car - do you find the size to be an issue when it comes to parking? Especially after  moving up from the Scirocco?

[philpix]

Great review Didorx. Really enjoyed reading it.

Jeez your English is better than mine!

[Caveman]

I went through the 1,000 mile mark in my 1.4TSI manual estate this weekend. Done about 600 miles in the UK with the family & luggage, and a couple of hundred this weekend in France with a mate and two bikes in the back, otherwise it's been pottering around Guernsey at a maximum speed of 35mph - hence TSI rather than TDI.

 

Swapped a 250bhp Alfa Romeo for my Superb, so was a bit worried about losing 100bhp, but has exceeded expectations to be honest. No problem pulling away or overtaking, even when fully loaded - and it's super quiet too. Mrs Caveman previously had a 1.8TSI Yeti and it pulled pretty well even when loaded, so once I'd worked out the power/weight ratio was actually slightly lower than the Superb then I knew it'd be fine despite only having test driven a 2.0TDI.

 

As for fuel efficiency, I managed to get up to 45mpg for a two hour run this weekend on mostly rural single carriageway, with a couple of town centres and a few miles on motorway thrown in for good balance. I've found myself getting just under 35mpg at home - to much grumbling from my mate who said he gets 17mpg from his Audi estate.

 

No problem with the length for parking as has sensors all over it (it's a joy compared with reverse parking our Defender 110!), the only issue I've had getting used to the larger turning circle than my Alfa.

[timnd]

I have a 1.4TSI Manual hatch, have done a shade over 2K miles now.

 

My run from Bath to Heathrow and back this weekend gave me an average of 49.1mpg on the maxidot. Pretty happy with that.

[blahde2]

A most excellent review, thank you for taking the time to write it.

I take it you haven't got or tried the heated windscreen yet as I have tried mine out a few times and compared to the Octavia 3's and Superb II's screens, it is totally rubbish! I had to resort to turning on the zircon to clear it.

The tops of the front doors (where you might rest your elbow) don't appear as tightly screwed to the door internally as I would like. The aircon is misbehaving blowing hell fire through the car on random occasions.

Apart from that, it's quiet and I'm impressed with the economy. I got nearly 800 miles out of the first tank, mostly autoroute and autobahn at 130kph so very impressive for such a large car.

Im not so keen on the seats (coming from leather Octy 3 VRS buckets) and think it's because I am sat so much higher than before. I don't like that but will probably get used to it in time.

Columbus is good, Nav directions are ok, not TomTom clear but good enough. Smartgate, biggest waste of my money as it fails to do anything with any device I have tried to use. Instead, I wish I'd picked TSR as that would mean I'd also have lane assist now but I don't cause I didn't and that really really ****es me off!

Apart from all of these minor faults (apart from Stupidgate) I am happy with the car. I will retune my senses from Octy VRs'ness to Superb soon enough, but right now I miss my Hurcules (SWMBO named her... I.mean...him my darling buttercup!)

[kpk1]

Congrats for the car!

Keep us to date with any info you have.

How's the engine feel in short overtakes ?

[harrylime]

Good review. You should not apologise for your English. You are more articulate than many for whom English is their first language