Bought an Audi S3 2008 2 weeks ago after part ex's my mk5 gti ed 30.
4 wheel drive absolutely awesome, sticks to the bends, amazing power 265 bhp. Suspension a little stiifer than the gti, got to becarefull with the pot holes
Love the mk5 gti's still but for quality i am really impressed with the audi, personally better for me than the gti.
Not too keen on the fuel consumption but after i realised i was driving with the aircon on, still getting used to the sudden surge of power compared to the gti, looks and feels great, definitely understated but great car.

I have had my s3 for 6 months now, and the novelty is nowhere near wearing off.. I got a 53 plate 225bhp model with 60000 miles, negaro blue, with bose sound system, and leather recaro seats. This is my first ever 4 wheel-drive, and I honestly don't think i would ever change. I have had a range of cars, fords, renault, bmw, vw, vauxhall, and driven lots of performance cars, such as m3's, porches, and i would honestly stick with audi. The handling really surprises me. Many a time i have held on for dear life -going into a corner far too fast, and had the old 'oh dear... this is a write- off' feeling, and each time(so far) the s3 has taken the corner with ease, with no signs of sliding. It really is glued to the road! The acceleration is phenomenal, and the top speed is truly frightening. I took on a friends new 2.0T s3, and there was no difference at all until 3rd gear, when he just, just edged infront. At 130mph he was only 5m infront from a standing start. Focus st, astra vxr's don't stand a chance due to the 4 wheel drive system. On motorways, you can cruise at 90mph, in 6th gear and still get 35 mpg. These cars are bullet-proof, and are made for going fast, and to be driven hard. You can buy one, have it for a year, and maybe only lose 1000 when you sell it on. Get one.. Trust me!

Everyone thinks that it's a normal standard car until they see that Gleaming Red S3 badge at the back of the car as you've just roared past, they know that it's something a bit special that commands respect from other road users. This is how I used to view the S3 before I bought one, what I didn't realise was the pure class that this car has in abundance.

The Audi S3 for me was the car that stopped my spending spree trying to find something that keeps me happy (long-term, not just a few months). In the last year I have had 2 x Skoda Octavia VRS, 1 x Skoda Superb Deisel, 1 x Subaru Impreza WRX UK300, and now the S3. In simple terms The Octavia VRS was a beautiful car which I enjoyed driving but after a while wanted more power, I then went for the Impreza which was Awesome for the first two months but then the cost of running this car meant that I had to look elsewhere for something economical and this is where the Skoda Superb came in, a massive car with all of the gadgets that you would want and 57 MPG on a long trip was brilliant but in honesty it just made me realise that I have Optimax in my vains and that I needed a sports car that was very quick but didn't cost an arm and a leg to run. One of my friends at work had recently bought an S3 and I went to have a look at it and was so impressed I went out and bought one. The car that I bought was in Sliver on an X plate, full leather recaro interior which are the most impressive front seats that I have ever seen in a car.

If you are looking to buy an Audi S3 I will give you straight forward advice from my experiences.
The S3 has possibly one of the nicest Interiors that you will find in the market when looking at sports cars, the quality of the dash and trim is exceptional. The Red and White dials that greet you in the evening send a shiver down your spine the heated seats warming the small of your back on a crisp winters morning give you a special feeling about your car.

I said to my father only yesterday that the Audi S3 is a unique car that can be a Jekall and Hyde type character, on one side a loving car that has all of the luxury and comfort that you could wish for and on the other side it can be a hardcore sports machine that will not shy away from confrontation with the likes of a Subaru Impreza, the S3 Top End power will see you ahead of the Impreza on a motorway cruise but the handling on the Impreza is not forgiving so on a twisty road say goodbye unless you upgrade the suspension on the S3 to take on the Subaru.
If you are looking for a car that will provide luxury and sport together then look no further, if you want to drive a big go-cart and are just looking for driving thrills then you should look at the Impreza or Evo because the S3 is not designed to just be thrashed around a track, the S3 is car for everyday life that you can drive smoothly and relax in at the same time you have lot's of power at your Feet to have some fun.

I haven't mentioned the BOSE sound system, Wow! I can honestly say that the sound is superb, I have read other reviews that criticise the BOSE system but I can honestly say that I continue to be impressed with the quality of sound that this thing delivers.

Looks wise the S3 in my eyes is a very attractive and meaty looking car that looks mean with 18" RS4 wheels that I recently purchased for £660 with Toyo Proxes T1-S Tyres from Leigh Tyres in Southend. You have a decent choice of colours to choose from, my car is Silver which I love, when it's clean it looks like brand new, obviously you have the Red, Black, Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple but I think that the S3 looks special in Silver but each to their own.

There is nothing more that I can say to help you but what I will say is go to a car dealer, not an Audi dealer and get a Test Drive alone and push the car (once the engine is warm) you will know when you get out of that car if it's for you. If it's not then no harm done, but I will warn you once you have driven the S3 you WILL be impressed !!

The Audi S3 is not for the faint hearted. A car that exudes true class in performance and comfort.

The S3 continues the Audi legacy for delivering quality of performance for drivers who demand the best in sports motoring

I LOVE THIS CAR , ITS FAST COMFORTABLE DISCRET , FUNNY TO DRIVE TO THE LIMIT!

Had my negaro blue S3 since new and enjoyed every mile of the 27k it's done in the 18 months. The engine is great but the turbo lag can be a bit annoying.... A very underated car that will give many more expensive cars a run for there money. Still turns heads where ever it goes!

A real sleeper this Audi S3. Fitted with the same 225 bhp engine that resides usually in a top of the range TT, this car can certainly shift...

62mph in around 6.5 seconds blasting on to its limited top speed of 155mph. Recaro interior, permanent 4 wheel drive and a slick 6 speed box complete this excellent package...

and all for under 25k... nice