2024 R

[RudyH]

IMO, I like the dash / console more in the MK8 R then I do in the 8Y 3's...literally it's something I see when I drive and interact with and it drives me nuts that Audi allowed it to look like a Pontiac Vibe. That is the one thing that Audi shouldn't have failed at. The only perk is they have buttons for important things instead of relying on the touch screen. Possibly if Audi could replace the 8Y 3's dash with the Q3, it would be awesome

I have a 'wait list deposit' on a RS3 but for the price - I feel like the Golf R is still a much better value. The 2.5T isn't worth the mark-up, I am happy to put the $20k into engine mods on the R. Looking at the MK8.5's I think I would prefer to get the MK8 though since it looks like a much cleaner, with easy to add steering wheel buttons in the near future.

I am ready to move on from the MK7.5, just nothing really accessible here in Canada (no 8Y.5 RS3), maybe a S4 or S5

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

IMO, I like the dash / console more in the MK8 R then I do in the 8Y 3's...literally it's something I see when I drive and interact with and it drives me nuts that Audi allowed it to look like a Pontiac Vibe. That is the one thing that Audi shouldn't have failed at. The only perk is they have buttons for important things instead of relying on the touch screen. Possibly if Audi could replace the 8Y 3's dash with the Q3, it would be awesome

I have a 'wait list deposit' on a RS3 but for the price - I feel like the Golf R is still a much better value. The 2.5T isn't worth the mark-up, I am happy to put the $20k into engine mods on the R. Looking at the MK8.5's I think I would prefer to get the MK8 though since it looks like a much cleaner, with easy to add steering wheel buttons in the near future.

I am ready to move on from the MK7.5, just nothing really accessible here in Canada (no 8Y.5 RS3), maybe a S4 or S5

Have you even sat in an 8Y?

I thought the same thing until I actually saw it for myself.

I paid MSRP for mine. It is possible.

 

[RudyH]

Have you even sat in an 8Y?

I thought the same thing until I actually saw it for myself.

I paid MSRP for mine. It is possible.

ya, we have the 8Y A3 / S3 here

The S3 is $20k more then the R lol...it doesn't even have the torque vectoring rear diff. The Nappa leather package has nicer leather obviously, but wtf is the other $20k??? That's a $20k 'brand surcharge'.

That leaves very little space for the RS3 which will have a much nicer engine and rear diff...likely putting the RS3 in the $80-85k range. That's getting into M3 range here in Canada.

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

ya, we have the 8Y A3 / S3 here

The S3 is $20k more then the R lol...it doesn't even have the torque vectoring rear diff. The Nappa leather package has nicer leather obviously, but wtf is the other $20k??? That's a $20k 'brand surcharge'.

That leaves very little space for the RS3 which will have a much nicer engine and rear diff...likely putting the RS3 in the $80-85k range. That's getting into M3 range here in Canada.

I'd take the RS3 over the M3, but that's just me. It's a more interesting car and can make 700+ WHP on a stock bottom end. Iroz ran an 8.8 1/4 mile on a stock block, and there are plenty of RS3s that have run 9s on stock turbos. And yes, all said and done, the 8Y is around 80k even at MSRP. I paid less than that but also got a good deal. The more the price of the car, the more you pay in taxes, interest, etc.

I'd never buy the S3. Makes no sense. Not even sure why the car exists considering you can just buy a Golf R. No rear diff and the same engine in a car that weighs 100lbs more. The Golf is also a hatch, far more utilitarian. I just wish there were more Golfs available. I'm still looking and having a much harder time finding an R than just about anything else. I was even able to find a few FL5 CTRs at MSRP. Would have to ship from out of state, but at least I'd have a car.

I have to disagree with you on the interior, though. To me, it feels like it matches the price point of the car. I didn't think I was going to like it, but it ended up growing on me. Definitely not legacy GM feels, not even close.

 

[RudyH]

It's not a cheap interior, its layout is just awkward and bothers me. I think the biggest thing is the vent locations. I get it they wanted to make it feel like you were 'driving a Ducati', but VW / Audi interiors are always very well organized. Like if Audi dropped the vents down and put the screen higher that would have been fine in the 8Y.

As for the pricing gripe, it looks like Audi Canada / US is inflating the price of the S3 to push the RS3 price point higher, which really sucks. I agree, I can't come to thinking I would buy a 8Y S3 unless I was extremely passionate about the brand to pay that much for it. Especially with the Golf R being available.

The MK8 R, it finally looks like they are catching up, apparently January 2024 there is going to a massive amount coming across and you can actually order them in. For once dealerships have 1 or 2 on the lot to sell. At least here in Canada.

I loved the hatchback, until I went to Costco one day. All the SUV 'butts' and then my little hatch 'butt' and it has kind of turned me off the hot hatch, it ruined my R for me. I think that's why I am set on a RS3...and thankful for the sedan...just more pissed off at the inflation on the price. The MK7.5 R vs 8V.5 RS3 wasn't even that large of a gap, especially not the 8V.5 S3 and MK7.5 R. Anyway, as long as Audi Canada doesn't try pushing into the BMW M3 price point, I will likely still end up with it next year, still #1 on the list for one of the highest volume dealerships in Canada.

 

[sterkrazzy]

I think the biggest thing is the vent locations. I get it they wanted to make it feel like you were 'driving a Ducati'

I think it's like a jetski, but I love it. lol

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

I don't even notice the vents. They sit lower on the dash than you think when you're actually driving the car. Non intrusive, and directed right at my face on hot AZ summer days.

 

[The Fed]

I like my MK7, but I would buy a MK8 in a minute if it were stolen or wrecked and would go anywhere in the lower 48 states if necessary. I was very surprised they upped the power. I only have 28K miles on my 2016 and recently bought a 5-year extended service contract, so I don't need a car, but at least now I know exactly what I would buy. Still can't beat it for the money at MSRP. I just hope if I do need one, a new one will be available. I ran into the problem in 2009 when I tried to buy a new MK6 GTI. Only one was available in my state, and it was between years. I didn't like the GTI enough to buy a new, one-year-old GTI at MSRP. If I didn't just buy the warranty, I would have just mildly tuned it. I do want thank everyone for the information.

 

[RudyH]

I don't even notice the vents. They sit lower on the dash than you think when you're actually driving the car. Non intrusive, and directed right at my face on hot AZ summer days.

no it's just a personal gripe, like how can you design perfect interiors where everything is placed perfectly, and then let the co-op student design the A3's interior lol - likely its just me being OCD...I likely won't give up my deposit, and just realize that this is going to be the last gas powered car I ever own before everything will likely be a hybrid or EV that you can buy anyway. I suppose thats why in my head it needs to be 'perfect'

 

[RudyH]

I like my MK7, but I would buy a MK8 in a minute if it were stolen or wrecked and would go anywhere in the lower 48 states if necessary. I was very surprised they upped the power. I only have 28K miles on my 2016 and recently bought a 5-year extended service contract, so I don't need a car, but at least now I know exactly what I would buy. Still can't beat it for the money at MSRP. I just hope if I do need one, a new one will be available. I ran into the problem in 2009 when I tried to buy a new MK6 GTI. Only one was available in my state, and it was between years. I didn't like the GTI enough to buy a new, one-year-old GTI at MSRP. If I didn't just buy the warranty, I would have just mildly tuned it. I do want thank everyone for the information.

honestly, as much as I disliked the MK8, I think the 2024 would be a great one to get.

It seems like all those little things will be ironed out, and if you don't love the tablet on your dash like the MK8.5's are going to get, the haptic controls should be an easy replacement

The new 2.0T great, the DSG is great, the rear diff is great. Again on the dash, but, I like it minus the lack of buttons. I am a firm believer of eyes on the road not on the screen. Seats look great, but besides GTI's never sat in a R yet (impossible to find, but becoming more common). I miss having sunroofs...so what else do you need??? I think really if you want a small agile car that does everything, Golf R. If you want to jump to more performance RS3 (at a premium).

I know there are Civic Type R's / Integra Type S's (FWD and manual only), or the Corolla GR (tiny engine) - but I still would take the R over them

 

[bentin]

Mk8 seats are not great. If there’s one thing I miss about the Mk7.5, it’s the seats. They were slightly tighter and more supportive.

Maybe unfair to compare cloth to leather though, some of the difference could just be that leather sucks.

 

[hans611]

It's not a cheap interior, its layout is just awkward and bothers me. I think the biggest thing is the vent locations. I get it they wanted to make it feel like you were 'driving a Ducati', but VW / Audi interiors are always very well organized. Like if Audi dropped the vents down and put the screen higher that would have been fine in the 8Y.

View attachment 293611
View attachment 293616

The screens on the VW look really cheap, specially compared to the Audi..... the blacks are super washed out and look almost grey..... why bother with screens if its going to look so bad.

I wished they still offered analogue gauges, the needle sweep is awesome, even after owning it for 5y, cant get enough of it....

I saw enough pimp my ride as a kid in the early 2000s to hate every time they would throw out an instrument cluster and replace it with a cheap screen instead.

I'm okay with the exterior of the MK8, I prefer the MK7 but I'll do... I just cant get over the interior though.

If my car gets totaled, I hope I can find a clean low mileage MK7 to replace it with.... I'm gonna stick with mine as long as possible, there is just nothing worth it out there honestly....

I specially dislike the new style all cars are going for with a "floating" dash, with the center console tunnel detached... its like a 1960s American boat-car style.

The way the center screen floats and integrates with the dashboard on the MK8 is also cheap, the little Knight Rider "Control panel" on the left of the steering wheel looks awful.

The entire steering wheel is a downgrade to the MK7's, the fake perforated leather looks cheap, the design looks like a Logitech video game steering wheel, the buttons, the shape of the airbag/horn, all a downgrade.

It didn't have to be this way, at least the new BMWs that have awful exteriors, managed to do allright interiors.

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

The screens on the VW look really cheap, specially compared to the Audi..... the blacks are super washed out and look almost grey..... why bother with screens if its going to look so bad.

I wished they still offered analogue gauges, the needle sweep is awesome, even after owning it for 5y, cant get enough of it....

I saw enough pimp my ride as a kid in the early 2000s to hate every time they would throw out an instrument cluster and replace it with a cheap screen instead.

I'm okay with the exterior of the MK8, I prefer the MK7 but I'll do... I just cant get over the interior though.

If my car gets totaled, I hope I can find a clean low mileage MK7 to replace it with.... I'm gonna stick with mine as long as possible, there is just nothing worth it out there honestly....

View attachment 293668

I specially dislike the new style all cars are going for with a "floating" dash, with the center console tunnel detached... its like a 1960s American boat-car style.

The way the center screen floats and integrates with the dashboard on the MK8 is also cheap, the little Knight Rider "Control panel" on the left of the steering wheel looks awful.

The entire steering wheel is a downgrade to the MK7's, the fake perforated leather looks cheap, the design looks like a Logitech video game steering wheel, the buttons, the shape of the airbag/horn, all a downgrade.

It didn't have to be this way, at least the new BMWs that have awful exteriors, managed to do allright interiors.

Damn... don't be hatin on my boy Xzibit

(Honestly, had to look up how to spell that one) haha

 

[The Fed]

I didn't know the MK8 wheel has fake leather. I think my 2016's is real. I don't like the dash and controls either, but I favor ride quality and performance more. The ability to select a compliant ride and light steering, along with the acceleration and a light brake pedal connected to powerful brakes trumps the awkward controls for me. I need the hatchback, so that's a given.

 

[aloha_from_bradley]

My experience is any car under around 100k more than likely has fake leather. This is especially true with the larger surface areas such as the seats.