[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by vassili

i mean, it's not a huge deal is it? how many people are you letting drive ur car?

Some of us have "significant others"... my wife currently doesn't drive my car, but it's mostly because she refuses to learn stick. Given how hard it is to stall the M2, I will probably teach her on this car once I get it.

There's also the matter of valets, or car dealership people. I'm 6'4" with relatively long legs, people always screw with my seat, and I'm very picky about the positioning. To me, seat memory is a very valuable feature.

[vassili]

Originally Posted by S1monQc

I just priced the RS3 on Audi.ca and the RS3 is 69 850$ before taxes and my M2 with AW paint, 6MT, sunroof, Adaptive LED headlights and M Performance exhaust is 72K flat.

2K difference isn't crazy.

adding DCT to the m2 would add another $3,900. my initial point was that i'm done with MT . DCT is a must since i hate city driving with a stick, and my significant other cannot drive a stick. for those occasional times when i had too much to drink and she needs to drive us back

[S1monQc]

Originally Posted by vassili

adding DCT to the m2 would add another $3,900. my initial point was that i'm done with MT . DCT is a must since i hate city driving with a stick, and my significant other cannot drive a stick. for those occasional times when i had too much to drink and she needs to drive us back

Hehe nice

6MT was mandatory for me tho

[K1won]

There he said it.

skip to 9m38s for quick overall impression

[termigni]

Originally Posted by DivideBYZero

I'll just leave this here...

I have experienced it and it was not fun.

[gmzanatta]

Originally Posted by S1monQc

I just priced the RS3 on Audi.ca and the RS3 is 69 850$ before taxes and my M2 with AW paint, 6MT, sunroof, Adaptive LED headlights and M Performance exhaust is 72K flat.

2K difference isn't crazy.

I'll pay the difference not to have to stare at a supped up VW Jetta.

[///M2Seoul]

Originally Posted by K1won

There he said it.

skip to 9m38s for quick overall impression

My local dealer told me the RS3 I put a deposit down for finally arrived (2 months late of course).

So I will be able to finally test drive and see if this thing is legit or not. I'm not an expert but do have a Golf R and E46 M3 so can definitely give my opinion. I already have a feeling that I'm definitely going to enjoy the power from the 5 cylinder engine but the handling will def be understeer and nose heavy. I can't speak much about the M2 as I have yet to drive one. Would like to know first hand how the M2's power is vs the RS3 though.

[vassili]

finally, some vids pitting the RS3 sedan against the M2. can't wait for proper pro reviews and track battle!

from a roll

from launch

[csbear]

Originally Posted by vassili

finally, some vids pitting the RS3 sedan against the M2. can't wait for proper pro reviews and track battle!

Good. Videos like this will keep the price for the M2 CS lower...

[DoggieHowser]

Molested the sedan RS3 in the showroom today. (Australia)

Maybe I'm dense but I don't really see how the Audi cabin is really better than the M2s. The only thing that is subjectively better is the Virtual Cockpit. And even then I kinda prefer having my dials in a fixed location. The Alcantara wheel is nice but because I got the cheaper Pure M2 I was able to spend a bit more for the M Performance Alcantara wheel anyway. And still come out cheaper than the RS3 on display.

[///M2Seoul]

Originally Posted by DoggieHowser

Molested the sedan RS3 in the showroom today. (Australia)

Maybe I'm dense but I don't really see how the Audi cabin is really better than the M2s. The only thing that is subjectively better is the Virtual Cockpit. And even then I kinda prefer having my dials in a fixed location. The Alcantara wheel is nice but because I got the cheaper Pure M2 I was able to spend a bit more for the M Performance Alcantara wheel anyway. And still come out cheaper than the RS3 on display.

100% agree with you. Just got back from my Audi dealership and all I can say is that I was underwhelmed. The interior was too similar to my Golf R. I really don't understand why everyone keeps saying that Audi interiors are premium...If that's the case then my Golf R has a premium interior too.

Surprised that the RS3 d in the U.S. doesn't have wireless charging and the area by the cup holder is very hard cheap plastic. You do have to pay extra to have that area covered in alcantara with red stitching. Audi tricks you into thinking it's premium by adding led lights??? Virtual cockpit is nice tho as DoggieHowser mentioned. Also I admit I like the steering wheel... It's small diameter makes it feel real race-like. Nappa leather also nice vs Dakota but that's about it.

If anything I like my wife's CLA 45 AMG interior the best. Recaro seats are awesome, contrast double stitching on the dash and door sill look premium imo. Honestly her car has as much hard plastic if not less than the Audi RS3.

[ZPrime]

Originally Posted by ///M2Seoul

100% agree with you. Just got back from my Audi dealership and all I can say is that I was underwhelmed. The interior was too similar to my Golf R. I really don't understand why everyone keeps saying that Audi interiors are premium...If that's the case then my Golf R has a premium interior too.

Yeah, because the GoRf is the top-end in the VW world. VW interiors are way better than any other non-luxury car, and in some ways they can actually beat the lower-grade Audi interiors (A3/S3/RS3 are all "cheap" Audis so they get crappier materials).

The places Audi does well though are the leather quality and the tech. A variation of Virtual Cockpit is actually coming to VW soon-ish.

BMW's leather (in the 2er) is honestly one of the worst points IMO. Dakota is very obviously processed/manufactured leather with an embossed texture to try to make it feel nicer... but it ends up just feeling even more fake and plastic-like from that. I would pay an extra 2-4k for a higher end leather with full dash coverage and alcantara headliner. That said, the little bit I've fondled an M3, that leather wasn't a whole lot better... Audi's feels nicer to me.

[DoggieHowser]

I was in a VW showroom a few weeks ago and the Golf R 7.5 was already fitted with a Virtual Cockpit. It's an option on the new MQB Tiguan as well.

Forgot abt the leather - yeah the Nappa leather in the Audi was nice but the RS seat felt "luxurious" if thats the right word rather than sporty. The Dakota leather is really meh on the M2. I quite prefer the Alcantara finish on the same seats on the 125i

[stefan]

Originally Posted by ///M2Seoul

100% agree with you. Just got back from my Audi dealership and all I can say is that I was underwhelmed. The interior was too similar to my Golf R. I really don't understand why everyone keeps saying that Audi interiors are premium...If that's the case then my Golf R has a premium interior too.

Surprised that the RS3 d in the U.S. doesn't have wireless charging and the area by the cup holder is very hard cheap plastic. You do have to pay extra to have that area covered in alcantara with red stitching. Audi tricks you into thinking it's premium by adding led lights??? Virtual cockpit is nice tho as DoggieHowser mentioned. Also I admit I like the steering wheel... It's small diameter makes it feel real race-like. Nappa leather also nice vs Dakota but that's about it.

If anything I like my wife's CLA 45 AMG interior the best. Recaro seats are awesome, contrast double stitching on the dash and door sill look premium imo. Honestly her car has as much hard plastic if not less than the Audi RS3.

Woah really? Almost every plastic is better in the audi (softer in all the places I remember checking). Better climate control and physical buttons. Digital dash is amazing. Infinitely better seats. Better flow of interior with less random conflicting materials and lines. Nappa leather is significantly better and wears much better than the garbage dakota in the m2.

Probably subjective opinions here of course but I feel the M2 interior is just confused as hell with the worst seat material invented. Just give me leatherette so there's no maintenance.

[Grayson1098]

Had a deposit on an allocation that never really existed, after finding out from Audi NA the truth I immediately tried to find an m2....I'm more excited about the m2 than I ever was about the RS3

[DoggieHowser]

The iDrive equivalent knob on the Audi was shoddy cheap plastics. And the fit and finish of the climate controls on the Audi didn't feel any different from the one in the M2. The dash plastic may be a tad softer - but I spend my time in the car with the hands on the wheel :P not on the dash but then I also did get the BM alcantara hood (with the least blue contrast stitching) which does feel softer if I feel compelled to touch it, but also adds to the cabin aesthetics tho I gather it isn't for everyone.

[ryem3]

Originally Posted by S1monQc

I just priced the RS3 on Audi.ca and the RS3 is 69 850$ before taxes and my M2 with AW paint, 6MT, sunroof, Adaptive LED headlights and M Performance exhaust is 72K flat.

2K difference isn't crazy.

Not the same comparison in the U.S.
The Audi is a fair bit more expensive.

[BruceM]

Originally Posted by stefan

Woah really? Almost every plastic is better in the audi (softer in all the places I remember checking). Better climate control and physical buttons. Digital dash is amazing. Infinitely better seats. Better flow of interior with less random conflicting materials and lines. Nappa leather is significantly better and wears much better than the garbage dakota in the m2.

Probably subjective opinions here of course but I feel the M2 interior is just confused as hell with the worst seat material invented. Just give me leatherette so there's no maintenance.

The highlighted sentence,or at least the second half of it, makes little sense to me. Nappa will show less wear over time on traditional wear places like the bolsters than Dakota???

I like soft leather. On couches and chicks' pants. Otherwise, it is not real high on my list of things I gotta have in a sports car.

[stefan]

Originally Posted by BruceM

The highlighted sentence,or at least the second half of it, makes little sense to me. Nappa will show less wear over time on traditional wear places like the bolsters than Dakota???

I like soft leather. On couches and chicks' pants. Otherwise, it is not real high on my list of things I gotta have in a sports car.

I feel that nappa holds up better is what I'm getting at. At least anecdotally based on cars I've seen in the used lot. Severely worn bolsters after only 10,000km. Quite alarming. The leather in the m2 will require maintenance and care. Have not seen Audi interiors that wear that badly so fast. As such I'd much prefer cloth or sensatec

[chris719]

Originally Posted by stefan

I feel that nappa holds up better is what I'm getting at. At least anecdotally based on cars I've seen in the used lot. Severely worn bolsters after only 10,000km. Quite alarming. The leather in the m2 will require maintenance and care. Have not seen Audi interiors that wear that badly so fast. As such I'd much prefer cloth or sensatec

I don't think so, actually. The bolsters on most F8x M cars are beat to hell after less than 10k miles. My Z4M had nappa leather and the bolsters wore much faster than in the 3.0si cars. There are a lot of regular F30s with higher miles and better looking leather than in the M cars. Generally, the softer the leather the worse it will hold up. Dakota is very synthetic feeling and I think will wear better. Now I can't comment on what Audi calls Nappa...

[DoggieHowser]

[stefan]

Originally Posted by chris719

I don't think so, actually. The bolsters on most F8x M cars are beat to hell after less than 10k miles. My Z4M had nappa leather and the bolsters wore much faster than in the 3.0si cars. There are a lot of regular F30s with higher miles and better looking leather than in the M cars. Generally, the softer the leather the worse it will hold up. Dakota is very synthetic feeling and I think will wear better. Now I can't comment on what Audi calls Nappa...

Yeah I've noticed that about M4 m5 as well. Nappa eh? Maybe there is a discrepancy in what the brands refer to it as. All I know is, having owned one as well, Audi leather is much more durable.