Well after 2.5 years of Fiat 500 ownership, the Fiat brand was starting to live up to it's reputation and things were starting to fail on her beloved 500 . Shame really, as it had offered 21,000 miles of cheap, fun motoring, but has developed some rather annoying rattles recently and the odd electrical gremlin and is only covered by a 'dealer warranty' now, which I have found out (when trying to get stuff fixed) is worth fk all

So, a few weeks ago we set about looking at alternatives resulting in this being collected this morning:
A3 Cabriolet 1.2 TFSI S-Line Final Edition.


It's got a fantastic spec (Nav, Xenon's, Audi media interface, leather heated seats, 18" alloys etc) as it's the current incarnations run out model. She's absolutely over the moon with it and I got a cracking price on it aswell
Will pop up a few pictures when I get round to giving it a proper clean :wink:

Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  ON THE WAY: BMW F21 M140i
MERCEDES GL350 - Metallic Navy Blue w/Grey interior

GOING: BMW F31 335D MSport+ xDrive Touring
GONE: Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - Stornaway Grey w/Black Interior (wish we'd kept it )
GONE: BMW F10 520D MSport - Carbon Black
GONE:MY12 RRS SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ivory/Grand Black Privacy glass

1.2? I don't think we get that over here, I think it's a 1.8. Lovely looking car but is the power OK? Gone - 2008 Stornoway Grey RRS 2.7 TDV6
Gone - 2009 Buckingham Blue RRS 2.7 TDV6
Gone - 2010 Alaska White RRS 5.0 V8 Aspirated
Gone - 2017 Chawton White RRS 5.0 V8 Supercharged
Current - 2010 Java Black RRS 5.0 V8 Aspirated
Current- 2024 RRS P400 SE Dynamic

Nice one BC looks  FF 4.4 V8 Soooo looking forward to this bad boy
Ex 2006 RRS SC - garbage
Ex 2016 135i M Sport - dream car
Ex 2003 RS6 Avant - piece of cr*p
Ex 2014 320d X Drive, M Sport Touring - ok I guess
Ex 2007 RRS TDV8 - bloody loved it
EX 2007 FL2 XS - not so bad

Yes, its fine BKHK I was quite surprised to be honest when we took one on a test drive.
Of course, it's not going to win any drag races, but coming from the 500 (normally aspirated 1.2) to this with a turbo driven 1.2, it motors up to the 'motorway limit' without any drama's.

Also, Mrs Bean spends 90% of her driving around town doing less than 40mph, so economy is more of a concern than performance - shame as I had a nice 1 year old RS3/S3 in my sights, but when she saw the consumption figures, she wouldn't even test drive it  ON THE WAY: BMW F21 M140i
MERCEDES GL350 - Metallic Navy Blue w/Grey interior

GOING: BMW F31 335D MSport+ xDrive Touring
GONE: Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - Stornaway Grey w/Black Interior (wish we'd kept it )
GONE: BMW F10 520D MSport - Carbon Black
GONE:MY12 RRS SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ivory/Grand Black Privacy glass

Hope Mrs Bean gets chance to take the roof off this year  Current Volvo XC90 R Design T8
Gone 2010 TDV8. Stornoway Grey
Gone VW R50, AUDI S8, ML320 Sport, FFRR V8
Stolen 2007 TDV8.

I understand Bean Mrs BK's driving is also town in her Mini. But Mrs BK doesn't really understand fuel consumption because I always fill it up with 3 or 4 little orange segments showing! She just drives it and I get it cleaned and keep it fuelled and serviced. It's easier than trying to explain it all.... Gone - 2008 Stornoway Grey RRS 2.7 TDV6
Gone - 2009 Buckingham Blue RRS 2.7 TDV6
Gone - 2010 Alaska White RRS 5.0 V8 Aspirated
Gone - 2017 Chawton White RRS 5.0 V8 Supercharged
Current - 2010 Java Black RRS 5.0 V8 Aspirated
Current- 2024 RRS P400 SE Dynamic

You fill it up for her? Got you sorted hasn't she?!!

Mine still says "I need to get petrol" even though it's a diesel and twice, not once but twice, she's put petrol in a diesel. First time, only a few litres so a full tank of diesel on top was fine. Second time, a tankful of unleaded. Engine stopped a few hundred yards down the road.

Now I say "no, you need diesel don't forget" when she mentions petrol, to which she replies "oh, it's the same thing". I point out that it obviously bloody well isn't otherwise she wouldn't have spent £200+ to get the tank emptied. At that point I get "the look" and hurriedly move on to something else  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

1.2 seems an incredibly small motor for a A3

looks ok though for an Audi and she will like the roof down when the weather permits

one of the Freel2 members is trying to sort out handing his back due to backache the suspension/ride is causing him

It knocks out the same power (and similar torque) as the 1.6 TDI, so plenty agile enough for what she needs Did consider the 1.6 TDI, but with additional cost over the petrol meant that with the sort of mileage we do, it only breaks even at 4 years, so decided to go for he TFSI.

Have seen a few grumblings about the S-line suspension across the boards, but having had and A4 and A6 with S-line suspension, we're fine with it........Our ages also still begin with a '3', so I guess that might make us a little more supple  ON THE WAY: BMW F21 M140i
MERCEDES GL350 - Metallic Navy Blue w/Grey interior

GOING: BMW F31 335D MSport+ xDrive Touring
GONE: Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - Stornaway Grey w/Black Interior (wish we'd kept it )
GONE: BMW F10 520D MSport - Carbon Black
GONE:MY12 RRS SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ivory/Grand Black Privacy glass

A good few brownie points for you there Bc, Looks very nice.... My Mrs thinks her motor runs on fresh air She hasn't put any fuel in it in 2 years

npinks wrote:

one of the Freel2 members is trying to sort out handing his back due to backache the suspension/ride is causing him

Had the same problem with an A4 Quattro - had it 3 weeks and gave it back for my current RRS  FF 4.4 V8 Soooo looking forward to this bad boy
Ex 2006 RRS SC - garbage
Ex 2016 135i M Sport - dream car
Ex 2003 RS6 Avant - piece of cr*p
Ex 2014 320d X Drive, M Sport Touring - ok I guess
Ex 2007 RRS TDV8 - bloody loved it
EX 2007 FL2 XS - not so bad

Do people not do test drives these days ?
We had the car for 3 hours on our own and put it through its paces on roads that it will be driven on regularly. I guess it just depends what you class as 'firn'.  ON THE WAY: BMW F21 M140i
MERCEDES GL350 - Metallic Navy Blue w/Grey interior

GOING: BMW F31 335D MSport+ xDrive Touring
GONE: Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - Stornaway Grey w/Black Interior (wish we'd kept it )
GONE: BMW F10 520D MSport - Carbon Black
GONE:MY12 RRS SDV6 HSE Sumatra/Ivory/Grand Black Privacy glass

Mrs 1JBS has had one of these for 3 years a great car 1.6 diesel only £30.00 road tax per year plus cheap insurance Also great fun when the sun shines..if it ever does

^^ Yep - had it for a day, bought it, had it delivered the day after, back pain started two days after that.  FF 4.4 V8 Soooo looking forward to this bad boy
Ex 2006 RRS SC - garbage
Ex 2016 135i M Sport - dream car
Ex 2003 RS6 Avant - piece of cr*p
Ex 2014 320d X Drive, M Sport Touring - ok I guess
Ex 2007 RRS TDV8 - bloody loved it
EX 2007 FL2 XS - not so bad

Beancounter_74 wrote:

Do people not do test drives these days ?
We had the car for 3 hours on our own and put it through its paces on roads that it will be driven on regularly. I guess it just depends what you class as 'firn'.

Nice one
I think you have nailed it with that comment, up here most folk must decide they want an Audi, walk in and by one there and then, as if they spent any time talking to a salesman at one of our two local dealers they would be less than impressed! On the three occasions I've fancied an Audi , I have been met with the usual ' these cars sell themselves attitude' , and each time I have walked and bought another marque
Enjoy!
Dave MY10 TDV6 SE (debadged ), Santorini Black, Flappy paddles, Privacy Glass, 20" Stormers, Mudflaps!

Gone: a comprehensive list of imprezas and a Merc ML AMG