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      07-21-2021, 12:13 PM   #1
AllaVodka
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Just drove a base A3 and it handles significantly better than my fully loaded 340i

I mean wtf. My wifes moms base Audi A3 handles significantly better than my "sport sedan" 340i. THP with dinan springs bumps and shockware.

Bare bone A3 corners more flat and is more responsive.

Extremely disappointing tbh, and I think my next car will be either the brand new Audi S3 or RS3
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      07-21-2021, 12:35 PM   #2
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I'll start this off by saying the A3 is a compact car, so it's going to weigh a lot less. As much as 1,000 pounds less.
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      07-21-2021, 12:46 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AllaVodka View Post
I mean wtf. My wifes moms base Audi A3 handles significantly better than my "sport sedan" 340i. THP with dinan springs bumps and shockware.

Bare bone A3 corners more flat and is more responsive.

Extremely disappointing tbh, and I think my next car will be either the brand new Audi S3 or RS3
Comparing these cars is like a semi truck vs a mini van a3s are tiny
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      07-21-2021, 12:58 PM   #4
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Unfair comparison; the A3 should compare to the 2 series. Try an A4/A5 and then come back and make a comparison. Also when driving both the A3 and A4 I was extremely underwhelmed with the power delivery. It felt no faster than a regular volkswagen lol
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      07-21-2021, 01:23 PM   #5
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My last car was an s4. I have literally the same setup as you OP and feel exactly the same way. when it comes to AWD sport suspension audi is just the tops. I still miss the driving feel of that car... then i put the b58 to work and it helps with the pain But yea, the f30 chassis leaves you wanting for sure. I guess you could put coilovers on and sway bars, etc but IMO I shouldn't have to do that on a car of this price tag.
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      07-21-2021, 01:38 PM   #6
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A Mazda Miata will handle better, corner better and be more responsive than an F30. It sounds like you should have tested an M240i before buying.
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      07-21-2021, 02:25 PM   #7
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Might I throw in the Civic Type-R as well as something to test drive. If you want a car that handles well, that's it.
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      07-21-2021, 02:35 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AllaVodka View Post
I mean wtf. My wifes moms base Audi A3 handles significantly better than my "sport sedan" 340i. THP with dinan springs bumps and shockware.

Bare bone A3 corners more flat and is more responsive.

Extremely disappointing tbh, and I think my next car will be either the brand new Audi S3 or RS3
You can't disguise weight with horsepower.

It was noticeable going from a 2015 GTI to my 340i THP M sport.

Yes the 340i is missile, but it's not the tossable compact the GTI/A3 is.
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      07-21-2021, 05:41 PM   #9
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these responses hahah
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      07-22-2021, 07:50 AM   #10
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Since you're from NY and I'm guessing here on which suspension you got but likely this will apply:
Welcome to the f30 xDrive suspension. The tallest and more floaty one
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      07-22-2021, 08:28 AM   #11
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Since you're from NY and I'm guessing here on which suspension you got but likely this will apply:
Welcome to the f30 xDrive suspension. The tallest and more floaty one
Hey have rwd adaptive with dinan springs bumps and shockware. Sigh
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      07-22-2021, 08:32 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LA1Z24 View Post
I'll start this off by saying the A3 is a compact car, so it's going to weigh a lot less. As much as 1,000 pounds less.
Its 358lbs less just fyi
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      07-22-2021, 08:47 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
A Mazda Miata will handle better, corner better and be more responsive than an F30. It sounds like you should have tested an M240i before buying.
I think the Mazda Miata is the best handling car ever and the base line to judge others. That said its tiny and meant for small to average people. Personally I am tall and can barely get into it and my heads sticks up so high I get wind in my face and can not close the roof down. I agree the M240I handles well but I got a BMW 440i for the extra room. You really need to test drive cars and make sure they fit your needs.
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      07-22-2021, 09:00 AM   #14
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I was never a fan of the driving feel of AWD BMW's. It's the main reason I held out until I could find one in RWD.

I spent a week with an A4 Sportline and found it far nicer than most BMW 3-series I'd driven. Interior was undeniably better. Body control and ride was more composed and it felt like it was better built. Despite all that, once I got it on a mountain road, you could feel the nose-heavy weight balance and the tendency to understeer even more than our BMW's.

I seriously considered an S3 for quite some time. They are great cars, and I love the design inside and out. The retractable infotainment screen is genius. HOWEVER, in many ways it drove a lot like my GTI (yes, I know they are on the same platform). As much as I really liked the S3, there was no getting away from the fact the car is based on a FWD platform with a part-time Haldex AWD system. The weight is all in front of you in the nose and you can feel it. It doesn't match the balance of a good RWD car.
On the upside I did think the S3 was fun tossible car. If I wasn't determined to get a RWD car at the time, I'd probably be driving one today.
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      07-22-2021, 09:25 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AllaVodka View Post
Its 358lbs less just fyi
The correct answer is somewhere in between. The A3 curb weight is just shy of 3,200 pounds. The 340 is 3,800 to 4,000 pounds, depending on what article you read.

The fact is these cars are in a completely different class in both weight as well as dimension.

The A3 has a wheelbase 7" shorter
The A3 is 7" shorter


It's no surprise the A3 feels more tossible.


If the OP got into a 5 series and then compared it to his 340 he would think the 340 is better in terms of handling.
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      07-22-2021, 09:28 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AllaVodka View Post
Hey have rwd adaptive with dinan springs bumps and shockware. Sigh
Damn I forgot when I read this thread again. It is sad. But the 340i is heavy so don't expect that toss ability
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      07-22-2021, 09:37 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Desertnate View Post
I was never a fan of the driving feel of AWD BMW's. It's the main reason I held out until I could find one in RWD.

I spent a week with an A4 Sportline and found it far nicer than most BMW 3-series I'd driven. Interior was undeniably better. Body control and ride was more composed and it felt like it was better built. Despite all that, once I got it on a mountain road, you could feel the nose-heavy weight balance and the tendency to understeer even more than our BMW's.

I seriously considered an S3 for quite some time. They are great cars, and I love the design inside and out. The retractable infotainment screen is genius. HOWEVER, in many ways it drove a lot like my GTI (yes, I know they are on the same platform). As much as I really liked the S3, there was no getting away from the fact the car is based on a FWD platform with a part-time Haldex AWD system. The weight is all in front of you in the nose and you can feel it. It doesn't match the balance of a good RWD car.
On the upside I did think the S3 was fun tossible car. If I wasn't determined to get a RWD car at the time, I'd probably be driving one today.
Hmmm What I read here was, you actually prefer FWD cars instead of RWD cars.
I'm saying that since the Audi is FWD with haldex sometimes giving you AWD and BMW's AWD is RWD biased.
With that in mind you don't like RWD cars.
Why are you then sticking to RWD cars?
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      07-22-2021, 10:30 AM   #18
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I swapped my 2016 GTI for a 2016 340i xDrive and feel the opposite. My stock GTI had a lot of body roll and felt sloppier than my xDrive. Exit ramps from highways are the most noticeable improvement for me.
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      07-22-2021, 10:51 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by anielsen71 View Post
Hmmm What I read here was, you actually prefer FWD cars instead of RWD cars.
I'm saying that since the Audi is FWD with haldex sometimes giving you AWD and BMW's AWD is RWD biased.
With that in mind you don't like RWD cars.
Why are you then sticking to RWD cars?
Not what I'm saying that all. I vastly prefer RWD cars to AWD or FWD from a drivetrain perspective. Just because I liked a car doesn't mean it delivered everything I wanted: the balance of a RWD car. The S3 was a great car, but it fell short in one important area for me.

That's why I ended my post the way I did and the whole second paragraph and with the statement "The weight is all in front of you in the nose and you can feel it. It doesn't match the balance of a good RWD car". I like the design and build quality of the Audi's much better. Their Achilles heel is the weight balance due to being based on a FWD platform. The nose-heavy nature of the A4 and S3 I drove was the one thing I couldn't get past and the reason I went in favor of a RWD car. It has the proper weight balance and other dynamics I desired.

Again, to be clear, really liked the cars, but there was one fatal flaw I couldn't get past.
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      07-22-2021, 11:14 AM   #20
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Ok got it.
Audi has always been known to be nose heavy.
That's why I usually say Audi is great in a straight line but not so good on B roads.
If you compare the placement of the engine to the front struts on Audi and BMW, BMW's always have most, if not the complete engine behind the front axel. Where Audi's often has almost the entire engine in front of the front axel.
Which gives, As you wrote, BMW's, better weight distribution.
That said, the newer platforms from VAG/Audi are better than the older ones.
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      07-22-2021, 11:32 AM   #21
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      07-22-2021, 02:44 PM   #22
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What tires do you have on your 340?
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