# S3 Ordered in USA



## Wiley337 (May 1, 2002)

Hi Folks,

My sales person in San Diego sent me the official pricing sheet this morning, dated Jun 18th. About 1 hour ago I signed a form and put down a deposit of $2,500, to build a fully loaded 2015 S3. I am just going to say it: I got 4% off MSRP, which I feel good about. Your deal may vary of course, and in my case both sides made it simple. I was in and out in 10 minutes. I might have been able to get ANA discount, but it was unclear if the manager would allow it for the S3. Also the 6% discount would not kick in until Dec, since I only recently applied to ANA. So that means about $1k for a car sooner. What can I say, I want it! He said if for any reason I did not want the car when it arrived he believed he could sell it in about 2 seconds. 

He said expect the car to be here in about 3.5 months. Tracking on it would begin soon, and there should be updates e-mailed to me as it is going through the build and delivery process. I should have one of the first ones in San Diego, outside the dealer builds that they might get sooner. He expected it would be the first S3 Sepang Blue they would see. 

I did confirm no one besides Audi techs would drive it, and the launch counter would be 0.

Here are all the details I can imagine people will want on my build:

Description, code, price USD

2.0 TFSI, 4 CYL., 292 HP, 8VS51L, $41,100
Destination Charge (subject to change, add to all orders), ,$895
Prestige, WPT, $5,900
Advanced Technology package, PPZ, $1,400
19" 5-double-spoke-Star-design wheels with 235/35 summer tires Audi magnetic ride, PPT,$1,500
Rear side airbags, 4X4, $350
Front license plate holder, 6W3, $0
Sepang Pearl Blue, E9E9, $550
Sport seats - Black w/dark silver stitching, XG, $0.

Total before tax/license with 4% off: $49,627.20

I do plan to get Audi Care and LowJack so that will add a some more.

For completeness here are the other options on the list if you do not go for Prestige:

Convenience package, PT1, $750
Audi MMI navigation plus, PNK, $2,600
Driver Assistance package, PCU, $1,400
Audi active lane assist (requires PCU on Premium Plus), 7Y5, $650
Full LED headlights, PX2, $1,050
225/40 R18 92H XL all-season tires (speed limiter lowered to 130mph) (n/a with PPT)
Bang & Olufsen Sound System (705 watts, 14 speakers, illuminated front door speaker surround), 9VS, $850

And other seat colors:

Black/Magma Red - (FA)
Black/Titanium - (XS)

Some notes: No super sport seats, mirrors fold with convenience package, light speed warp engine with time dilation control will be a dealer upgrade at a later time.

The waiting game continues, but at least I am through another step. I know some people had agreements and deposits. I wanted to wait for the final pricing guide. I feel for the folks wanting super sport seats, I did want them also, but decided I can live without them.


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## tekmo (Nov 30, 2013)

Congrats


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## Chimera (Jul 6, 2002)

Congrats. 3.5mo expected delivery, dang. Did they mentioned whether they had dealer spec'd cars alotted already? I would think some of the first allotments would be similarly spec'd and are likely in the build pipe already.


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

Wiley337 said:


> I feel for the folks wanting super sport seats, I did want them also, but decided I can live without them.


Yep. There's really just no excuse. On a limited-run car that's around $30,000, I can understand such an omission. On a series production car that costs nearly $50,000, yeah... no. It's even more inexcusable seeing as Audi has three seats federalized for the A4. It's nothing more than a) someone being a cheap-ass or b) someone dropping the ball on certification.

The standard sport seats are about the same in terms of profile, but they just look half-assed by comparison, IMO.

... but that's all okay if they aren't also going to screw us out of the proper leather for such an expensive car. Did you get any indication of whether nappa leather is standard in the S3?


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## jbradle7 (Sep 8, 2009)

Congratulations, that's very exciting! I hope to order mine later this year.


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## Xanlith (Apr 19, 2014)

Chimera said:


> Congrats. 3.5mo expected delivery, dang. Did they mentioned whether they had dealer spec'd cars alotted already? I would think some of the first allotments would be similarly spec'd and are likely in the build pipe already.


My dealer said they did not have allotments yet and he had the sales manager and financing manager standing right next to them who nodded sagely when he said it. They had to write up the order by hand in fact because the computers didnt have the S3 loaded in them yet but they assured me that AoA had emailed them that morning and said pre-sales were approved.

Since my lease is due back on September 1 I did ask about delivery times and they said since it was order #2 and allotments hadnt been given yet, I had a chance of getting it pretty quickly as ordered cars took precedence over dealer allotted cars. Whether thats true or not I dont know but they felt like 60 days wasnt impossible and 75 was fairly likely. I guess we shall see.

That said, at the risk of getting Dan going again, my sales manager whipped out his phone to show me the super sport seat photo we've seen for months and told me when he drove it in Germany in October they told him we were getting those seats. I did tell him about the controversy we've been discussing here and he said he hadnt heard they were pulled. *shrug*


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## ProjectA3 (Aug 12, 2005)

congrats on the order, that should be a sweet car.

I would guess we should start seeing these cars in September or early October depending on dealership location.
Our cars in Arizona come through the San Diego Port and we are normally 2 weeks behind arrival of cars on the East Coast.


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

Xanlith said:


> That said, at the risk of getting Dan going again, my sales manager whipped out his phone to show me the super sport seat photo we've seen for months and told me when he drove it in Germany in October they told him we were getting those seats. I did tell him about the controversy we've been discussing here and he said he hadnt heard they were pulled. *shrug*


:laugh:

A lot has changed since October. If you are remaining hopeful, temper your expectations accordingly. 



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## melillobm (Jul 17, 2004)

very informative. That thing is going to be BEAST. Congrats!


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## JOES1.8T (Sep 8, 2003)

Congratulations on the new purchase, sounds like you will have a fun ride once it arrives. :thumbup:


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

ProjectA3 said:


> congrats on the order, that should be a sweet car.
> 
> I would guess we should start seeing these cars in September or early October depending on dealership location.
> Our cars in Arizona come through the San Diego Port and we are normally 2 weeks behind arrival of cars on the East Coast.


From http://audiusanews.com/pressrelease/3753/16/audi-announces-pricing-all-new-2015-s3-sedan:

- All-new 2015 S3 Sedan, A3 Cabriolet and A3 TDI Sedan to begin arriving at dealerships late summerI find that automakers are generally like colleges- the dead of winter is spring, and the dead of summer is fall. :laugh:

That said, this says August to me. Another indication I'm getting is that August allocations are typically a bit lower due to production schedules, perhaps, so there may not be much out there in eight weeks. Three and a half months given to Wiley seems a bit long to me, but I sort of imagine they're setting up an "under-promise and over-deliver" scenario. I like those.


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## Zorro83 (Sep 10, 2011)

Dan Halen said:


> From http://audiusanews.com/pressrelease/3753/16/audi-announces-pricing-all-new-2015-s3-sedan:
> 
> - All-new 2015 S3 Sedan, A3 Cabriolet and A3 TDI Sedan to begin arriving at dealerships late summerI find that automakers are generally like colleges- the dead of winter is spring, and the dead of summer is fall. :laugh:
> 
> That said, this says August to me. Another indication I'm getting is that August allocations are typically a bit lower due to production schedules, perhaps, so there may not be much out there in eight weeks. Three and a half months given to Wiley seems a bit long to me, but I sort of imagine they're setting up an *"under-promise and over-deliver" scenario*. I like those.


That ship has sailed a loooong time ago...


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

Zorro83 said:


> That ship has sailed a loooong time ago...


Hah! Too true.

In this case, though, I'm talking about the dealer specifically. But yeah, you're absolutely right otherwise.


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## jrwamp (Mar 25, 2011)

Congrats man! I'm going to be placing my order this weekend most likely, already emailed my sales guy telling him what options I want. 

I'll post up when I do, and mention any verbal order and timeline info I get to compare.


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## Wiley337 (May 1, 2002)

Thanks all for the congrats.

Quick follow-ups:

The dealer seemed pretty confidence that they would get some dealer build S3s sooner, but nothing definitive. So unsure if builds underway.

I am hoping they under promise and over deliver on the 3.5 months!

Nothing mentioned on upgraded leather on the seats. No option listed, and I assume same as the sport seat option on the A3s. :-/

I did just get a it is "commissioned" e-mail with all the order details, including a commission number.

As they come in, more details to follow. So tough to wait...


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## Shoe37 (Jan 23, 2014)

I'm going in to Audi Beverly Hills tomorrow, hopefully I leave with my S3 order placed!  I'll try to post the details if I do place my order.


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## killadelph908 (Jan 21, 2010)

Currently there are only 4 total S3s in the factory order bank for all of the US and yours is one of them. Dealer's have not received their allocation yet, but I would say you can expect your car late August/early September.


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## Wiley337 (May 1, 2002)

killadelph908 said:


> Currently there are only 4 total S3s in the factory order bank for all of the US and yours is one of them. Dealer's have not received their allocation yet, but I would say you can expect your car late August/early September.


Thanks killadelph908 for sharing this insight! I am sure the queue will start filling up soon, and looks like I am in a good spot. Dare say there is a chance this arrives on Sep 03?!?


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## jrwamp (Mar 25, 2011)

At the dealer right now, going to try to be #5 :laugh:


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

jrwamp said:


> At the dealer right now, going to try to be #5 :laugh:
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Nice... enjoy. I'm growing increasingly worried that I'll be watching from afar.


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## momo77 (Apr 24, 2014)

It's the same thing here in canada I'm number 2 😉


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## Wiley337 (May 1, 2002)

Wiley337 said:


> As they come in, more details to follow.


Ok, I got more details! Perhaps this can help people trying to map out timing. Looks like 15 days to build, and 6 days to get to the shipping port. They delivery may vary, my timing is on West Coast delivery:

6/19/14 Order Entry
6/19/14 Marked Sold Order
6/19/14 Vehicle Assigned
7/19/14 Release to Manuf.
8/25/14 Release for Production
9/09/14 Factory Inspected
9/15/14 Departure Port Arrived

The next are ETAs:

09/23/14 Ship Loaded
10/20/14 Port Arrived

Since the port should be San Diego, it could mean I will have the car pretty soon after the ship arrives. So about 1 more month of waiting. Good news is the car is built. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

I have been doing some traveling recently, and I have been in various rental and other people's cars. One thing I am appreciating more and more is the minimalist and clean dash of the A3 line. So many cars seem to be a haphazard spray of text and buttons. Anyway, is it Oct yet?


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## gamegenie (Aug 24, 2014)

Wiley I wonder why it took nearly a month for your order to go to the manufacture. Was June too early to order an S3 perhaps?


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## jrwamp (Mar 25, 2011)

It lines up pretty much exactly with mine honestly. So not surprising at all. And gamegenie, I think they just didn't start building customer ordered US spec cars until August. Seems to be they were cranking out launch editions for dealer stock before focusing on the individual orders.

I have about 3 weeks from US port arrival to when it arrives at the dealer just as an FYI.


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## Wiley337 (May 1, 2002)

jrwamp said:


> And gamegenie, I think they just didn't start building customer ordered US spec cars until August. Seems to be they were cranking out launch editions for dealer stock before focusing on the individual orders.


Yup, I think that was it. Per above, I ordered one day after the USA pricing was released. I am sure now it would be less time.


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## Wiley337 (May 1, 2002)

Ok, next update:

The ship is planning to arrive Oct 18th to San Diego. Dealer says I will have the car by Oct 25th, perhaps sooner.

Since I am in San Diego, I might even be able to see the ship come in, and observe the unload. I am planning a road trip soon after delivery to the nearby mountain town of Julian. Lots of curvy road options that should be fun even in break-in mode.


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## Wiley337 (May 1, 2002)

After 4 long months, my wait is finally over!

To expedite the day of delivery my wife, son (2.5 years old), and I went to the dealer earlier in the week to do most of the paperwork. So after some orientation and MMI setup, I loaded up the car seat and we were on our way. My son was very excited. He loves cars. Fun to have him shouting “S3! S3! I want to drive in S3!” Yes son, so does daddy. 

It was late day glaring sun, and then twilight. So it was not the best picture taking time. Here is a twilight shot:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29540917/2014-10-22 18.13.24.jpg

First impressions and comments:

The color. Sepang Blue has quite a swing in how it looks depending on lighting. Really looks amazingly blue in bright sunlight. Morning twilight it looked somewhat more purple.

The seats. I was almost one of the folks to hold out for the super sport seats. There is no doubt it would be nice to have the diamond pattern and the Nappa. However, one thing I really like on these seats is the forward and backward adjustable headrest. Cosmetically not great, it works well for comfort for me personally. Note on some official pictures of the sport seats they do not show these adjustable headrests.

The engine. Nice power band. I could certainly tell the extra oomph for the S3 vs. A3 2.0. I am still taking it easy for the first couple hundred miles. Perhaps there is a bit more lag than the A3 2.0, but nothing that concerns me right now.

The DSG. On my short A3 test drive I liked the DSG. This is my first automatic car in 20+ years, so I am a bit anxious. And frankly I think it is going to take me more time to really decide. There is an undeniable disconnected feeling without the clutch pedal. However so far, I am impressed. The DSG is quick, smooth, and it has a personality with different drive select options. I expect at times I will miss the clutch pedal, but like more times I will not. Which leads me to…

The advanced tech package. Pure magic. On the drive to work today I was in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and it nicely did the brakes, accelerator, and shifting. You can adjust the gap, and I had it one notch from the closest. Having the car automatically come to complete stop, and then keep moving was great. I did not get much time to test lane keeping yet, but on a brief night run on the freeway, it seem to do well, maybe slightly shifting more left in the lane than I would drive.

There are so many settings to the car. It is going to take a bit of time to get them all set just right. Learning to use the car to its potential is going to be fun. Audi Connect looks pretty neat, and useful in certain situations.

It is difficult not to be bias right now, since I just made a major 50k investment! Yet, I think the car does many things very well. And while I know it sounds cliché, I feel there are very few compromises in this car for my situation. All the big check boxes are there for the family and me. I do not have any immediate mod/tuning plans. Overall, I am a happy new Audi owner right now. I am looking forward to a family road trip on some curvy mountain roads.


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## jsausley (Dec 2, 2011)

I don't think I could trust my brand new car with its own brakes and gas in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 

Congrats on the gorgeous car!


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## Wiley337 (May 1, 2002)

jsausley said:


> I don't think I could trust my brand new car with its own brakes and gas in bumper-to-bumper traffic.


It was a weird feeling. I was hovering over the brake, and I initially had it set to largest gap. I told the wife, "Here we go!" essentially warning her to brace herself. You can set the display to show what the car thinks is in front of it. And it just worked. Smooth, easy, and terrifying at the same time. You obviously have to steer, and pay attention, but it does reduce tedium of the traffic.


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## AMD IS THE BEST (Mar 15, 2004)

Wow, awesome review! I am starting to think I may have made the wrong decision ordering mine fully loaded all except the advanced tech package... DAMN. It was only ordered a week ago, maybe I can make an adjustment.


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## lilmira (Feb 4, 2014)

I wonder how well it works when the sensor is cover with dirt (snow day?). I guess you shouldn't really be using cruise control when the condition is less than ideal.


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## davewg (Jul 30, 2001)

Congrats!

I know its been a long wait. Enjoy every minute.


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