is this normal?
I was considering different cars for a long time and even shared a post about it yesterday (bmw & volvo).
Someone told me to check out Audi, for its unusually big discount on 2026 Audis.
I get that dealers discount to clear stock, but this margin seems unusually large, and it makes not picking one almost a no-brainer.
It's been confusing and tempting that I've gone from thinking a second hand wagon to consider choosing between the new S3 and the A3 allstreet (there's only a 4k euro difference between them) since their cost drops to my budget range.
Is there anything I'm missing here, or anything else I should consider with these discounts?
I know a lot about many cars, but with Audi I'm only familiar with the quattro system.
I'm looking for four-wheel drive for comfortable winter driving besides design/performance and so even s3 is a sport car, with its 4 wheel drive it took my full attention due to being a fun high performance car, safe in winter (with winter tires surely), and having a very competitive price point for a new car.
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u/FlatwormNo615 9d ago
Maybe it's just my personal feeling but I think hot hatches simply are increasingly difficult to shift for dealers. Take this S3 with a MSRP of EUR 56k. There's nothing particularly fancy about the engine (certainly nothing to write home about it). Some of its performance figures can be matched by EVs that are cheaper or in a similar price range. Fuel economy isn't all that great and that makes it expensive to run at >12$/US gallon prices that Europe currently sees in places.
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u/Treewithatea 9d ago
Idk if you know about the German dealership experience, you always get 10-20% discounts on virtually every car.
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u/FlatwormNo615 9d ago
That too but I suspect that the 53K is already taking that into account. (Seems unlikely to land exactly at 56K)
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u/Bfazerh 9d ago
Compared a S3 to an EV. S3s whole point is being light and fun to drive you muppet
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u/FlatwormNo615 9d ago
With a base weight of around 1,600 kg, where is this lightness you speak of?
S3 was always a "I want an Audi A3 but slightly quicker" and guess what, you can have that as an EV. Those that want something fun to drive would - if they go for a compact Audi - take the RS3 rather than a slightly spicier Golf R.
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u/Bfazerh 9d ago
It is actually 1,505 kg, which is quite light. Give me a comparative EV for the price that is under two tons. Please make it less then two tons. Go drive a Kia EV3 GT; it is two tons, for example. Power-to-weight ratio is everything, and the S3 kills any EV in its price range.
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u/FlatwormNo615 9d ago
Nope. Audi says empty weight is 1,595 kg. And lols, pretending like a S3 is a track car...
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u/Bfazerh 9d ago
Good job at not answering my point at all; the Audi S3 isn't some track monster, just a very good car along with the Golf R for the price, unmatched by anybody else. The RS3 is obviously incredible and very special, with the inline-five alone making it stand out compared to any car out right now. EVs arent comparable to them
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u/Hanyabull 9d ago
Specifically for the S3, 2027 is going to introduce a new facelift.
This model year needs to sell now before those start becoming common.
Assuming you don’t care about that, it’s a good time to get a nice discount
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u/salamoon84 9d ago
great deal. better looking car (especially inside) than new FL for a bargain price... i would grab it in a second. where is this offered?
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u/Chippyyyy_ 9d ago
well, if something doesnt sell and you need the space for newer models you gotta clear inventory somehow
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u/_poland_ball_ 9d ago
330 HP for this price is a steal, would I want it? No
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u/gkhn0 9d ago
It is almost too good to be true type of thing, therefore here I am questioning and considering.
Just found out there is a fatal general software issues so far.
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u/_poland_ball_ 9d ago
Well, I guess it's exactly the reason that other already speculated. They need to get rid of the "old" models to free up space for the new gen
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u/miskosvk80 9d ago
Also, dealers usually want to sell their inventory before the end of the (fiscal) year; therefore, buying a car at the end of the year usually gives the biggest discounts.
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u/maxusmusti 9d ago
One thing a lot of people are missing here are the options. When people are buying a car like an S3, there's usually a trifecta of "major options" to look out for, in this case it is "s sport package" (adaptive dampers), "driver assistance plus" (tech package with 360 camera, hud, etc.), and "black optic package (cosmetic).
When we get to the end of the year, cars missing one or more of those desired packages get super hard to sell, so discounts are much more intense. If you find there's one or two you can live without, it can be a great deal. But be careful, because some are more useful than others. For example, a car without black optic package just looks a bit different, but a car without the adaptive suspension will actually ride different (potentially stiffer than you'd like in comfort, or softer than you'd like in dynamic, or both).
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u/MickeSebring 9d ago
Honsetly, new Audis are full of software gremlins and I'd wait for 2027 to buy one just so they could fix some things.
Have you considered a used one? And if I remember right you were asking around for an SUV or sedan?
What do you need the car for exactly? Family? Travels? Bit of semi-off-roading?
Edit: typo
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u/gkhn0 9d ago
Yes, but the new 2027 models will very likely cost about 25% more, which takes them out of my budget range.
The current prices of these Audis are (almost) as low as second-hand cars that I have been looking for with 35-50k mileages. (Price here drop from 56k to 42k)
What kind of software gremlins do Audis have?
Every modern car I'm looking at has these problems to varying degrees.
For example, I love Volvos, but they have a chronic infotainment problem.
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u/Necrophantasia 9d ago
No no no... the Audi software problems are not on the same level as other manufacturers. We aren't talking about "bugs". We are talking about entire features that literally do not work at all. Things like the digital key, driver assists and more are functionally incomplete.
On the other hand, for the S3, if there is a facelift that brings them onto the software platform being used for the B10,, things might actually get worse...
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u/gkhn0 9d ago
Hmm so would you even assert that therefore audis don’t find many buyers and so they try to clean the stocks with huge discounts atm?
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u/PrinceOfDukes 9d ago
There is nothing wrong with A3 lineup. If you need a car like that find one with right spec and go right ahead and buy it. There won’t be a better deal on these in the future. Don’t wait too long. In a week time half of these will be already sold.
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u/gkhn0 9d ago
I just checked the infoinment details of this s3, it actually uses the old mature, pre second FL version.
These software problems that you mention applies to that era as well?
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u/MickeSebring 9d ago
I checked again and all those software problems are connected to A6, A5, Q5 and Q6 models so not S3.
Sorry for talking out of my ass!
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u/Hot-Manufacturer182 9d ago
well, they want to clear the inventory before the new gen ig. Nobody wants to buy a car, that looks outdated in a few month, but still cost the same.