RjRacing Yeah it really does make it better. In the last video I found myself watching the background behind Matt. Pretty cool to see the 2 high quality views at once!
Kingdom Of Mog it takes about 10 minutes longer to edit each video, 10 minutes longer to export each video, and 20 minutes longer to upload each video. And each video uses twice the data storage at 60 FPS than at 30.
That turn at 12:26…I was 3 inches from falling off that years ago. Definitely learned the dangers after that incident. A year later a buddy of mine actually flipped off that turn and was thankfully caught by a big bush, would have been another 200 foot drop if it wasn't for that.
My Kumho tires would of failed and I would have died twice down that weird road at Tuna. That road is very good for dialing in adjustable suspension, it even has the rough section where you can adjust for city conditions as well. Nice drive Matt, and good call on that Captain Commando~
Matthew Sharpe Huh? Nothing at all wrong with any nationality of tire. Hankook makes fantastic tires (such as the RS3) and Kuhmo has plenty of fine passenger car tires. Each tire should be taken and tested individually.
***** Yes, Hankook do seem to be gaining a good reputation now, I might give them another go - I had a horrible experience with them about 7 years ago that really soured me to them - but I've seen so many good reviews in the years since that they may be worth another shot. Got to get two new rears next week - I've been using Toyo Proxes C1S's for the last year (very good but seem to wear quickly) but might be time to try something else - though I'm interested in a good all year tyre not a track oriented performance tyre like the R-S3.
Hey Matt I know these videos purely give your impression of how the cars drive, but would love to see a quick walk around of the car before or after the drive. I still enjoy watching these videos though!
Just bought a 1.8L one, just FWD, it's a hoot, most fun car I've ever had, totally sold on rag tops, here in the UK we have loads of little wiggly roads, I can't think I could drive safety any faster in an McLaren Artura Spider. Unless you track your car hard core, honesty what more do you want, rag tops make driving on normal roads more fun, more engaging, more interactive, wish I'd figured it out before now.
I know this is a used vs new thing which is always unfair but a lightly used 1 Series M is about $49k. The E82/E92s with N54 are low $20s. Boxsters can be had cheap. Not saying this A3 is a not a good car. Bottom line would you recommend this over other things for the same money?
Michael Cohen If you want a german-made luxury convertible under $50k that comes with a warranty and lots of useful features, then yes, this would be my recommendation.
Great video! I am thinking of buying one of these. I also think this model needs more power and i prefer the sedan. With the APR stage 1 tune what would you say the reliability would do? better? worse? would everything hold up to 300hp? Thanks! and keep making great videos
"Was that recorded?" lol, you're right though. If you're gonna be walking along (on!) a road, don't be Tommy Tactical but wear something visible. Looked like an awesome road however, with some very challenging corners. Wouldn't mind seeing more of "Tuna Canyon" in future clips!
Love the videos keep up the good work. I am a little envious about all the sweet ass rides, I should be driving. It's all good though, that stretch of road looks fun.
+The Smoking Tire, it'd be sweet if you could revisit this road with some of the momentum cars you've been reviewing. The Civics, Miatas, Integras, etc. would be fun to see on this tiny road where you don't need a ton of power.
I'm buying the 2.0 tdi quattro A3 sedan S-Line Plus, when i did a test drive, i was a bit disappointed with the gearbox (dual-clutch), so i'm going with the stick i guess. Strangely you seem to like the transmission? would you go manual or auto? Btw: such a sexy thing in silver!
I didn't like the gearbox in "D" but liked it a lot in "S" and full manual. What didn't you like about it? You can't get the 2.0T Quattro with stick in the U.S., only the base 1.8 FWD version.
TheSmokingTire Going down 2 or 3 gears for a quick action, and not really listening to my input. result: quick action fail :) I live in Belgium, the 2.0 quattro is possible with manual but the price is actually the same as an automatic...
Great job as always, Matt :) EDIT: I had a screen tearing which had to do with me disabling aero theme on windows. It turns off Vsync for video playback. I turned it back on and the tearing was gone.
TheSmokingTire Actually nvm, i just realized it's to do with playing back the video in fullscreen and not haivng vsync, and nothing to do with the source video. I tried viewing it in non-fullscreen and the tearing went away. Also, forcing vsync on solves it.
I never understood why people complain about the price for luxury cars in this case, the audi. Hello people it's a Luxury car, it's targeted to affluent drivers, you're paying for the name as well. If you want a car there are plenty of affordable cars out there , Kia, ford and even Mazda.
pretty incredible that the A3's of today make the same power as yesterday's S4's... I mean, power progression over time is obviously nothing new but that takes some getting used to.
I don't think I've seen a road that technical in a while, Tuna is one challenging bit of road! Felt like Initial D all over again, but more difficult. Could you please do more reviews on that pass? xD
"At least it's not a hardtop" Matt, were you meaning you would rather it be a fixed roof than a convertible? Or were you saying you like soft top convertibles more than hardtop convertibles. Personally I would never buy a car with a cloth roof.
B5 S4 made about 260hp and close to 300ft*lbs. The new A3 makes 220/258. Quite a bit less powerful I think. Either way, not a fan of how little car you get for 49k here. You can get a base M235i convertible for the same money (not that I'd want the vert). I guess it comes down to the options list.
TheSmokingTire Good catch, I was quoting the EU engine specs. US emissions regulations always ruin the fun. By the way, I'd like to see you drive a mildly tuned S2000 (tires/suspension/brakes). Very curious to hear your thoughts on it, since no other car out of the 50+ I've driven makes me smile as hard.
Yuehua Zhang I explained that my poor review of the sedan had much more to do with the fact that they spent a lot of time on the press launch talking about "connectivity" and I couldn't connect my phone through USB. It seemed silly. The sedan is a fine car as long as you add enough options to make it feel like an audi and not a dressed up golf.
through the tunnel and right on puma road. I'm always driving up there. Theres even a little liquor store that makes delicious sandwiches at the bottom of the other side of the mountain.
Schleberger He's probably saying that instead of getting this car after spending so much, he'd much rather go all out and get the S3 because it's a better car
Love these vids,simple original idea. It might be fun, if youd chose like once a (x time period) a year the top 10,12 or so modded cars you liked the most and get the stock versions of those cars and put them head to head on a track/drag/... to see how much the owners really improved. Though it might be costy, youd need at least the same tires. btw. 40 or (us)35 bhp in the b5 s4 isnt that small a number I think to say they have similar power. Or am I missing something.
I'd go S3 if I had to decide between the two - convertible doesn't mean much except less structural stability, but to pay 49k for the dumbed down suspension..? Eh, I think I'd rather have the S3. Or since it's an Audi I'd probably get whichever one has the longest warranty :-P.
Audi A3 vert: the car you convince your gf to buy so you can take it out once in a while and enjoy without being that guy who drives a small audi convertible. lol
theres alot of id get this and that on this page, i just got one i live in ny , miata, isc, q60, are all not options becuase they all only offer rwd so for this range in price only options for a awd convertable are 228xi and a3 and i took a3 and on sport its real fun funner that my is350 fsport i had just before , so if you live in east coast with snow winters and want a convertible not many options and this one isnt bad
I have to disagree on the 1.8T feeling slow, the weight advantage over the 2.0T makes it feel more agile and almost as fast, in fact I believe its under rated.
TheSmokingTire Did you drive it in Cali? Could have something to do with the lack of proper 93 Octane Fuel. I drove them one after the other twice and could not justify the cost difference. Now the S3, that is a different beast all together..
"Gain a convertible top" - personally that's a loss for me, I'd rather have a stiffer/safer/lighter chassis - especially given it rains about half the year here.
If you come up to Washington State hit me up and come drive my tuned C250... its not as fast as other cars I have owned but the tune on this thing is sooooooooooo much faster then a stock...
It's nice to see someone actually drive a convertible. There aren't many reviews like this! Thank you!
The quality of these videos is so much better with 60fps!
17 minute one take hell yeah!
Notorious HZ wu forever
I know where I'll be going if I'm ever in Cali. What a road
Great review Matt. The higher frame rate makes a huge difference in quality. What cameras do you use?
RjRacing they are GoPro 4's with polarizer caps. Nothing special.
RjRacing Yeah it really does make it better. In the last video I found myself watching the background behind Matt. Pretty cool to see the 2 high quality views at once!
TheSmokingTire whats the working time increase like for you guys switching to 60p
Kingdom Of Mog it takes about 10 minutes longer to edit each video, 10 minutes longer to export each video, and 20 minutes longer to upload each video. And each video uses twice the data storage at 60 FPS than at 30.
TheSmokingTire do you feel like its really worth the hype of 60p?
That turn at 12:26…I was 3 inches from falling off that years ago. Definitely learned the dangers after that incident. A year later a buddy of mine actually flipped off that turn and was thankfully caught by a big bush, would have been another 200 foot drop if it wasn't for that.
Post at 60fps these vids are amazing thank you
Lol nvm apparently didn't look slower something did look different
Ctroc24 this video is uploaded in 60 FPS.
Ctroc24 something about the framerate does seem different on the last two videos...i like it.
TheSmokingTire i know now lol pretty sure you went over it on the video shortly after i posted this.
The end of Tuna reminds me of the roads in the Puerto Rico rain forest.
lol that commando comment was great
Fantastic video as always Matt. I really enjoyed the longer drive.
Posting a video a day lately. Love it!
My Kumho tires would of failed and I would have died twice down that weird road at Tuna. That road is very good for dialing in adjustable suspension, it even has the rough section where you can adjust for city conditions as well. Nice drive Matt, and good call on that Captain Commando~
Elephant Yeah, don't buy Korean tyres - mediocre European, American or Japanese tyres are still better than the best Korean tyres.
Matthew Sharpe Huh? Nothing at all wrong with any nationality of tire. Hankook makes fantastic tires (such as the RS3) and Kuhmo has plenty of fine passenger car tires. Each tire should be taken and tested individually.
***** Yes, Hankook do seem to be gaining a good reputation now, I might give them another go - I had a horrible experience with them about 7 years ago that really soured me to them - but I've seen so many good reviews in the years since that they may be worth another shot. Got to get two new rears next week - I've been using Toyo Proxes C1S's for the last year (very good but seem to wear quickly) but might be time to try something else - though I'm interested in a good all year tyre not a track oriented performance tyre like the R-S3.
Elephant *Would have failed.
Matthew Sharpe korean products been gaining good reputations all around for the last couple of years
winter tires feel so much better in the ice and snow, after switching from all season I am never going back. I am running x-ice and love them.
Tuna is great, and 60fps video are far better than 30, im addicted.
Thumbs up'd for the random pace notes sprinkled throughout. Neat road.
Hey Matt I know these videos purely give your impression of how the cars drive, but would love to see a quick walk around of the car before or after the drive. I still enjoy watching these videos though!
Just bought a 1.8L one, just FWD, it's a hoot, most fun car I've ever had, totally sold on rag tops, here in the UK we have loads of little wiggly roads, I can't think I could drive safety any faster in an McLaren Artura Spider. Unless you track your car hard core, honesty what more do you want, rag tops make driving on normal roads more fun, more engaging, more interactive, wish I'd figured it out before now.
what an incredible drive
I know this is a used vs new thing which is always unfair but a lightly used 1 Series M is about $49k. The E82/E92s with N54 are low $20s. Boxsters can be had cheap.
Not saying this A3 is a not a good car. Bottom line would you recommend this over other things for the same money?
Michael Cohen If you want a german-made luxury convertible under $50k that comes with a warranty and lots of useful features, then yes, this would be my recommendation.
"Might want to wear some bright colors commando" Laughed the food right out of my mouth.
They made an S3 convertible, atleast it's available in Germany. Don't know if it comes to the US though
gLu3xb3rchi our A3/S3 is a year behind the European Spec. It's likely the S3 convertible will come here next year.
TheSmokingTire i just cant wait for the RS3, getting that for sure!
Great video! I am thinking of buying one of these. I also think this model needs more power and i prefer the sedan. With the APR stage 1 tune what would you say the reliability would do? better? worse? would everything hold up to 300hp? Thanks! and keep making great videos
Tuna Canyon is awesome.. drive more cars there matt...
Excellent commentary. That road looks bad-ass, although dangerous.
"Was that recorded?"
lol, you're right though. If you're gonna be walking along (on!) a road, don't be Tommy Tactical but wear something visible.
Looked like an awesome road however, with some very challenging corners. Wouldn't mind seeing more of "Tuna Canyon" in future clips!
Love the videos keep up the good work. I am a little envious about all the sweet ass rides, I should be driving. It's all good though, that stretch of road looks fun.
+The Smoking Tire, it'd be sweet if you could revisit this road with some of the momentum cars you've been reviewing. The Civics, Miatas, Integras, etc. would be fun to see on this tiny road where you don't need a ton of power.
I'm buying the 2.0 tdi quattro A3 sedan S-Line Plus, when i did a test drive, i was a bit disappointed with the gearbox (dual-clutch), so i'm going with the stick i guess.
Strangely you seem to like the transmission? would you go manual or auto?
Btw: such a sexy thing in silver!
I didn't like the gearbox in "D" but liked it a lot in "S" and full manual. What didn't you like about it? You can't get the 2.0T Quattro with stick in the U.S., only the base 1.8 FWD version.
TheSmokingTire Going down 2 or 3 gears for a quick action, and not really listening to my input. result: quick action fail :)
I live in Belgium, the 2.0 quattro is possible with manual but the price is actually the same as an automatic...
Really thinking about getting a fiesta st...
Rattleconobox
Please get your hands on a stockish Evo/Sti or S2000 and flog this road. What a great piece of tarmac!
Great job as always, Matt :)
EDIT: I had a screen tearing which had to do with me disabling aero theme on windows. It turns off Vsync for video playback. I turned it back on and the tearing was gone.
What's a screen tearing?
TheSmokingTire Actually nvm, i just realized it's to do with playing back the video in fullscreen and not haivng vsync, and nothing to do with the source video. I tried viewing it in non-fullscreen and the tearing went away. Also, forcing vsync on solves it.
You should do more brake testing on that road, very enjoyable to watch.
I'm loving all the Audi's TST is featuring. Would you consider doing the 2015 SQ5?
They make an Audi S3 convertible, don't think they sell it in the US though. It's MSRP is 50.000$ in Germany
I never understood why people complain about the price for luxury cars in this case, the audi. Hello people it's a Luxury car, it's targeted to affluent drivers, you're paying for the name as well. If you want a car there are plenty of affordable cars out there , Kia, ford and even Mazda.
pretty incredible that the A3's of today make the same power as yesterday's S4's... I mean, power progression over time is obviously nothing new but that takes some getting used to.
Beautiful awesome scenic view
I don't think I've seen a road that technical in a while, Tuna is one challenging bit of road! Felt like Initial D all over again, but more difficult. Could you please do more reviews on that pass? xD
Tuna is awesome, but the one way thing only works in certain circumstances
TheSmokingTire Ah I see, thanks for letting me know xD
damn need more roads like this everywhere
60fps...SO SMOOOOOOTH
"At least it's not a hardtop" Matt, were you meaning you would rather it be a fixed roof than a convertible? Or were you saying you like soft top convertibles more than hardtop convertibles. Personally I would never buy a car with a cloth roof.
Roads Untraveled btw just like everyone else, I'm loving the one-takes. Especially in 60fps
I meant at least it's not a retractable hard top. I hate those.
TheSmokingTire Why is that?
Pakman332 adds weight, complexity, takes up more storage space, and looks ungainly when raised.
hey comanda wearing forest cammo in the forest behind the bend - great job
Good work Matt!
Great analysis
B5 S4 made about 260hp and close to 300ft*lbs. The new A3 makes 220/258. Quite a bit less powerful I think.
Either way, not a fan of how little car you get for 49k here. You can get a base M235i convertible for the same money (not that I'd want the vert). I guess it comes down to the options list.
The B5 S4 made 250 hp and 260 tq as quoted from the factory. So yeah, a few more ponies, same torque, but it took a much bigger engine to get there.
TheSmokingTire Good catch, I was quoting the EU engine specs. US emissions regulations always ruin the fun.
By the way, I'd like to see you drive a mildly tuned S2000 (tires/suspension/brakes). Very curious to hear your thoughts on it, since no other car out of the 50+ I've driven makes me smile as hard.
Zygrene +1 on a decently tuned S2000.
That road looks amazing
I'm trying to decide between the S-Line A3 2.0 Conv and a BMW 228 Conv w/ sport pkg. Can you review the Bimmer so I can compare?
When will here be there, sir?
What's the difference between the sedan version and this one? Why you don't like the A3 sedan but like this one? I am actually thinking buying one.
Yuehua Zhang I explained that my poor review of the sedan had much more to do with the fact that they spent a lot of time on the press launch talking about "connectivity" and I couldn't connect my phone through USB. It seemed silly. The sedan is a fine car as long as you add enough options to make it feel like an audi and not a dressed up golf.
B5 S4 - was that not 265HP Stock? And a little less in America?
love the 60 fps
A Very beautiful car.
through the tunnel and right on puma road. I'm always driving up there. Theres even a little liquor store that makes delicious sandwiches at the bottom of the other side of the mountain.
Quite over priced. I would rather have a s3. A small pocket rocket.
Adam Chase Although i agree with you, the S3 is just even more over-priced, so i don't really get this part.
Schleberger He's probably saying that instead of getting this car after spending so much, he'd much rather go all out and get the S3 because it's a better car
Or you could probably get a Golf R the same car for less than the S3
What is the point of saying it's overpriced? It's a convertible you dumbass, you pay for that.
Adam Chase Id get a macan S!
I lost it when I saw the hiker in camo...of all places...camo lol
Tuna is like the best daytime road in Malibu because no one is every on it.
That's a great drift road
Can you start taping 0-60 times? I think you would get a spike in views.
The successor to the A4 Cabriolet. Think I'd prefer an A5 cab.
Hey Matt, have you ever driven a Taurus SHO?
He doesn't drive garbage.
Love these vids,simple original idea.
It might be fun, if youd chose like once a (x time period) a year the top 10,12 or so modded cars you liked the most and get the stock versions of those cars and put them head to head on a track/drag/... to see how much the owners really improved. Though it might be costy, youd need at least the same tires.
btw. 40 or (us)35 bhp in the b5 s4 isnt that small a number I think to say they have similar power. Or am I missing something.
At 60 fps recording the the video has like hyper detail. I like it
Did the Beetle convertible @ 5:09 honk at you?
Awesome canyon road!
$49,000 for this is pretty damn ridiculous... You can even buy a used Bentley or Aston Martin for the same money...
Yeah, good luck at your first repair bill with that $49k Bentley.
TheSmokingTire So it sounds like you agree with the price of this car. Do you?
What kind of sunglasses do you wear ?
I'd go S3 if I had to decide between the two - convertible doesn't mean much except less structural stability, but to pay 49k for the dumbed down suspension..? Eh, I think I'd rather have the S3.
Or since it's an Audi I'd probably get whichever one has the longest warranty :-P.
Audi A3 vert: the car you convince your gf to buy so you can take it out once in a while and enjoy without being that guy who drives a small audi convertible. lol
I agree 100% lol
Fuck off
Talk about totally random STOP signs! What's the point of those on a one-way road with no intersections?
Tudor M rock checks
theres alot of id get this and that on this page, i just got one i live in ny , miata, isc, q60, are all not options becuase they all only offer rwd so for this range in price only options for a awd convertable are 228xi and a3 and i took a3 and on sport its real fun funner that my is350 fsport i had just before , so if you live in east coast with snow winters and want a convertible not many options and this one isnt bad
are you gonna test the s3 convertible?
I have to disagree on the 1.8T feeling slow, the weight advantage over the 2.0T makes it feel more agile and almost as fast, in fact I believe its under rated.
Alexis Urena Drove that 1.8 on the press launch, man it was a dog.
TheSmokingTire Did you drive it in Cali? Could have something to do with the lack of proper 93 Octane Fuel. I drove them one after the other twice and could not justify the cost difference. Now the S3, that is a different beast all together..
TheSmokingTire BTW, Good seeing the 60fps option, definitely enhances the video's experience quite a bit! Keep up the awesome work!
do a review with a3 tuned please!
Dang 3500lbs surprised me. I get that modern cars are heavy, but i expected it to be lighter than that.
camarowland4 AWD + Convertible + DSG is going to be the heaviest possible configuration.
TheSmokingTire Yeah i figured as much. I'm not complaining per se, it just shocked me.
These look great
Just skated down tuna this morning XD
4:21 "If you care about driving, you should care about tyres." God damnit, yes. Lots of people don't because "it's too expensive!"
does this engine burn any oil?
"Gain a convertible top" - personally that's a loss for me, I'd rather have a stiffer/safer/lighter chassis - especially given it rains about half the year here.
To be honest I think you could have fun in a Panda on that road! :P
wow! sweet road!
damn this framerate is amazing
If you come up to Washington State hit me up and come drive my tuned C250... its not as fast as other cars I have owned but the tune on this thing is sooooooooooo much faster then a stock...
i wish we had roads like this by houston texas :( TheSmokingTire
How tall is matt ? Just wondering what normal would be to him
I'm 6'3"
I disagree. I find that 60fps gives you a much better sensation of speed.
I had so many audio gaps and desynchronization of the audio and video. Hopefully this doesn't happen with all 60fps videos
Anyone notice the SLS at 3:22?
60FPS on FireFox.. Woo whoo!
is that right by stunt tower at 4:20?
well they do make an s3 convertible so there you go
matt call out porches that drive by come on
That hiker was going the right way, you walk into traffic not with. The second hiker was going the wrong way.
yeah downhill skateboarding for life !
That is one scary ass road
This road though... wow
the 60 fps is definetly worth it. its 2015. 30 fps looks really bad
I'm one of those crazy longboarders :-)
wow that overcrest, time to go hunting..
At least putting the roof down doesn't take as long as it does on the coupe.