New member seeking advice on possible used A3 purchase

[Tony C.]

Hi Guys,

I'm an American expat now living in Portugal. I have owned two (U.S. market) Audis previously, both A4, one in the late '90s when the model was first introduced, and then again in the early/mid 2000s. I liked those cars, am now in the market for a used car, am considering the A3, and would appreciate some advice. I understand, of course, that a lot of time has passed, but given Audis success during the intervening years, I assume that they have continued to produce excellent cars.

Details

I will be moving shortly to a small town in Portugal, so having some space in the back of the car will have practical applications. Having said that, because of the size difference, I am inclined to target a 2/3 door version, rather than the 4/5 door. I think that the rear space, with seats down, should be sufficient for ferrying things to and fro. I have girlfriend, but no kids, so extra seating is not an priority.

In terms of the various engine options, I will need some help. Although I am no longer at an age at which brute acceleration is terribly important (my first A4 was chipped), I'm not sure that I would be happy with the lowest HP engine. Yes, economy is important, but I can certainly accept a small trade-off, and inclined to at least aim for "decent" performance. I am fairly certain that I would prefer gas to diesel, though would be open to hearing opposing points of view.

The ergonomics look very good to me, and I expect that I will find the cabin to be quite comfortable. Supportive seats have always been a high priority (I once put Volvo seats in a '70s VW bus!), and I assume that the A3 seats will fit the bill well.

I will likely choose a manual transmission.

I am thinking of spending between €6–10,000, so the options will likely be ~2005 – 2011 models.

So...what am I looking for in terms of feedback? These questions spring to mind, though I am sure that I am missing something, and any insights will be greatly appreciated.

 

• gas vs diesel?

 

• engine options, not only in terms of performance, but reliability?

 

• are there certain model years that I should avoid, or focus on?

 

• are there any particular weaknesses that I should check before purchasing?

 

• what might be a sensible mileage cap for the used purchase? I am thinking of ~75–125k as perhaps being a reasonable range...

 

• given the similarity of platforms, should I also consider a VW Golf?

 

Thanks very much in advance!

Tony

[cliffcoggin]

Tony.

I'm not sure if anybody can give useful advice as many of your questions come down to personal preference and the car's previous history.

Fuel choice is a matter of economics versus ecology. Petrol is cleaner while diesel is cheaper.

Engine size is again a matter of your desire for power versus economy. If maintenance has been thorough then all models will be reliable.

Mileage cap depends how hard the car has been driven by previous owners. A well cared for car with 100000 miles on the clock will be a better buy than one with 50000 miles that has been abused.

I am not aware of any endemic weaknesses in any particular model, however it's necessary to ensure that servicing has been thorough to avoid expensive repairs. For example if a cam belt has not been changed at the specified interval in order to save money there is a chance the engine will fail catastrophically.

It all comes down to what you want from the car, how much you are prepared to pay, and how well it has been cared for, and only you can determine that.

[Tony C.]

Thanks Cliff, I appreciate your response.

[DirkOz Australia]

I can't say anything about Diesels vs Petrol, as I've only ever owned Petrol. In terms of various Makes & Models Reliability you should read this Consumer Case Report Article from 2014, which tells about issues with various Makes including Audis  

Consumer Reports :-Excessive oil consumption isn't normal

The following is more specific:-Audi Engine Oil Consumption Reading this and doing your own research will tell you to look for either early A3 8P or late A3 8P 1.8TFSI or 2.0 TFSI Petrol, unless there are records to prove that the Revised Pistons & Rings, Timing Chain Tensioner & PCV have already been fitted, it which case, you'll appreciate how nice to drive the A3 8P really are. My only real gripe is that whenever it rains, water floods in, if you have the window down a bit. I bought some aftermarket Heko 4 Piece Weathershields to fix that. I bought a used 2010 A3 8P 1.8TFSI EA888 CDAA Sportwagon with 6 Speed Manual with 203,000 km. It drinks oil (1 litre per 600km) I did ask my Local Australian Audi Dealer if there was anything at all that I should know about any problems this Audi Model before purchasing. The Australian Audi Dealership told me that there were was "nothing known at this time" I even gave them the VIN Number. I bought the car (not from them) in good faith and regret it. It has a Full Audi Service History (FASH) up until 150,000km with the subsequent Services done at Independent Service Places. Did the Audi Dealer know about the aforementioned piston, ring,  timing chain tensioner, PCV revisions & inherent problems? I'm going take my car to Audi Dealer for the "Oil Consumption Test" pretty soon and keep my fingers crossed that it FAILS & that Audi will pay for most of the rebuild & repairs. Bottom line is, do your own research, whatever Make or Model you choose. Don't believe everything a Dealer tells you. Get a Warranty with your purchase or at least a fully independent evaluation report done before you buy. Good luck.

 

 

[Tony C.]

Cheers Dirk. Your response is very helpful.

[cliffcoggin]

That's useful information Dirk. As it happens, a neighbour's A3 had enormous oil consumption that took a long time to get rectified. She was told by her non-Audi mechanic that there was an inherent fault in that particular engine model. I wasn't entirely convinced at the time but in retrospect it may well have been one of those mentioned in the article. I don't recall the details of the engine or the repair except to say it was petrol. By contrast my own 2 litre diesel never needs to be topped up between services.