What spec to get?

[Jam3s.bradbury]

Just received my student loan so its time for a new car. I have a limit of £3000 and I'm happy to fix problems myself so not too worried about small issues. I want as many of the bells and whistles as possible but is it worth me getting a dog one and adding the options myself? Can I add heated seats to a car without them easy as parts seem to be dirt cheap. Also, which engine and gearbox combo is worth going for. Not too keen on autos because a failure with them scares me but if they're solid I'm open to suggestions. Cheers

[Magnet]

Hello James, 

Many thanks for being in touch with the forum. 
I’m sure you will appreciate that a maximum budget of £3K to buy an Audi is likely to lead you into territory where problems are likely to be encountered, and for that sum, you would be highly restricted in finding the best condition/value for money example, equipped with all the bells and whistles. I could be wrong, but this could be an ask too far. Personally, I would be wanting to retain something from that budget to be able to fund the repair of any issues. 
If it were me, and I wanted to spend my £3K student loan on buying an Audi-type car, I would be looking to buy the better-value-for-money variant marketed by Skoda, where you will end up with the same mechanics in a cheaper package. 
Anyway, good luck in finding what suits your budget and expectations.

Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Jam3s.bradbury]

Yeah I was expecting an answer like this to be honest. I'm forever an optimist. I was looking at skodas and volvos and they do seem like the wise choice but I'm not wise 😂 I love the interior and looks of the a6 so I might have to just get the best spec I can for my budget and hope the engine and box don't go bang. I have a 3L z4 I'm currently using daily so can always use that when all the problems arise. I'm sure I'll be posting on another thread soon asking for help with all my issues 😂. Thanks for the reply,

James

[Magnet]

Thanks James.
Apologies for the (personal?) question, but are you really a student living on a student loan? 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Jam3s.bradbury]

I live with my friend who owns the house so I pay no rent. I earn about £800 monthly which easily covers everything so I basically use my loan to fund all my exciting purchases. I'm terrible at saving so its best I just use the money getting another car instead of wasting it on amazon and drink 😂

[Magnet]

Well done James.
Didn’t mean to pry into all the personal circumstances.

Sounds like all the course text books will be substituted by Haynes’ Manuals! 
Kind regards,

Gareth.