Had my A3 nearly 3 years now and it's fair to say we didn't get off to a great start. I've had ESP faults ( eventually fixed under warranty) then there was issues with my local Audi dealership and also the turbo went resulting in a hefty bill to get it reconditioned. It is also the worst car I have ever driven in the snow winter tyres improved this significantly but still not great. It's not the most reliable car Ive had that's for sure and my old fabia had better interior build quality although I have to admit that the couple of 8p3 cars I've had as courtesy cars have improved on this. I have been looking with a slack eye for a car to replace the A3 for nearly two years but try as I have I've yet to find a car good enough! Its only in the last six months that I've come to like the car and am starting to appreciate the little things like the quality of the paint, the external build quality and Audi parts like the brakes that have now done 30,000 miles and are showing no signs of needing replaced yet! Behind the wheel it's also a great place to be on long journeys and the soft touch materials add a touch of class better than anything else in the same league as the A3 and the stereo is class! I've also been getting an extra 4-5mpg out of her since the turbo was reconditioned which is a bonus! Being a 2007 sportback I still think it's a good looking car and doesn't seem to be dating badly at all. All in all I'm really starting to get the whole Audi thing now, confirmation being that as stated before I can't seem to find a car other than an 8p3 to replace her with! at the start I really did think a lot of you guys had been brainwashed by Audis clever branding/ marketing but now I'm starting to agree. Still think their dealerships could improve massively tho especially aftersales!
OK I get it now!
- Thread starter remslie20
- Start date
I know where you coming from, i had a load of trouble with my 3.2 and spent months trying to replace it...ended up with a S3. They dont really date either, you see a 10 year old A4 parked next to a 10 year old Mondeo and the Audi still looks class. I found all the other hatch backs I looked at a bit of a compromise for some reason. You just feel they have cut corners along the line either with poor paint or poor sound proofing or just general finish.
Exactly, it's all the little details that make the difference! Just wish I had quattrocento and heated seats then I would keep it!
I used to think that the Audi A3s was the ultimate in badge engineering and style over substance.
What I've come to appreciate over time is that it's a very, very strong all-round package - especially when highly spec'd. There's not much else in the medium car segment that offers the build, style, equipment options, 4WD and long-term ownership sheen of an A3. I'm sure we'd all far rather own a 10-year old 8L S3 or 1.8T quattro in a nice spec, rather than a Focus Mk1 Ghia or equivalent Megane.
They're also right on the money for the "downsized premium" trend, whereby smaller, posher cars are all the rage now that fuel economy, congestion and parking are as much considerations for buyers as luxury, build quality etc.
What I've come to appreciate over time is that it's a very, very strong all-round package - especially when highly spec'd. There's not much else in the medium car segment that offers the build, style, equipment options, 4WD and long-term ownership sheen of an A3. I'm sure we'd all far rather own a 10-year old 8L S3 or 1.8T quattro in a nice spec, rather than a Focus Mk1 Ghia or equivalent Megane.
They're also right on the money for the "downsized premium" trend, whereby smaller, posher cars are all the rage now that fuel economy, congestion and parking are as much considerations for buyers as luxury, build quality etc.
