Getting an Audi A3 as my first car..

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schem

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I'll be 25 in September, for some reason(one which I regret) I left it very late to even start learning to drive. However, I started earlier this year and should have passed my test in a couple months.

Me not being 17/18 means I don't really want to do the normal thing of spending the first couple of years driving round in a "no more than £1k" car just to get cheap insurance.

I run my own company, and over the last couple years I have gathered a good amount of savings. Therefore, I'm considering to just go ahead and buy a car I want. That being an A3.

The insurance isn't going to be pretty (£1700-2000 quoted) but, I can easily afford it. I'm not planning of buying a brand new top of the range 3.2 quattro S-Line but was thinking of a used 2.0 TDI or FSI Sport.

I'd like to hear any opinions on this? Also, out of the A3 range is the 2.0 TDI/FSI about right? It's not too fast or stupidly powerful for a 'new driver'.

Another thing I wanted to know, are the current run of A3's going to get the new nose(like on the sportback) at some point? if so, when?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'll be 25 in September, for some reason(one which I regret) I left it very late to even start learning to drive. However, I started earlier this year and should have passed my test in a couple months.

Me not being 17/18 means I don't really want to do the normal thing of spending the first couple of years driving round in a "no more than £1k" car just to get cheap insurance.

I run my own company, and over the last couple years I have gathered a good amount of savings. Therefore, I'm considering to just go ahead and buy a car I want. That being an A3.

The insurance isn't going to be pretty (£1700-2000 quoted) but, I can easily afford it. I'm not planning of buying a brand new top of the range 3.2 quattro S-Line but was thinking of a used 2.0 TDI or FSI Sport.

I'd like to hear any opinions on this? Also, out of the A3 range is the 2.0 TDI/FSI about right? It's not too fast or stupidly powerful for a 'new driver'.

Another thing I wanted to know, are the current run of A3's going to get the new nose(like on the sportback) at some point? if so, when?

[/ QUOTE ]

Can't comment on what is best for you, but needless to say I like my 2.0TDI Sport DSG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The new nose has been implemented from week 22 I think, so all new ones arriving in the country now will have the new SFG.
 
The 2.0tdi S-line is a superb car, and I loved mine, regret getting rid of it sometimes.

I had the 2.0fsi for a few days and hated it, if you are talking about the 2.0T fsi though that is a different matter, great car.

To give you an idea I sold mine a year old with the following....

A3 tdi S-line DSG
Akoya silver
Black leather
armrest
interior light package
storage package
auto lights
auto dimming mirror
Bose
DVD Nav+
parking sensors
chrome mirrors

and think that was about it? It had 14k miles on it and was like new, and I got £20600 I think it was which meant the guy who bought it from me saved about £7k from new and can probably drive it round for a year and put another 15k miles on it and still get £18k back when he sells it.

I would never buy a new car again, such a waste of money, oh and I get bored quickly and hate being in a position where the car is worth less than I owe on it, so the only way round that is put at least 25% deposit down on a new one and hope you are not in negative equity or buy 3-6 months old and let someone else pay the 17.5% vat and maybe a bit more.

Great first car that I am sure you will love, and have a go with the DSG, a smooth crusier when needed and you can stick it in Sport mode or manual mode when you feel the need.
 
Personally over the 2.00 FSI and TDI, the TDI would win hands down. And you could probably find a decent second hand S-line as well. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif
 
I'm Currently 19 driving a 2.0 TDI.

Upgrading in a few weeks to a 2.0T FSI Quatty with quite a few options. Insurance isn;t that bad to be honest compared to what you can pay for a Yaris 1.5 T-Sport etc.

Dave
 
You need to try both. I found the TDI very noisey and I don't need the fuel economy of the diesel so went with the petrol.

Some people have said the TDI is better mated to the DSG or you find yourself changing gear too often.

Both are nice cars, it is personal preference.
 
First car, fairly new driver? I'd say be sensible with the engine and go for comfort/trim if you have money to spare.

2.0TFsi may not be a smart idea for a new driver. This is the car you're REALLY going to learn to drive in. If I were king I'd make everyone learn in an Austin Allegro - it drove as badly as it looked but the fact that it was unforgiving taught me so much about driving (never had a bump or crash in 18 years of driving). I'll never forget all 4 wheels of the Allegro leaving the ground on a country lane near Huddersfield (probably only a fraction of a cm but you should have heard the engine) and the way the car slewed all over the road when it landed - so fortunate there was nothing coming the other way.

I'd suggest that the 2.0Tdi would be ideal - it's got some oomf without giving you more than you can control. It'll also teach you a bit about stalling cars /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

DSG is great IMHO but may make it difficult to move to a manual box in future if you don't yet drive a manual on auto-pilot.

In all honesty I'd say the A3 was the wrong first car. There's a lot to be said for buying something simple, sturdy and reliable, thrashing it for a few months and then moving on.

I'm not trying to be a patronising git even if it sounds that way.
 
If you don't need the economy, skip TDI. Or buy earplugs with the car, and a cushion. Anyway, as your first car, buy manual, and learn that properly first. I've seen my friends who've started with automatic as first car, and well.. you don't want to be as passenger when they drive manual car /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Tuff said A3 was a bad choice for first car, can't comment on that, but I'd buy a safe car anyway as first one, since you have pretty high possibility of, well.. hitting something /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

But perhaps buying a second hand would be a good idea, little scratches and such won't take so much off the value (as to insurance payment, can't comment, different system there).
 
thanks for the replies...

I won't be going for the 2.0T FSI due to the higher insurance group. So it's looking like a 2.0TDI or the 2.0FSI....

I'm also currently considering whether to take the plunge and order a brand new one with the new grille, probably an S-line! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif)

On the other hand though, how much will the newer A3 affect the prices of the models with the old style 2 peice grille?
 
On another note, I'll be buying my sister something cheap and reliable when she passes her test in a couple weeks(hopefully) and insuring it in my name, with her as a named driver. She's 4 years younger than me.

I can use this to "thrash" around in and in a few months when I get my A3 I can take that out for 'special occasions'.
 
schem, probably the effect on pricing won't be a big. There's little difference between these two cars, since rear is exactly the same, and everything else is the same as well (but the older grill looks better).

Anyway, the biggest lost in value comes when you drive the car out, and the grill won't affect at all after that /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I had a 2.0 TDI for a few days on loan and I thought it was a really easy car to drive. Should suite a new driver pretty well I would think and it's certainly got a good turn of speed when you need it. If you get bored just get it remapped!
 
So I drive around like a nutter? No it's actually quite the opposite.

So because of age it automatically makes you a better driver? I'm not saying it doesn't help, but I am just as likely to spot an incident as you are and react.

Correct me if I'm wrong. Also there are some young drivers who drive like they stole the cars but this doesn't
apply to everyone...

I'm not ranting here but I like to show myself as a responsible driver most of the time.

Dave
 
[ QUOTE ]
And why, do you think, is it that more inexperienced drivers pay higher insurance premiums - prejudice?



[/ QUOTE ]

Boll ox. My girlfriend has never driven a car in her life, is a few months older than me (I'm 23) and can get insured on cars for less than 1K. My 2.0TDI remapped is over 2K to insure. I have a full licence 4 years, driving 5 and haven't had any bumps.

Just saying like /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BTW the only people you'll see on here dissing the TDI as tractors etc etc are just 2.0FSI owners who know the the TDI is a much quicker car - especially where it matters like in gear times yada yads....yeh the FSI doesn't sound like a diesel but the diesel has a lot more torque and will be much more fun to drive.

Yak...I await your reply /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/book.gif
 
Mark_N, as I've said before, you can buy a tractor if you want. And in-gear-times have little meaning, since usually in-gear-times have just useless to me, I have enough power there. When it comes to performance, you'll use the maximum power, torque alone won't move you anywhere. As to more fun to drive? Hardly, I can't stand sitting on the TDI, I can't listen to that rattling, it's not what I expect from a premium car.

Anyway, as to earlier discussion, age itself doesn't make you a better driver, but experience does. And usually older drivers are more experienced, but this line blurrs at some point. Anyway, experienced driver can predict and read the traffic, and what's happening with car, and how it handles in different situation.

A 40-year-old beginner is beginner, and a dangerous one for other drivers, no matter how calm he is. Actually probably even more dangerous than young drivers, who usually just hurt themselves.
 
sorry to butt in - newbie on the forum! - tdi tractor noise? - is everyone driving something different than me? mines quite quite - and growls quite nicely when overtaking.

the fsi sound like a sewing machine...

sorry in real world driving the tdi wins hands down with as much torque as the 3.2.
 
agree - either you like them or dont - open mind is all thats required and disengage hearing / gear change - to get those short shifts in to keep it on the boil. but then again like you i dont bother as dsg takes the hastle out of it :)

bhp sells cars - torque moves them :)
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have a full licence 4 years, driving 5

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/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

BTW, when did your girlfriend pass her test?

[/ QUOTE ]

She didn't!!!!! That's my point. On a provisional she can still get cheaper insurance.

I also don't buy into the experience makes you always a better driver either.

There's plenty of people driving 30 years that shouldn't be.
 
My comments were (obviously) a generalisation. Clearly the w4nk3 rs in their 40's who've been driving for years but still tailgate at 90mph on busy motorways are reckless. Similarly, 30-something white van man who pulls out from a junction knowing that you'll have to brake hard to avoid rear-ending him and then wait whilst he spends ages accelerating up to a moderate speed is equally reckless and inconsiderate, yet does the same thing day in, day out.

To back up my earlier claims that in general inexperienced drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident, I'd direct the nay-sayers to the Department for Transport publication "Tomorrow's Roads: Safer for Everyone" which contains the following statement in section 3.5:

"Even after passing the test, young and newly qualified drivers have a poor safety record compared with older, more experienced drivers"

There's this one too, which makes for interesting reading and certainly made me pause for thought about my own driving:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/df....hcsp#TopOfPage

 
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