A3 with a budget of around £7500!

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grantposs

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Hi guys, first time poster here.

I'm ready to invest in my first Audi... you will have to be gentle with me as i am not a major car buff.

I'v had my eye on the A3 since i first got in one about 7 years ago and now i can finally afford one! (just)

I've been driving a 1.4 16v dynamic Renault Clio for the last 2 years, and i want to be sure that the A3's I'm currently looking at will be quicker off the mark and all round

With my budget and after some research i've mainly been looking at the 2.0 TDI, 1.8 TFSI & 2.0 TFSI.... all as 3 door sport/s-line. as for colour I'm leaning towards grey at the moment and only other requirement is MP3 factuality.

So was hoping some of you Audi pros could help me make my mind up between the three

Which one is the best option within my budget & the pros and cons of each one? and how much mileage each one can do before packing in?

Here are some I've had my eye on:

AUDI A3 1.8 T FSI S-LINE -
Used Audi A3 1.8 T FSI S line 3dr BUY NOW PAY JUNE for sale in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire - Northridge Cars


AUDI A3 2.0 TDI SPORT - Audi A3 2.0 TDi Sport 3dr Diesel Hatchback


AUDI A3 2.0 TDI QUATTRO -
Audi A3 2.0 TDi Quattro S line 3dr


AUDI A3 2.0 TDI SPORT -
Audi A3 2.0 TDi Sport - LEATHER, CLIMATE & 17" ALLOYS 3dr

Thanks :blush:
 
I think a good place to start is what is your average mileage as this will help choose between a diesel or petrol?

I've owned a 2.0 TDI and now own a 2.0TFSI (albeit an S3 so slightly different engine). Both are really good cars/engines. For me it would have to be a 2.0TFSI quattro if possible for that money. The S-line trim has slightly lower suspension than the sport and some say is significantly stiffer although I didn't really suffer any problems when I had mine and I covered many miles in the time I had it.

For MP3 you can either look for a car which has an aux in port or has the RNS-e (sat nav) installed as this offers to SD card ports to play MP3s through.

I think after driving quattro vs non quattro, I personally prefer the added safety of the quattro in the wet especially when pushing on a bit. You should be able to get a good car for that kind of money.

If considering a 2.0TDI there are two different models available a 140BHP and 170BHP. Both a decent engines but it is worth noting during the facelift in 2008 (58 plate I think) the engine changed from a PD engine which is a bit more rough and more like an older diesel, still a good engine though, to a CR engine which is a lot more smooth and refined. All of these remap really well which gives great torque increases and greatly improve every day driveability.

Hope this helps!
 
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My 06 2.0 TDi 140 will be for sale soon, 76k every optional extra and warranty..
 
I clock around 10,000 miles a year.

I just chased up the 2.0 TDI sline Quattro and the insurance is really high! so might have to scratch that one off the list :( so i only imagine the 2.0tfsi quattro will be even more on the insurance.... and i haven't seen any of them within my budget as well.

How noticeably quicker are the 1.8tfsi and 2.0tfsi's to the 2.0 140 TDIs?


And s it safe to buy a diesel with mileage already up in the 80's/90's??? Will they still run ok when they start reaching the 150 mark.... or should i avoid and look to buy one with lower mileage.

Also i hear the TDI's turbo pack in at least once around the 80,000m mark.
 
If you can find a well looked after car with consistent service history and all the warranty work done then it's a safe enough bet. As soon as any of this stuff is patchy or the car looks suspiciously cheap then you know the owner may be getting shot for a reason (e.g. not because they have a baby on the way or a new company car coming - the usual crap!).

A3's don't come cheap, and good ones won't come cheap either (unless you're trying to sell one to a dealer!), and at these kind of mileages things will go wrong, so budget for this. Also keep the Golf and Leon in mind as you may end up with a lot more for your money at the expense of a bit less badge.

Insurance won't be cheap fullstop if the quotes you are getting are expensive. My S3 is £300 FC, so I'd suggest if it's high on both Audi's it will be high on anything with a 2.0 lump, so maybe consider the 1.8. Speed wise there will be a difference, but it's not vast, a few careful mods later down the line can bridge the gap.
 
grantposs said:
Is it the blue beast in ur picture?.... how much?

Plymouth is a bit of a mission for me though...
Click to expand...

Yeah, turbos been replaced, been mapped to 170hp, was looking for 7k for it which is less than most that don't have half the options mine has.
 
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smurfworth said:
Yeah, turbos been replaced, been mapped to 170hp, was looking for 7k for it which is less than most that don't have half the options mine has.
Click to expand...

Just don't think i can bring myself to make the 4+hour journey down to Plymouth!

I will keep you in mind though, i have only just started looking!

(love the fat fives)
 
grantposs said:
I clock around 10,000 miles a year.

I just chased up the 2.0 TDI sline Quattro and the insurance is really high! so might have to scratch that one off the list :( so i only imagine the 2.0tfsi quattro will be even more on the insurance.... and i haven't seen any of them within my budget as well.

How noticeably quicker are the 1.8tfsi and 2.0tfsi's to the 2.0 140 TDIs?


And s it safe to buy a diesel with mileage already up in the 80's/90's??? Will they still run ok when they start reaching the 150 mark.... or should i avoid and look to buy one with lower mileage.

Also i hear the TDI's turbo pack in at least once around the 80,000m mark.
Click to expand...

That's a shame about the insurance! I would of said with your mileage you'd be better with a petrol over diesel but it's always a personal choice as I know some people prefer the lower end torque of a diesel.

There is a difference between the 2.0TDI and 1.8/2.0TFSI, even in power delivery alone which will be alot lower down on the diesel but the petrol will be happy to pull through the range.

I had my 2.0TDI 170 from about 75k to 135k, no problems at all after I removed the DPF. I did have the turbo taken apart and checked/rebuilt but there was no problems with it at all. As long as they have FSH and you can tell it's been looked after mileage isn't an issue in my eyes.

I think it's worth you test driving a 1.8TFSI and a 2.0TDI and see which you prefer. Also worth try a quattro vs non quattro.
 
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stetheo said:
That's a shame about the insurance! I would of said with your mileage you'd be better with a petrol over diesel but it's always a personal choice as I know some people prefer the lower end torque of a diesel.

There is a difference between the 2.0TDI and 1.8/2.0TFSI, even in power delivery alone which will be alot lower down on the diesel but the petrol will be happy to pull through the range.

I had my 2.0TDI 170 from about 75k to 135k, no problems at all after I removed the DPF. I did have the turbo taken apart and checked/rebuilt but there was no problems with it at all. As long as they have FSH and you can tell it's been looked after mileage isn't an issue in my eyes.

I think it's worth you test driving a 1.8TFSI and a 2.0TDI and see which you prefer. Also worth try a quattro vs non quattro.
Click to expand...


Think I'm leaning more towards the 2.0 Diesel.... cheaper + better value for money, better MPG. I would definitely consider getting it mapped though... how much will that set me back?

and (rookie question) what is the 'DPF'?
 
grantposs said:
Think I'm leaning more towards the 2.0 Diesel.... cheaper + better value for money, better MPG. I would definitely consider getting it mapped though... how much will that set me back?

and (rookie question) what is the 'DPF'?
Click to expand...

DPF - diesel particulate filter, I'm pretty sure it's a legal requirement for an MoT now though so id wonder about removing it..

I fairly recently bought mine in a similar situation (mileage, insurance budget etc) but with a slightly lower budget for the car at around 5.5k so not exactly the same, my advice though;

The 2.0 petrol was out for fuel efficient and insurance reasons, and so I looked between the 1.9 or 2.0 tdi and 1.6 petrol. I eventually went with the 1.6 as I thought I didn't do enough miles for diesel to be a benefit and with extra maintenance frequency/costs and turbos to worry about..

Although I LOVE my A3, if I did it again I would almost certainly go with the diesel.. The 1.6 is frankly a bit weak an with limited options for mods before you have to get serious, another thing I also noticed is that despite higher miles on a comparative diesel (they last longer anyway generally) a lot of them were better spec'd...

That's just my opinion in my circumstance which seems similar. As warren said I'd also keep the Leon and Golf in mind for value for money.. But then I won't admit that to myself as I bullheadedly wanted and audi haha!

Good luck dude, either way you're bound to love it!
 
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RS3dan said:
DPF - diesel particulate filter, I'm pretty sure it's a legal requirement for an MoT now though so id wonder about removing it..

I fairly recently bought mine in a similar situation (mileage, insurance budget etc) but with a slightly lower budget for the car at around 5.5k so not exactly the same, my advice though;

The 2.0 petrol was out for fuel efficient and insurance reasons, and so I looked between the 1.9 or 2.0 tdi and 1.6 petrol. I eventually went with the 1.6 as I thought I didn't do enough miles for diesel to be a benefit and with extra maintenance frequency/costs and turbos to worry about..

Although I LOVE my A3, if I did it again I would almost certainly go with the diesel.. The 1.6 is frankly a bit weak an with limited options for mods before you have to get serious, another thing I also noticed is that despite higher miles on a comparative diesel (they last longer anyway generally) a lot of them were better spec'd...

That's just my opinion in my circumstance which seems similar. As warren said I'd also keep the Leon and Golf in mind for value for money.. But then I won't admit that to myself as I bullheadedly wanted and audi haha!

Good luck dude, either way you're bound to love it!
Click to expand...

Cheers mate :)

and i AM getting an Audi ha, had tunnel vision for one for about 7 years!

how does this look... - Audi A3 2.0 TDi Sport - LEATHER, CLIMATE & 17" ALLOYS 3dr

Bit too expensive?
 
Alternative, a tasty 8L S3 :p or, not long ago, I saw a factory miles MK1 TT for £10k, which I should have bought.
 
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Looks pretty good I'd say, in my fairly inexperienced opinion of course! I'd look towards some of the more experienced members here though and of course you can't really tell just on an ad - seems quite low mileage for the age and being diesel but is expect that's why it has that price tag on it.. Small wheels though haha :p a lot of people say it's worth looking at error codes if you have the means also.. Final note, I'd say make sure you pay attention to the kind of dealer who is selling it, I had some early trouble with the gearbox on mine which I thankfully got repaired at the dealers cost but it took a lot of struggle and eventual threats of court as it was so early on! A long warranty is a blessing but they may even try to weasel out if that depending on the problem if they're more unscrupulous hah..
 
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Just a word of advice, i know you have your budget of 7.5 and you have seen x amount of cars. But the most of them appear to be the sport model. This is all well and good as thats what mine started out in life as but personally i wish i saved a little more and got the Sline as it has different bumpers and a better spec interior as standard. Also next mistake i feel i made was buying 8p2 as apose to 8p3. For the little extra money i would deffinetly get the 8p3 model, as again it has a complete new front end on. ( the one with the LED side lights)

Just my little bit m8, but let us know what you end up getting (y)


Jonny.
 
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I recently bought a 2004 a3 3.2 quattro s-line dsg with 52k on the clock and 12 months warranty and full audi service history for £6500.

I used to own an s3 and it was nice, but the 3.2 is mega!

Go for speed
 
grantposs said:
Think I'm leaning more towards the 2.0 Diesel.... cheaper + better value for money, better MPG. I would definitely consider getting it mapped though... how much will that set me back?

and (rookie question) what is the 'DPF'?
Click to expand...

As mentioned above a DPF is a diesel particulate filter. Although depending on the age of car you buy it may not have one. Only thing to consider is if you only do town driving they easily get clogged and need to do a regen which requires driving at a constant speed to burn off the carbon. They can be very expensive to replace (about £1K) so worth finding out if the model you look at has one.

On spec side I wouldn't really be looking at sports IMO, S line is a better overall package looks wise. Also as I mentioned the facelift occurred in 58 to the 8P3 model which if you can stretch to would be better again.
 
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Also worth checking classifieds on here!

Just seen one put up I think..
 
warren_S3 said:
consistent service history and all the warranty work done then it's a safe enough bet. .
Click to expand...

Hi dont mean to hijack thread but im also looking at a 1.8tfsi audi. What would say is sufficient service history? Every year? How can I check warranty work has been carried out? Has there been any known warranty faults with 1.8tfsi engines from 2009?
 
audi upgrades
Did you find a vehicle?

I have a 1.8 TFSI 2008 58 facelift with 3 previous owners full service history 52k on the clock and also leather interior
 
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