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tracieburr

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HI

Another newbie here :)

I'm test driving a 1.6 TSI petrol A3 tomorrow, tbh I've never driven an Audi before and it will be a toss up ( if I like it) between a Golf .

I'm currently driving a MINI Cooper which I've had from new 1/3/4 and I'm sick of all the problems with this car, its had more warranty work than I've had hot dinners!..fun to drive though but I'd never have another one :3sadwalk:

What issues are there on the A3 that I should be aware of, again I would like to buy from new but don't want it in and out of the Dealers for warranty work like the MINI has been.

Thanks for any help ppls :thumbsup:
 
Hi welcome to the forum, you'll find lots of help and advice around here, don't be afraid to ask.

There are numerous issues, hates etc regularly discussed here, DSG gearbox, creaking suspension, folding mirrors and dealers as just a few.

I moved from a Golf to an A3 and haven't regretted it for a second and never had any problems.
 
do you mean FSI tracie? no TSI engines available on Audis at the moment (unfortunately) they only used on VW at present
 
Hi Mike

Every car has it's faults, whats important is does the dealer turn them into problems.

You might also like to investigate the dealer on this forum as well.

My experiance of the MINI was 18 months of hell, the only good news was the fact that it never needed to be washed because the dealer had it ever other week. Mind you our car was earlier than yours.

The top two cars in my list of "the best cars I have owned" are both Audis and I have only owned two, and the bottom two places are taken with a BMW and a MINI (new not old).

Chris.
 
steve184 said:
do you mean FSI tracie? no TSI engines available on Audis at the moment (unfortunately) they only used on VW at present
Click to expand...

Yes..oops, my mistake:blush:
..and whats the DSG gearbox??...sorry I'm blonde and not in the "know" about these things.
The problems I had with the MINI are :

New gearbox @ 8k miles!!
New steering rack
Windscreen trim redone 3 times
Rattles from dash and rev counter (these were the least of my probs!)
Sticking rear caliper
Air in Coolant
New Driveshaft
New drivebelt and tensioner.
New headlights as not levelling

Its been in for work so often that in 3 yrs I've done 11k miles, these past 12 months have been the worst and I hate driving it now and it spends most of the weekends in my garage :(
So on to something different..
 
Hi Tracie,
Newbie here too. Bought first Audi last week. Very very happy with purcahse, checked out loads of threads on this forum before hand to get an idea of things to look out for and a feel of what people though of the cars. Very helpfull, and friendly forum. As well as some very funny members.
 
That mini sounds like a nightamare. The list of problems sounds like it should have been the old shape mini and not the new one you were driving. Good luck with the test drive, although it sounds like you could test drive a 1989 Lada and it would be better than the current car you are stuck with.
 
I have to say that the original (and the best mini) was far more reliable than the new MINI, from my experiance.

example

I used a £50 mini (thats how much it cost me ) to travel from southend to luton each day for 1 year. In that time the car never let me down, apart from once when the starter solinoid stuck, which was rectified with a good kick.

The new MINI doing the same trip for the same time went through

3 power steering pumps,
Gear shift linkage,
Heater fan motor,
more rattles than mothercare
body control modules, wiring loom and new carpets after 3 inches of water leaked into the car in one day.
and new front seats.

The best bit is BMW said, and I quote "this was acceptable for a car with 30K miles".

Bottom line was every time we drove the car we had a MINI adventure.

Please don't tar the old mini with the new MINI brush.
 
I know a lot depends on insurance group, car price and what sort of use you will put the car to but see if they have a 2.0 petrol and a Tdi available for you to compare against the 1.6 A3. The general consensus in the past has been that the 1.6 is lacklustre compared to the higher powered engines.

As with all cars it's not the problem, but the solution to any problems that makes or breaks the experience. Audi in general have exceptional build quality though.
 
Hi Tracie and welcome.

I came from VW to Audi and have no regrets. Never driven the 1.6 so can't give an opinion, you buying new?
 
Thanks for the welcome guys :)

I will be buying from new and the car will be used for mainly local driving around Town and for visiting the rellys that live in Southampton and Marlborough on a monthly basis for each :)
My local dealers ( Poole Audi) had a 1.6 Special Ed Sporthatch ( I'd be getting the 3dr) which I took out today..did my pre planned route on roads that I use everyday and drove it like I would my MINI ( chucking round corners) which it didn't seem too keen on, I'll need to take the 1.6 FSI Sport out to see if that fairs any better, but other than that I enjoyed driving it, the gearbox was easy to use, although 6 gears will take some getting used too,( changing down from 6 to 5 found me in 3rd!) It ticks all the boxes for me and I really wouldn't want a bigger engine as I like a low fuel and insurance bill and I'm not a lover of Deisel cars ( apologies to those that have them :))
The trade in for my MINI was £8500 which was low for a car thats done 11k in 3yrs, so I will have a bash selling private for a few weeks.

Total RRP on my spec A3 comes to £19365

A3 Sport 1.6FSI
Phantom Black
Ipod Connection
Tyre Monitor
Interior light pk
Storage Pk
Heated front seats

Any ideas as to how much I should haggle down too?

Thanks for any help you can give :)
 
Hello & :sign_welcome: to the site.
 
tracieburr said:
Thanks for the welcome guys :)

It ticks all the boxes for me and I really wouldn't want a bigger engine as I like a low fuel and insurance bill and I'm not a lover of Deisel cars ( apologies to those that have them :))
Click to expand...

See if you can stretch to the 1.9 diesel (might be cheaper on the insurance/better MPG), the 1.6 is ok but a bit underpowered sometimes (extra people/luggage).

Also with your options, I would recommend the Symphony II dash mounted changer (good value option) and rear parking sensors as visibility can be limited sometimes when reversing near bollards, drop the tyre pressure monitors and heated seats, the heaters in the A3 are pretty good and the tyre monitor is a fancy gimmick. (IMHO)

And welcome to the forum.
 
id second that - id defo get the 1.9 tdi over a 1.6 - identical top end power but the diesel will feel so much more gutsy and will be miles cheaper to run than the 1.6 in terms of insurance and fuel

ps tracie.... are you single? lol! just joking!! ;-)
 
Well, whatever you choose, aim for a 10% discount if you are paying cash with no part exchange. You may not get all of that depending on the time of year though.
If you end up wanting to part exchange the Mini don't tell them. Haggle the price for the Audi first, then once you have that ask for their best p/x price on the Mini - salesmen hate that :)
 
Thanks for the replys ppls.

After chatting to a few ppls this past week I'm leaning more towards a diesel and to be honest I never thought I'd hear myself say that!!
So, the budget needs to be tweaked abit :)

Is the 1.9tdi any better or worse than the 2.0tdi for a round Town driving, I'm more concerned with the intial 1st gear pull away which is very lackluster in the 1.6 I took out last week.
Thanks for any help :)

and No I'm not single ;) :)
 
The 2.0TDI is generally regarded as a better engine that the 1.9TDI. It smoother and a little quieter. Unless of course you want to go for the 2.0TDI-170hp which again is regarded as better and quieter than the normal 140hp version of the 2.0TDI.

I have had a 2.0TDI-140 3-door for nearly 3 years with no problems at all and I have a new 2.0TDI-170 5-door on order for collection on 1st March.

All new A3s now come with the Concert III as standard. This is a double-DIN unit with a single CD player. If you do play CDs at all it's worth going for the Symphony III (an extra £260) as this has a 6 CD changer built-in.

Both my wife and myself find the Acoustic Parking System useful, especially in tight spaces as the rear vision is a little limited. Also, depending on the model you choose (it's standard on the SE), the auto-dimming rear view and door mirrors are also great. Most other options are a matter of personal choice.

You should be able to get 9-10% discount without too much trouble. If necessary go on-line and get a quote and take that quote along to your local dealer and they will probably match it.
 
h5djr said:
Also, depending on the model you choose (it's standard on the SE), the auto-dimming rear view and door mirrors are also great.
Click to expand...
The rear view mirror is standard on the SE, the mirrors aren't :)
 
The rear view mirror is standard on the SE, the mirrors aren't
Click to expand...

True, the dimming interior review mirror is part of the Light and Rain sensor pack which also includes auto windscreen wipers and auto low-beam mode for the headlights which is part of the SE package and a £190 option on all other models.

As for the door mirrors - extra on both SE and all other models
Door mirrors - electrically folding - £160
Door mirrors - auto-dimming - £145.
door mirrors - auto-dimming and electrically folding - £260.

On my new A3 5-door, although I have only ordered 'Door mirrors - auto dimming' the print-out of the Status screen given to me by my dealer the other day to show that mine had been built and was on it's way to the UK showed 'Door mirrors, auto-dimming and folding' so it may be that I'm going to get folding for free!
 
audi upgrades
On my new A3 5-door, although I have only ordered 'Door mirrors - auto dimming' the print-out of the Status screen given to me by my dealer the other day to show that mine had been built and was on it's way to the UK showed 'Door mirrors, auto-dimming and folding' so it may be that I'm going to get folding for free!
Click to expand...

Called in to the dealers today after receiving a phone call to say my new Sportback had been delivered to them this morning.

Checked on the mirrors and they are both auto-dimming and folding.

Roll-on the 1st March!
 
Tracieburr stick with petrol your not going to like the diesel...

My wife hated driving the A3 2.0TDI we had as a courtesy car. She said it felt like driving a van, this is manly due to the fact that she is used to the power delivery of a petrol, i.e. the harder you push the accelerator pedal the faster you go.

With a Diesel its different. You push the accelerator pedal down and nothing happens, then a second later all the power comes at once, if you then push the accelerator pedal down even more you will not get more power like you would in a petrol as all the power is already used.


I would say stick with the 1.6FSI as its a engine size you seem to be happy with.

Also I had a quick look for a better spec for you:


Brilliant Black which is free and looks better IMHO
Flat tyre warning indicator
Interior light pack
Light and rain sensor pack i.e. Auto wipers and auto head light's. You can also turn your head lights on remotly so you can see the path to your car at night.
Hill-hold function Makes hill starts very easy.
iPod connection
BOSE sound system As you have a ipod you must be a music lover, so you need a good set of speakers.

ROTR Price: 19,250.00
(Note: You only really need heated seat if you have leather seats)


Hope the above helps....
 
With a Diesel its different. You push the accelerator pedal down and nothing happens, then a second later all the power comes at once, if you then push the accelerator pedal down even more you will not get more power like you would in a petrol as all the power is already used.
Click to expand...

You should try driving a 2.0TDI yourself as you description is nothing like what happens. The rev range of a diesel is less than a petrol but that's about all the difference. Certainly my 2.0TDI pulls very strongly from low revs, unlike the 2.0FSI(petrol) which is totally dead until you get revs up. I have had several 1.8T Sport petrol A3s and when I had some test drives in various A3 models before buying my present car, the 2.0TDI was the closest in performance and the way that performance was delivered to the 1.8T.
 
h5djr said:
You should try driving a 2.0TDI yourself as you description is nothing like what happens. The rev range of a diesel is less than a petrol but that's about all the difference. Certainly my 2.0TDI pulls very strongly from low revs, unlike the 2.0FSI(petrol) which is totally dead until you get revs up. I have had several 1.8T Sport petrol A3s and when I had some test drives in various A3 models before buying my present car, the 2.0TDI was the closest in performance and the way that performance was delivered to the 1.8T.
Click to expand...


Oh how love is blind :wub:
 
Might I ask A3 3.2 S-Line, does your wife normally drive a 1.6 petrol or is it your 3.2 monster engine? .... as perhaps love isn't blind, just a little tainted???

I've driven the 1.6 as a loner, and yes i'm afraid due to the milage I do I obviously drive the 2Lt oil burner, and to me the oil burner was significantly better.

But there again I took out the 3.2 TT and way hey, it was like driving a Harrier Jump Jet ......... all down to what your used to and what you want
 
audi upgrades
By far the best way. It's how the car / engine feels to YOU that counts. Different people drive in different ways and it's what best for you that's important. Tell the dealer which models you would like to drive and if they don't have one on their fleet they may be able to borrow one from another dealer.
 
Sorry tracieburr, hope I haven't added to the confusion!

I look forward to your review of the 170 after delivery Dave!
 
Having been a former MINI Cooper driver I can sympathise with you regarding the problems, I got out after 6 months before it drove me mad!

I am lucky enough to get to drive the 2.0TDI and 1.9TDI versions all the time. Most of my driving is in town and to be honest I really don't miss the performance of the 2.0TDI when driving the 1.9TDI. Plus you get the benefits of better fuel economy (in my experience quite a difference). I guess the fact I went out and purchased a 1.9TDI with my own money reflects the above.
 
RedSportback said:
Might I ask A3 3.2 S-Line, does your wife normally drive a 1.6 petrol or is it your 3.2 monster engine? .... as perhaps love isn't blind, just a little tainted???

I've driven the 1.6 as a loner, and yes i'm afraid due to the milage I do I obviously drive the 2Lt oil burner, and to me the oil burner was significantly better.

But there again I took out the 3.2 TT and way hey, it was like driving a Harrier Jump Jet ......... all down to what your used to and what you want
Click to expand...

Yeah I see your point.

FYI her normal drive is a 1.8 MG TF and she was comparing it to that. She loves driving my car, but she says she gets the "must be her other half's car" look from other blokes all the time.

Can i also please point out that I don't have anything against Diesels if you do high mileage (I would do the same), its the "I would always buy a diesel" mentality that gets me.:arco:

I do under 5k miles per year so a 3.2 isn't going to break the bank...
 
Hello Everyone Im new here although have been reading the forums for a while. Forums are excellent.
Planning on getting a Sportback S-line and also contemplating between choosing a 1.6 petrol or 2.0TDI (This is going to be my first car)

I thought it be better here to pose my question here as my situation is similar to Tracieburr rather than starting a new thread. Basically what I want to know is, for short distance travel in towns. Almost no motorway, which would be better purely from a economical perpective. I.ve never driven a diesel before but have heard that in order to be economical with diesels its better to have constant speeds (like in motorways) rather than the regular stops you make at towns (I live in Brum) in order to get the benefit of Diesels.

Another question for those that have driven the 2.0TDI and driven a petrol engine before (or after) Does it make a lot of noise in the cabin, or is the A3 quite a quiet ride with the diesel. (Again this is in correlation to low speed, many stops and starts, driving around town)

Replies greatly appriciated.
 
Both the 1.6 FSI and the 2.0 TDI engines are a bit agricultural when starting up and then quieten down after a couple of minutes, the TDI is slightly noticeable when your driving but not to the point where its annoying.

Given the choice of both and the fact the TDI is going to cost a little bit more, I would go for the TDI every time, the extra torque and power make up for the noise.
 
Cheers A3 3.2 s-line didn't mean to get too defensive.

Am hoping for a transfer soon so my milage should drop to about 8k a year if so then I may be looking at a 3.2 for some fun!

Take care out there
 
Well I've just,today,driven a 1.6Fsi Golf Match that one of the lads here ordered as his company car.
I tell you,that is one awful engine.
Sorry,but it is.
How the hell a modern day engine can be worse than a 1.6 Primera I had in 1991/1992 is beyond me.
It actually feels restricted.
Like there's a pigeon nested in the air filter,or the exhaust has a potato up it.
The throttle could be replaced with an on/off switch,it really could.
I'm no massive fan of diesels (necessity more than choice),but the 2.0tdi feels like a Lambo in relation to the 1.6Fsi...
I've now driven both versions of the n/a Fsi engines and they are woefully inadequate,IMO.
Amazing how the addition of a turbo (I've driven several Golf Gti's,but no Tfsi A3's) can totally transform an engine.
 
just following the thread and was wondering if anyone else has had the same negative experiences with the Mini as tracieburr has had. my wife wants one but i would like more info on them befor buying another headache as my A3 gives me pleanty

cheers
 
cathaloneill said:
just following the thread and was wondering if anyone else has had the same negative experiences with the Mini as tracieburr has had. my wife wants one but i would like more info on them befor buying another headache as my A3 gives me pleanty

cheers
Click to expand...

You've echoed my sentiments.
I'm now glad I didn't let the missus get one when she wanted one.
I'm now beginning to see why there are so many young,low mileage ones around.
 
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