AUDI A3 - USED CAR SEARCHER

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MattyW19

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Hi,

I was browsing through the Audi's on usedcars.audi.co.uk and I came across this particular A3 which didn't quite look right!

What do you think ? :)

Audi A3 1.6 S-Line
 
hmm that bonnet needs realigning. doesn't look like anything serious.
 
yep the bonnet is a bit off

and i may be wrong, but isnt that a lot of money for a 1.6 (dont know what they should be going for?)
 
i wasn't aware Audis were meant to be cheap? someone call VW and tell them...

:p

(yes it's a lot for a 1.6, but not a lot for a 1.6 A3)
 
i know but still... i only paid a grand more then that for my S3 and that was from a dealer as well haha!! ok its a 56 plate but still a lot more car for your money!
 
Ah I thought it was damaged! The left wing is actually higher than the bonnet, surely Audi would of put this right before taking pictures?

On the basis of the price, I thought it was rather expensive to be honest! Considering that the 1.6 is 17500 - 18000 new on Drive The Deal!

Is the 1.6 still in production?
 
The wing is not high, the bonet is low but its just an adjustable rubber stop...might have fallen off even.
The line across the grill shows the bonet has droped in one corner.
 
Its a pretty thing with a nice spec but cant get my head around the price for a 1.6.
Seems like an odd spec/engine combo, if you were spending that kind of money then surely you would want more than 100bhp??
And if you wanted the cheapest entry level A3 and it HAD to be new then you wouldnt add the extras it has?

If I needed something frugal, german and premium I would be looking at Golf dervs for that money.
 
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PaulAr said:
Its a pretty thing with a nice spec but cant get my head around the price for a 1.6.
Seems like an odd spec/engine combo, if you were spending that kind of money then surely you would want more than 100bhp??
And if you wanted the cheapest entry level A3 and it HAD to be new then you wouldnt add the extras it has?

If I needed something frugal, german and premium I would be looking at Gold dervs for that money.
Click to expand...

hmm i don't enitrely agree. my old 1.6 was bought as a run around. it was a fairly highly specced car and cost just under £20k brand new, but part of the reason it was a 1.6 and not a 2.0TDI was because my dad could get me and my sister insured on it.

also there was a period not that long ago where 1.6s were more popular than diesels because diesel was so expensive. you wouldn't have made your money back for so long that it wasn't worth the extra cost for a diesel and ppl started buying 1.6s.

plus you have to consider that it may not have been a factory order - a dealer might have just been left with the car.
 
It wasn't that Long ago that 1.6 would have been the big engine version in a small hatchback ! or family car. Its a thing that i find really odd this idea that if you want all the extras you have to have a much bigger engine than you really need. To Mr average a 1.6 will break all the speed limits in 2nd or 3rd gear and it seems strange that he should therefore be limited to a low spec. Its also odd that in the UK, your place in society is measured by the BHP of your car or more importantly its 0-60mph. I have set off arguments on these threads and watched with interest people arguing, disputing and falling out over theoretical fractions of a second almost as if it was a" who has the biggest willy contest" :lmfao:

As for Derv ? as sub says, for people who do a low mileage there is not a lot in it with Derv being more expensive and Diesels being more to buy as well. Anyway my willy is 3.2 long which is half as long again as a 2.0 one. Quite where that leaves Sahra i am not sure :)
 
sub39h said:
hmm i don't enitrely agree. my old 1.6 was bought as a run around. it was a fairly highly specced car and cost just under £20k brand new, but part of the reason it was a 1.6 and not a 2.0TDI was because my dad could get me and my sister insured on it.

also there was a period not that long ago where 1.6s were more popular than diesels because diesel was so expensive. you wouldn't have made your money back for so long that it wasn't worth the extra cost for a diesel and ppl started buying 1.6s.

plus you have to consider that it may not have been a factory order - a dealer might have just been left with the car.
Click to expand...

20K runaround!

Nice.

Hardly a typical scenario though.
 
PaulAr said:
And it wasnt that long ago hatchbacks weighed 900kg.
Click to expand...

In fairness they produced less power as well. A 1.6 audi is putting out 101bhp where as a 1.6 cortina was putting out 80bhp.
 
Looks like it's been rear-ended. Badges are missing. ;-)
 
I know what you mean ! I went for a drive the other lunch time just to get warm....Set the heater to "melt dash" !! :laugh:
 
PaulAr said:
20K runaround!

Nice.

Hardly a typical scenario though.
Click to expand...


well it's like paddy said - it was a run around so big power wasn't important. my dad had never bought a diesel at that point (tho i managed to convince him to get one for his latest car) so the 1.6 was the most frugal engine. but he still wanted all the luxuries his big Merc had so it was a Sport with BOSE and auto lights/wipers, FCA, parking sensors etc.

granted it's not typical, my point is that it's not unheard of. as paddy said for some ppl power isn't everything.
 
sub39h said:
well it's like paddy said - it was a run around so big power wasn't important. my dad had never bought a diesel at that point (tho i managed to convince him to get one for his latest car) so the 1.6 was the most frugal engine. but he still wanted all the luxuries his big Merc had so it was a Sport with BOSE and auto lights/wipers, FCA, parking sensors etc.

granted it's not typical, my point is that it's not unheard of. as paddy said for some ppl power isn't everything.
Click to expand...
Power is indeed not everything, it is however an issue for me when the price tag is twenty thousand english pounds for 100bhp in a posh skoda.

Is 20k for 100bhp hatch a record?

Is paddy subs dad?:detective2:
 
I I think you would be surprised Paul. Have a look at Audi A5's and you will find a vast majority are 1.8 and 2.0...which given its supposed to be a sporty coupe and weighs a ton ( or three) rather kills your theory of power for money. In fact if you don't want diesel then 2.0 is your limit apart from the odd 3.2 which is not as quick as a 3.0 diesel anyway. And you will not get one for anything near 20k :) Its the same with the 3 series Coupe...most are 2.0d when you actually go out and look. By the way... a good spec 1.6d c-max will cost you 20k so 20k for a 1.6 audi seems cheap...:laugh:
 
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The A5 is a completely different animal to an A3, and doesnt come with a 100bhp petrol engine. They both have Audi badges but the similarity ends there.
The C Max is well...err.
My point is that the car in the add was an odd spec/engine combo and too much money for what it was. That wont change despite you and you young fellas best efforts. Maybe you could get him it for xmas? Cheap to insure by all accounts. Needs the bonnet sorting by the way so make sure you take some one along that knows what hes doing so you dont end up with a lemon.:eyebrows::happy:

Cheers
Paul
 
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There's nought wrong with high spec in a small car but I wouldn't want a 1.2 or 1.4 or 1.6 A3 they just fell like a little car and all are FWD. If you go for an S3 or 2.0TFSi Quattro or Tdi 170 Quattro you actually have 'big car' mechanicals and driving temperament of a larger car.

Regarding the A5/S5.. At launch in 2007 there was only the S5 and 3.0Tdi Quattro and the odd 1.8 FWD which was widely seen as a bit of a dog. The best balance of power and performance is indeed the 3.0Diesel V6 Quattro which as 155 max speed (limited) 0-60 in 5.7 secs (0-100km 5.9) and combined cycle fuel economy of 42.8 mpg regularly achieved by folks if you look on www.a5oc.com There are similarities between most Audis and the A3 A5 comparison does stand up. I have driven over 30k miles in an A3SB 20TFSiQ, and over 20k miles in both an A5 3.0TdiQ and an A3SB 2.0 Tdi 170 Q and on occasions forget which one I am in! They are both comfortable, superb Sport/S Line seats. All similar user freindly bits, the only real driving confusion is handbrake location and Key Location or Advanced Key set up on A5/S5. The 3.0 A5 Diesel is actually more economical than the 2008 Tdi 170 Quattro.

Oh ... Agree with the comment about Ford C MAx Crap, although you can buy a year old one for half the new price

Happy Christmas all Pilot
 
PilotAudi said:
the A3 A5 comparison does stand up.
Click to expand...

Mmmm....really? I had a new A4 S Line, 2.0 Tdi loaner for a couple of weeks and felt a marked difference in the cabin between that and my S3. In fact the S3 felt a dated and dare I say, even a bit low rent by comparison, and mine is a well specced example.
Done a few miles in a mates A5 30Tdi and felt the same difference.

It was very obvioius to me which car I was in, the A4 was superb inside, flat as a fart to drive though (TD140).
Also had 18T A4 for a few days, again, superb cabin, had the grip of a ****** roller skate and still not that fast.
Agree the 3.0Tdi is a peach, even for non-derv fans like me.

Not bashing the 8P (thats Paddys job) its just IMO the A4/A5 are so very different to the current gen A3 in terms of cabin quality, layout and equipment. So much so it genuinely made me want one, until I looked at used S4 prices and went off the idea. :ermm:

Anyhoo, back to my original gripe, I dont like the all flash no dash pretention of a 20K specced up (insert premium/performance model here) car with the bog spec engine. Thats my personal view that not all share of course. When Im spending that kind of money I want all boxes ticked so would rather buy a top of the line Golf/Focus/Volvo, (the 1 er is too ugly to consider). And if cheap insurance and running cost were the main contraint assuming the car was wife/kids runabout then I would be looking to spend 10k not 20K.

Cheers
Paul
 
Yea but thats the point..the A5 is high quilty and most are high spec but they usually run non performance engines. So people aere quite willing to pay £30k + to get the luxury and spec without the performance......which takes us back to the high spec A3 1.6 :)

"And if cheap insurance and running cost were the main contraint assuming the car was wife/kids runabout then I would be looking to spend 10k not 20K."

As you like to say..its all relevant :whistle2:
 
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Agree with bits of Paddy and Pauls posts but not the Interior quality of new A4/A5 vs A3 8P . The fit and finish in the A3 is significantly better than the newer A4/5. The plastics in particular are nowhere near so good and earlier A5 had dash rattle and speaker rattle problems (now cured!) that our A3 8P's have never had. If you want to look at real crap interior finish look at Mini and BMW 1 and 3 series in particular.

I wouldn't want to spend 20k on a 1.6 bag o'wind S Line A3...and agree a Golf for half the price is a better proposition and will be cheaper to run. You could probably fund a year or so older Gti and cover all the costs over 3 years for the same money ..

I do prefer A5 to A3 but certainly don't think they are a bad car with the right spec and price..
 
paddy said:
Yea but thats the point..the A5 is high quilty and most are high spec but they usually run non performance engines. So people aere quite willing to pay £30k + to get the luxury and spec without the performance......which takes us back to the high spec A3 1.6 :)
:
Click to expand...

I said I wouldnt spend 20K on a runabout (A3 or otherwise) with a 1.6 in it.
Thats all.

All the references to diesel A5s has completely lost me mate and makes to difference to that view.
With respect my friend.......your fcuking nuts.

Ho Ho cheers
Paul


PS - That A3 looks are right bargain, I made a mistake and have now been duly educated.
 
You said

Seems like an odd spec/engine combo,

I was just pointing out that many people buy high spec smaller engine cars and the A5 is a good example..Nothing Fcuking nuts about that mate. The majority of people these days would say that Fcuking nuts is buying 150mph cars that cant get to half speed without breaking the law and will get you an instant ban at two thirds its top speed. Why should the guy in the 1.6 sitting in the traffic jam not have all the luxury's of the guy sitting behind him in the S3 ?
Maybe its a northern thing and i am missing it....:laugh:
 
Some people think it's nuts buying a car with three pedals when you've only got two feet :p
 
Or 4 wheels when you can go twice as quick on a Bike....for a fraction of the cost :)
 
paddy said:
You said

Seems like an odd spec/engine combo,
Click to expand...

I did.
And still think so at that price.
It was a comment on a particular car which has been waaay over analysed mate.

A 20K 1.6 posh Golf makes no sense to me. No deeper than that.
Sorry.

cheers
Paul
 
PaulAr said:
A 20K 1.6 posh Golf makes no sense to me. No deeper than that.
Click to expand...

Makes perfect sense to me mate, Im a teenager, so Im restricted to the smaller engines, and Ive got to be honest, its nowhere near as bad as its being made out to be. It just depends on peoples circumstances.
 
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