What you DISLIKE about your Audi.

[PNH80]

First things last fellas , were posting in a thread about things we dislike about the A3!

In my case it's a S3 and one of the things i dislike is the lack of basic Std kit for a 27K car.

I'm not having a moan , i love my car thats why i bought it!

p

See this is the thing. I love my car and i went for the 2.0TFSI Q S-line over the S3 for 1 major reason...The insurance are battering me at the moment after a driving ban (i know, i know... my own fault!), and i'm not being shafted no matter if i can afford it or not... It's the principle.

Anyway, my point is... My 2.0T quattro is relatively well spec'd but has nowhere near every option possible and that was £27K new.
The S3 has all the options that my A3 has as standard kit (more or less). So had it not been for insurance reasons, i might as well have just gone for the S3 and saved a lot of messing about.
Sounds ridiculous but when spending that much money, you almost can't afford NOT to buy an S3 basically down to the fact that options are dead money. They don't really add any major value to the car, they just make it easier to sell.

If Audi offered just SOME nice standard kit on higher models it would avoid this ridiculous price overlap.
I mean seriously... My A3 cost the same new as the S3 with the same spec. It's insane.

 

[phantom]

^^^^You are getting NO OPTIONS at all for the 27k on the S3 , it just the basic car.

p

 

[TMP-Audi]

New gripe not mentioned yet:

1. Why do the centre vents not blow out warm air when the CC is on Auto? You have to manually overide the CC (bugs the hell out of me)

Others already mentioned:
2. Headreasts only being adjustable up/down. Although this could be due to 'whiplash' protection
3. Handbrake posisiton with Armrest
4. Mostly for show wheel

 

[PNH80]

^^^^You are getting NO OPTIONS at all for the 27k on the S3 , it just the basic car.

p

I know what you're saying but how basic is 'basic'?

I assume you get folding mirrors? Heated seats? Parking Sensors? Is the S3 supplied with Xenons as standard?

 

[bacardi]

Well ****** sell it and buy sommat else

Two problems

1 /I can't, got another 11 months of wondering what's going to break next. The guys in the office have a sweepstake running, honestly

and

2/ who would buy it? I would feel very sorry for the poor unsuspecting fool who ends up with it next - no one deserves a car this badly made

 

[Amchlolor]

pretty typical of any diesel engined car - being a more efficient combustion it generates less heat therefore takes longer to get up to temp

I know that, but other manufacturers get around it.
Honda, for example, fit their diesel Accord with some sort of auxiliary heater.
My BMW also has a small temperature adjuster, seperate from the climate control.
So no more cold drives into work.

Actually, that reminds me of something else I didn't like.
The 'clicky' temperature adjustments on the climate.
You either had to click your wrist like you had Parkinsons, or hold the control until it did it for you.
Rotary controls are far better.

 

[phantom]

I know what you're saying but how basic is 'basic'?

I assume you get folding mirrors? Heated seats? Parking Sensors? Is the S3 supplied with Xenons as standard?

Yeah you get heated seats ,yes Xenons , no to folding mirrors or parking sensor.

What i would class as basic kit in a top of the range S3 at a cost of 27k is folding mirrors , cruise , auto lights /wipers , interior lights , MFSW ,thats what i call basic kit.

If you wanted FBMFSW , Bose , bluetooth , sat nav , buckets , ect then you should pay the price.

p

EDIT Even my 1998 GTI6 had auto wipers and cruise.

 

[sat1983]

Who would buy it? I would feel very sorry for the poor unsuspecting fool who ends up with it next - no one deserves a car this badly made

How many times do we have to hear this. Every single time someone has the slightest positive thing to say about an A3 you're there with a negative thing to say about it.
Surely can't you face the fact that you are one in a 1000 people with an Audi plagued by every problem a car can suffer with?? I have every sympathy for you as you are that 1 person in a 1000 but i'm willing to bet if you got another A3 you'd have no bother.
But I know you wouldn't do that

 

[h5djr]

I know that, but other manufacturers get around it.
Honda, for example, fit their diesel Accord with some sort of auxiliary heater.
My BMW also has a small temperature adjuster, seperate from the climate control.
So no more cold drives into work.

Actually, that reminds me of something else I didn't like.
The 'clicky' temperature adjustments on the climate.
You either had to click your wrist like you had Parkinsons, or hold the control until it did it for you.
Rotary controls are far better.

All A3 diesels have an auxillary heater as standard. Perhaps yours was not working as it should.

 

[sat1983]

All A3 diesels have an auxillary heater as standard. Perhaps yours was not working as it should.

Yes my A3 started to get warm after about a mile, even in well below below 0 temperatures in Switzerland.

 

[Amchlolor]

All A3 diesels have an auxillary heater as standard. Perhaps yours was not working as it should.

We've been through this before, David, when I first mentioned it years ago.
UK 140's did not have an auxiliary heater, at that time.
Other countries did get them.

 

[bacardi]

All A3 diesels have an auxillary heater as standard. Perhaps yours was not working as it should.

Do they? how do you turn this on Dave? Mine seems to take 5-10 minutes to warm up

 

[PNH80]

Yeah you get heated seats ,yes Xenons , no to folding mirrors or parking sensor.

What i would class as basic kit in a top of the range S3 at a cost of 27k is folding mirrors , cruise , auto lights /wipers , interior lights , MFSW ,thats what i call basic kit.

If you wanted FBMFSW , Bose , bluetooth , sat nav , buckets , ect then you should pay the price.

p

EDIT Even my 1998 GTI6 had auto wipers and cruise.

I thought so, so give or take a minor option here or there. My A3 is pretty much the same spec as the basic S3 and it was the same price.
Although lets not forget that the S3 and S-Line do have slightly different markets so in some cases price is irrelevant. Some people will chose the S-Line anyway.
In the same way....A guy i know (very wealthy) just opted for the BMW 330 M-Sport coupe (hard top convertible) instead of spending a tiny bit more and buying the M3. Just because he wanted a classy motor, not a performance orientated rocketship with all the spoilers, air vents and 4 exhausts!
So i guess it's wrong to just assume the S3 is 'better' because it's not. It's just the performance orientated A3 and like i say... Irrespective of price some people don't want that and will happily pay the same money for an A3 S-Line. Doesn't make much sense financially come resale time but it's horses for coarses i suppose!

 

[PaulAr]

How many times do we have to hear this. Every single time someone has the slightest positive thing to say about an A3 you're there with a negative thing to say about it.
Surely can't you face the fact that you are one in a 1000 people with an Audi plagued by every problem a car can suffer with?? I have every sympathy for you as you are that 1 person in a 1000 but i'm willing to bet if you got another A3 you'd have no bother.
But I know you wouldn't do that

Hear hear:icon_thumright:

 

[bacardi]

How many times do we have to hear this. Every single time someone has the slightest positive thing to say about an A3 you're there with a negative thing to say about it.
Surely can't you face the fact that you are one in a 1000 people with an Audi plagued by every problem a car can suffer with?? I have every sympathy for you as you are that 1 person in a 1000 but i'm willing to bet if you got another A3 you'd have no bother.
But I know you wouldn't do that

you should have really guessed there may be a bit of negativity in a thread about your dislikes for an Audi - wasn't the title a bit of a giveaway?
- I note you don't say anything if when I make a positive comment about my A3 do you?

In any case, to answer your comments

1 -Everytime someone says how amazingly well built Audi's are, I will say they aren't, either get used to it, or stop saying how good they are, quite simple isnt it?

2 -Where did you magic up the 1 in 1000 statistic from? Recent figures state 113 in 100...........as per the thread the other day

3 - I've said before and I will say again, I'm open to another Audi next, I want a car with DSG so have to consider Audi's, and yes, I very much doubt that another Audi could be as bad as mine.

 

[bacardi]

Hear hear:icon_thumright:

ahhhhhhhh, bless, he's getting upset

 

[h5djr]

We've been through this before, David, when I first mentioned it years ago.
UK 140's did not have an auxiliary heater, at that time.
Other countries did get them.

All diesel A3s are fitted with a Supplementary electrically powered heater to help with the heating on startup because diesels take longer to warm-up.

Some countries can also specify an Auxillary Heater which is fuel powered and is used to warm up the system before the car is started and can be controlled by a remote control.

The Audi UK do not considered the UK cold enough to warrant offering this option. They obviously have never been to Aberdeen in mid-winter!

 

[h5djr]

Do they? how do you turn this on Dave? Mine seems to take 5-10 minutes to warm up

It an electrically powered supplementray heater and is automatically activated if the temperature of the incoming air is low.

 

[Amchlolor]

who would buy it? I would feel very sorry for the poor unsuspecting fool who ends up with it next - no one deserves a car this badly made

As do I, with mine.

I keep saying it, but I really wish there was a website, similar to HPI, where one could list the reg of your car and post positive/negative comments about it.
I thought long and hard about doing it myself, but I came up against the following problems;

1/ It would rely on the 'goodwill' of people to insert the info, when I bet a fair proportion just wouldn't bother.
2/ How would you fund it.

 

[sat1983]

1 -Everytime someone says how amazingly well built Audi's are, I will say they aren't, either get used to it, or stop saying how good they are, quite simple isnt it?

2 -Where did you magic up the 1 in 1000 statistic from? Recent figures state 113 in 100...........as per the thread the other day

3 - I've said before and I will say again, I'm open to another Audi next, I want a car with DSG so have to consider Audi's, and yes, I very much doubt that another Audi could be as bad as mine.

4 - I note you don't say anything if when I make a positive comment about my A3 do you?

1- I am more than used to it Bacardi. I still don't see the point. Most of us on here know how you feel about your motor.

2- I haven't found this figure anywhere- It's just based on what i've read and heard. Plain and simply I'm sure that figure is about right ( for serious faults you have been experiencing)...

3- Good to hear.

4- The simple answer to this is that there isn't very much to add to a positive comment. As I said earlier, anything negative will generally start more of a debate.

 

[Amchlolor]

All diesel A3s are fitted with a Supplementary electrically powered heater to help with the heating on startup because diesels take longer to warm-up.

Some countries can also specify an Auxillary Heater which is fuel powered and is used to warm up the system before the car is started and can be controlled by a remote control.

The Audi UK do not considered the UK cold enough to warrant offering this option. They obviously have never been to Aberdeen in mid-winter!

Again, I'm not so sure the electrically powered heater you mention was actually fitted to 140 A3's, or if it actually had anything to do with heating the cabin.
I'd have to go back and check the threads from two+ years ago.

If it's 100% that 140 A3's do have an electric auxiliary heater, designed to heat the cabin, then it's 100% that mine didn't work. Either that or it's just feable.

 

[bacardi]

2- I haven't found this figure anywhere- It's just based on what i've read and heard. Plain and simply I'm sure that figure is about right ( for serious faults you have been experiencing)...
.

Nice and scientific, "about right" you should work for Audi

I guess it depends on what your definition of serious faults is

 

[Amchlolor]

Any fault which requires a dealer visit, with the damned inconvenience it causes, is a serious fault, in my book.
So, even a rattle can be a serious fault.

 

[bacardi]

Any fault which requires a dealer visit, with the damned inconvenience it causes, is a serious fault, in my book.
So, even a rattle can be a serious fault.

With you on that, especially as it means you are forced to put up with the level of service the dealers offer (DaveR's dealership excepted, they are actually quite good)

 

[sat1983]

Any fault which requires a dealer visit, with the damned inconvenience it causes, is a serious fault, in my book.
So, even a rattle can be a serious fault.

- Serious is anything to do with the mechanics of the car. If a rattle is a serious fault nobody would be buying french or even Japanese cars.

 

[bacardi]

- Serious is anything to do with the mechanics of the car. If a rattle is a serious fault nobody would be buying french or even Japanese cars.

another founded comment?

My subaru didn't rattle, My wifes toyota doesnt rattle, nor does my A3 anymore (after bodging the parcel shelf)

 

[Amchlolor]

- Serious is anything to do with the mechanics of the car. If a rattle is a serious fault nobody would be buying french or even Japanese cars.

That's you letting Audi off the hook then.

I would put my wife's "French" Clio in for a rattle.
What makes you think buyers of French cars are any less demanding than you?

Mocking French cars makes me laugh.
You know what's gone wrong with my wife's 'peeece of sheeet' (as you evidently believe it to be) in 2.5 years of motoring?

Nothing.
Nada.
Zilch.
Zero.
:icon_thumright:

 

[PaulAr]

ahhhhhhhh, bless, he's getting upset

That was completely unecessary.

 

[sat1983]

I am truely astonished at the comments so far- lets get real here for a second. Audi cannot be faulted in any shape or form with regards to build quality. It's the number one of ALL car manufacturers for build. Like it or not, it's true.
Audi's are mass produced cars so of course you may have the odd car with a rattle here and there, nothing in life can be 100% perfect.
I am by no means a totally committed Audi or german car fanboy but I can safely say german cars are up there with the best as a whole (build & engineering).
Again, lets be realistic here, how many French cars are slagged off on a daily basis for their flimsy build. They're no doubt good cars (R26 anyone?) but they're built like a sack of crap.
As anyone been on a Toyota forum recently? I was checking out a few facts about the Auris and it really put me off. Sneeze in that car and it'll scratch the plastics. Same with the Yaris. An Aygo you may forgive but not the rest of the range...
Anyhow you get my gist, on the whole we all know why we buy German.

 

[PNH80]

I am truely astonished at the comments so far- lets get real here for a second. Audi cannot be faulted in any shape or form with regards to build quality. It's the number one of ALL car manufacturers for build. Like it or not, it's true.
Audi's are mass produced cars so of course you may have the odd car with a rattle here and there, nothing in life can be 100% perfect.
I am by no means a totally committed Audi or german car fanboy but I can safely say german cars are up there with the best as a whole (build & engineering).
Again, lets be realistic here, how many French cars are slagged off on a daily basis for their flimsy build. They're no doubt good cars (R26 anyone?) but they're built like a sack of crap.
As anyone been on a Toyota forum recently? I was checking out a few facts about the Auris and it really put me off. Sneeze in that car and it'll scratch the plastics. Same with the Yaris. An Aygo you may forgive but not the rest of the range...
Anyhow you get my gist, on the whole we all know why we buy German.

I wouldn't say you can generalise and say Audi's have the best build quality out of every manufacturer currently in production.
Porsche are a relitively high production manufacturer and i'd bet my life they have better overall build quality than Audi.

If i had to choose either a Porsche Cayman or a TTS to go fault-free over 3 years i know which i'd pick. Likewise for a Carrera vs. an R8.

 

[bacardi]

I am truely astonished at the comments so far- lets get real here for a second. Audi cannot be faulted in any shape or form with regards to build quality. It's the number one of ALL car manufacturers for build. Like it or not, it's true..

According to who? What survey are you quoting?

Please, if you give me some foundation for this I will never ever mention an issue with Audi again....................

 

[rich1068]

Audi cannot be faulted in any shape or form with regards to build quality. It's the number one of ALL car manufacturers for build. Like it or not, it's true.

Audi's are mass produced cars so of course you may have the odd car with a rattle here and there, nothing in life can be 100% perfect.

You totally contradict yourself sat. And as already pointed out, where do you get these statistics from?

You (and others) are taking this far too personally. Read the title of the thread again.

 

[bacardi]

Another dislike - the throttle shutting down when you press the brake pedal (I know its a safety feature!) but I would like to be able to left foot brake into corners - my left foot does nothing the rest of the time

You can to a certain degree but if you press too hard the engine shuts down and the car balance goes pete tong

 

[motorbikez]

I wouldn't say you can generalise and say Audi's have the best build quality out of every manufacturer currently in production.
Porsche are a relitively high production manufacturer and i'd bet my life they have better overall build quality than Audi.

If i had to choose either a Porsche Cayman or a TTS to go fault-free over 3 years i know which i'd pick. Likewise for a Carrera vs. an R8.

I wouldn't get to ***** about porsches build quality my accountant has a porsche boxster which has had two engines replaced under warranty and he thinks they are ****.

 

[sat1983]

Haha seriously I am really not taking this seriously at all. I would tend to think it's the other way round. Why am I asked to find these surveys. Had you not read that Audi's build is the best out there. Google any Audi car and in terms of build they are never faulted. It's as simple as that!
Hey, I'm the first to admit it's not 100% after all! I started a thread a couple of weeks back about moss growing at the edge of the headlights. It's not right, but as I said before I can't expect the car to be perfect.

 

[bacardi]

Haha seriously I am really not taking this seriously at all. I would tend to think it's the other way round. Why am I asked to find these surveys. Had you not read that Audi's build is the best out there. Google any Audi car and in terms of build they are never faulted. It's as simple as that!
Hey, I'm the first to admit it's not 100% after all! I started a thread a couple of weeks back about moss growing at the edge of the headlights. It's not right, but as I said before I can't expect the car to be perfect.

?

You say they're faultless,
you say they're not perfect
You say they're faultless,
you say they're not perfect
You say they're faultless,
you say they're not perfect

Oh and I think you must be using a different google to me,

 

[lil_coz]

It's the number one of ALL car manufacturers for build. Like it or not, it's true.

Hmmmm, I'm not so sure on that one....

 

[sat1983]

Ok you guys, you win I give up!!

 

[benw123]

The only things I don't like about my Sportback are the ride quality and the rough engine (2.0TDI). The latter appears have been addressed with the new common rail units, and I genuinely hope Audi sort out some decent suspension in the next model. My SE is supposed to have the most supple ride, but not only it is still very firm, it's also very harsh.

 

[newbiecrg]

build quality argument amused me quite a lot.... Go back and read all the rubbish you have been writing for the past hour or so!!!!! All of you!!

Build quality? For sure any modern car is well built! I don't see cars regularly breaking down on the side of the road or are our roads full of recovery trucks... and most owners do not even know what oil the car uses or its purpose!!!!

Rattles, noises, itches... that depends on many things, one of them in the roads where you drive the car!! Even a Rolls will rattle if driven regularly on non tarmac roads it is a fact... live with it!!

Major mechanical faults... yes they exist, ranging from the supermini car to the high performance car no matter if you paid 2 grand or 200 grand... major faults are known in all manufacturers but what some of you are trying to say is that this is the rule when clearly we all know it is the exception!!!

So some of you got the lemon and make it the rule.... fine! But that is not being realistic or even fair, be it Audi or any other manufacturer for the fact.

You can buy 10 Audis and be 100% happy, you can buy 1 Audi and be 100% unhappy... make your decision and live with it... no point trying to tell me that Audi are crap because they are not... otherwise VAG group would be bankrupt and not seeling cars at all... maybe scooters!!!

So I understand the frustration of the lemon-owners and you should be frustrated and it is perfectably justifiable to look elsewhere when time comes to change vehicle but don't try to sell to me that Audi have a very poor build quality overall as you never saw me saying it was the best in the world either!!!!

Pedro