Why did you buy an Audi?

Muttley75

Muttley75

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Apologies if this has been done before, but I'm relatively new here. Anyway, after reading through lots of posts on here, not to mention lots of car reviews it seems the general consensus is that there are many other, much cheaper cars that drive better than Audis. Which begs the question - why did you buy your Audi?

For me personally, I had a history of Ford's & Vauxhall's with a BMW and a Cupra thrown in for good measure.

I was really impressed with the DSG on the Cupra and the way it handled. The only let down was SEATs slightly naff image and the horrid cheap-feeling interior plastics.

So I bought my Audi for the interior quality which is second to none and, I'm slightly embarrassed to say, for a bit of badge snobbery.

For me, there are better looking cars around and an equal number of better driving cars. But at this moment in time I'm after quality, image and technology. And the A3 ticks all of those boxes.

So why did you buy yours, and will you stick with Audi when the time comes to change?
 
I bought an S3 because it does everything so well and was my preferred choice compared to the BMW 235i xdrive and the Mercedes CLA 45 AMG. I am a Mercedes fanboy since we have 4 in the family but brand loyalty can only go so far!

If any other car manufacturer could make an S3 then I would have bought it so no badge snobbery here. That being said though, Audi really put some effort into developing the A3 line.
 
I bought my Audi's because I looked at what was on the market that fitted my requirements and decided the Audi was best for me.
Choosing the right car for an idividual is a complex matter, as individuals we are all different so there's one right and wrongs. I'm happy with my choice and almost a year done the road I'd pick the same.
 
didn't like competitors similar cars, and couldn't be bothered spending the extra money on a gtr or m3 etc
 
Because I like four silver interlocked rings as a pattern.
 
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Being brutually honest, it was because my wife's car was ready for replacement and she'd long hankered after a white A3 soft top with a black roof! I knew they were decent quality cars though, so didn't take much persuading.
 
Same as the rest really. The s3 just does everything so well. I wanted a performance hatch (although the s3 is probably slightly out of the hatch category) and the s3 just ticked all of those boxes everyone talks about. It was also a fantastic base car to modify, and Im still doing bits to mine and loving every minute of it! The way my car is now, it looks respectable, and if I drive it sensible, people wouldnt bat an eyelid! But then if I give it the juice, its a monster!

I do think the s3 benefits from some investment though, to really make it shine.
 
Lots of S3 owners replying, are there any pauper A3 owners out there like me?
 
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Not S3 , yet.
For me one word..... Quattro....
Yeah I know others do it too, but only on top end models.
Wating for the jag xe to have four wheel drive.....
 
I have an A3 2.0 tdi, and I got it because it was the best "bang for the buck" on the company car list. Having just been made redundant (one year into the three year lease) I had no hesitation in buying the car off the fleet. Fuel economy is excellent and despite being a diesel it's quiet enough so you don't have to turn up the radio to 150.
Very composed on long runs, and just as happy round town. Just back from a trip to the Vosges region of France, and really comfortable on the drive there and back.
Works pension will start paying out in 2017, so will be trading this in for another (although I may go for a COD engine next time) Would love an e-tron but I don't have space for the infrastructure required.
 
Because Audi have always been able to offer a car that I have wanted. I'm on my 9th A3 and I had four Audi's before that, with a Golf VR6 in between. The thing I like most about Audi is being able to choose all the things I want on my car and not pay for things that I don't. I started off with four Audi 1.8T Sport A3s and then two 2.0TDI-140s and then two 2.0TDI-170s. When Audi stopped doing the 170 I tried the 150 but found it lacking compared with the 170 so I went for the 2.0TDI-184. As all my 2.0TDIs have had s-tronic, which I love, I wanted a 184 with s-tronic which meant I had to have quattro as well - shame!! It is with out a doubt the best model I have ever owned. My current A3 has around 4.5k worth of extras.
 
Fair question. Interior:- Seat, too plasticy. Golf:- dull and drab interior, particularly the seats on equivalent price to the A3. I think the Leon in FR spec with the bigger wheels is a nice looking car but interior lets it down!
 
Muttley75 said:
Lots of S3 owners replying, are there any pauper A3 owners out there like me?
Click to expand...

Not a pauper, the S3 never even came into consideration. If I wanted that type of car, it'd be quite a way down the pecking order.
 
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Relliott6879 said:
Not a pauper, the S3 never even came into consideration. If I wanted that type of car, it'd be quite a way down the pecking order.
Click to expand...
I'm with you there. I like fast cars but I don't like £200 tyres, £500 service bills and £200+ road tax. A Golf GTI is a good fit for me but there's no real A3 equivalent and the S3 is overkill for my needs. A3 1.4 CoD 150ps ticks my boxes.
 
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Choose the saloon because I wanted to be different from all the sheep that own hatchbacks, plus the 8v hatchback looks not alot different from the 8p. Audi are one of the few manufacturers that sell a saloon in the uk. However it is unlikely to be my next car unless Audi have something else interesting enough to tempt me in 2017. If not I will probably go back to a more reliable ford...
 
I had whittled my choice down to three contenders, S3/Golf GTi/Alfa Guiletta as all had good (and bad) things going for them. One Sunday morning I set off and the Audi garage was first in line, after a good test drive and pretty good deal I didn't get to VW or Alfa. There was something that just felt special!

3 years on and my 8P S3 has done everything I've asked of it and more so only seems sensible to replace it with an 8V S3 with DSG and a few more toys. I do wonder though now mine is for sale if I'm doing the right thing as remapped and lowered, it's a dam fine car.

I was chatting to my dad a while ago about swapping cars etc and he asked what my options were. He knows cars mechanically but not really up to date so when I told him about the Golf R he replied, a VW is a step backwards isn't it :))
 
When I was thinking of changing to my current car I seriously at the Golf, but VW do not offer a model that I wanted. The only one with the 2.0TDI-184 engine was the GTD and there are items on the GTD that I just want. Audi allowed me to choose the 2.0TDI-184 and have s-tronic, quattro, 17" wheels, SE suspension, electric cloth seats all of which were no available on the Golf. VW models are made up by marketing men and the customer has to take it or leave it. Audi look at it in a different way giving the customer much more choice. As long as they continue to do that I will keep buying an Audi.
 
This is my 7th audi and have been pleased with all of them apart from the Q5, I like the way the cars are built and 90% of the time I find the dealings with the dealership no hassle and not pressurised in any way.i think it's the all round experience is why I keep going back
 
I've always liked the look of the A3 to be honest. I've always been a ford man. Having had a few fast Ford's I thought it was time to grow up and get a respectable car . It ticks different boxes to my Ford's. People take more notice of an Audi etc and you have more of a road presence. But the A3 doesn't put as big of a smile on my face when it comes to a spirited drive :(
 
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Wanted to go back to a Cabriolet and was keen that the electronic folding roofs that are now available was from a quality manufacturer.
Only reason for going with Audi this time.

Not enamoured with any of the Audi line, particularly the standard A / S3.
Unsurprisingly, the only one that floats my boat is the R8 - and I'll need a Lottery Win for one of those.

Would I choose another Audi - No.
Nothing of interest for me here.
The After Sales is just as hit / miss as with any other Mainstream Manufacturer so may as well pay less and get more as standard next time.
 
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I was brought up on VW group cars as my parents always had them (and indeed still do). Had two Golfs before the A3 and although I liked them I fancied something a bit more upmarket. I did consider a Golf GTI but I don't like the interior of the current Golf. Also considered a 1 series but the offset driving position put me off.

Would I buy another Audi; yes although as I've said on other threads I do wish Audi would improve the range of petrol engines.
 
Snibo said:
Wanted to go back to a Cabriolet and was keen that the electronic folding roofs that are now available was from a quality manufacturer.
Click to expand...

This was also a consideration for us, but we were firm that we wanted a (decent quality) fabric roof, rather than a folding hard top, both because of the weight they add (and subsequently hurt fuel consumption) and the boot space they occupy when folded. We did also look at the Golf Cabriolet, but they don't offer the 1.6 TDI engine with a 6 speed gearbox so we discounted it.
 
Last year my 2012 Hyundai Sonata 3-year lease was coming to an end and I wanted to own a vehicle, but not a economy vehicle a Luxury vehicle.

2015 Genesis , too Hyundai to be considered luxury.
2015 Lexus IS-250, not enough horsepower for it's price
2014 Mercedez C-Class C250, too pricey when optioned out and it was about to be dated fast with the new 2015 C-Class around the corner, then the new C-Class priced itself out of my grasp.
2015 BMW 3-series, I just wasn't warming up to the look of the BMW, although the M-Series particularly that sky blue color car caught my attention.
2015 Audi A4, was about to get this, until I saw the A3 and saw the dimensions between these two cars were nearly identical. The A4 interior just looked dated.

Audi had the best pricing for optioning and thus I drive an Audi now.
 
Having come from two SEAT Leon Cupra’s, I was looking for something discrete, understated and not too ‘in your face’ as a replacement. My S3 fits the bill perfectly, for brand, tech and performance (such as I need or want) and unless you happen to be an Audi officianado, most people just see it as a ‘nice’ A3, which is how I like it.
 
Quattro.
Although it ain't a proper version in the A3 range..............

My next car will probably not be an Audi, and will likely be back to RWD.
 
Here we go....

Too much badge snobbery in this forum (again) ;)
 
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RichardT said:
Seat, VW and Skoda are good cars - made for people who can't afford an Audi :rockwoot:
Click to expand...

If VW, Seat, Skoda, Ford or even Kia made a car that met our particular criteria and looked as good as the A3 cabrio, we'd have bought that and happily saved ourselves some money. I don't get this strange perception that owners of other brands are jealous of us and would have an Audi if at all possible. They're decent cars, yes, but so are many others and not necessarily just those which cost as much or more.
 
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For an ozzie perspective, as the pricing here distorts the market somewhat.

There are no RWD alternatives here for the same price. The soon to be defunct Commodore 6.0l V8 (which might be an alternative, about $5k cheaper) is a significantly larger car, and while the performance (lovely engine) is similar it uses about 20l/100km in city traffic.

The A45 AMG and the BMW M135i are about $15,000 + more expensive, the S4 is about $30,000 more and the only alternative is the Golf R at around $5,000 cheaper, even less depending on the discount. But the R here doesn't get the wheel or satnav/multimedia options you get in the UK.

Given my driving needs including requiring an auto - I preferred the interior quality and external appearance of the S3 over the R. as for next time round, depends entirely on what's available.
 
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