Help buying an A3!

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Yabeeb

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im really indecisive and was wondering if anyone can help bring me to a decision.

I drive a 61 plate black edition A3 TDI and need an upgrade.
I’ve seen a 65 plate 2.0l Auto 184, 40k, FSH with a private seller. It has the spec I want - Black, B&O, heated seats, folding mirrors, driver assist, privacy glass, black grill etc. He want 14k but would take an offer. Needs new tyres quite soon I would say and the leather on the auto stick is worn; other than that in Excellent condition.

Alternatively, for 20 grand I could get a similar spec 16 plate 11k on the clock, 184, quattro through a dealer (albeit miles away) get the 2yr warranty, free services, part ex mine.

What are people’s views on:
1) buying a 4yr old car privately
2) the true value of going via a main dealer. (I’ve had two A3s TDIs from main dealers and had to use warranty both times but I’d be paying much more than this private sale).
3) Buying a TDI versus a 2.0l petrol with all the emission shenanigans....
4) the value of a Quattro version (the private sale is non-Quattro)

Any thoughts would be welcome!

Thanks
 
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I've previously always bought privately as I've do all my own servicing/repairs in the past so warranty claims were never on my radar. However having recently purchased a 2.5 year old S3 with 10K from a main Audi dealer spending as much as we did it made perfect sense to buy from a dealer and not privately. However, each to their own if it's the exact car you want.
 
I had major issues with the last car I bought that wasn’t from a main dealer (£2k+). My current a3 is from a main dealer and I managed to get a decent deal (I drove 2.5 hours to see/buy it). You can pay for someone to come and carry out a full inspection of the private seller car for your peace of mind.
 
Its done 40k and the leather is worn and on an auto stick, are his hand like sandpaper?
 
1) Buying privately can be great and you could get a bargain - But cars are getting ever more complicated. I would not like to spend £14k on a car then discover it needs expensive repairs and be left high and dry with no comeback on the seller.
2) Peace of mind that the cost of expensive repairs won't sting you for the next two years.
3) If the 2.0TFSI (with the miller cycle) is as economical as the 1.8TFSI (40+mpg) you would have to do a lot of miles to see a vast saving with diesel. The 2.0TFSI will be a lot more fun to drive. The Diesel also has a cambelt that at 40k miles you would soon need to change, No cambelt on the 2.0TFSI.
4) Quattro will be more expensive, cost a bit on economy, extra servicing etc. but with the torque the 184 kicks out, you could find a FWD struggles to keep hold in certain situations.
£20k does seem a lot to pay for a car that is over three years old.
 
11k on a a 3 year old diesel means it probably hasn't been driven on particularly long journeys which isn't ideal. I'd go with the 65 plate and try and barter it down a bit based on what you've said about it needing new tyres soon etc.

I had a 2014 remapped 1.8tfsi (not quattro), very smooth drive and I got 38mpg (calculated figures, not from the trip) over the course of almost 3 years and 22,000 miles. I don't drive fast and set cruise on 65mph on motorways, so I think expecting to achieve over 40mpg is optimistic (the newer 2.0L petrol engine may be more refined so you may squeeze a bit more out of it).

FWIW the 2016 184 (not quattro) that I've got now feels like it pulls better even without a remap. My road tax is £30 so don't think the emissions is an issue (my 1.84tfsi was £145). I was doing about 6000 a year, now around 14,000.
 
will_0407 said:
I had a 2014 remapped 1.8tfsi (not quattro), very smooth drive and I got 38mpg (calculated figures, not from the trip) over the course of almost 3 years and 22,000 miles. I don't drive fast and set cruise on 65mph on motorways, so I think expecting to achieve over 40mpg is optimistic (the newer 2.0L petrol engine may be more refined so you may squeeze a bit more out of it).
Click to expand...
Over three years my stock manual 1.8 returned long term average 42.7mpg on the DIS and regularly calculated at 40. Best run was a motorway trip of around 250 miles driving 'normally' at 70-80 mph and the DIS rolled up to a trip average of 50mpg.
 
Matt Titanium said:
Over three years my stock manual 1.8 returned long term average 42.7mpg on the DIS and regularly calculated at 40. Best run was a motorway trip of around 250 miles driving 'normally' at 70-80 mph and the DIS rolled up to a trip average of 50mpg.
Click to expand...

What year was yours? I think the highest I got it up to on one trip was mid 50s but that was a long motorway stretch where there was a 50pmh speed limit.

I’ve had over 40mpg on a tank plenty of times, but also had well below if the tank had a lot of short trips. Always returned better mpg in the summer too.

My overall spend to go to the 184 wasn’t that much given I got a newer car with a hatful of factory options, I’d be lying if I didn’t say part of the reason was for changing was that I got the idea in my head and had to scratch the itch! My 1.8tfsi was very solid though, never skipped a beat and I’d likely have kept it if I hadn’t come across the 184 with the spec I got because it needed to be a particularly good spec and a good enough price for it to be worthwhile for me to part ways.
 
2013 sport. Audi seduced me to buy an S3 with a loan car and a px deal/discount I couldn't refuse.
 
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