Thoughts after few years ownership

[JKP]

I thought let's put up a topic about how do you feel about your car after owning it for a while. For me, as most of you might know, this current one is the second 8Y for me. The first one I had was the best and the worst car I've ever owned - worst because of the exessive amount of teething problems, which were also the reason I got it replaced, and the best because of it's abilities. I had that one for 2,5 years and now I'm getting to a point of having the current car for 2 years (and the warranty being expired).

Let's not go into the problems of my first piece of 8Y. The current one's been a whole lot more reliable, only two really important issues to fix - defected front seat airbag and a SOS call unit. But I've been concerned with lots of minor build quality issues I really didn't have with the old car, mostly with annoying rattles here and there, and I was expecting not to have any of those with a car that's already been there for a while. The unsolved dash rattle is the worst one, fortunately it doesn't exist all the time. And the howling tyre noise, I don't really know what's the main source of it. I had a bit of similar with the old car, worse with the current one. It wasn't there with winter tyres earlier but now I have it with them also, so I'd really like to know what's the reason and how to get rid of it. Without it, and if there won't be any more major issues to come, this could be considered as a perfect car, for now, after all.

I really love the handling, and with the 35 TFSI engine, it's definitely quick enough for my driving and especially for my budget. An S3 would always be nicer but it's not realistic for me. I also still like the styling a lot, as well as the interior functionality, seats and ergonomics. After driving some conisderably more expensive newer cars I mostly feel better when coming back to my car as everything is where I want them to be, especially everything that's still behind buttons in A3. And the steering feel, I don't know how they managed to make it so much better than many competitors or even other Audis. I'm in a situation where I don't have to care about space or practicality other than what I prefer, so I can pretty much enjoy the ride, and that's what I think A3 offers well.

 

[KXL]

I've had mine (still have it till Aug 2025), it's 30TFSI Sport MHEV trim. Could do with a bit more power (like 120plus bhp at least) but I knew what I was getting into, plus it isn't so bad for general use, until I need to overtake 1 lorry, and 1 car transporter in one go, on a single (two way) carriageway 60mph limit. Then I wished I had the 35/40TFSI or S3! Plus side is average mpg over close to 9k miles is 48mpg! Doing around 50% city, 30% xtra urban and 20% motorway. Seen as low as 26mpg (super heavy traffic) and once or twice 70mpg over 15 miles extra urban roads.
The only annoying issues i had at the start was the software (and SOS ping). Once that was solved, perfect! No rattles (yet), just once it was an unsecured sunvisor!
B&O to my ears after the bedding in process very good for this price point. One of the better 'sound upgrade' but i hear not as polished as B&O in previous gen A3. My other reference was a Volvo V40 with 'high performance 4x45watt' 8 speakers no sub sound and Seat Ibiza with 'seat sound system' which has 8 speakers plus amp (135 watt) and sub. This sub was probably more powerful than B&O, do wonder if B&O really has a 680 watt amp?
Road noise depends on the roads, at times I can be going at 70mph on 'quiet' tarmac and it's so quiet, else could be super loud on rough tarmac. Have 17inch rims on Pirelli P7 C2, rotated them, so after 12k miles, still have 5mm overall, should not need to change tyres before it goes back to lessor. I believe 45 profile 17 inch tyres is perfect compromise between road noise, comfort, fuel economy, handling. Can't comment much on handling as I don't really drive fast nor corner fast, but maybe also in the back of my mind I've got the torsion beam rear setup, so better not test its weakness.
MMI and Virtual cockpit, quite intuitive and physical buttons for AC controls is so simple to use! Would i get another, if the price i paid on lease for this one is similar then of course!

 

[Simon50s]

I've had mine (still have it till Aug 2025), it's 30TFSI Sport MHEV trim. Could do with a bit more power (like 120plus bhp at least) but I knew what I was getting into, plus it isn't so bad for general use, until I need to overtake 1 lorry, and 1 car transporter in one go, on a single (two way) carriageway 60mph limit. Then I wished I had the 35/40TFSI or S3! Plus side is average mpg over close to 9k miles is 48mpg! Doing around 50% city, 30% xtra urban and 20% motorway. Seen as low as 26mpg (super heavy traffic) and once or twice 70mpg over 15 miles extra urban roads.
The only annoying issues i had at the start was the software (and SOS ping). Once that was solved, perfect! No rattles (yet), just once it was an unsecured sunvisor!
B&O to my ears after the bedding in process very good for this price point. One of the better 'sound upgrade' but i hear not as polished as B&O in previous gen A3. My other reference was a Volvo V40 with 'high performance 4x45watt' 8 speakers no sub sound and Seat Ibiza with 'seat sound system' which has 8 speakers plus amp (135 watt) and sub. This sub was probably more powerful than B&O, do wonder if B&O really has a 680 watt amp?
Road noise depends on the roads, at times I can be going at 70mph on 'quiet' tarmac and it's so quiet, else could be super loud on rough tarmac. Have 17inch rims on Pirelli P7 C2, rotated them, so after 12k miles, still have 5mm overall, should not need to change tyres before it goes back to lessor. I believe 45 profile 17 inch tyres is perfect compromise between road noise, comfort, fuel economy, handling. Can't comment much on handling as I don't really drive fast nor corner fast, but maybe also in the back of my mind I've got the torsion beam rear setup, so better not test its weakness.
MMI and Virtual cockpit, quite intuitive and physical buttons for AC controls is so simple to use! Would i get another, if the price i paid on lease for this one is similar then of course!

Always nice to hear feedback from another 1.0 litre owner. I'm only 9 months into ownership and not much to share other than I'm still really pleased with every aspect of my saloon, including the engine performance. As you say, economy is a also a big plus for me with the 1.0 litre. I fill up once a month. It might not be enough power for some, but it's ideal for me. For commuting it's just me in the car and other times just one passenger driving on flat ground so the engine has no problem. I rarely have four passengers, but on the few occassions I have, the engine has coped fine.

 

[helicopter_red]

I have the 35 TDI S Line, no issues from new which surprised me after reading so many other reviews.
When the rear tyres were worn down to 2-3mm they became very noisy almost like a rear bearing or the Howl as previously described.
Biggest gripe with the car is the drivers side speaker/door rattles when listening to normal music, I don't have the bass cranked up or anything crazy like that, its just rattles and ruins the whole sound, also the arm rest squeaks when leaning my elbow on it.

My fuel consumption has been really good, my from new overall average has been 60mpg, which mostly consists of longish journeys and some short, but lately has dropped of a cliff, I cant get into the 60's at the moment, i know diesels dont like the cold but don't recall it being this noticeable? still feels the same power as before so don't think anything mechanical is wrong, I have recently had Michelin pilot sports fitted so could be that?

The Michelins are horrible had them balanced twice and still getting vibrations, I'm thinking of going elsewhere for a second opinion, but even though everyone slated the Bridgestones i preferred them to the Michelins.
Power wise the 35 is about right for a standard car, quick enough to safely overtake, more would be nice but not really a necessity.
Its a nice car to drive, I think the interior still looks smart, although I think the outside already looks a little bit dated compared to newer cars out there, could just be the colour? I would still buy another one though, but perhaps when that time comes i may be forced against my will to go electric, which would severely limit my choice on brand and budget.

 

[JKP]

Got to consider myself lucky as I don't have rattles caused by speakers, seems to be fairly common.

Pilots might cause the drop in mpg, they have a lot higher rolling resistance than the AO Bridgestones. I have a similar experience. I got great mpg with my old car with Pirellis, now the consumption is notably worse with Goodyear Eagle Asymmetric 6's I bought to replace the Bridgestones my current car came with. Still not bad mpg anyway. I read the Asy's also have quite high rolling resistance, I guess it causes the difference. Now I have better mpg with winter tyres, with the old car there was no big difference between summer and winter tyres. (Same winter tyres, I kept them when I changed the car).

Now I'm glad I didn't end up with the Pilots, I was choosing between them and the Goodyears, ended up with Asy's because I got them surprisingly cheap and they got almost as good reviews than the Michelins. A bit shame I only recently found out by chance that there is an AO version available of the same tyre, they would have much better rolling resistance but same price as the standars ones I got.

The sales guy called me last week and asked if he should make me an offer of the new car. I know it's not profitable yet but asked for the offer out of curiosity. Looks like I'm gonna keep my current car for a good while. They priced it a bit lower than I expected and the new car with same spec is about 15 % more than what it costed when I bought mine.

Just had the first maintenance done yesterday.

 

[DFish]

I have the 35 TSFI Sline, which replaced an Abarth 180 Comp. The reason for the purchase was due to my role changing and needed something that could sit on long motorway journeys with a larger degree of comfort than the Abarth. Having cruise and electric everything it ticked the boxes I wanted.

The car hasn't missed a beat, and proved to be the right car for the job. The only thing I miss is the fun factor whilst driving, I just find it so boring to drive.

 

[JKP]

I see why you find it boring if your comparison is to Abarth. Definitely it feels boring if you like a demanding car to inspire you. I pesonally like how impeccable it feels no matter how hard you push it or how bad the weather is. It just feels very capable and it can be easily driven ridiculously quick.

 

[Jason1987]

I’ve got an s3 coming from a focus diesel. How does the s3 mpg compare to a normal 2.0 petrol car? Does the s3 drink or is it the same as most 2.0 car as long as you aren’t flooring it due to the turbo? Would I notice much difference in fuel use going from an S3 to a 35 tfsi?

 

[JKP]

My current long-term consumption is 6,5 l/100 km on avg. speed 48 km/h. Those convert to 36 mpg and 30 mph. Comparing the official mpg figures between S3 and 35 TFSI it looks like you should be only doing 22 mpg with the same average speed as mine. I remember my previous car saying 5,6 l/100 with 55 km/h avg speed (42 mpg / 34 mph). I had more long trips back then but I think with these tyres I won't be seeing those numbers with this car.

Some lower-tuned 2.0 engines do slower speeds more economically than the S3 but I think for mostly city driving it's basically an oversized engine.

I remember you told you also have mostly very short commute etc. I think you would have a significant improvement in fuel economics if you trade your S3 to a 35 TFSI. It's also significantly slower but does it matter if you're not pushing it on B roads at all?

 

[Jason1987]

My current long-term consumption is 6,5 l/100 km on avg. speed 48 km/h. Those convert to 36 mpg and 30 mph. Comparing the official mpg figures between S3 and 35 TFSI it looks like you should be only doing 22 mpg with the same average speed as mine. I remember my previous car saying 5,6 l/100 with 55 km/h avg speed (42 mpg / 34 mph). I had more long trips back then but I think with these tyres I won't be seeing those numbers with this car.

Some lower-tuned 2.0 engines do slower speeds more economically than the S3 but I think for mostly city driving it's basically an oversized engine.

I remember you told you also have mostly very short commute etc. I think you would have a significant improvement in fuel economics if you trade your S3 to a 35 TFSI. It's also significantly slower but does it matter if you're not pushing it on B roads at all?

Also I remember the older a3/a4 had a 2.0 turbo with around 190bhp. Is that similar to s3 in fuel? I’m not too worried about the mpg, it’s just the fact I’ve gone from a diesel to a petrol s3, so it’s hard to gauge what’s just normal for a petrol compared to diesel mpg and what’s due to it being an s3. For example on paper, the mpg figures don’t look much different to. 2.0 ford mondeo from the Mid 2000’s for example etc

 

[Santiago]

Also I remember the older a3/a4 had a 2.0 turbo with around 190bhp. Is that similar to s3 in fuel? I’m not too worried about the mpg, it’s just the fact I’ve gone from a diesel to a petrol s3, so it’s hard to gauge what’s just normal for a petrol compared to diesel mpg and what’s due to it being an s3.

That's really an impossible question to answer (quantitatively) as it depends entirely on your own driving style and journey types. You would only know the answer if you had gone from your Ford diesel to a petrol A3 and then to an S3. It's obvious that the S3 will use more fuel than any A3 variant but you won't know the precise difference.

 

[Simon50s]

My current long-term consumption is 6,5 l/100 km on avg. speed 48 km/h. Those convert to 36 mpg and 30 mph. Comparing the official mpg figures between S3 and 35 TFSI it looks like you should be only doing 22 mpg with the same average speed as mine. I remember my previous car saying 5,6 l/100 with 55 km/h avg speed (42 mpg / 34 mph). I had more long trips back then but I think with these tyres I won't be seeing those numbers with this car.

Some lower-tuned 2.0 engines do slower speeds more economically than the S3 but I think for mostly city driving it's basically an oversized engine.

I remember you told you also have mostly very short commute etc. I think you would have a significant improvement in fuel economics if you trade your S3 to a 35 TFSI. It's also significantly slower but does it matter if you're not pushing it on B roads at all?

I was thinking that your mpg sounded quite low but then I realised that it's for US mpg which is lower than UK mpg. That wouId mean yours is 43 British mpg which sounds much better to me as I tend to use the British mpg figures. I just checked my long-term for my 1 litre and it's showing 6.0 l/100 km which would be about 47 British mpg, so not actually that different to yours. But my overall average speed is a mere 37 km/ which equates to only 23 mph. My fuel consumption was more like 5.1 and occassionally better, during the summer but has dropped quite alot since I put on my set of winter tyres. Of course the weather conditions will also have an impact on fuel consumption, albeit a lesser degree than the tyres. It may also be that I was doing more longer journeys during the summer.

Still, as you say, the S3 fuel consumption is quite low, which you would expect for a performance car so that makes the 35 TFSI a significant improvement in that respect.

 

[JKP]

Damn! Thanks for correcting me, I didn't realize at all I was using the wrong units. I just took the first conversion tool from Google and didn't question the results.

... Why can't everybody use the metric system. I cringe every time I hear a car journalist say an engine having "pound-feet of torque"

 

[Simon50s]

Damn! Thanks for correcting me, I didn't realize at all I was using the wrong units. I just took the first conversion tool from Google and didn't question the results.

... Why can't everybody use the metric system. I cringe every time I hear a car journalist say an engine having "pound-feet of torque"

No worries - easily done!

 

[Vic20]

40 TFSIe PHEV after nearly 3 years 20,000 miles.

No issues, quiet ,smooth and cheap to run.

 

[gaaraofthesand]

Always nice to hear feedback from another 1.0 litre owner. I'm only 9 months into ownership and not much to share other than I'm still really pleased with every aspect of my saloon, including the engine performance. As you say, economy is a also a big plus for me with the 1.0 litre. I fill up once a month. It might not be enough power for some, but it's ideal for me. For commuting it's just me in the car and other times just one passenger driving on flat ground so the engine has no problem. I rarely have four passengers, but on the few occassions I have, the engine has coped fine.

How was your SOS ping and software issue solved?

 

[KXL]

How was your SOS ping and software issue solved?

Dealership visit for software update

 

[mike60e]

Not acknowledging there's a problem

A3 Edition 1 The car that started being a great car now starring to be a nightmare. Over last few months warning lights come on randomly. MyAudi app not syncing when my wife's already set it up when using the car. On the app shows car with windows open, unlocked and with boot open. MMI screen...

r.tapatalk.com

Collected new Edition 1 - Glacier white

Happy so far...... We've only had the new car for a few days now and we've only done 400 miles but feels that it's been put together alot better than the previous 2020 car. Might be tempting fate but everything seems to work how it should without the gremlins. Mmi feels like it runs faster and...

r.tapatalk.com

Having only had our new car for only a few days and driving only 400 miles it feels like a totally different car to the previous two A3 Edition 1's. First was a 2020 gremlin car in Turbo blue and spent more time at the dealership and the 2nd was a 2022 car in Glacier white and was a pleasure to own and never had any issues.
Might be a bit early to say, the steering seems a lot nicer to drive and the handling seems more improved. Slight new changes in the interior and no badges on the rear but instead the model being on the gloss black side pillar. The warning sounds are bit annoying like check for rear passengers, car just ticking over, etc.
So far really happy with it

 

[Simon50s]

Looks good. I’ve got the pre-facelift 2024 model saloon and very happy with it - no problems after one year of ownership.

 

[JKP]

Having only had our new car for only a few days and driving only 400 miles it feels like a totally different car to the previous two A3 Edition 1's. First was a 2020 gremlin car in Turbo blue and spent more time at the dealership and the 2nd was a 2022 car in Glacier white and was a pleasure to own and never had any issues.
Might be a bit early to say, the steering seems a lot nicer to drive and the handling seems more improved. Slight new changes in the interior and no badges on the rear but instead the model being on the gloss black side pillar. The warning sounds are bit annoying like check for rear passengers, car just ticking over, etc.
So far really happy with it

I'd like to ask a few things: Which model is it technically? And which tyres did it come with? How do you feel about the chassis, and how would you compare it to the pre-FL one? I test drove a 30 TFSI some while ago and it felt quite the opposite of what you described. The standard suspension felt more bumpy than the sport one of mine and also the steering felt a bit vague, unlike my car. It had Nexen tyres, so could be they were just way softer than my Goodyears. The test driven car felt more like mine with winter tyres, seems like 8Y benefits from harder tyres. Also yours seems to have 19" wheels, whilst the test driven one had 17", which must also affect something.

 

[mike60e]

I'd like to ask a few things: Which model is it technically? And which tyres did it come with? How do you feel about the chassis, and how would you compare it to the pre-FL one? I test drove a 30 TFSI some while ago and it felt quite the opposite of what you described. The standard suspension felt more bumpy than the sport one of mine and also the steering felt a bit vague, unlike my car. It had Nexen tyres, so could be they were just way softer than my Goodyears. The test driven car felt more like mine with winter tyres, seems like 8Y benefits from harder tyres. Also yours seems to have 19" wheels, whilst the test driven one had 17", which must also affect something.

It's a Black edition saloon with Bridgestone potenza's on and yes they are 19's. It's still quite early to say a proper review on the two but give me a few weeks and I'll let you know.

 

[JKP]

Ok thanks.
I meant which powertrain does it have?
Interesting that they fit Potenza's on A3's even though it's S-Line. Those should be quite hardcore tyres, I get why they'd be fitted to S3 or RS3. But indeed the steering must be sharper then than with 17" Nexens.

 

[monkeyhanger]

Ok thanks.
I meant which powertrain does it have?
Interesting that they fit Potenza's on A3's even though it's S-Line. Those should be quite hardcore tyres, I get why they'd be fitted to S3 or RS3. But indeed the steering must be sharper then than with 17" Nexens.

Potenzas are crap tyres for everyday use, always have been. The compound is extremely hard, they only really warm/soften up when driven hard on a track. My 2023 S3 came on Potenzas and I swapped them out because grip, traction and ride are bad in the Summer and truly awful in the Winter in a way that Michelins and Goodyear's never are. The traction control lit up easily with the Bridgestones and don't light up at all on the Goodyear Asy6.

After 2 years, I'm hankering for an RS3, but just don't think I can justify the extra money for what I perceived will be a marginally better driving experience (apart from the exhaust note).

 

[JKP]

Just pulled the trigger and ordered the facelift car. Estimated delivery time should be three monts, we'll see. The sales guy told it might come even quicker but still the estimate on the order paper says between September and December. Hopefully it comes before the winter...

 

[Simon50s]

Just pulled the trigger and ordered the facelift car. Estimated delivery time should be three monts, we'll see. The sales guy told it might come even quicker but still the estimate on the order paper says between September and December. Hopefully it comes before the winter...

Congratulations!

3 months doesn't sound bad. Nice to have that to look forward to and I'm sure it will prove to be a good decision.