A3 buying advice for specific cars

[audinooooob]

Hi , I'm comparing A3's that are:
$7k , 100k miles, '09 WAUHE78P79A040000
$11k , 80k miles , '11 WAUKEAFM0BA155264
$16k , 40k miles , '12 WAUKEAFM8DA032380

My goal is to own a car with the lowest total cost including purchase and maintenance after driving it 50k miles. They all have clean titles and look like in similar condition.

Which car would you guys recommend between these? Are there any particular years that are better than others?

The '09 seems interesting because it will have the lowest depreciation hit over 50k miles plus it will give me a 9k budget for maintenance over the '12 .

Any recommendations or insight is greatly appreciated!

 

[abmat]

It would be good if you stated what models they were.

 

[audinooooob]

It would be good if you stated what models they were.

They’re all a3 ‘s

 

[34stuey]

Could only view listings for the ‘09 & ‘11, maybe the ‘12 has been purchased & delisted. The ‘09 suggests it has damage but from limited poor quality pictures it’s difficult to see whole condition of vehicle. The ‘11 is presented better. None of the listings show any service history which is key to see and understand regular service and any repairs. Not teaching you to suck eggs but assume you have seen the vehicles. Based on the limited pictures and information the ‘11 may be the best balance between the three but would check service history first. Not familiar with the petrol 2.0T but assume it has cambelt/s that need changing, 80k is around the time for belt change I think. So get the service history and work out how much you need to spend in the first 3 months of ownership. If you are planning to drive it for another 50k miles then at 130k you may find the wheel bearings, clutch and dual mass flywheel need renewing (assuming automatics have DMF’s?) along with other minor gremlins.
Go see it test drive it then sleep on it (not literally) before you part with your hard earned cash!

 

[34stuey]

Could only view listings for the ‘09 & ‘11, maybe the ‘12 has been purchased & delisted. The ‘09 suggests it has damage but from limited poor quality pictures it’s difficult to see whole condition of vehicle. The ‘11 is presented better. None of the listings show any service history which is key to see and understand regular service and any repairs. Not teaching you to suck eggs but assume you have seen the vehicles. Based on the limited pictures and information the ‘11 may be the best balance between the three but would check service history first. Not familiar with the petrol 2.0T but assume it has cambelt/s that need changing, 80k is around the time for belt change I think. So get the service history and work out how much you need to spend in the first 3 months of ownership. If you are planning to drive it for another 50k miles then at 130k you may find the wheel bearings, clutch and dual mass flywheel need renewing (assuming automatics have DMF’s?) along with other minor gremlins.
Go see it test drive it then sleep on it (not literally) before you part with your hard earned cash!

Your decision also depends on how mechanically minded you are. I am guessing that with a service/repair budget of $9k based on buying the cheaper option you are relying on a garage to do all repairs. The older models have worked harder and benefit less from upgrades to eliminate production/design problems. My ‘09 needed the brake servo replacing, I did that myself because it wasn’t worth spending more than 50% of the cars value on a garage repair.
Good luck.

 

[audinooooob]

Your decision also depends on how mechanically minded you are. I am guessing that with a service/repair budget of $9k based on buying the cheaper option you are relying on a garage to do all repairs. The older models have worked harder and benefit less from upgrades to eliminate production/design problems. My ‘09 needed the brake servo replacing, I did that myself because it wasn’t worth spending more than 50% of the cars value on a garage repair.
Good luck.

Thanks for all the tips ! Is there a general a3 buyers guide that you would recommend on the forum or elsewhere?

 

[34stuey]

Thanks for all the tips ! Is there a general a3 buyers guide that you would recommend on the forum or elsewhere?

Try these links here:

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www.audi-sport.net

2.0t FSI Engine Common Problems to Look out for on VW and Audi's

If you own a VW or Audi with a 2.0t FSI engine, you will need to look out for common issues. In this article we lay out the most common issues with the FSI engines, with detail on how to spot and address them.

www.shopdap.com

When you see the car check everything works as expected, mechanical and electrical, it will take time so dont rush it. Spend some time here on the forum looking at the various posts around issues/problems as that will give you a flavour of what to look for and expect.