Looking for some opinions on buying an s3.

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Gareth F

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Hi im new,
Just signed up on here as i hear its the best audi forum around.
Looking at buying an s3 but im stuck with two options:
A: Buy one with around 66k miles 2002 FSH for £8.6k and pay it off for quite a while
or
B: Buy one on 110k 2001 good SH for £5.4k and pay it off quickly and drive it a bit more.

What are these cars like on higher milage, has anyone bought high milage before or does everyone buy low milage for stacks more cash?

Obviously ill be looking into hows its been serviced and if the cmbelt and pump has been done at correct times.

Any help would be great :icon_thumright:
 
B: Buy one on 110k 2001 good SH for £5.4k and pay it off quickly and drive it a bit more.

As long as it has been maintained with full catalogued service history
 
These engines run for miles. Check service history. Spend a couple of quid on an AA health check so you know what you are getting yourself into.

There is always option C; buy it when you can afford it, in servicing costs and consumables etc.
 
Agree with Finesse. Be patient, don't stretch your finances and find a clean example inside and out.
 
Mileage isnt the concern with these cars, its the fact there getting on to be 10 years old, if the engine has been serviced and maintained properly it shouldnt cause you any problems. Its things like suspension that will be likely to cost you as after 10 years of use (millage will effect also) its going to be tired. A high mileage car may have had things like new arbs, shocks, and dampers. A fair number of people change these items for uprated equipment to improve the drive of the S3 (Audi set it up to understeer) so dont be put off by modifications like these. As someone pointed out make sure you can afford to run the car not just buy it.
 
How much would you guys say your out goings on your car alone be? I would probably have about £450 a month spare to pay off loan and run the car.
I do probably about 1000 miles a month maximum (will reduce in a year) so about £180-£200 on fuel.
1000 / 30 (mpg) = 33.33 (gallons)
33.33g x 4.5 (litres) = 150l
150l x £1.20 = £180
I know this may go up as the mpg will change but as a rough figure would this be correct?
I have a few friends in garages that can do work very cheaply so labour charges are not a problem but are parts that expensive?
 
I have had mine about three months max. Fuel (low mileage) is about 60£ a month. New battery, £85. New wipers, £10. Tax in May, £225.

September onwards I will need MOT which will most likely mean brakes as well.

But compare this to a new clutch, engine wiring loom x3, throttle body, injectors, headlights, window electrics and God knows what else in the few years I had my ***** Clio . . .
 
Depends on whats parts, general servicing bits are about the same as any other car (i.e. oil, filters) the rest just depends on what your replacing/fixing and if your wanting OEM or happy using 3rd party parts (i.e. GSF/Eurocar Part). Example costs: I replaced the front discs, and front and rear pads and brake fluid when I first got my S3, buying all the parts from Audi and fitting myself. Parts came to £200. Going for a decent set of disc and pads (black diamond etc) the price for front discs and pads would be over £200. Other things you need to consider is road tax, insurance and tyres. I use goodyear eagle F1's on my 17's I can get them fitted for about £90 a corner.
 
So parts are not that expensive, my house mates lupo gti brakes cost more than that!
Road tax is about £35 more expensive than my current car so not that bad, insurance is £758 fc where as it was £560.
The friend that can do work on my car works for a tyre garage so its all good.
Eagle F1's are amazing tyres i must say after trying them last year.
 
They are superb cars, but there is no point buying a car if you can only afford the car, not the parts that come with any 8 year old vehicle.

If the lower cost is putting you in debt, don't.

:)
 
Why are they a money pit, surely just the same as a 1.8t A3 quattro?
 
Because they are great to mod as well. I currently have a list as long as my arm for a car I intended on buying and not modding. Wheels, brakes, suspension, remap. etc
 
Wouldnt think the Lupo brakes would be more exspensive unless he's running a non standard setup e.g. 4 pots, or his price included fitting (mine was parts only) The standard discs are only 256mm on the GTI the S3 items are 312mm.
 
It's incredible how much these cars range in price. I was just browsing Autotrader, £13,495 for an 8L standard S3 from Audi Gatwick! That's an expensive warranty.
 
The lupo prices were from dealership and yes standard brakes, seemed to be very steep as they are only £35 from german and swedish.
Ah i can handle the whole money pit being on moddified parts, i was worried as in just to run them were money pits costing £1000's just to keep on the road :)
Ive got a few mods to sell off the corsa (works out £1000 in parts and then sell the standard car for just £300 )
Would be happy to keep the audi standard as they look good but i know ill get the bug within months lol.
Seems like you all mod your audis with normal oem parts and keep them simple which is what i like, went to see one today and have changed my mind to black rather than silver.
Bar the fact it was a right state (badly resprayed rear bumper which had crap stuck in the paint and 1 coat of lacquer then wet and dry sanded and then left and cracked rear light etc) it made me more sure of the fact i wanted one!
What kind of things do people tend to change first?
 
I've kept mine standard, but i'd say you either go down one of 3 routes first, suspension, remap, or brakes. I will be going down the suspension route soon as my dampers are getting on and even though I've replaced 3 springs I'm going to fork out on a set of lowering springs too now. Oh and then im going down the brake route next (just uprated items not a four pot setup). MIght have it remap on day but being a home owner I have other things i'd prefer to spend my money on these days.
 
Gareth F said:
How much would you guys say your out goings on your car alone be? I would probably have about £450 a month spare to pay off loan and run the car.
I do probably about 1000 miles a month maximum (will reduce in a year) so about £180-£200 on fuel.
1000 / 30 (mpg) = 33.33 (gallons)
33.33g x 4.5 (litres) = 150l
150l x £1.20 = £180
I know this may go up as the mpg will change but as a rough figure would this be correct
I have a few friends in garages that can do work very cheaply so labour charges are not a problem but are parts that expensive?
Click to expand...



New S3 in the drive and you think you'll get 30mpg! You'll have a lead foot for the first few months, 20mpg more like it!
 
i bought mine 4yrs ago with 64k on the clock its cost me no more than £200 in those 4yrs that was for 2 sensors thats the only problem ive had.
its been a gem of a car any other pennies spent was on wear and tear bits and bobs i.e rear discs and pads most recent, oem less than £60 from tps
 
Why not buy a newer lower mileage A3 1.8T and remap it to 220bhp? same performance, you can then think further at later date EG:suspension, wheels ect! cheaper to insure too!
Just a thought!..:tocktock:
 
Buy mine! That's the only opinion I have for you. :icon_thumright:
 
JD09 said:
Because they are great to mod as well. I currently have a list as long as my arm for a car I intended on buying and not modding. Wheels, brakes, suspension, remap. etc
Click to expand...
tell me about it i brought mine planning on keeping it std and clean as it looked and drove so well compared to my previous 2003 sri corsa, however i spent 8k modding my corsa so to avoid modding the audi would be hard to avoid owned it just over 2 years now brought and modded ive spent around 19k on it :faint:
 
I do ~1000 miles a month and spend about £250ish a month on fuel.

Hence the reason I am selling mine.
The only problem with buying a high mileage car for me is, has the previous owner maintained it, and I dont just mean servicing it, I mean to be quite anal about things on the car that don't actually need replacing. like a lot of the guys are on here.
For example I asked my mechanic to inspect all the bushes on the car and he said they were all fine, not entirely happy with this I replaced a lot of them anyway, for my own piece of mind.
The cam belt also was done by the previous owner at 88k, at 114k I replaced the cam belt and water pump, again for my own piece of mind.

Now I know most car owners aren't like us lot on here and try and spend as little as possible on there cars hence they start to become a little rough round the edges.
for the record I am hoping to sell a 122,000 miles S3 for ~ £5500 but as I said mine has been well maintained, so i think its worth the money.

If you think the 110k car you are looking at has been well enough maintained then certainly go for it. Any doubt in your mind then dont bother not on a budget of up to £450 a month.
I was the same as other guys also that I had no intention of modding the car other than a remap and have the same arm length shopping list of mods I want for the car.

I truly hope I own another S3 one day as it has been without doubt one of the best cars I have driven (fairly limited selection, but still)

Regards
James
 
My experience, i maybe streched myself a bit.
Got a 51 plate with 74ish on the clock.
£5800 it needed cambelt and had rust on the roof (common problem, got this done under warranty)
i have spent a fair whack on it, not because of any problems but because i wanted too...

MPG - i can get 35mpg, use mainly motorways so car stays pretty good like that!

Make sure you get a good one as i can see potential for huge bills if things go wrong but generally very good cars high or low mileage, go the cheaper option and save yourself some cash to spend upgrading!
 
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