HI Guys
I am looking to get a New Ish A3 1.6 TDI Sport on 2012 plate 10,000 miles from the main dealer.
Have any of you got any tips to look out for or know of major issues that this model has.
thanks Harry
Well...
1. If you want one then move quickly - I've missed three deals in the last 5 days by dithering !
2. I've secured one tonight, swapping in my Mk 6 Golf with the same engine and gearbox.After 63k miles in the Golf I can safely say..
a - you can get good economy from this engine - i used to do a regular north to south wales run on the A roads and when traffic conditions or my mood dictated, I would just go with the general flow at 50-53mph, then I could get 67+ mpg. My best for the trip was 76.3mpg using the cruise and tootling at 52mph for most of the journey (61mph on dual carriageways).
b - you can also get poor economy - a 20 mile motorway run at 80mph on the cruise will give you 44-45mpg
c - the engine isn't the best for A/B road overtaking - i fitted a tuning box for a while and it did make a big difference but i got fed up taking it off for servicing so it stayed off. I learnt to be more patient and preserve my license !
d - tyres and wheel size make a big difference to mpg - I got 5mpg more on average on my lighter, thinner 15" steel wheel winter tyre combination than on my 17" summer wheel set, based on 3 winters and 24k miles.
3. - Faults - I had a high pressure fuel pump failure after 14 months, 21k miles - fixed under warranty otherwise £1200. And in the last month a EGR valve failure that VW paid 95% of the bill, even though out of warranty (would have been £1000).
These faults could happen to any make or model though - all Bosch units
My fathers A3 1.8TFSI Sport (MY10) has been faultless - not a single fault in 3.5 years.