Buying a used Audi A3: It says a lot about the Audi A3 that the new model is almost indistinguishable from the older one, first produced in 1996.
The reason for this evolutionary-rather-than-revolutionary approach to the development of the car is because the A3 seemed to hit a certain note right from the beginning.Compact, well-built, conservatively styled and functional, the A3 was a step beyond the appeal of the Golf and there is no doubt but that it appealed very strongly to women. Can you remember seeing a man drive one?
Introduced originally as a three-door, and a very expensive one at that, the A3 offered a premium compact experience.
A more accurate description would be a small car with a big car feel about it.
It had almost everything of the bigger Audi range going for it - strong and comfortable seats, a dashboard with clean lines and functional switchgear, good head and leg room and a real feeling of security.
The car also drove well, with crisp handling, well balanced steering and a slightly sharp ride.
The outgoing model has a choice of engines but the most appealing and practical are the 1.6 litre petrol and the 1.9 direct injection diesel.
The petrol is a pretty impressive town and country engine while the diesel unit is a real scorcher, with punchy performance even at lower revs. It is also very economical over long distances.
In my view the A3 has always been over-priced and I really believe that Audi in Ireland would have sold a good many more A3s if the price had been more attractive, but then that exclusive cachet might take a bit of a hammering if that was the case. The high price is reflected in the second-hand values of the car.
A 2000 1.6 petrol model has an asking price of €16,000 at one garage and a 2002 standard 1.6 petrol has an asking price of 19,995 at another. Again, it is worth mentioning that these are asking prices and you should be aiming for a discount of at least 1,000 or more for a straight cash deal.
Despite its famed slogan about vorsprung durch technik, Audi has had its problems with the A3. Build-up of carbon on throttle housing (something from which almost all German cars now seem to suffer) is the same problem as we have seen on the VW Golf and the Opel Astra.
The engine management system is known to have caused a lot of problems for some owners, there are fault lights coming on in some cars for no reason and the timing belt has to be replaced at 60,000 miles, which is a very low point indeed.
Overall , the A3 is a reasonably attractive proposition on the second-hand market mainly because of its image, even if the price is enough to put me off.
And it is not a car I would be happy buying second-hand without having it checked out fully. Preferably it should have a full service record too.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
• Throttle housing problems.
• Engine management system faults.
• Warning lights coming on without reason, requiring pointless investigation.
• Timing belts have to be replaced at a very early stage.