USED Audi A3 Hatchback (03 - )

My car

Ive had nothing but problems with this car, so much so that I am in the process right now of sending the car back and demanding a different one.

The list of problems thus far: Glass fragments inside the tailgate and boot area! Steering wheel out of alignment, through wheel alignment being out and ruining two front tyres! In car phone kit faulty! Rear bumper fixings broken! Inner arch linings needing to be replaced! Rear Shock absorbers needing to be replaced! Nearside front Xenon head lamp washer faulty! Xenon headlamp auto system faulty and now needs new head lamp clusters to be fitted!

All this and ive only had the vehicle 3 weeks!!!

Obviously now I'm extrememly disappointed and am at present in talks with the dealer who is trying to find me a new car, BUT are offering me cars of lower value or lower specs as mine!

All in all, the car is a nightmare, would I buy one again!? I dont know, as this may be an isolated incident.

Would I recomened you buying one!? How can I with the experience I've had thus car.

My car

This is my third audi, second A3

I do a lot of milage every year so i need a reliable car and this one lives up to all its promisses. The engine is a dream, loads of torque and fuell economic.

It handles superb and sticks to the road like glue, but dont use the tyres fitted from factory there very bad, I put a decent pair of dunlops on and it makkes a lot of difference

The rear sight is not very good, but a lot of hatchbacks suffer from this problem today the only point I would like to see improved is the noise level (interior)

Finish and trim are best of class, better then BMW and mercedes

Overall a perfect car, when I have to buy a new one in 2 years time i will not hessitate buying an A3 for the third time

My car

The A3 1.9TDI is good fun to drive, feels safe on the road and is very economical on fuel. (In my experience 54 mpg is the norm).

The on board computer allows a helpful variety of information for all types of driving.

Servicing costs for both parts and labour are high, though infrequent, and equipment levels are disappointing for a car of this cost and quality. Notable absentees are air-conditioning, rain-sensitive wipers and steering-column audio controls. I found all these useful and contributed to safe driving in my previous (less costly) Peugeot 406 TD.

Removing headrests and folding the back seats is awkward when making use of the hatch back to carry larger loads, though the capacity, once opened up is surprisingly good and the provision of flat folding squabs and back rests helps considerably in making best use of the space.

The gearbox, brakes, steering and other minor controls are intuitive and easy in use except for the variable speed wipers and fog light. The design and comprehensiveness of the courtesy lighting system is impressive. I was grateful for the pavement light mounted under the doors when about to step into a particularly large puddle one evening!

All in all, I am enjoying the car since taking ownership eight months ago. It does nearly all that my wife and I want it to do. My only regret is that it is a little underpowered for my taste and that we should have gone for four doors instead of three.

My car

What's good?

The 3.2 makes a great sound, goes like the clappers (though lacks a bit of torque) and the Quattro puts it all down without drama. The DSG gearbox is truly fantastic and in sports mode you feel like Schumacher - it's better than any auto or manual gearbox.

It has good build quality and is very civilised on a long run.

What's not so good?

The driving position is fine if you are built with long arms and short legs. If the wheel came out further, no worries.

It has dull steering with little cornering verve. It will hold on OK but there is no real sports car agility here.

Overall it hits the mark if you want a small, fast, beautifully made hatchback, but its charm fades if you are looking for a true sports car.