USED Audi A3 Hatchback (03 - )

My car

I have had this car for five months and done 13,000 miles in that time. Reliabilty has been excellent as is build quality and fuel economy.

I think BMWs and Mercs appear cheap and plastic next to this car. Don't get me wrong, the quality comes at a price, but I feel it is worth it.

The only other minor quirks are that ventilation is air-con or nothing and there is no full-size spare, just a spacesaver.

I would recommend spending extra on the BOSE sound system as the sound quality is second to none. Overall, I'm very pleased with the car and look forward to owning it for several years to come.

My car

I bought my Audi A3 2.0 FSi SE as a replacement for my mark 4 VW Golf 2.0 GTi. The design is excellent and the build top class. The ride can be joggly on our poor roads, although most bumps are soaked up well. Some surfaces can set up some unpleasant resonances, but it isn't a problem. Handling is secure and fun, while performance is reasonable. It isn't a performance car, but is brisk away from the lights and has a good top speed. The six-speed gearbox is better 8500 miles down the line that it was when new. There are a couple of niggles: the fuel neck can suffer splashback when filling up, and the dipstick is impossible to read. My cruise control has also sufferd an intermittent fault. I will certainly buy one again.

My car

I traded in my Lexus IS200 Sport for an A3 2.0 TDi Sport. Best decision I've made! There's so much torque art low revs when compared to the Lex, it's also very well put together. I've done 2000 miles since picking it up in September and averages around 38 mpg in mixed town and motorway driving.

The wife absolutely loves it. My only complaint is that the sports suspension is a little too harsh, maybe I'll change it for an SE later?

Oh yeah, it could have done with a few more toys, but maybe I'm a little spoilt after parting with a Lexus.

My car

Having owned the A3 2.0 FSI for now 10 months from new, it has gone back to the garage 10 times. Faults I have experienced on this car are:

1. Clutch Foot Rest Replacement (had not been secured and was rattling) 2. Dashboard needed to be refitted (approx. 2 inches lower on right hand side) 3. Driver Information System Giving Incorrect Readings and needed to be reset 4. Splashback on fuel filling (cannot be rectified - have to hold fuel nozzle upside down) 5. Oil Level Warning Light faulty and needed to be replaced 6. Stereo Faulty (Sound disappearing intermittently) - took 6 visits to fix 7. Driver Side door handle fell off 8. Loose cable inside cabin needed to be secured 9. Windscreen Wiper failure doing 70 mph on A1 in heavy downpour 10. Complete Power failure doing 70mph on A34

So in summary, while the car drives extremely well, it has been an inconvenient car to own and on 2 occasions highly dangerous. Poor all round.