Any A3 will cost you a lot to buy, and a lot to insure. I'm in my 30s, with no convictions, and I live in an average town. My insurance bill is about £900 a year. That's with full protected no-cliams, and one fault claim in the last year. TISM is right about the TDi though- I have a
1999 TDi 110. It's fast, economical, refined, and looks nice. Fantastic motor. I haven't heard of any serious failings that are very common to the a3, and I haven't had any serious problems with mine. It seems a few creaks from the front door trim is to be expected though. All the mechanical bits are pretty much from the VW parts bin and shared with the mk4 golf. Be careful though. Buy on condition and history. If you don't know what you're doing, get someone who does. If you do know what you are doing, Inspect the cars thoroughly. Check the usual things you'd check with any car, and rememmber parts are expensive from a dealer. Audis take the years and miles quite well so watch out for clocking. Look out for cosmetic damage- I've seen a lot with dents, scratches etc. I think they're popular as a company perk (maybe because they're expensive to buy with your own money), so a lot of them seem to get a bit tatty.
I pay £300 for an '01 A6 1.8t with esure. Funny thing was the car before was a 95 Mazda 323F worth about £2000 and the insurance was £50 more than my £17000 A6.
That seems a tad expensive: I'm 37 with 2 year's No Claims and it cost me just under £600 fully comp for a 2000 A3 1.6 Sport.
I think the A3 is a superb and refined car: excellent build quality, handling and gearbox. Very quiet engine, commented on by quite a few passengers. I'd make sure it has a full Audi service history, though.
In terms of reliability I think you'll be satisfied as these are *very* well built cars. I recall seeing quite a few high mileage A3s for about £8K when looking for mine which I assume were company cars - they might be a bargain
*if* they have been properly maintained and serviced.
The 1.9 diesel will probably cost you up to £2K more than a 1.6 or 1.8 petrol. My 2000 1.6 Sport cost £11.5K from a dealer if that's any use.
One of my mates just got a cracking deal on a 2000 1.8T Sport. The guy was moving overseas and had to sell quickly. £9K with full Audi service history, low mileage.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here.
All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.