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View Full Version : Please Help Calling all 'Audi A3 - Mk I' Owners



est1984
09-08-2008, 01:10 AM
I'm interested in getting myself a Audi A3 as my first car after having passed my driving test today, whoop whoop! But I really need to find out how much this car is gonna cost me to run, so I've basically looked at the insurance prices that i've been quoted and with my dad on the same car I'm looking at just under £1000, which to me sounds pretty decent ya know. But cos I wanna be riding around for a little bit I want to know which fuel type is better off for me, a 1.6 Petrol or a 1.9 TDI. I really don't have too much money to be forking out on petrol to be honest week in week out. Can anyone provide me any information if you own a Mark I Audi A3? I want to know how much it costs you guys to fill up a whole tank for a 1.6 and a 1.9 TDI and how many miles you guys are getting from it? I prolley don't wanna spend over £10 a week on petrol to be honest. I've currently seen a, 97 Audi A3 1.9 TDI, please help me out guys i'd greatly appreciate it.

SEMKY
09-08-2008, 03:32 AM
Right then mate,

Firstly, Well done on passing!

Making the call between the 1.6 petrol, and the 1.9tdi, instant. The 1.9 TDI engines are BRILLIANT. Very torque-y, very quick, and easier to improve than the 1.6 petrol.

I would think that the two cars will have the same size tank, and obviously with Mr Darlings tax increases, to fill the diesel tank will cost more, but overall......I averaged 54mpg in a VW Bora with the 1.9tdi 100 bhp.

If you want to drive 'enthusiasically', go for the diesel ones, or the 1.8T petrol ones....all are ace

Good luck mate!

beachy
09-08-2008, 10:04 AM
Yeah the 1.6 models are ok but if you are all about saving money go for the 1.9 TDI. You will compromise on the noise if you go towards diesel though.

I am currently driving a 1.6 and I got 40 mpg on a motorway run and 37 mpg seems to be my average week in week out which doesn't seem to bad at all. As warning though if I drive very hard it is very noticeable on the MPG so watch you right foot!

My Audi A3 was my first car (17 when I bought it) and is a great car to start off with. It sounds from your petrol budget that you don't do too many miles but I had several major problems with my car down to the high mileage I was doing (a min of 400 miles a week) which led to a lot of expensive bills! Watch out for any obvious noises and most importantly in the A3 the gear box! See if it has been reconditioned or replaced as it is a weakness in the car and cost me over £500 to recondition!

Good luck buying your A3 !!! :beerchug:

joetyler
09-08-2008, 01:19 PM
i have a 99 a3 1.6 and it cost me £55 ish to fill up the trank and i get 300=350 miles for that, nice car to drive mate

est1984
12-08-2008, 06:10 AM
Right then mate,

Firstly, Well done on passing!

Making the call between the 1.6 petrol, and the 1.9tdi, instant. The 1.9 TDI engines are BRILLIANT. Very torque-y, very quick, and easier to improve than the 1.6 petrol.

I would think that the two cars will have the same size tank, and obviously with Mr Darlings tax increases, to fill the diesel tank will cost more, but overall......I averaged 54mpg in a VW Bora with the 1.9tdi 100 bhp.

If you want to drive 'enthusiasically', go for the diesel ones, or the 1.8T petrol ones....all are ace

Good luck mate!

Thanks you, I am really pleased I have passed to it was my first attempt aswell with only 3 minors so I'm really really chuffed to bits. Only thing now is to get the car that i've admired for so freaking long.

I am swinging more towards the 1.9 TDI as it is 55 MPG from some of the research that I have been doing. But they are really hard to find a decent one up for sale within my budget and under 100,000 miles. Only a handful to be honest. I am trying to stop myself going for the 1.6 or the 1.8T at the moment cos I just know for the fact that I'm going to struggle to run it on that engine until I'm working for atleast about 6 months. On top of that I hear very good things for the TDI's

Thanks for replying, I appreciate it.

est1984
12-08-2008, 06:15 AM
Yeah the 1.6 models are ok but if you are all about saving money go for the 1.9 TDI. You will compromise on the noise if you go towards diesel though.

I am currently driving a 1.6 and I got 40 mpg on a motorway run and 37 mpg seems to be my average week in week out which doesn't seem to bad at all. As warning though if I drive very hard it is very noticeable on the MPG so watch you right foot!

My Audi A3 was my first car (17 when I bought it) and is a great car to start off with. It sounds from your petrol budget that you don't do too many miles but I had several major problems with my car down to the high mileage I was doing (a min of 400 miles a week) which led to a lot of expensive bills! Watch out for any obvious noises and most importantly in the A3 the gear box! See if it has been reconditioned or replaced as it is a weakness in the car and cost me over £500 to recondition!

Good luck buying your A3 !!! :beerchug:
Ahh the noise I won't really be too fussed to be honest with you, and I know that the diesels have abit more of a grunt in the engine, however pumping my sound system on a decent level should more or less cut that out lol...

40-30 MPG is pretty decent on the 1.6 to be honest, my dad has a 1.8 Ford Focus and he only gets about 25ish. But for sure its all about the style of your driving which would account to the MPG more.

When you reconditioned your car, do you mean you had the engine cleaned out or did you have it replaced? I was on another site which was advertising a Audi A3 TDI, the advertiser stated that the vehicle had done about 140,000 miles on it but at 100,000 miles he had a new engine fitted into the car which went through the insurance for about 6,000 now I was thinking to myself that doesn't seem the truth cos if it was about 6,000 I would guess the car would have been scrapped as you can get a fairly decent one for around that much too.

Thanks for your reply buddy! :D

est1984
12-08-2008, 06:18 AM
i have a 99 a3 1.6 and it cost me £55 ish to fill up the trank and i get 300=350 miles for that, nice car to drive mate


Thanks for the information, seems like your roughly getting about 21-25 MPG which sounds correct according to some sites that I have got information from.

I'm pretty sure a Gallon is about £4.50 - £5.

beachy
12-08-2008, 08:47 AM
Ahh the noise I won't really be too fussed to be honest with you, and I know that the diesels have abit more of a grunt in the engine, however pumping my sound system on a decent level should more or less cut that out lol...

40-30 MPG is pretty decent on the 1.6 to be honest, my dad has a 1.8 Ford Focus and he only gets about 25ish. But for sure its all about the style of your driving which would account to the MPG more.

When you reconditioned your car, do you mean you had the engine cleaned out or did you have it replaced? I was on another site which was advertising a Audi A3 TDI, the advertiser stated that the vehicle had done about 140,000 miles on it but at 100,000 miles he had a new engine fitted into the car which went through the insurance for about 6,000 now I was thinking to myself that doesn't seem the truth cos if it was about 6,000 I would guess the car would have been scrapped as you can get a fairly decent one for around that much too.

Thanks for your reply buddy! :D

Yeah the reconditioning was just for the gear box. The internal rivets are know to come loose and unfortuntely in my case it went straight through the casing of the gear box leaving a massive hole! I have heard of people putting new engines in there car but I would be very suspicious if he said it was a brand new one! Insurance would definately have written the car off! I would stay away from that one!

You are suffering with the same problem I had when buying your first car. Diesel is the way to go forward but I found that they were alot more expensive than the petrols! In the end I needed a car for a job so I just had to settle with the petrol 1.6. The only problem you may encounter with a high milage diesel car is that if the diesel pump goes which is not uncommon it is expensive to repair!

Good luck finding your car and pop a post up with a photo so we can see the results of your car hunting :biglaugh:

omegadirective
12-08-2008, 10:22 AM
One MAJOR point you will need to consider: The A3 1.9 TDI is a VERY quick car compared to the 1.6 petrol. Depending on how old you are you might not be able to afford to insure it...

The 1.9TDI is quicker than the S3 once you get used to the shorter rev range, and although cheaper to insure than the S3, you're still looking at a fairly high amount!

If you CAN, go for the 1.9TDI, you won't regret it. Averaging about 550miles from a tank, which last time I filled it up (Mum's car) it cost me near £70, although fuel prices have just dropped. Be aware they will go up again!

The 1.6, like stated about, will do about 350 miles to the tank, but it costs me around £50 to fill up +/- £5 depending on when I top it up.

The 1.6 can have a few problems and are a little less reliable than the diesels.

To cut a long story short:

If you can afford to insure and fork out on diesel, go for the TDI. Especially if you plan on keeping the car for quite a few years! Be aware it's got a LOT of torque and will wheel spin if you aren't careful with it. Awesome car though! :)

If you can't get the insurance, the 1.6 is still a little gem of a car and is great bombing about cities and is still fairly pokey for a car like that. It's a great car and providing everything under the sun doesn't go wrong with it, it's cheap to run and repair too.


I love my A3 and the only reason I dislike it now is that I have an S3 sitting back home waiting until I graduate next year before I can run it myself! The 1.6 just isn't quick enough when you have been driving an S3 and 1.9TDI around for a while! :)

Congratulations on passing your test! Enjoy your freedom! Hate Gordon Brown and his "nice car tax"/ Astronomical fuel prices.


*Sigh* Anyone remember 93/94ppl? :(

est1984
21-08-2008, 09:11 PM
Yeah the reconditioning was just for the gear box. The internal rivets are know to come loose and unfortuntely in my case it went straight through the casing of the gear box leaving a massive hole! I have heard of people putting new engines in there car but I would be very suspicious if he said it was a brand new one! Insurance would definately have written the car off! I would stay away from that one!

You are suffering with the same problem I had when buying your first car. Diesel is the way to go forward but I found that they were alot more expensive than the petrols! In the end I needed a car for a job so I just had to settle with the petrol 1.6. The only problem you may encounter with a high milage diesel car is that if the diesel pump goes which is not uncommon it is expensive to repair!

Good luck finding your car and pop a post up with a photo so we can see the results of your car hunting :biglaugh:

how did u work out a diesel is more expensive than petrols? im so confused on you on that one...

ya i'll definately put up pictures when ive got one for real...

im so stuff between an audi or a golf tho now... audis have high mileages the ones that im looking at

est1984
21-08-2008, 09:16 PM
One MAJOR point you will need to consider: The A3 1.9 TDI is a VERY quick car compared to the 1.6 petrol. Depending on how old you are you might not be able to afford to insure it...

The 1.9TDI is quicker than the S3 once you get used to the shorter rev range, and although cheaper to insure than the S3, you're still looking at a fairly high amount!

If you CAN, go for the 1.9TDI, you won't regret it. Averaging about 550miles from a tank, which last time I filled it up (Mum's car) it cost me near £70, although fuel prices have just dropped. Be aware they will go up again!

The 1.6, like stated about, will do about 350 miles to the tank, but it costs me around £50 to fill up +/- £5 depending on when I top it up.

The 1.6 can have a few problems and are a little less reliable than the diesels.

To cut a long story short:

If you can afford to insure and fork out on diesel, go for the TDI. Especially if you plan on keeping the car for quite a few years! Be aware it's got a LOT of torque and will wheel spin if you aren't careful with it. Awesome car though! :)

If you can't get the insurance, the 1.6 is still a little gem of a car and is great bombing about cities and is still fairly pokey for a car like that. It's a great car and providing everything under the sun doesn't go wrong with it, it's cheap to run and repair too.


I love my A3 and the only reason I dislike it now is that I have an S3 sitting back home waiting until I graduate next year before I can run it myself! The 1.6 just isn't quick enough when you have been driving an S3 and 1.9TDI around for a while! :)

Congratulations on passing your test! Enjoy your freedom! Hate Gordon Brown and his "nice car tax"/ Astronomical fuel prices.


*Sigh* Anyone remember 93/94ppl? :(

thanks man great reply...

1.9tdi being very fast is what ive been finding out compared to the others on the net but being faster than an s3 whoa... it must really pick up fast they hey...

as im 24 the insurance for the audi a3 with my dad on it would cost around 800 to 900 for me so thats tottally cool

convince me i need an audi a3 not a vw golf lol

beachy
21-08-2008, 09:33 PM
In terms of refueling a diesel audi and a petrol audi is massive. Parts for the diesel engines also seem to be more expensive esp if the diesel pump or turbo goes!

But if i was you go for a diesel audi even though it is high miles!

SEMKY
22-08-2008, 12:53 AM
thanks man great reply...

1.9tdi being very fast is what ive been finding out compared to the others on the net but being faster than an s3 whoa... it must really pick up fast they hey...

as im 24 the insurance for the audi a3 with my dad on it would cost around 800 to 900 for me so thats tottally cool

convince me i need an audi a3 not a vw golf lol


Not sure of any A3 TDI that would crack 6.5 secs to 60 like the S3, although they can cover ground quickly enough! ;)

nagga
22-08-2008, 08:43 AM
What the hell are you on about

"The 1.9TDI is quicker than the S3 once you get used to the shorter rev range"

do you live in disneyland.......with goofy

1.9Tdi 90-130bhp
S3 1.8T 150bhp - 225bhp

Stock!!!!





One MAJOR point you will need to consider: The A3 1.9 TDI is a VERY quick car compared to the 1.6 petrol. Depending on how old you are you might not be able to afford to insure it...

The 1.9TDI is quicker than the S3 once you get used to the shorter rev range, and although cheaper to insure than the S3, you're still looking at a fairly high amount!

If you CAN, go for the 1.9TDI, you won't regret it. Averaging about 550miles from a tank, which last time I filled it up (Mum's car) it cost me near £70, although fuel prices have just dropped. Be aware they will go up again!

The 1.6, like stated about, will do about 350 miles to the tank, but it costs me around £50 to fill up +/- £5 depending on when I top it up.

The 1.6 can have a few problems and are a little less reliable than the diesels.

To cut a long story short:

If you can afford to insure and fork out on diesel, go for the TDI. Especially if you plan on keeping the car for quite a few years! Be aware it's got a LOT of torque and will wheel spin if you aren't careful with it. Awesome car though! :)

If you can't get the insurance, the 1.6 is still a little gem of a car and is great bombing about cities and is still fairly pokey for a car like that. It's a great car and providing everything under the sun doesn't go wrong with it, it's cheap to run and repair too.


I love my A3 and the only reason I dislike it now is that I have an S3 sitting back home waiting until I graduate next year before I can run it myself! The 1.6 just isn't quick enough when you have been driving an S3 and 1.9TDI around for a while! :)

Congratulations on passing your test! Enjoy your freedom! Hate Gordon Brown and his "nice car tax"/ Astronomical fuel prices.


*Sigh* Anyone remember 93/94ppl? :(

omegadirective
22-08-2008, 09:02 AM
What the hell are you on about

"The 1.9TDI is quicker than the S3 once you get used to the shorter rev range"

do you live in disneyland.......with goofy

1.9Tdi 90-130bhp
S3 1.8T 150bhp - 225bhp

Stock!!!!

Do you always feel the need to be really aggressive? :confused:

Drive a TDI hard and you'll see what I mean. It's quicker off the mark, and if you drive it HARD, and know the rev limits and exactly when you can change up then you're golden.

It isn't about the amount of BHP a car has, its about the amount of TORQUE the car has. Granted, it WILL depend on the model of diesel you have. I've only had the chance to compare it to an ASZ TDI. I also have the BAM S3.

(BAM) S3 - 280 N·m (207 ft·lbf) 225 PS (222 hp/165 kW)
(ASZ) 1.9TDI - 310 N·m (229 ft·lbf) 130 PS (128 hp/96 kW)

It's quick enough so that you notice the difference. The S3 performs better, and given maybe a track, or a fantastic strectched of motorway or something instead of a A-road then I'm sure the S3 would out perform. The S3 feels like it can hold in for longer than the diesel.

Diesel is definitely quicker off the mark. I own an S3 and my Mum has the A3 1.9TDI ASZ and even she commented on it when we swapped cars a little while ago.



I do want to ask you something though Nagga.... when have you ever seen an S3 with 150 BHP? :confused: The early models were 210, the improved engine was 225, and the new models are 265 STOCK. So unless you're meaning the 1.8 A3 engine then I don't know what you're on about.

Like I said though, it's the torque you have to keep in mind.

nagga
22-08-2008, 03:27 PM
i have a 1.9tdi 110 brake... dont know what model in term of the 3 letters.


from my experience...the 1st gear is useless...2-3k revs and your done...probaly get max 5-15 meters...den 2nd mite get you somewhere futher...

am proud to own a TDI but i dont know about outwhiping a S3.

yes i am incorrect...S3 is 210 - 265 BHP.

for the purpose of the thread starter get a Diesel more miles....more life....

more tourque etc.....

chancer514
25-08-2008, 05:42 PM
One MAJOR point you will need to consider:
The 1.9TDI is quicker than the S3 once you get used to the shorter rev range,
:confused:
TDI 0 - 60MPH 11.7 secs
S3 0 - 60MPH 6.6 secs
Where do you get that the TDI is quicker than the S3?

omegadirective
26-08-2008, 10:14 AM
:confused:
TDI 0 - 60MPH 11.7 secs
S3 0 - 60MPH 6.6 secs
Where do you get that the TDI is quicker than the S3?


Where are you guys getting this info from?! There is NO WAY a TDI takes 11.7 seconds to 60 mph. Come on, my 2000 A3 1.6 petrol does it quicker than that


1st gear on any car is a pulling away gear, it's not a "floor it" gear. You're more likely to damage your car if you do that.

You'd be suprised how long you can hold the revs for in a diesel though and once you've got used to it then it can be quicker than the S3. Give the S3 a track, or a massive stretch of road and do 0-60, then yes, an S3 will beat the TDI, longer revs so you can hold a sustained acceleration. When you're driving about town, or on dual carriageway though, you're using midrange torque, and thats where the TDI beats it.

Floor a TDI in 2nd, 3rd or 4th, at any revs, and the car WILL go. Floor the S3 at less than (I think? About this anyway give or take 500RPM) 3k5 RPM then it's going to take ages to build up the turbo. Drop down a gear or two and you'll have the turbo rocketing you forward. On my S3 you really start to feel the turbo kicking in at roughly 4k RPM. From that point to redline it's quicker than the TDI.

The reason a TDI is quicker on the road in normal everyday life is because it delivers the power so much further down. Unless you drive an S3 at 4k RPM as your standard driving style, the TDI will always take off quicker.

omegadirective
26-08-2008, 10:22 AM
Not sure of any A3 TDI that would crack 6.5 secs to 60 like the S3, although they can cover ground quickly enough! ;)


Completely missed this, sorry Semky!

I dunno, I've given both cars a good run for their money (neither were mine at this point! :biglaugh: ) And the S3 is an amazingly quick car if you're always in the right gear to pull away. The beauty of the TDI is it's pulling power at almost any speed. Put your foot down and you will just take off. Thats the torque for you. In a good old drag race, or empty road condition, the S3 will win hands down. The longer rev range REALLY makes all the difference.

God I miss my S3! :(

SEMKY
26-08-2008, 11:26 AM
Completely missed this, sorry Semky!

I dunno, I've given both cars a good run for their money (neither were mine at this point! :biglaugh: ) And the S3 is an amazingly quick car if you're always in the right gear to pull away. The beauty of the TDI is it's pulling power at almost any speed. Put your foot down and you will just take off. Thats the torque for you. In a good old drag race, or empty road condition, the S3 will win hands down. The longer rev range REALLY makes all the difference.

God I miss my S3! :(


Hey No worries mate, I knew what you were getting at about the TDI anyway;)....I love the 'round town' characteristics of the TDI, so very tractable. It has led me to consider getting a high power diesel (or remapping one) on more than one occasion, SIMPLY because driving everywhere at 4000 revs upwards in the S3 will get me a driving Ban and a very dear new clutch:biglaugh:!!!
I have found that the REVO remap for the S3 improves the torque pretty well, and brings it a bit more in line to the TDI for low down take off.

First time I drove a TDI (actually a Leon 130 me thinks), I LOVED it, but I have to admit it caught me out when over taking for the first time.....ran out of revs and hit the 'no more to give' WALL! ......:aargh4:big lorry coming other way!! (irresponsible driving is neither big or clever:o)

Where is your S3 then mate?:(

omegadirective
26-08-2008, 11:45 AM
Hey No worries mate, I knew what you were getting at about the TDI anyway;)....I love the 'round town' characteristics of the TDI, so very tractable. It has led me to consider getting a high power diesel (or remapping one) on more than one occasion, SIMPLY because driving everywhere at 4000 revs upwards in the S3 will get me a driving Ban and a very dear new clutch:biglaugh:!!!
I have found that the REVO remap for the S3 improves the torque pretty well, and brings it a bit more in line to the TDI for low down take off.

First time I drove a TDI (actually a Leon 130 me thinks), I LOVED it, but I have to admit it caught me out when over taking for the first time.....ran out of revs and hit the 'no more to give' WALL! ......:aargh4:big lorry coming other way!! (irresponsible driving is neither big or clever:o)

Where is your S3 then mate?:(


Yup, thats what I was meaning! :) It's the revs range, or lack of it, that slows the TDI down. Otherwise I think it would hammer the S3... Hearing the S3's turbo kick in is just music to my ears though! :)

Once I've had the S3 for a little while longer I'm thinking of getting the Revo remap, but I'll have to see what the old insurance company would have to say about it!

My S3 is in the garage just now. A knocking coming on left full lock. My Dad has it because I'm working, then back at uni now. I have my 1.6 back, and due to my Dad working abroad, I'm not likely to get my car until March next year! :( We just wont be home at the same times! :( It'll probably work out ok, because it means I won't have so many costs until I leave and get a well paid job! ;)

How's your S3 going?

chancer514
26-08-2008, 02:34 PM
Where are you guys getting this info from?! There is NO WAY a TDI takes 11.7 seconds to 60 mph. Come on, my 2000 A3 1.6 petrol does it quicker than that


1st gear on any car is a pulling away gear, it's not a "floor it" gear. You're more likely to damage your car if you do that.

You'd be suprised how long you can hold the revs for in a diesel though and once you've got used to it then it can be quicker than the S3. Give the S3 a track, or a massive stretch of road and do 0-60, then yes, an S3 will beat the TDI, longer revs so you can hold a sustained acceleration. When you're driving about town, or on dual carriageway though, you're using midrange torque, and thats where the TDI beats it.

Floor a TDI in 2nd, 3rd or 4th, at any revs, and the car WILL go. Floor the S3 at less than (I think? About this anyway give or take 500RPM) 3k5 RPM then it's going to take ages to build up the turbo. Drop down a gear or two and you'll have the turbo rocketing you forward. On my S3 you really start to feel the turbo kicking in at roughly 4k RPM. From that point to redline it's quicker than the TDI.

The reason a TDI is quicker on the road in normal everyday life is because it delivers the power so much further down. Unless you drive an S3 at 4k RPM as your standard driving style, the TDI will always take off quicker.
The figures are from the manufacturers spec.
Whatever way you dress it up a car that does zero to 60 and zero to 100 far quicker than another car means just that.
It has nothing to do with what rev range you you hit a sweet spot or anything. Check out the 50 to 80 figures as well.
If you mean the TDi is quicker than an S3 if the person driving the S3 does not know how to drive and sets off in 3rd gear then yes but normal driving the TDi is nowhere near the S3 for off the mark or overtaking acceleration.
The figures are actual side by side proof or perhaps you think the manufacturers rolling road was not revving the TDi correctly.
Seriously think about what you are saying.
A young boy racer in his Golf 1.9TDI believed it coming onto the M62 from the Lofthouse merry go round near where I live. Unfortunately for him even the old 1.8T Sport A4 wasted him.