Used A3 - what advice/model for a newby A3 admirer

[bambamjj]

Hi all.

Just a quick, hypothetical question. I am trying to get a new job which means ideally i need a diesel but would prefer petrol. Currently have my wifes 06 Astra 1.6 Sxi only has 47k on the clock but previously had a 56 plate Audi A4 S- line (Fab car) which i stupidly part ex for a 58 plate Passat 170 sport estate which was the worst decision i ever made, any way £5k later had to get rid of passat and managed to get a job locally.

Any way back to subject. I cant afford another A4 with reasonable mileage so I would like a 5 door A3 possibly with stop/start, unsure of my Budget depends on SWMBO will allow me. Any advice on good models do's donts etc what to go for, I do like cars with lots of BHP/Torque, age probably 06 onwards say a budget of £6-7k petrol/diesel maybe an Auto, oh yeah found a nice 3.2 - auto. 3 door but totally unrealistic.

Appreciate your support

Jon

[Guest 2]

The 3.2 is basically a Golf R32 engine so you'll be in for a fun ride

If you're looking stop/start you'll be looking at least a '59 plate but at you're current budget you're looking at a high mileage derv (100k) basic model (Standard/SE).

Generally they're a good car, I've done 42k in my 1.9 TDIe over the past 1.5 years and apart from a faulty DPF pressure sensor, it's been faultless otherwise apart from servicing etc.

Do a search for the 3.2 especially in the A6 section (but obviously ignore the A6 specific problems) and maybe a PM to apole would prove helpful as he owns a 3.2

Remember if you do buy a standard car, you can retrofit most, if not all options like RNSE nav, bluetooth etc and you'll never be too far away from knowledge and help on here.

[elev8]

Hallo mate,

I was on a similar budget to yourself, but without the prior experience of A4/Passat etc, so chances are you are already way more knowledgeable about these cars than I am, but here's my 2p anyway.
If nothing else, at least my Autotrader skills are fairly current

You're probably looking at a facelift 8P. If it's torque etc. you're looking for you'll probably be after a diesel. You should have your choice of engines around the late 2008 - 2010-ish model year in your pricerange. I'd strongly suggest the common rail engine. At least drive one & then drive a PD to compare against.

I went from a PD engined golf to a similar-bhp CR engined A3 and the difference is massive. The CR diesel drives much more like a petrol, smoother & more refined, but retaining all of the lovely dieselly grunt. 140's will remap nicely to around 180 brake when/if you get bored of the stock power. I've not driven a 170 to compare against, because the 140 is more than adequate for my needs.

I first looked at a normally aspirated 2.0 petrol, but was told they need a bit of a rev to get going. Coming from a PD diesel I wasn't keen on that idea so gave them a swerve. The turbo petrol would I am sure be a whole different proposition.

My advice, drive some, choose the engine you like best, then squeeze the best you can out of your budget in regard to trim level, colour, toys, mileage etc. I don't think high milers are an issue particularly in the newer models, so long as they have been well maintained.

As A6_Chris says, most of the toys you can retrofit later time & budget permitting, but things like engine/colour etc. are not so easy to change afterwards!

Like I said at the top, my budget was broadly the same as yours, and I just picked up a 09 plate A3 sportback 2.0TDI(140) in phantom black. Only SE trim & it's on 90k, but its pretty clean, drives nicely & came with 12 months tax/MOT, 4 new main-brand tyres, full main dealer history & a 6 month warranty. Not trying to claim I got the deal of a lifetime or anything, it's just to give you an idea of what's out there for your budget. I'm certain there will be better deals to be had depending on how long/hard/far from home you're prepared to look. Happy hunting!

*** EDIT TO ADD ***
Depending on the type of driving you'll be doing, the 6 speed manual in the 2.0 diesel does need a bit of a stir b/c all of the power/torque is at the low end, but this isn't an issue once you're rolling. If you're doing a lot of low-speed stop/start type driving then auto is probably a nice option. I think they may be a bit more fragile than the manuals tho.