Audi A3 (1996 - 2003) 1.8 T Sport 3d (1998/R) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

I like a quality car.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Everyone that I've taken in the car has liked it, said it was quick and comfortable.

Would you buy this car again and why?

I had a mk3 vw golf gti before the a3 and I'd never go back to vw now, the audi build quality and the way the finish off the interior is just so much better than in the golfs. I know audi aren't perfect but there a very comfortable car and the a3 1.8T is a perfect blend of quality, performance and economy.

What are you likely to buy next?

I'd love to buy an audi s3 next but I guess I'll probably have another a3 1.8T or an a3 1.8T quattro before I get up to the s3 level.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£5,100

When did you buy the car?

July 2005

Did you get a good deal and why?

I feel I got a great second hand deal buying private. Bought it in summer 2005 for £5100, it was immaculate. It has ac but lacked on some spec (no 6 disc cd changer and no remote central locking) and colour (kinfisher blue) probably isn't to everyone taste but I like it and it's a less common colour. I picked up a 6 cd changer off ebay and a central locking kit of vagparts.co.uk, both were very easy to fit myself.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I wanted a car to replace my mk3 vw golf gti which would give me more power for cruising on the motorway, more refinement and 35mpg+ economy.

What was the dealer like?

What's it like to drive?

I find it very nippy around town with plenty of smooth progressive power which is very useful when merging into traffic on the motorway, though I have got use to the power now and am considering having it superchipped. I can get 40mpg from mine on motorway driving sitting at about 75mph. Typically I get 35mpg mixed driving which is good especially as I do like the accelerator pedal. Your mpg very much reflects your driving style as sitting at 80mpg with the ac on mpg drops closer to 35mpg. There seems to be a drop in economy between 75mph and 80mph which must be where the turbo kicks in and starts drinking the fuel when cruising.

What's it like to park?

In 3 door visibility is good and steering is light so I'd say it's very easy to park, I've got no complaints.

Have you had any problems with the car?

It's been a great car but not faultless. It was lacking power when I got it which turned out to be the throttle body which the audi dealer quoted over £600 to repair but I got a Siemen's unit from a specialist for £250, fitted it, reset the computer and it now goes great. Both throttle body and mass airflow meter problems are common on VAG cars and can fail on anything over 30k. My car had 60k when I got it. Another common fault is the digital display crystals when warm can fade out, I've seen this on lots of used audi a3's and it can't be repaired without replacing the whole instrument pod - it's frustrating but doesn't effect the running of the car. I replaced my clutch at 75k as it felt as though it was starting to slip, cost £230 at a local garage - audi dealer wanted over £700!

What's most practical about your car?

It can seat 5 people if needed but if you're like me and 6'2" then anyone in the back won't have much leg room. The boot is perfectly usable for weekly shopping and golf clubs! It's a great car for 2 people but not very spacious in the rear.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The best thing is the climate control as it's the first car I've owned with it. I also really like the driver information system (dis) which tells you info like your mpg and can be set to beep if you go over a preset speed, and it's useful when it tells you your washer bottle level is low. Though I really wish it had the standard remote central locking as I think the audi flicky keys are cool!! Also I would have liked it to have traction control and esp which I think became more standard after the a3 facelift in 2001.