Audi A3 Sportback

[Labcabin]

2.0 TDI or 2.0 gas.

Some reviews stating that two out of three A3's sold are the Sportback and are tits.

Anyone with experience?

http://www.criswellaudi.com/certifie...33ba8e412.htm#

http://www.criswellaudi.com/used/Aud...fbe53e2c77.htm

Reliability? Repair labor rates?

How many miles are on your Audi?

[philth]

That tdi looks sweet. I have the new A3 quattro….sweet…but too early for any reliability report.

[Labcabin]

For some weird reason I can't find the Sportback in a Quattro. Maybe they don't make it, or just don't import it. Seems the All Road is the only true all wheel drive wagon at the moment.

[Plainview]

Reliability and Audi don't exactly go together. If that's changing, then good but I'll believe it when I see it.

It aint the labor rates (unless you're a sucker and take it to a dealership) it's the parts and how insanely complex they are and thus difficult to repair.

[Bobcat Sig]

For some weird reason I can't find the Sportback in a Quattro. Maybe they don't make it, or just don't import it. Seems the All Road is the only true all wheel drive wagon at the moment.

It was only offered w/Quatrro with the 3.2 V6 engine. It was sort of porker on gas and hard to find. The A3 is really just a pregnant Golf w/much nicer Audi trim and it's really their car to get new buyers into the brand.

Though I'm with you; I'd love it if they offered the A3 with Quattro.

The TDI has been around for some time in the Jetta, Golf and Passat. Should be pretty solid.

[Art Shirk]

2.0 doesnt have AWD. Gotta get the 3.2. They are really hard to find. My good friend is likely selling his very soon. Just hit 40K miles, immaculate condition.

[Viva]

I had an 06 hatch/sport back with FWD and the 2.0 engine. Drove it into the ground, just like all my women. Can tell you a lot about my experience (with the car, that is).

Currently drivingf a new 15 loaner A3 sedan while my A4 is being serviced. Can tell you a little about that, if you care.

PM me and I'll share my digits.

[digitaldeath]

Girl car

[Viva]

Drove your momma's a$$ into the ground, too. Bitch said "yum".

[Skidog]

Electrical gremlins (maybe not the A3 but Audi in general). High repair costs, even outside the stealership IMHO. I will say though my 2001 A4 is still running strong (not with me for a long while now but i know who has it) 200+K miles on her. Think only the turbo has been replaced as far as big parts go.

+1 on girl car. +1 on nicely trimmed Golf.

[liv2ski]

All that aside, it would have been a car worth looking at with the TDI engine and AWD. Being that is not an option, it is off my list. I am waiting to see if VW brings a 2016 AWD wagon to the USA with a diesel engine, if not, I may have to wait for a 2014 BMW 328dxi wagon to come down into my price range.

[Kied]

It was only offered w/Quatrro with the 3.2 V6 engine.

Wrong. There were some newer 2.0T's out there, they're just really hard to find. I was looking at a fully loaded S-Line version a year ago, but the dealer was a joke... 12K miles on it and they wanted $40K.

[MontuckyFried]

Wrong. There were some newer 2.0T's out there, they're just really hard to find. I was looking at a fully loaded S-Line version a year ago, but the dealer was a joke... 12K miles on it and they wanted $40K.

I had the same experience when shopping last year. 2.0T S-Line w/ AWD. Used with similar mileage and price. I asked the salesman why not just order a new one for that price? He said that'd be a great way to go, but that the used one for the absurdly high price would sell quickly. He was right. Car didn't last a week on the lot.

The main reason I passed it up was because it wasn't manual, which I learned doesn't exist in the US. Yes, yes. I know the Audi DSG is absolutely top-notch. I've driven plenty of Audis with them and they are truly a superb automatic. It's just not what I want.

[Bobcat Sig]

Wrong. There were some newer 2.0T's out there, they're just really hard to find. I was looking at a fully loaded S-Line version a year ago, but the dealer was a joke... 12K miles on it and they wanted $40K.

That must be a new thing, then.

[Kied]

For some weird reason I can't find the Sportback in a Quattro. Maybe they don't make it, or just don't import it. Seems the All Road is the only true all wheel drive wagon at the moment.

Apparently Audi saw US sales favoring sedans over wagons, so they stopped importing the A3 Avant in 2013 (I think it was 2013). The Avant Quattro does exist (as Bobcat mentioned in a 3.2) and in a 2.0T (gas) but they are ridiculously rare. Whenever I was searching eBay motors or cars.com, results would only turn up 5 or 6 in the whole country and most of the earlier 3.2's had high mileage or were beat to shit.

I drove one for a few years... loved the car, really quick and fun to drive but ultimately super small interior and expensive to repair. My biggest complaint was the stupid "oh shit handle" down by the shiftbox that your right knee rests against when you're driving. It's not really a handle, but looks like one and was a major design flaw... if you didn't pad it during long drives it got really uncomfortable. If you can swing it, the new Allroad is tits.

[Bobcat Sig]

Apparently Audi saw US sales favoring sedans over wagons, so they stopped importing the A3 Avant in 2013 (I think it was 2013).

That's because most Americans think the wagons, or Avants as Audi call them, come with a healthy dose of tuberculosis and a bag full of soccer balls. Yet, in Yurp, it's quite the opposite.

[El Chupacabra]

That's because most Americans think the wagons, or Avants as Audi call them, come with a healthy dose of tuberculosis and a bag full of soccer balls. Yet, in Yurp, it's quite the opposite.

In Yurp, the tuberculosis is optional?

[Bobcat Sig]

In Yurp, the tuberculosis is optional?

Ha, no. The Yurpeeuns tend to buy wagons in much greater numbers while the sedan, a/k/a the saloon over there, is viewed more at the business car or old guy car.

[basinbeater]

Audis are pieces of shit, nice pieces of shit, but pieces of shit nonetheless. bmws are far superior in handling and design. IMHO of course.

[Bobcat Sig]

Audis are pieces of shit, nice pieces of shit, but pieces of shit nonetheless. bmws are far superior in handling and design. IMHO of course.

I've had/have both. I don't agree with that sentiment.

[basinbeater]

Mi opinion is based on ownership of both, and the design of the audi with the engine so far forward in the car causes the poor handling. In my 06 2.0tq, I tried to mitigate the poor balance with some adjustable konis and h&r springs. It helped, but not enough, the bmw cars are simply better balanced. Also, the 20th with a clutch kind of sucks, ok once you are moving, but the motor doesn't have enough power to get the car moving without going into boost, so then you are slipping the clutch frequently, (the original clutch with the previous owner lasted 40k, abysmal). Timing belt, gotta pull the front clip off, are you fucking kidding me? Ac crapped out, and sent metal chunks throughout the whole system. WTF?? fortunately bobcat, there are people out there who are willing to pay good money for audis which made getting rid of mine was relatively easy. I couldn't get rid of that thing fast enough. Back in a BMW, and the handling with the sport package needs no modifications to cover up inherent balance problems, and it is easy to work on.

[basinbeater]

If you do decide to get an audi with a 2.0t, check that the cam follower has been replaced, or be prepared to do it. If it fails it gets expensive quickly. Not that hard a diy, but a little tricky. Also diverter valves fail. Wheel bearings fail. Fuck it, mine was a piece of shit.

[Kied]

No doubt BMW's are more balanced, but everything costs more and everything on the car is seemingly connected. Broken blinker? "That will be $2000." "Why?" "We have to remove the rear seats, motor and steering wheel to replace the blinker."