A3 petrol = bad buy??

Ava Grace

Anyone know if an A3 petrol is supposed to be troublesome - engine seizes after 50,000 miles etc being a common occurrence? This delightful information (as i'm about to buy an A3) comes courtesy of my Dad... slightly dubious and don't want to buy diesel... help please!

mondeo

Ava Grace wrote: »

Anyone know if an A3 petrol is supposed to be troublesome - engine seizes after 50,000 miles etc being a common occurrence? This delightful information (as i'm about to buy an A3) comes courtesy of my Dad... slightly dubious and don't want to buy diesel... help please!

Engines are fine in those cars, I have never heard of bad engines in an Audi and alot of my friends have been buying them for years trouble free, They use mostly the same engines as the VW Golf.

Ava Grace

Cheers Mondeo, I haven't a notion so appreciate it ;-)

bazz26

Gearbox is a weak point in the 1.6 litre A3/Golf.

Personally myself I think the A3 is poor value. You get very little car for your money.

Alanstrainor

1.6 Focus would be a far better choice imo. Cheaper, better engine, better to drive.

teednab-el

Alanstrainor wrote: »

1.6 Focus would be a far better choice imo. Cheaper, better engine, better to drive.

I disagree there, I drove a focus once and I thought it had very poor road handling. It felt like driving a biscuit thin with wheels. The only good thing I enjoyed about it was the 2.0 litre engine under the bonnet, that was fast. But I find with ford in general that they are about 5 years behind some of the other manufacturers. I came across another ford focus before, i think it was a 03 or 04 make that had drum brakes and not all around discs.

dutchcat

teednab-el wrote: »

I disagree there, I drove a focus once and I thought it had very poor road handling. It felt like driving a biscuit thin with wheels. The only good thing I enjoyed about it was the 2.0 litre engine under the bonnet, that was fast. But I find with ford in general that they are about 5 years behind some of the other manufacturers. I came across another ford focus before, i think it was a 03 or 04 make that had drum brakes and not all around discs.

if thats your opinion i doubt very much if you have ever driven a focus,and what's so odd about drum brakes on the rear,i think you are talking through your little pipe tbh:rolleyes:

lifer_sean

Ava Grace wrote: »

Anyone know if an A3 petrol is supposed to be troublesome - engine seizes after 50,000 miles etc being a common occurrence? This delightful information (as i'm about to buy an A3) comes courtesy of my Dad... slightly dubious and don't want to buy diesel... help please!

@Ava, A3 engines generally good (shared with VW). The one that can give trouble is the 1.8 Turbo engine that is shared with the Golf GTi, but that is usually in cases where servicing was neglected.

Good luck with your search.

JHMEG

teednab-el wrote: »

I disagree there, I drove a focus once and I thought it had very poor road handling.

It must have been a crash repair with a bent chassis or something, but the Focus is considered to be one of the best handling cars in its class. But the OP asked about the A3.

Very little scope for problems on a petrol engine without a turbo, as long as its maintained, ie regular oil changes. In Ireland a 1.9 TDI probably has better resale, especially 'down the country', than a 1.6 petrol, or indeed any of the petrol A3s.

Neilw

lifer_sean wrote: »

The one that can give trouble is the 1.8 Turbo engine that is shared with the Golf GTi, but that is usually in cases where servicing was neglected.

Good luck with your search.

The 1.8t is actually a very reliable engine, can do serious mileage and can handle lots of power, 300+bhp on standard internals. Regular oil changes with quality oil are needed. Coil packs and sensors are the worst problems the 1.8t suffers from.

EPM

teednab-el wrote: »

I disagree there, I drove a focus once and I thought it had very poor road handling. It felt like driving a biscuit thin with wheels.

you're well off the mark there...

OP, if you're buying try and get a diesel. It'll cost you less in the long run. The 1.6 litre petrol is an old engine and can be thirsty but at least it's reliable

pburns

Is the OP buying new or used? Why such an aversion to diesel?

If new, and you MUST have an A3, the 2.0TDI would probably be the optimum engine. As I've stated in other threads recently, personally I think the smaller, cheaper Audis are a waste of space - spectacularly bad value for money for a very mediocre product.

I can think of nothing more dire than a wheezy, underpowered A3 1.6 petrol...

teednab-el

dutchcat wrote: »

if thats your opinion i doubt very much if you have ever driven a focus,and what's so odd about drum brakes on the rear,i think you are talking through your little pipe tbh:rolleyes:

In modern cars these days you would expect to get all around disc brakes. And no Im not talking through my pipe as you would like to believe I am, Its just my opinion on the car.

bazzachazza

I also have driven a Focus and it was the most disconnected boring drive I have ever had.

teednab-el

EPM wrote: »

you're well off the mark there...

dont think so mate.

EPM

Fair enough, but I used to own one as opposed to driving one once...

VinnyTGM

No engine suddenly seize's for no reason. Unless there's no oil in them. Fairly stupid to think that.
An A3 is a good car, good build quality and reliability.

scargill

I've had a 2004 1.6 A3 from new, have 55,000 miles on it now so I don't do huge miles. no major problems at all.

It had a brake sensor problem in the last few months - that's the first problem in five years!*

I'm in no major hurry to change it - it is very reliable and cheap enough for me to run. I suppose if I was doing 20,000 miles a year a diesel would make more sense.

(*except for a wiper motor that went a few weeks after I bought it - it was a known problem - faulty batch of motors.)