Audi A3 - where to get one cheap?

Yorky

A friend is looking for a 2008/9 Audi A3 diesel - as cheap as possible. Had a look on DoneDeal & Autotrader.ie and a 2008 model is going for between €12-14 K.

On Ebay and Autotrader UK they're going around £8.5k stg which would equate to about the same when currency converted & VRT added.

Is it any cheaper to buy in the UK anymore? I know the spec may be superior & there's more chance of a service history.

Is there any other source worth looking at?

Would be grateful for any advice.

The weak € makes buying in the UK less attractive than when the a euro got you the huge guts of a sterling pound.

The likes if a diesel A3 of 2008/2009 vintage going privately for a low price would be snapped up quickly by people you would sell it on again. Low tax, high mpg bla bla so they're in demand so finding a cheap one won't be easy unless you go for an example with more than average miles that would have the likes of a scuffed bumper corner or two, even at that such a yoke would be ideal to be spruced up, clocked and sold on unfortunately so there'd be no shortage of buyers for one either.

€12k (asking) for a 4 year old A3 isn't standing out as being huge bad value to be fair when you look a the price 2008 Focus etc are asking I suppose.

How cheap do you want one to be?

bazz26

Cheap Audi A3 diesel --> Seat Leon/Skoda Octavia diesel. :pac:....

dgt

If money is an issue why not get a cheaper older car? Does it have to be an A3?

colm_mcm

12k is fair enough I think. At that money it'd have deprecated more heavily than say a golf or auris etc

Anything much cheaper than that is bound to have a colourful past.

Yorky

Thanks for the replies. Apart from the sources mentioned, could anyone suggest others to look at?

Would it be worth going to main agents? It's a straight sale with no PX & cash buyer.

daaaycent boy

Linky

What kind of mileage are you looking at?

markoire

OP, I think your friend would be far better off buying an 07? A quick search brought this up.. Im sure there are plenty available for similar money in that year. The difference in tax will at most be €500 which is tiny in comparison to the difference in purchase price! http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4199833

September1

You can look in UK for so called cat D cars, or maybe even cat C - they are insurance write-offs and are significantly cheaper. Check also auctions in UK, sometimes they would have cars where they suspect clocking this also lowers purchase costs. Last option would be go after high mileage cars, again auction with post lease vehicles would be good source. In general price depends on demand, so if you go to any car site with advice on what you should look at car, as long as you stick to vehicles that are opposite to what sites suggests, you would do good on price. Broadly speaking cars with undesirable history or high risk would always fetch best price.

Yorky

daaaycent boy wrote: »

Linky

What kind of mileage are you looking at?

That's a reasonably priced car.

What mileage are they good for?
Also is there a significant difference between the 1.9 and 2.0 which has various BHP levels??

Is it just the Sportback that roof rails can be fitted to in order to take roof bars? It'd be used for carrying kayaks etc

markoire wrote: »

OP, I think your friend would be far better off buying an 07? A quick search brought this up.. Im sure there are plenty available for similar money in that year. The difference in tax will at most be €500 which is tiny in comparison to the difference in purchase price! http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/4199833

That's no insignificant difference. They plan to keep the car until the end of its life - say 15 years old - so that'd be 9 years for an '07 , a total saving of €4500 on motor tax (€500 x 9) but that still seems less than the additional purchase price for an '08.

September1 wrote: »

You can look in UK for so called cat D cars, or maybe even cat C - they are insurance write-offs and are significantly cheaper. Check also auctions in UK, sometimes they would have cars where they suspect clocking this also lowers purchase costs. Last option would be go after high mileage cars, again auction with post lease vehicles would be good source. In general price depends on demand, so if you go to any car site with advice on what you should look at car, as long as you stick to vehicles that are opposite to what sites suggests, you would do good on price. Broadly speaking cars with undesirable history or high risk would always fetch best price.

There used to be a vehicle sourcing company in the UK, a chap called Joe Dowd but he retired this year & closed the company down.

Does anyone know of any other such business?

Pdfile

bazz26 wrote: »

Cheap Audi A3 diesel --> Seat Leon/Skoda Octavia diesel. :pac:....

my thoughts exactl, namly if you can geta decent price to spec it with alloys and tyres f your own prefference

Yorky

Thanks but must be an A3