3 grand Audi/BMW diesels

Maybe so but we're all different. I've had plenty of makes of car and if anything goes in Audi's favour they have the best build quality of any run of the mill car I've experienced. I've had loads of cheaper cars and I do like how Audi's are screwed together inside. It's quite simply a case of nothing else is really making me want one... that's just me, right now, changes weekly of course :D

I keep coming back to this one based on condition and the fair price I've touched on... but it's got an engine of hate (1.9 TDI). I don't think it'd bother me as much as it would you lot though :)

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If you're going to sell your soul to the 4-pot diesel devil (DONT DO IT!!), at least a 1.9TDI is tried, tested, and bulletproof. :)

Mine is on 175,000 miles and I treat it like ****. Serviced regularly, but thrashed from cold(ish) and generally abused without a thought. I couldn't fault it for a second. It doesn't give me a moments grief.

Friend has one on 380,000 miles+ which still has the original turbo, injectors, everything.

Dad has the 1.9TDI in his A6 as well, I think his is on about 162,000 miles, 120,000 of those are his, and I think he has had to replace the DMF and thats about all.

The 2.0TDI's are a bit more modern, but they are more complicated as a result, and have more known issues.

If that A3 is a PD130, it will re-map with ease to 160HP. If you ever feel the need.

It confuses me though how you can go from singing the praise of the EP3 Type R and spending loads of money tuning the suspension one minute, to thinking about replacing it with a wallowy old A3 diesel the next!

When I stepped out of my T-Sport into my Octavia it was bloody horrible. I can only imagine that stepping out of an EP3 into an A3 TDI will be very similar.
 
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I've noticed aged BMW diesels of this age/budget seem to be the choice of a lot of the eastern European drivers at work, most are huge mileage one has an LHD e60 520d with 500k km on the clock another an 08 320d with 240k miles another a LHD VW passat tdi with 600k km on the clock (the interior looks like a gorilla has been driving it)

Whilst to me it's an old tank with an extremely unrefined 5pot tdi lump the eastern Europeans love my diesel 1999 V70 and I've had a few offers to buy it from a few of them!

Whilst I've spent a fair bit on it now replacing the battery,alternator,steering rack and have yet to cure the SRS warning light or intermittent ABS light, the engine (remapped) uses no oil is remarkably frugal,goes like stink and - after blanking the EGR valve - hardly smokes at all now, it's an Audi / VAG derived 5pot and I'd happily consider a VAG car powered by the same lump.
 
I would look older and get a PD130 engined motor. So a B5.5 Passat or B6 A4. You're far more likely to get a decent one of them at that budget than a B7 A4 or B6 Passat. And the A3 of that era you have linked, doesn't have the same 1.9 TDI, is it not a PD115? The "good" engine in them is the 2.0 TDI 140, which isn't as efficient as the 1.9, and the early ones can be subject to porous heads.

But then I have ALWAYS had a thing for the B6 A4 1.9 TDI Quattro Avant Sport. I don't know why, I just think they look great, have decent economy, and 4wd. Always wanted one, and now you should be able to pick one up with your budget, that's the way I'd go.

Never fancied the 1.9 in the A6 though. Too big a car for that engine, IMO. But there are bargains to be had if you go for the bigger motor, as said. Don't go for the 2.5 TDI's though. They are very prone to cam issue, which often require a full engine rebuild, at more than your budget. So I wouldn't be even remotely tempted by one.
 
Stormster said:
if anything goes in Audi's favour they have the best build quality of any run of the mill car I've experienced.
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Mine must have been a Friday afternoon car then... no end of niggling little things that went wrong with it, and having moved on to a Focus, my A3 didn't actually feel that much more of a premium car (in comparison to A4's/A5's and A6's that I have had as courtesy cars).
 
I'd take the advice on here and go for something bit more robust for the money, my budget was pretty much double yours and opened far more options. Although petrol, mine consumes a great deal of oil and running costs aren't far off the Golf I had previously (mk6GTI) - same tyres, higher road tax, same servicing cost etc however it was/is around half the value.

I can only suspect that if you're lucky you'll have one thats problem free and if there isn't much movement on budget, I'd be very meticulous about service/mot history (and receipts for work outside servicing) if you're set on a facelift a3.
 
snapdragon69 said:
If you want a bargain you have to go bigger to A6 - 5-series - the bigger you go the better the bang for buck. A4 - 3-series segment is too popular and there are too many poverty spec examples around.
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I second this statement, go for a larger car as the 3 Series C class size cars are popular and people demand high money for them because they are popluar. I had a B6 VW Passat great car, I would still have it if someone else hasn't had written it off for me. If you go for a pre 2008, this is when they introduced the 190BHP version. It won't have a DPF to worry about and can be brought within budget now. So A6 what pretty much the same car will be a good call.
If you don't mind having older cars, possibly with a fair few miles one the clock, you can get a BMW 5 series e39 525d in that budget or a Mercede w210 E class E320CDI There is a fairly good on of these near me for sale at the moment, but they are asking for more than budget. Both of these are great cars, good performance and MPG.
 
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Stormster said:
Maybe so but we're all different. I've had plenty of makes of car and if anything goes in Audi's favour they have the best build quality of any run of the mill car I've experienced. I've had loads of cheaper cars and I do like how Audi's are screwed together inside. It's quite simply a case of nothing else is really making me want one... that's just me, right now, changes weekly of course :D

I keep coming back to this one based on condition and the fair price I've touched on... but it's got an engine of hate (1.9 TDI). I don't think it'd bother me as much as it would you lot though :)

a3-1.jpg

a3-2.jpg
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Sounds like I'm being plain discouraging, but don't let the cleanliness fool you :p, for a start the rear wiper isn't positioned correctly.

Water can ingress into the motor and leak into the boot catch (damaging it) - which causes the alarm to go off sporadically/constant as the car will think the boots open - i temporarily resorted to leaving the car unlocked as it pretty much got ridiculous; though a safety feature auto locks it after a while.

Long story short you'll need this to fix it:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDI-A3-S...motor-brand-new-2-year-warranty-/251315696655

This is a primary example of the niggles you'll be faced with which will grow increasingly irritating if you're trying to save money.

Interior pics?
 
paradigm said:
How do you work that out then? Passat = A4, not A6.
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Officially yes A4 is more the Audi equivalent to the Passat. The A4 to is smaller than the Passat of the same generation and A6 it bigger. I would say the Jetta is on par for size to the A4.
 
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Iamzod said:
I thought Audi & Skoda were pretty much the same thing nowadays? I don't get the whole German badge thing as every one I have been in has left me underwhelmed.
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Yea, I don't know why people think German cars are reliable. Back in the 90s maybe, but not any more. The most unreliable car I've owned was a Audi A3 diesel. Plus Audi love to design everything so it's hard to get to. You have to pull the engine for a lot of repairs and that is ££££! :/

If you want a car that's going to last, look at what most taxi drivers are using :P
 
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inflames said:
Officially yes A4 is more the Audi equivalent to the Passat. The A4 to is smaller than the Passat of the same generation and A6 it bigger. I would say the Jetta is on par for size to the A4.
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You'd still be wrong. The Jetta would be an A3 saloon (granted the A3 saloon didn't exist until 2012).
 
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