Audi A3 road tests and consumer car reviews

Audi A3 A3 S line 170ps 2008

I’ve owned the A3 S line 170ps for 18months now. The car returns 44mpg on average. I bought the car from brand new and had it built to my spec, choosing: hands free blue tooth, bose sound system, 18" alloys etc. The car eventually arrived after I did the chasingas the Audi dealer was rubbish. The PDI must have been carried out in the dark as the S line badges and wheel centres had to be replaced due to tarnishing. 1 day later the side mirror glass broke. A new oil pump had to be fitted after about 9 months, the centre console catch smashed after about a year and the rear view mirror still rattles. All in all it has poor build quality, and how the hell do you check the oil on a black dip stick? What were Audi thinking about? But the good points are the car is fast, the DSG gearbox is classy, the handling is not fidgety at all, the ride quality is up there with Mercedes, the paint quality is Brill, (got mine in solid Red) and it is definitely a car you want to drive. It is a bit on the pricey side, but running costs are very good with 18000 miles between services. I’m still not sure if i should have gone for the BMW123d though. Would i recommend the A3? Yes, if you can find a good dealership.