Audi A3 8P.II (2008-2013)

Never buy any German car any more – Don’t buy any Audi or German cars always issues and parts too costly my Audi always have issues with engine light on and oil problems really really not worth burying Audi again. Show details

Audi Problems – I bought this car second hand from BMW Doncaster which had done approx 30,000kms. Immediately after their 3 months warranty had to have wires replaced at Audi Burwood - cost $700 Now at 59,000kms I had to replace the transmission at a cost of $3,500 (not done by Audi as they want $5,000+), new brakes as they cannot be machined and now a problem… Read more

with driver's door lock actuator. My daughter had a Hyundai which had done175,000 kms and my husband a Lexus with none of these problems. What is wrong with this so called perfect German car? I have noticed that Audi never respond to these written problems.

LEMON – I bought an Audi A3 last year. Since I bought it, I had to change the clutch, radiator, breaks and the battery. Complete lemon. Consider if you want to buy a good European car and bad European car. And be careful when dealing with the VW group. Dodgy company. Just think about the emission scam and cheating on consumers, not too long ago.  Show details

Audi A3 Problems – My Audi A3 Cabriolet has done 59,000 kms and has been driven carefully. The first problem was so called "gold plated wires" being broken - Audi fixed this problem for approx $700. Now at 59,000 kms my transmission has gone and it will cost approx $4,000. Audi has had a recall on transmissions but not my car's model. When compared to my… Read more

husband's Lexus which has done 98,000 kms (no problems so far) the Audi is an expensive car with many problems. I would not purchase any Audi again.

Good performance car with lot of luxury only Oil consumption can be concern – Nice car with Turbo, Car has very good pickup and comfortable with 5 people. Very good and soundproof cabin on freeway driving and Bose speakers are best for music with 6 CD changer and 2 SD card for whole collection. Only concern is topping up oil few times between service interval, and DSG issue recall. Otherwise happy with the car.  Show details

LEMON ALERT! – Very disappointing reliability on parts other than the engine (which surprisingly hasn't had anything go wrong) everything else however… hmmm First the good points: - The quality of the build inside and out is second to none- Audi are well known for that. - the engine is impressive and sounds excellent - it looks good - excellent sound… Read more

system and comfort

and the bad points

- reliability of parts:

Steering rack had to be replaced ($3000+)

ABS Module had to be replaced ($3500+)

CV joints, tie rods and steering and suspension parts- you'll require a large bucket of these

- reliability of the electrical components

you press the window button and take a gamble

EVERY electrical item is connected to seemingly every other electrical item and only Audi hold the keys to the kingdom when it comes to resetting/recalibrating the computer.

- the service costs are borderline fraud I'm sure.

this model is only now available second hand- if you are looking, beware that there is a number of design faults and common faults that can be expensive to replace/repair the other ones are just annoying!

The steering rack is one of those faults so is the ABS module. (in fact in other countries these have been recalled but not in Australia)

There is also a plethora of problems/design faults with the ball joints and strut top mounts, these aren't expensive but they're just annoying!

Parts are difficult to come across and in some cases your car can be off the road for months at a time

If you're like me and live in Perth there is 1 Audi dealer- they (just like BMW) Perth NEED competition

These are nice cars but they are just too unreliable and inconsistent to own in a country like ours! thats why I've given it 2 stars. I don't trust driving my car any further than the metro area because it really is a pain when something happens and there is NO support anywhere other than the metro area.

A3 2010 problem – Major starting issue since new. Stalls on first start then is fine until next day- same issue. Also new engine as for unknown reason flogged out bores in block after 15000klm. New gear box after about 10000klm. In the workshop about 12 times in 2 years. Very disappointed on the car reliability. Fuel efficient Major starting issues since new and still the problem has not been found. Not from the lack of trying by audi.

Love this car - enjoyable and easy to drive, zippy turbo, impressive – 2013 model - first Audi I've had (now have 2). Unlike the other reviewer, I haven't owned a beamer or merc to compare it to, but those cars are far, far more expensive and I would expect them to be in another league to the A3. Many other convertibles have backseats, but you cannot sit in them if you have legs. Fits larger people in the front seats… Read more

comfortably, and at 170cms I can also sit in the back. It fits 2 kids boosters in the back seats with room to do up the seat belts. So it is a 4 seat convertible, not a 2 seater with the back seat only useable to store luggage. I'm happy with the level of interior spec and presentation.

TO DRIVE: really easy to drive, zippy, turbo changes gears smoothly and nice puff sort of sound. Instruments easy enough to use. We installed a ZENEC sound system into ours as the original did not have bluetooth. This fully works with all the audi steering wheel controls, so is recommended as an option if you need to. Responsive steering, good road grip and fun.

BOOT: Many, many convertibles that we looked at take up nearly ALL the space in the boot when the roof is down. Really check this feature in all the convertibles you look at. The A3 has good space in the boot and can fit 4 school bags, or lots of shopping bags and would also fit a collapsible stroller in it. I don't think it would fit one of those massive prams though.

ROOF: In the front seats, even with the windows up, there is a breeze in your hair at speed, which is more than we had in the Mazda MX5 we owned previously. In the back seat, it's quite exposed and windy with the roof down for adults. Kids still are breezy as well, more so than the front seats. The roof can be operated up/down at up to 30km/h, and is relatively quick. Our roof has the sound insulation option, which is very effective for a quiet ride and recommended. There is a bit of spray around the sides when cleaning the windscreen with the roof down. Otherwise it goes over the top.

COMFORT: The seats are very comfortable, but another reviewer said, the cup holders in the front centre console are weird and impractical. Audi - pls fix this as it's a bad feature. You have to lift up the console to put a drink in it, which then gets in the way of your elbow when you're driving. The console arm rest also seems to be a bit too high. The glove box space is adequate. The floor room for your legs is adequate. It doesn't have a setting to raise the seat up or down, only back or forward with a lumbar support setting. The parking sensors work consistently and it's easy to get to know how far each type of beep is (getting in and out of the car when you first get it).

RELIABILITY: We bought ours second had at 15 months old. Have not had any mechanical issues or troubles. No wire poking out and no transmission epic fails.

SUMMARY: We love zipping around in the A3. Fun, easy to drive and enjoyable.

An entertaining drive – Bought 1.8 in Aug 2010. Great to drive. Very zippy. Enough room for a couple of grandkids. Speedy roof actin enables traffic light roof lowering/raising. Had to be towed to dealer when transmission control unit failed. Apparently a not uncommon problem. Was fixed under warranty with a few day's delay waiting for part. Compact, very responsive, very fast folding roof. Failure of transmission control unit. Show details

Not bad but not great – This was the first Audi I have had and I won't be buying another one. I have been very spoilt with mainly BMWs and Mercedes but wanted a little car that looked cute but wasn't expensive. The car is very zippy which is great and is very easy to drive. The interior is very cheap when compared to my experience with BMW and Mercedes. Wires are poking… Read more

out of the bottom and up the sides of the window which i have to tuck back in each morning and my arm rest top starting lifting about 4 weeks after purchase. At this point 9 months old I am considering trading and buying a Mercedes again. This is not great for a brand new car and has turned me off Audi forever. zippy, looks cute, inexpensive when compared to others in the market Cheap, plasticky interior, awkward drink holder under arm rest

Excellent car. Best I've had which is nice – I've now had this car for almost 2 years and it's been great. The 1.4ltr turbo engine is very economical (I get about 720km's to the tank in city driving) but has great pull when you need it. The only exception is passing or when you're at higher speeds as you do get a bit of turbo lag (what would you expect from a 1.4!), but once you do it always… Read more

has something to give. The DSG transmission is also excellent with very smooth changes through the 7 gears. Every so often you do get the low speed take off shudder which has been reported in many VW/Audi DSG's but I've experienced it maybe once every few months.

Comfort level and equipment is great with everything working as you would expect from an Audi. As my first one and moving from a peugeot 306 which I loved. I would have no hesitation in buying another Audi (if/when I can afford one!).

Servicing costs are what you would expect. About $600-1000 once a year. Very reliable, engine and transmission is very efficient with great performance. Very occasionally there is a shudder when taking off from the S-tronic transmission

Audi A3 TDI – Pros: Engine, gearbox, handling, leather seats, Audi Concert Stero, ride quality, dynamics, room, quality, Fuel consumption, Brakes, Climate control. Cons: Hard to keep clean (espically wheels), Cost of parts and thats it! I love my Audi A3. It is the best car I have ever owned. A wiper clip broke when it was being washed and I had to get a… Read more

new wiper which cost $50 because its a euro style wiper. I get 4.5L per 100kms and 1200km out of one tank. It is quicker than Alfa's, BMW's and my neighbors Mercedes E-Class. It is a real classy car that ozzes quality and refinment. I get looks where ever I go. The stero won a sound off against many other steros. 12 speakers and a Subwoofer. I love the seats in leather, very comfy, It handles like a dream and has great dynamics. I Love it!!!!!

I recomend it to anyone who is looking for a new car!

Good – Finish and function is the small car benchmark. Having said that it doesn't represent great value, and the price of options are eye watering. Air conditioning is marginal for Australian conditions, and the compressors fail .... not a matter of if, but when. The range of safety features are excellent, but 4 star Euro NCAP is only average these… Read more

days, but it is a high 4 star score. Running costs are high, and beare the 90,000km, 4 year cam belt changes Represents the high water mark for standard of finish. Great brakes, gearchange, Classy engines, solid roadholding, and early versions had clear instrumentation to die for. Quality and reliability are an issue. Optional Sat Nav is poor value, with outdated maps. Open Sky roof looks great, but is prone to buffeting

Excellent – The cons I have written are small things that are easy to live with. Overall this is a fantastic car and is fair value for a prestige car. Early model 6 spd DSG transmissions had some issues, but the new 7 spd seems fault free. Bought the 1.8TFSI in Jan 2010. Very refined car. Engine performance is astonishing for a 1.8. Build quality is… Read more ·  1

excellent. Looks are great but that's individual taste. Handling superb as well. Egg gas smell at time, have to raise the arm rest to use the cup holder which is annoying, and road noise at speed on a highway seems higher than most Jap cars. Also the doors are so tight. Brake pad dust on front wheel rims too.