Should You Buy an AUDI A3? (Test Drive & Review MK3)
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- Опубликовано: 22 май 2022
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Today I'm in this MK3 Audi A3... Let's see what it's like.
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I agree : that colour looks like primer but so many colours do this days . The blade key might be for a hidden keyhole in the driver’s door handle for when the “key” battery is dead if it’s similar to my Passat.
On the driver’s door handle there’s a pop-off cover over the manual door lock in case you get a flat battery.
I'm almost at a loss for words.
You actually voiced a preference for a manual (in certain circumstances that is ) and mentioned the advantages of diesels and their great fuel consumption and zero road tax.
I could feel your pain as the words came out but well done 😂
Always look forward to your post Matt and hope the break away as fun as it looks 👍
I've got a 13 plate A3, 1.8tfsi, and I love it. Feels like new to drive, not like it's 9 years old. It is pricey to fix, but haven't had lots to repair. I'll definitely get another one in a couple of years. Fancy an S3 next.
A seamless and shameless segway into a Car Verticle advert - absolutely magnificent. Lol 😂
Smoother than the Audis gearbox 😂
@Angela Rayners phatjinjahphanny Not yet 😂
I gotta say I love it when cars have a flippy key even when they’re keyless. It’s something to play with when you’re bored, something I don’t have with my Ford
Haha I know what you mean
I think the flippy key gets you into the hidden emergency lock in the driver's door handle.
@@m__r1100 yeah they do, most keyless ignition cars have a key, you take the back off the ford ones to get to it. It’s just not as fun as having a key to play with
to do those lines like a boss 🤪 ... jk
@@mazpr2025 😂 they know their audience
I have a 15 plate 1.4 TFSI Audi A3 in the exact same colour and 5 door. Admittedly I got it because of the badge, still its great to drive really comfy and haven't had any problems. I agree about the automatic gearbox being a bit sluggish at times when pulling off at junctions or roundabouts, happens to me at times when I put my foot down there is a slight delay before it moves off. Now I'm considering trading it in for a Mercedes SLK, some reason I have suddenly developed a bit of an obsession for those cars.
Was just down there at the weekend.
Nice drive around the sites.
Don’t worry if the gearbox goes Rob and Chris can sort it out. Did a complete rebuild on one the other day.
Keep up the good work
The A3 “estate?” In 2l diesel is a bit of a go to model for me. Thanks to the price of vans shooting up I’ll be replacing mine with one!
Great vid as ever! Nice change of scenery too, bit jealous
I bought one to years ago, it's from 2016. It's a A3 1.4 tfsi COD full S-line with DSG transmission in black, not the hatchback but the saloon. I love it. It looks good, drives perfect, has the B&O soundsystem. Very nice car.
We have a 2014 A3 Sedan 1.4 TFSI COD which is now over 8 years old with 75,000 kms and it has been faultless. It is very economical and performance from the 1.4 is good. Large boot is bigger than hatch and the car still looks good after all these years. Quality of interior is first class and better than the new model. Yes, I would buy again.
4:42 "Those headlights are really great for driving at night" - that's the sort of insight that brought me to this channel 😂. It's OK I'm only teasing, please don't unsubscribe me!
Not for people coming the other way tho’.
I agree with you about the gearbox, I had a BITDI Passat and pulling onto a busy roundabout was always nervy, that split second when nothing happens! Luckily I had enough power to get out of any trouble.
Great review, love it!! 😄
I have a 2015 A3 Sportback 2L TDI and it was reasonably bland at the beginning but done quite a lot of modifications like a remap and a pedal box so it responds much quicker now. Owned my car for over 4 years now and it's so fun to drive. No real issues so a happy owner!
What's the mileage on it
@@wakaflockaprojectJust over 70K
A HighPeak video on a car we own! And another really spot-on insightful video. We have a 1.6 diesel manual - bought in 2017 - faultless! SO yes, get the manual, which is beautiful to use, and diesel, which is really smooth, and does 65-70mpg in the 1.6. So reliable, and probably the cleanest diesel that will ever be built (£0 tax, plus after Dieselgate I am sure no more R&D went into diesels so 2017 is a good year to buy for a diesel ) - we have serviced it properly at Audi since we bought it, and changed the timing belt when recommended (that is pricey at 5 years/50000 miles but worth it) as in the video. It also feels so much higher quality and better to drive than the equivalent Golf, we know this from the courtesy cars we get from the dealer. The car is so easy to drive, you point it where you want to, it goes there. Ok no drama like my old BMW 120i, but simply effective. We intend to keep ours till we are forced into an electric car! Perhaps one of the best Audis motoring hacks do not know about, but HighPeakAutos as ever do!
Fun fact about these cars, anywhere else except the UK, Audi claims this has a lifetime belt/120k and doesn't need replacing as often. Just seems like the Audi UK appeasing the franchises who must ensure they get their money.
Another interesting video. Enjoy your break Matt.
Great videos as always! Going to Malaga/Nerja tomorrow. Will have eyes out. Greetings from Sweden.
I had the VR6 A3 from 04. So much fun to drive, sounds awesome.
I have been waiting for this. I have been searching YT for the past 2 weeks. I even realised you have almost all the Audi As except the A3
Yeah i didn’t even notice id missed it
Got a 2020 MK3 1,5 TFSI MT6 Sport line - And it's pretty much everything you could ask for in a daily, Sport seats are nice and comfy, ride is supple as you say and sporty enough.
The 150hp is enough to pull off ovettakes and merging well as well as keeping an average of 50 mpg. Will never get a car without adaptive cruise control after having it on this one!
Only made about 20k miles but so far no issues at all! Negative side is the high revs at highway speeds + noise when going 70mph+.
I was waiting for an Audi A3 review Matt and was also surprised you had not already done one in some form. I bought a 69 plate A3 S-Line 30 TDI (Hey I went for black - call me predictable) and it is super smooth and it is excellent and economy is excellent averaging at 55-65mpg in real world depending on driving style. It does not have the power of the 2.0 diesel but it is a trade off and works for us. It comes with the Tech pack and would strongly recommend this if buying used as it gives the virtual cockpit and mobile set up and really adds value as IMHO the Audi virtual cockpit sets the standard for digital display. Hoping for decent reliability.
"You end up getting cut-up by a taxi driver in a Skoda superb . . . . . it's embarrassing" 🤣 Comedy gold!!!
Great vid from sunny Spain! Love the views! :)
Hola Matt, i watch all your reviews and love your honesty,and sarcasm (keep it up) great to see someone with legs as bad as mine, i also only get mine out when i go to see my brother who lives in MIjas. keep up the great work pal
Your description of Spanish drivers took me back 20 years when my dad drove us all down to Alicante and while there got into an accident and had to produce the famous "carta verde" which was in fact a white sheet of paper which stated it was the carta verde at top. "Sí sí, look VERDAY"
Smashing even out of Sk, great video pal, enjoy Spain
I actually like the primer look, but mine is a silver type, love the ergonomics of the cabin, and the rotary dial is great compared to the touch screen Golf I traded in. They are dangerous in my opinion. S tronic gearbox is fantastic in mine, with only the odd hiccup. 2 L petrol tho, but not bad on fuel. I’m guessing you have the 1L as the 1.4/1.5 I’ve tried seemed perfectly adequate..
Great vid as usual, thanks.
A good car let down by several poor engines, get the right engine and a very good car, your video shows this very well. Two design faults though.....that badge and the Neolithic yobs who now seem to drive them! Shame those 2 issues out and it could be a great car.
@Sajjy Sajjy the 2.0 diesel you'll have to get a 64 plate onwards to comply with clean air ulez
@Sajjy Sajjy it's 64/15 plate onwards. I would check the reg plate on the ulez website first. The mk7 golf's gtd are all euro 6
Best engine is the 1.4 TSFI or the 1.5 if you buy the facelift model 2017
Which would those engines be? I'm considering an a3 but with so many engine options I don't want to regret my decision
@@themindset3329 Avoid the petrols they are rubbish, best of pick is 1.6 diesel, but service history a must, also steer clear of the 2 L diesel, to many issues
A 2015 2l TDI S Line was my first car. Couldn’t fault it, loved it dearly!
Any oil consumption issues?
Thank you so much for this video. It’s really helpful and specially never been to Spain and don’t when can I afford to, so it was so amazing to see the street or Sunny Spain.
Top review and great location Matt. My Q3 is in Nano Grey and it does look like primer. I reckon hesitation on DSG is sorted now ...although mine is a Diesel. Those two white baguettes on back seat made me laugh.
The A3 is a nice car for a daily, even in the primer colour, great video as usual, that area in Spain is beautiful, was over there at Easter 👍
I had a 55 plate A4 as a company car once, and hated the auto gearbox, for the same reason. You'd put you foot down from standstill and it would take about a second for the car to respond.
It’s annoying
Good job Matt the audio is good on this video.the Audi A3 could bore a man to sleep
Hi matt, you missed out on a free glass of vino or 2, came back on the 20th, was in mijas for a wk, then Fuengirola for a wk, love it there, back early oct if your around, love the channel, oh, and don’t you dare feel guilty of what you have achieved, all due to bloody hard work, with lots of mistakes and pit falls on the way, enjoy what you have, I’m 66 in a few wks, I’ve had 60 vehicles and 12 motorbikes , so far lol. Only made money on 3 of them, cobra replica, 69 e type roadster, and a 69 mgb gt. Helps being singe doesn’t it lol. Just keep enjoying what you do, never worry what others think, you learn that one as the yrs go by, cheers mate. Geoff, uk.
The link in your script to bring in Car Vertical… Bravo👏
Thanks for the advice man
Thanks mate you answered all my questions 😊
Had a 2015 S-Line for my second car and absolutely loved it, still wish I had it now!
I love my A3 …. Left one behind in 2006 …. Bought online and waiting fir me in 2016 on my return … only one car fir me …. Fits me like a glove :)
I had the older model A3 s line black edition 170 tdi , I loved it to be honest , it had been professionally remapped and went really well if you wanted , 55 plus mpg if you took your time and it was the 5 door in phantom black . It was a very good all rounder.
How was the reliability
@@wakaflockaproject as long as you stick to the serving they are very good 👍
Nice slick plug for carvertical Matt!
Spotted the double roundabout with the petrol station on the right and screamed that’s Mijas Pueblo - we were there on Friday, sad to say we dropped our lower group Kia Ceeeeeed off at Malagacar on Sunday after 2 fantastic weeks including a couple of trips to Ronda - what a place that is! Anyway you being in Spain was a surprise but those surprises kept coming, you are spot on about the driving - and you do need to get off the line sharply to join the A7 - great vid, even the missus watched it all (dreaming of Spain) didn’t know Lorraine Kelly had a spot there too 😎 enjoy your break! Or maybe hire another car and keep working
Ah small world! I love it there. Think I must have taken it for granted when I lived there
i agree with you when you say they are a bit clinical
ive always thought that the a3 is just a bit too boring
Hope you have a relaxing break Matt
Another lovely video
Had an 04 mark 2 1.6 petrol from 2012 - 2020, bought it at 8 years old and kept it for 8 years with very little issues until the exhaust rotted, 3 years towards the end living rurally probably killed it off. Car was never the same after that, probably the fault of the place that replaced it. It had an issue with cold starts, crank sensor or something for the last 3 years or so but despite numerous attempts to fix it (not costly) it never got any worse or better. Bought it for 6100euro and sold it for 700euro. Beyond what I've mentioned and general wear and tear it was incredibly reliable and still looked great the day I sold it once it got a good wash. Really comfortable and pleasant car to drive with dual climate control (rare as rocking horse poo on this class of car in 2004) with the best controls to operate it I've seen on any car. Great stereo too. Only replaced it because two big dogs dont really appreciate getting in and out of the back of a 3 door car like this. Honestly prefer it to the volvo v90 cross country I have now, more reliable and more pleasant to drive anywhere bar motorways. A great little car that outshone many cars 5-10 years newer. Should have kept it.
Did like the old Spanish reg system where you could identify the province the car was from. Nice review!
Finally!! A video of yours I do not have to mirror-flip so it at least looks like you are driving on the correct side of the car. ;-)
😂
Cracked me up when you mentioned that a gearstick was like an electric razor. That’s exactly what I think when I look at my BMW ZF8 speed lever in my 530d f11.😂
Your comment about tight underground car parks reminded me of one in Fougères some years ago which was so tight the Accord was unable to make it down without having to reverse at many points and there were no slots available until level 6 right at the bottom! Nightmare!🙀
I`ve just traded my 2015 S1 in for a 2018 A3 2ltr tdi Quattro sline black edition 184bhp, much prefer the A3 due to build quality and extra space. The S1 was nano grey and when you catch it in the light you can see it`s a mettalic.
I had the 1.0tsi man 2017 as a company car. It was very under the radar. Comfy, the engine was surprisingly good and frugal. It did great. I don't think I would buy one new with my own money, you get more for your money from equivalent golf or seat or Skoda. More wind noise than I expected from the b pillar. The B&O stereo was a waste of money and needed a trip to main dealer at least twice for a reboot.
I had a 2 litre TDI Audi A3, on a 56 plan once.
It was a silver colour sports vision.
According to the DVLA site, it still the road.
Nice car and Malaga it’s beautiful enjoy it mate.
Looks like the road from Alhaurin to Mijas. Great part of Spain Matt have a great time I’ll be there in 10 days. 👍
It is. You’re right
Hi Matt I don’t good well made car like my A4 allroad I had a couple of years ago but like you said there a bit clinical love the videos when you do them in Spain weather is always amazing great video any chance of an extended video on your new Range Rover such a stunning car definitely a real looker hope you are well in the Spanish sun best wishes ian
Mejas Pueblo ... !!! you'll have to do a review on one of the local donkey taxis Matt lol Been a couple of times there when on holiday
I had a 2006 A3 3.2 V6 Quattro and it was a very good car.
A 3 a very good car my wife had a new 2.0 tdi from 2008 great car, sold it with 170.000 km never a problem with it.
By the way you were just up the hill from us in Mijas, la Cala golf💪💪💪
Boris Johnson: ''Lorraine,...Who's Lorraine.'' Good review by the way.
Nice to see Eric Morcambe's shorts have come back into fashion - it's been long overdue!
Brilliant cars .2 in our home both been just services and the odd wear and tear part .
My own one is 2011 2L diesel.
The other 2019 I prefer mine but both great
Got one of these A3 sport 2.0 tdi, great car 👍🏻
Thank you Matt
great content m8,i have one the audi a3 are great cars
Always quite liked the A3. Understated, classless, good car.
I am a serial radio station changer too 🤣 really nice review in Spain, nice scenery, and your Spanish seems flawless, that’s maybe because I know two words in Spanish 😂 just kidding Matt, nice one as always!!
Haha thanks buddy
Will you do a toyota corolla touring hybrid mk12 review please thinking of buying one been watching your car reviews for ages quality stuff keep it up
On my 8th Audi, never get through MOT without something amiss.
OMG...funniest comment on this thread....
Finally someone else who flicks through radio stations to avoid songs you don’t like and adverts 👏🏻👏🏻
Drive a 2006 1.9TDI SE , with 300,000 Miles now. 1.9 BXE TDI is a great engine block. Cannot flaw it, clings to back country roads.
I have A4 160 BHP and and A5 200 BHP but the A3 105 BHP much more practical. easy parked, fun to drive.
any oil consumption issues with the cars?
I don’t know why primer grey is so popular.
Love your work 👍
I used to have a VAG vehicle (pre-dieselgate) and I agree. Well maintained and they can go for a long time and the PD130 engine was an absolute cracker.
I’ve boycotted VAG vehicles since dieselgate although I still recognise that they are well built. Even with the build quality, I still can’t believe how popular the brands are after such a big scandal….🤷♂️
I boycott Audi because their build quality is so poor, as Matt said in the video.
9:39 Matt oh my gosh look at that mondeo. I’ve also been to Spain and the drivers there are intense
You need some glasses dude... that parking image was shocking 🤣🤣😂 #MoreBentThanADrainCleanersBendyThing
Always enjoy your work... keep it up
As regards the radio retuning because of ads, it’s a good job we don’t do that when you have an ad on your video.
Great video like the A3 prefer the saloon which looks more elegant and classier to the sports hatch especially the S3 or RS3.
I've always lived these cars and drove one in Alicante so similar to yourself. It was a sportback, diesel I think and it was so nice. I do get what u mean it's a bit bland. I've heard some places say the diesel is the one to avoid due to issues but I dont know how many cases they're are
I owned a 2013 1.6TDI which had a multitude of issues including a water leak into the boot, creaky front suspension, constant DPF issues, long crank time from cold!
Did you know, as an avid radio station switcher, that Škoda has an automatic radio switcher on the passenger side radio button. You press it once and it starts switching the radio stations and giving you a preview of 5-10 seconds. Once you find something you'd like to listen you press the button again and it stops the automatic switching. I guess other vw's could have it as well, experienced it in škoda first.
That’s genius
I’ve got an 18 a3 saloon with 1.5tfsi. Best car I’ve ever had. Only negative is the boot space, but you get that with most saloons. Good amount of pull, 50+ mpg on motorways, all the tech you need.
u stil own it?
I drive a golf and found the a3 and even some larger audis claustrophobic as the low roofline cuta luggage space and general space. Chucking teo bikes into a golf is easy with front wheels taken off but not the a3 for example.
Love the Audi range, but boy they are so expensive to fix, and they hold their price, enjoy your break Matt , well earned
nice video, Matt. now what about a video with an Audi... A2?
Cup of tea, a new High Peak Autos video… life is good.
😉
I have a mk7 golf with the same engine. The water pump went at 60,000 but other than that I’ve had no issues. I prefer autos but the I have the manual which is probably the one to go for as Matt is right about the DSG.
The water pump in my Peugeot 108 went at 42k, and the clutch looks it's getting noisy although it was cheap to buy, so there's that. Cars are built for the warranty it seems, the DSG along with Ford's Powershift has a terrible reputation. Think I'll go Hyundai Kia next time.
Water pump killed my A3 8P at around 75k, out of warranty.
Water pump went on my new Skoda Fabia at around 60k, caught it just in time to stop the car, fixed under warranty.
DSG is ok depending on the specific gearbox, year and climate, yes climate. Warmer climates in start stop traffic most DSGs will need mechatronics units replaced quickly. UK climate in general should be ok.
I have a 2018 2ltr 140kw..bought with 10k miles on. Its pacey..decent car..have mine in crystal blue
My wife has a 2013 1.4 Sportback. Excellent car, great fuel consumption, although, as you mentioned, it did have a piston overhaul at around 90k (still under mechanical warranty) and a turbo actuator failed at 120k, petrol cap malfunctioned at 160k and then 1 cylinder failed at 200k. That's not too bad over 9 years currently on 215000km.
What gearbox was in it? 7 speed s tronic? How's that been? Safe driving
@@accountbounce It's the 6 speed manual. Apparently the S tronics are quite problematic.
German cars are good for 100k km! Then they fall apart
I have a 2011 tdi Quattro 170ps with 161k miles on the clock. It still feels solid and planted on the road, apart from normal services and a timing belt it hasn’t needed anything. It is one of the best cars I’ve ever owned.
Is the 2015 2.0 tdi 150bhp engine reliable
Good review but for reference the engine on the car you testing is a 1.0 with cambelt not chain. I had a 1.6tdi A3 and had a water pump failure after 30K miles
I've got the 1.0 now and had it five years. It's been a great car
Malaga is a very lovely place, visited a couple times and would definitely want to visit again. Review is alright as well I guess
Love it and I completely agree with you with driving in Spain too. Greece is the same. You could have not described it any better. No Weakness or you will be eaten alive 🤣 and you become a bumper car on the road lol.
Have a great time in Spain 👍
Haha quite right
Thanks matt
Can't wait to move out there in a decade! Up in the hills, away from the ex-pats! Enjoy your hols! 👍🍻🌞
You’re moving away from yourself? Interdasting 🤔.
@@johnnunn8688 only a moron moves to a different country but continues completely with their culture & language! 🙄
A3 S line 5 door with panoramic roof my favourite. Nice roads up around Mijas costa.
Great scenery - a part of Spain I'm not familiar with. The car review was decent too!
Looking forward to a Polestar review
I have just repaired a Golf GT 1.4 tsi 170 twin charge,and you are not wrong on reliability of the petrol engines. It's so complex compared to similar engined cars, there must be twenty sensors all which give up the ghost on a regular basis. The tip of the day with these is, carry a code reader at all times.
Which year is it? And I assume you chip tuned the engine to 170hp?
@@kubiyoshi2744 It's a Golf GT 1.4 tsi twin charge ,2008. it is turbocharged and supercharged from the factory as standard
@@kubiyoshi2744 The engine has had a really bad press over the years. I think the issue is that people did not know what they were buying and the maintenance is
is more rigorous than a standard engine. They must run super unleaded fuel which very expensive these days and not that easy to find. Oil changes are vital to the engine as the cam followers are hydraulic + the timing chain tensioner is not the best design as it can be pushed back. Older design had a ratchet built into them to prevent this from happening. The major issue is though people thought that a timing chain was not a service part but a timing belt was. This has not been the case for many manufacturers, BMW for instance have the same problems. There is a link below how the twin charge system works.
ruclips.net/video/20qqavckWdw/видео.html&ab_channel=porschecn
@@neilhampson2843 thanks. For starters that engine seem like great engine, but was too complicated. Those years was not the greatest for VAG, also diesel engines. Currently it seem that DSG got it problems. And a manual gearbox is safe choice.
Yes in those turbo engines we need to use a hi octane petrol to avoid knocking combustion which may lead to many issues with the engine. But to be honest Iam happy with 1.4 150hp. Its pretty powerful and you can get 50-60 mpg with ease.
The model you’ve driven has 3 cylinder 1.0 tfsi. The 35 tfsi with 1.5L 4 cylinder should be much quicker with that extra 40hp.
35 tfsi...am I really that old that I remember when 35 would mean it's a 3.5L engine or at least 3.0L + some big turbo? I mean what's the point of calling it 35 tfsi when it's an 1.5L with 150hp lol. Just call it a 1.5L...
ps: And the A4 has a 35 TDI that's a 2L diesel engine...
@@tavirosu25 That is not how Audi's dynamic badges are calculated.
100km/h = 27.77m/s
27.77m/s divide by 0~100 time to calculate acceleration (in Audi a3 35tfsi's case it is 8.4 seconds)
27.77 / 8.4 = 3.31m/s^2 to 3 significant figure
3.31m/s^2 divide by gravity acceleration which is 9.81m/s^2
3.31 / 9.81 = 0.337 to 3 significant figure
Times that number by 100, which is 33.7
as 33.7 is closer to 35 than 30, it is rounded up.
@@tavirosu25 if you apply the same formula for Audi A3 30tfsi, you get 28.3.
not sure if you could understand this complicated equation if you are so simple minded to think that number system is equivalent to its engine size :D
@@tavirosu25 They changed their naming system in 2014 because engine size doesn't tell much about the car's accelerating potential. Also before this naming system audi would just name it by 2.0, 3.0 etc not 20 or 30. So yes you are that old, and you are suffering from memory loss.
yay! i got to enjoy a spanish road tour while sitting in my bedroom while its raining
😎