Tony C.

I purchased a low mileage 2010 1.4 tfsi recently, and am very happy with it. My understanding is that the 1.4 turbo is widely considered to be preferable to the 1.6, as it is a better performer. One issue to be aware of, depending on the model year, is that some of these engines suffered from excessive oil consumption. If you do some searches you can find plenty of related material. Good luck!

Cheers Dirk. Your response is very helpful.

Thanks Cliff, I appreciate your response.

Hi Guys, I'm an American expat now living in Portugal. I have owned two (U.S. market) Audis previously, both A4, one in the late '90s when the model was first introduced, and then again in the early/mid 2000s. I liked those cars, am now in the market for a used car, am considering the A3, and would appreciate some advice. I understand, of course, that a lot of time has passed, but given Audis success during the intervening years, I assume that they have continued to produce excellent cars. Details I will be moving shortly to a small town in Portugal, so having some space in the back of the car will have practical applications. Having said that, because of the size difference, I am inclined to target a 2/3 door version, rather than the 4/5 door. I think that the rear space, with seats down, should be sufficient for ferrying things to and fro. I have girlfriend, but no kids, so extra seating is not an priority. In terms of the various engine options, I will need some help. Although I am no longer at an age at which brute acceleration is terribly important (my first A4 was chipped), I'm not sure that I would be happy with the lowest HP engine. Yes, economy is important, but I can certainly accept a small trade-off, and inclined to at least aim for "decent" performance. I am fairly certain that I would prefer gas to diesel, though would be open to hearing opposing points of view. The ergonomics look very good to me, and I expect that I will find the cabin to be quite comfortable. Supportive seats have always been a high priority (I once put Volvo seats in a '70s VW bus!), and I assume that the A3 seats will fit the bill well. I will likely choose a manual transmission. I am thinking of spending between €6–10,000, so the options will likely be ~2005 – 2011 models. So...what am I looking for in terms of feedback? These questions spring to mind, though I am sure that I am missing something, and any insights will be greatly appreciated. gas vs diesel? engine options, not only in terms of performance, but reliability? are there certain model years that I should avoid, or focus on? are there any particular weaknesses that I should check before purchasing? what might be a sensible mileage cap for the used purchase? I am thinking of ~75–125k as perhaps being a reasonable range... given the similarity of platforms, should I also consider a VW Golf? Thanks very much in advance! Tony