Want to buy a used 2009 Audi A3

[rajputwarrior]

I am a Kia owner (2003 Sedona). I never said they were crap. I know they are reliable!

However, the technological gap between Kia and VW is like 20 years at least. And you know what? There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Not all companies have to innovate. Some just use proven, tested, reliable technologies and this becomes their thing - their edge. Kia/Hyundai are like Dell Inc. They spend very little on in-house R&D. They don't have to be the first to present the very latest technological thing.

sweet, we are not talking about tech in cars. we are talking about reliability... reading and comprehension fail?

[deck]

Actually, we are talking about the best way to get a used A3 at a good price. The tangential conversations are very interesting, though. I'm not a fan of the argument the way it is being done, however. Especially the 'you don't read, no you don't read' parts.

[revvo]

It's not fanboyism, blind liking for something with a negative connotation, if it's backed up with hard data, the facts. And no, you cannot claim that any other auto group excels in all those areas (profitability, volumes, market share, diversity, reliability, innovation) at the same time (except for BMW Group and Daimler AG).

So for you the largest car manufacturer/produce is the best? Since when does VW excel in reliability?! A reliable engine doesn't mean a reliable car.

Besides, yes I could fit Nissan in all those categories, but I don't feel like reciting their history and impact they had in the motoring world with each iteration of the Skyline GT-R (including the RS-Turbo). Articles all over the web do a better job than I could.

You cannot substitute VW for Nissan and write a similar paragraph - that would be lying because the facts wouldn't support your claim as, for example, Nissan makes nearly twice as less cars as VW Group does (>4 mill vs. 7.1+ mil).

Again, production numbers has little to do with quality and reliability and innovation. They're made in Mexico for a reason you know... that says a lot about "Das Auto" :rofl:

[sc302 Veteran]

what difference does it make if a company made one car or a billion?

If a company made one car and it was flawless it would be 100% perfect...if it was flawed it would be 0%

Percentages are what matter and is the only thing that can equal things out. Personally I have always known vw and audi to be about as good as a rancid trout....this goes back to my auto shop days in high school. Could they have improved, sure but results in the 2000's say no.

jd says quality is crap

http://www.jdpower.com/autos/audi/2011/

consumer reports says audi is the worst overall manufacturer

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/cr-recommended/best-worst-in-car-reliability/reliability-findings/reliability-findings.htm

I hear cars in the UK are of different quality than those in the US. I don't have personal experiance with this just hear from those that have moved or travel over there. These two companies posted are American based so I would believe they are testing/trying American cars.

The way I look at it is if I try a car or a major car from a car company and it burns me, the company is dead in my eyes. Right now dodge/chrysler has lived up to its reputation of being a horrible car company as far as I am concerned. VW although has a bad reputation seems to share similar results as jeep owners where they say they are great in one sentance then in another they say that they are having electrical issues or other random issues that are known in the brand. A 2011 car should be flawless, unless you own a Chysler product then nothing suprizes me and is typical if your wheels fall off at 50 miles or your doors seem to not want to stay on the car.

[revvo]

Actually, we are talking about the best way to get a used A3 at a good price.

Right on! Since you're also from Montreal, the quickest way to save on a car purchase is to buy a car from the US. Car prices are too inflated here in Canada. Leasebusters.com is also good place to check out.

[deck]

I've looked at Leasebusters in the past but don't find the 'deals' that I'm aiming for. I also don't want to take over a lease. I want to buy my car outright. When I try to search for Used Cars on Leasebusters I am redirected to the dealer sites.

As for buying from the US - I'm all for that in principle. My parents recently bought a car from the US and even with the taxes and duties it was still cheaper than buying it in Canada.

My concern is that the US models are weirdly optioned (compared to Canadian models and sensibilities). One of my requirements (something that I don't have on my Suzuki) is for heated mirrors. A small, almost trivial item that I really want on my next car. Many cars from the US (even Vermont, where I spend a lot of time and which has as much stupid-big snow as Montreal) don't come with heated mirrors. That and other 'winter' features come with additional packages that a lot of the US cars I've looked at don't have.

And there are other country quirks. If we look at the Subaru Impreza (another of my desired cars if my budget becomes more modest), the US Impreza is pretty crappy compared to the Canadian model. Along with having to option up to the 'all weather' or 'winter' package to get heated mirrors and seats, in the US there are no leather options. The Impreza Outback, which is the top level trim in the US, pales in comparison to the Canadian Limited model (which comes with everything, including leather). (The Impreza Outback is also just ugly.)

I've noticed similar problems with the A3 (particularly for winter features).

Yes, the cars can be cheaper - but they also don't have what I want.

Please correct me when I'm wrong, as this is what I've observed and may not always be the case.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

As for buying from the US - I'm all for that in principle. My parents recently bought a car from the US and even with the taxes and duties it was still cheaper than buying it in Canada.

Right on!

Make sure you study the process completely. There's nothing difficult in it.

This is the place to go to.

heated mirrors

This is something you can always check for in the specs. )

[deck]

True. My point is that those features are harder to find.