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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2010 A3, so we've included reviews for other years of the A3 since its last redesign.
bittersweet: sweet to drive, bitter to maintain
Joe, 05/29/2016
2010 Audi A3 2.0 TDI Premium 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl Turbodiesel 6AM)
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
I bought this car used, from a low volume dealer (shady, I know) with 54k on the odometer. It was a terrible purchase, even at a price I thought was great. It was leaking coolant the third day home, and required over $5k in repairs the first year. It was out of warranty, buyer beware, etc. I still like the car. It is expensive to fix, but when it is good, it is really good. Nothing cruises at highway speeds like a German car. Plenty of power, even on a high mileage engine. One thing I learned during the first year of ownership is this: don't take it to a dealership for service, period. You will overpay, in a ridiculous way. Example: bent rim, new wheel: $825. Really. I bought four new wheels and tires on tirerack.com for a hundred more than that, and they were lighter rims, and look better. That is just one example. The best thing you can do is learn to do your own maintenance/repairs and be vigilant. Read the online forums and watch the youtube tutorials. You will have to buy all new tools with a german car though. It is nothing like an American or Japanese car, which I have previously owned. Lots of starbolt fasteners. Even the wheels are held on by lugbolts (17mm) instead of lugnuts, which freaked me out the first time I rotated the tires. Most used car ownership experiences have a few repairs involved, especially once you break six figures on the odometer. For an Audi/Volkswagen, the parts are expensive and the service at the dealership is outrageous. I suppose I knew that going in, but that first year was rough. The interior is holding up pretty well and it looks like a much newer car than it is. The front seats are supportive and comfortable even on long road trips. The leather has held up well with a minimum amount of creasing and no cracks. The seatback on the passenger side did randomly detach at one point, but I was able to fix it with a pair of pliers and some glue. The navigation system is one of the least user friendly I have ever used, with a very cumbersome amount of effort to program a destination. It works fine once you get it programmed I guess, but I just navigate on my phone to avoid the headache. The bluetooth is easy to program at least, but it doesn't stream audio to the radio. The system does have an input for an aux cord though, and my wife likes the satellite radio. The sound is great. The performance is the best part about the car. It is a GTI in a fancy suit. Plenty of power to keep the driver entertained and with the S-line sport package you get great steering feel and confidence during cornering. Under aggressive acceleration I get a lot of wheel slip, which is the only gripe I have. Even with grippy summer tires, you have to baby the throttle a little bit. Most drivers probably aren't as lead footed as I am though, so it may not be an issue for most. The transmission is as high end as I have ever driven (manual), with smooth clutch engagement and a shifter that slides into gear like a hot knife through butter - so smooth. It feels very refined, but is every bit the sport hatchback when you want to play. The exterior of the car has also held up very well. The paint is still glossy like new. The styling on this car was well ahead of its time, and it doesn't look even a little dated. My wife fell in love with it because of the looks, and she hates hatchbacks. I get compliments on it all the time. You take the good with the bad. The Audi has been a bittersweet ownership experience. Sweet to drive but bitter to keep it running.
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A GTI in a suit
since59, 04/22/2012
2009 Audi A3 2.0T PZEV 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
I needed to replace my 11 year old TT roadster with a larger car. I was looking at 2-3 year old A4 Avants but they were too expensive. Last week I bought an A3 used with 30k on the odometer. I just finished a 1000 mile road trip in 100+ degree heat at an average speed of 85 mph without a single problem. Great power from the 2.0 turbo that emits a wonderful snarl when you floor it and the dual clutch transmission is an able dance partner in the twisties. The dual zone AC kept the cabin of my black on black skyroof equipped A3 cool and comfortable while we cruised through the Mojave desert and the engine temp needle never budged past the middle of the dial. Great little car!
Looks good but constant minor issues
seattle1984, 03/31/2015
2009 Audi A3 2.0T 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
14 of 16 people found this review helpful
My 2009 Audi A3 driver side door does not work with the fob. The other doors work fine. The shop says the door lock actuator needs to be replaced total cost $750! The low oil light keeps on popping up. I have not gotten an estimate and will wait until my 105k maintenance. The car looks and drives well. Also, the MPG is pretty good even on Premium gas. However my old and ancient Camry seems to have less constant minor issues.
Car is sharp looking, when it's not in the shop!
Allan Tuders, 09/20/2018
2009 Audi A3 2.0T quattro 4dr Wagon AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
16 of 19 people found this review helpful
Grandson took out his first loan to buy this car just before graduating.Dealer mechanic says,"got just 1 thing to fix on the engine. The dealership says "we'll pay a $1000 , you pay a $1000.Ok, did that. Drove the car for an half hour or so, light comes on again. Found a bit of oil leaking, not much, not even on the floor. The last two months the car has been in the shop more than on the road,& his money has ran out & he's 3 payments in to the bank. The last visit to the Audi dealer tells him to offload the car, it needs a new engine. There were metal shavings in the oil pan when drained? 90,000 miles, & $10,000 later ,he's screwed! Still owes the bank the money, can't drive the car, & still has his first years college to pay for! Hell of a lesson to learn! They say German engineering is the best?
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a year and 30k miles in my A3
eurocarlover19, 08/19/2013
2009 Audi A3 2.0T 4dr Wagon (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I bought my 09 A3(2.0T w/S-tronic) in July 2012, with 51k miles, now has 81k miles. MPG has actually gotten better, and I routinely get over 30 commuting to work(22 miles one way). Had to replace the electronic throttle, but other than that, I've spent $2.5k on regular maintenance--tune up, oil changes, brakes, tires. The seatbacks came unglued, so i simply super-glued them back together, with no issues. The armrest also came undone, but to replace the top portion, it will cost me $200, so that will also be super-glued back. I will consider the 2015 A3 when it arrives, though i'll also be cross-shopping with the Volvo V60(soon to arrive), and the new GTI.
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