Used 2009 Audi A3 2.0T quattro 4dr Wagon AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A) Consumer Reviews

Car is sharp looking, when it's not in the shop!

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?

Before I purchased my A3, I had been longing for an Audi for quite some time. Dealer made the new A3 more financially attractive than a low-mileage A4 from the prior model year. I have not regretted my decision and now have ~17,000 mi. on the car. No major mechanical problems. No quality issues except for poorly tracking sun-roof shade. The engine is peppy. There IS turbo lag, contrary to what some critics have said, but the torque band is band is broad and smooth once it is engaged. DSG works nicely and allows driver to drive all speeds in manual fashion. Lovely steering wheel. Intuitive gauge placement. Supportive seats, although more side bolstering would be nice. Love the QUATTRO.

One of the worst Audi models I’ve had.

I’ve driven mostly Audis ever since my first Audi 5000 s. By far, this is one of the poorest quality made and designed. I’ve owned the old school 5000 and 200, A4’s, A6’s, 100’s, and now an A3. This ‘entry level’ is plagued with broken wires in the door looms, faulty ignition switch, faulty steering lock mechanism, faulty water pump housing which is made of fragile plastic, faulty dsg system, faulty timing chain issues which Audi/VW had a class action against and settled, faulty gaskets. Basically everything that can go wrong with an ice car, this Audi A3 has it, like it’s the first car Audi ever made. Absolutely appalling how the quality has drastically been overlooked. I had a 1999 Audi A4 which was much more reliable and quality built and drove well over 300,000 kms. Only good thing about this A3 is the fuel economy and it’s quick off the line. Also, the stereo is horrid in terms of sound quality, it must’ve been designed by a tone deaf individual. I’m sure it’s great when it’s a new car, like most cars. Do not buy this car used unless it the mileage is under 80,000 kms.

Great car, poor execution of technology

I just picked up my car last week. Having driven VW for over 15 years in the 80's and 90's, I knew exactly what to expect. The engine is amazing, the S-tronic (DSG) transmission is fabulous, mileage has been great right out of the box. I am left scratching my head trying to figure out how a $34K car can be missing so many things that were on my $23 Kia three years ago! Auto headlamps, auto-dimming rearview mirror, integrated garage door opener, remote starting available (it's not!). Also, no memory positions for seats & mirrors. These are items that you shouldn't even have to talk about in 2009! A great car; highly recommended IF you can deal with these oversights from Audi.

Loving It For 2 Months Now

Picked up an '09 A3 2.0T Quattro DSG in January. Now that it's broken in & I've started pushing it, I'm very impressed with the performance. The auto shift is flawless & returns decent fuel economy (about 22mpg in city so far), but when pushed (or in Sport mode), this car can go. Punch it when you need to pass & you're smoothly up to 80+ before you know it. Exterior & interior fit/styling have been excellent w/ no issues to-date. The only minor flaws I've come across are the floor mats (not very wear or stain resistant), how the bright yellow passenger airbag off indicator stands out from the rest of the dash lights, & the lack of small storage compartments for coins or other.