As a used car buyer it can be quite a frightening experience looking for a car that will fit into your budget but yet still be a good quality car. Some of the fears you may have will come from horror stories you may have heard yourself from a friend, family member or somebody of that ilk or you may have seen it somewhere on the television, radio, internet etc. Not to start on a negative but you will continue to hear horror stories in the used car market simply because not everybody can be as trust worthy as you hope. Unfortunately these sellers can ruin your opinion of a used car dealer or a phrase commonly heard is a small minority can ruin it for the majority. Please rest assured there is thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of reputable used car salesman in the UK.
I understand you may still have your reservations so I am going to tell you a few things you may need to look out for with a few of the popular used Audi’s.
If you are looking at a Used Audi A1 then you will purchasing a supermini car which is actually the entry-level car for Audi. It is a vehicle that has been highly praised when it comes to its level of interior quality and desirability boasting the same characteristics of the Audi A4, A6 and A8 models.
It is a similar size to the Ford Fiesta however designed as a premium car which means it is more likely to rival the sales of the MINI Cooper, Citroen DS3 and Alfa Romeo MiTo. Despite its purpose the Audi A1 is easily the most expensive supermini on the market with a starting cost of roughly £14,000, which is a little pricey. When having a look around this model it would be worth asking the owner if you can test drive the car because it will give you a chance to check for any problems that are noticeable right away and you can run a few tests yourself. A few problems that have become apparent with the A1 are the lights filling with water, power steering pump failure, number plates falling apart, horn failure, sliding seat failure and an odd smell coming from the air con. If any of these problems have occurred then hopefully the owner will have had them fixed under their warranty but I would suggest you ask the question. These types of problems are likely to come on after so many miles on the clock, by which time it could be a Second Hand Audi A1 and you could end up paying out extra cash you didn’t take into account when buying the car.
Moving away from the A1, the next step up is the Audi A2. Now with the A2 you are only going to be able to find this model as a second hand model because Audi have discontinued the model since 2005. That is not to say that it should not be taken into consideration when looking at a second hand Audi because it is a sturdy reliable car. The A2 has several economical engines to choose from whilst also providing you with a reasonable drive and a practical, well-equipped cabin.
Despite the positives, there are a few negatives to take into account when looking for your Second Hand Audi A2. The engine can be very loud when it is being worked hard so if you are somebody who likes speed and takes the rev counter pretty high then this may not be the best model for you, not that driving like that will be good for many cars. The gear change quality does vary across the engines and there seems to be a problem with a few turbo failures in the early few months, however these should be replaced under the cars warranty. Gaining access to the rear is particularly awkward and I would advise not to consider this model if you have tall or elderly people using the rear seats on a regular basis, as it will become a real nuisance. One final problem is because the model has been discontinued there is potentially big costs for any specific spare parts.
Finally of the smaller Audi’s there is the Audi A3, now this model is a highly popular used car and one of the most instantly recognisable in the UK too. It is easy to see why this model has become as popular as it has, from the great choice of engines to the different ranges available such as the Cabriolet, the Saloon and the Sportback Audi really seemed to have catered for everybody that loves the A3’s style.
The A3 responds to the steering pretty well and drives competently but just doesn’t seem as sharp as a BMW, so this is something Audi will have to address or they may face losing keen drivers. It is also a comfortable ride without a large amount of noise emitting from the engine when at high speeds. One benefit with a Used Audi A3 is they lose their value relatively slowly. So you may buy your A3 and drive it around for 3 years but, as long as you are not a long distance driver and keep the car in good condition, you should probably be able to get two-thirds of the price you paid back. At the end of the day I can provide you with information regarding some of the most serious possibilities of buying a Second Hand Audi A3 but you need to take into account that these problems are rare, especially compared to the hundreds of thousands of A3’s that were manufactured. As long as you are sensible by checking out the car, keeping an eye out for any problems and maintaining the car properly you should be able to find out for yourself exactly why the Audi A3 is one of the most popular used cars in the UK market.