Audi A3 Sedan/Sportsback Owners - Check In

[Rskc]

Congrats on your purchase. Which car did you go for? Hope you got a good deal for it.

Thanks. 316i. PML is running a promo for it. It has better than usual overtrade + higher trade-in compared to others brands + 5 years warranty + 3 years free servicing (parts and labour included), so 316i got the nod.

 

I don't know if it is considered a good deal. I calculated the margin...looks reasonable. The 5 years warranty was the deal clincher.

[zhehao]

Thanks. 316i. PML is running a promo for it. It has better than usual overtrade + higher trade-in compared to others brands + 5 years warranty + 3 years free servicing (parts and labour included), so 316i got the nod.

 

I don't know if it is considered a good deal. I calculated the margin...looks reasonable. The 5 years warranty was the deal clincher.

Congrats on your new ride! Do you mind sharing how much you got the 316 for?

[Rayoflight]

Thanks. 316i. PML is running a promo for it. It has better than usual overtrade + higher trade-in compared to others brands + 5 years warranty + 3 years free servicing (parts and labour included), so 316i got the nod.

 

I don't know if it is considered a good deal. I calculated the margin...looks reasonable. The 5 years warranty was the deal clincher.

Haha good choice! Come join us at the Bmw thread and join me to mod! Hahaha

[inlinesix]

Thanks. 316i. PML is running a promo for it. It has better than usual overtrade + higher trade-in compared to others brands + 5 years warranty + 3 years free servicing (parts and labour included), so 316i got the nod.

 

I don't know if it is considered a good deal. I calculated the margin...looks reasonable. The 5 years warranty was the deal clincher.

 

Stock clearance sales.

 

5 yrs warranty looks good on paper.

 

On the flip side, PML afterservice is not top notch (i heard).

[Rskc]

 

Stock clearance sales.

 

5 yrs warranty looks good on paper.

 

On the flip side, PML afterservice is not top notch (i heard).

Yes, facelift is coming. Appearance not much changes. I went in with my eyes open.

 

Warranty-wise...put it this way, I had no problem doing claims with the e90 bought from PPSL within the 1 year warranty. They even changed the aircon vent that I broke. Service is ok to me. Changing parts are ex. So do it at the expert workshops once warranty is over. Just mho.

Congrats on your new ride! Do you mind sharing how much you got the 316 for?

I will PM you. This is an A3 tread. Let's give TS due respect so I suggest we stop discussion on 316i unless we are referring to his table or comparing to A3. Let's discuss Bmw at the other bimmer tread.

 

Cheers...

Edited May 16, 2015 by Rskc

[zerobim08]

Yes, facelift is coming. Appearance not much changes. I went in with my eyes open.

 

I will PM you. This is an A3 tread. Let's give TS due respect so I suggest we stop discussion on 316i unless we are referring to his table or comparing to A3. Let's discuss Bmw at the other bimmer tread.

 

Cheers...

It is ok lah. Price is usually one of the main consideration when deciding too. Was your final decision based on that you got a very good price/package or you just wanted the 316. Edited May 17, 2015 by zerobim08

[Rskc]

It is ok lah. Price is usually one of the main consideration when deciding too. Was your final decision based on that you got a very good price/package or you just wanted the 316.

wah, tough question :) I think it is both reasonable price/package and the want. The want was initially either A3 or 218i (surprisingly well behaved during test drive when I hit the corner) due to limited budget. 316i came into the picture with the promo so swayed my decision. In fact the price of 316i (max overtrade 15k without any trade in) is now cheaper than 218i (overtrade only 7k). With the other add ons (extra warranty, 3 yr servicing, 3M film, better trade in price), I just went ahead with it.

[zerobim08]

wah, tough question :) I think it is both reasonable price/package and the want. The want was initially either A3 or 218i (surprisingly well behaved during test drive when I hit the corner) due to limited budget. 316i came into the picture with the promo so swayed my decision. In fact the price of 316i (max overtrade 15k without any trade in) is now cheaper than 218i (overtrade only 7k). With the other add ons (extra warranty, 3 yr servicing, 3M film, better trade in price), I just went ahead with it.

Just out of curiosity what was the price you were able to negotiate for the A3 (if you are willing to share)

[Mercury1]

Just on that the extra 2 year is from PML (not BMW). Covers only engine & gb, replacement for the 2 years portion can use used parts of similar age of the car when claim is submitted. But still better than nothing.

 

 

 

Stock clearance sales.

 

5 yrs warranty looks good on paper.

 

On the flip side, PML afterservice is not top notch (i heard).

 

[inlinesix]

Just on that the extra 2 year is from PML (not BMW). Covers only engine & gb, replacement for the 2 years portion can use used parts of similar age of the car when claim is submitted. But still better than nothing.

 

 

 

 

I know.

 

Is it worth it?

 

[Mercury1]

Given all the terms and conditions and if I have to pay for it lol NO hahaha

 

 

I know.

 

Is it worth it?

 

[zerobim08]

Just on that the extra 2 year is from PML (not BMW). Covers only engine & gb, replacement for the 2 years portion can use used parts of similar age of the car when claim is submitted. But still better than nothing.

 

 

 

 

Actually, I had a bad experience with extended warranty (that was not from the manufacturer) with my previous car. I was enticed and paid a "low" $1K to extend for 2-years. Firstly, the condition that I have to service the car with them. After the first 3-years original warranty, every time I took the car to service, there were always some payable parts that need to be changed due to "wear and tear" which not covered/excluded from warranty. I have no choice but to change those parts otherwise the extended warranty will be voided.

 

After a few times of high service bill, I was thinking like whether I am being scammed. Are those parts really worn out to point they need to be changed or they were being changed for sake of generating business. I have no way of knowing that.

[Rskc]

Just out of curiosity what was the price you were able to negotiate for the A3 (if you are willing to share)

Last time I visited them was after cny i think. Price was 132k. They wouldn't even adjust little. What I see on the papers is what I get.

 

Actually, I had a bad experience with extended warranty (that was not from the manufacturer) with my previous car. I was enticed and paid a "low" $1K to extend for 2-years. Firstly, the condition that I have to service the car with them. After the first 3-years original warranty, every time I took the car to service, there were always some payable parts that need to be changed due to "wear and tear" which not covered/excluded from warranty. I have no choice but to change those parts otherwise the extended warranty will be voided.

 

After a few times of high service bill, I was thinking like whether I am being scammed. Are those parts really worn out to point they need to be changed or they were being changed for sake of generating business. I have no way of knowing that.

Wow, really? Thanks for the heads up. My colleague's extension at borneo was without any problem for usual servicing or claims. Let's see how PML will measure up. At the most, after 3 years, I go to R2D. :)

[zerobim08]

I here include the original full version of my review of the A3 for those who are interested. A bit wordy though. (the concise version is in sgcarmart).

 

===========================================

 

Car: Audi A3 Sedan 1.4TFSI Ambiente (model year 2015)

Power: 125bhp Torque: 200Nm

OMV: $27K / AD gross margin: $19K

 

 

Interior

 

The interior is one of the main factors that attracted me to this car. I like the minimalist and slim dashboard design, which gives a tinge of nostalgic, meshed with a futuristic feel. A worthy mention is the multimedia screen which is electrically extended out from inside the dashboard. Just hope the mechanism will last. The retractable screen eliminates the need of a bulky center console thus allowing the entire dashboard to elegantly slope backward providing a good and unobstructed view out front with none of the claustrophobic feel of many other dashboards design.

 

Interior dimensions are about class average (rear leg room is actually equal to the bigger A4). However, due to low sloping roofline, tall rear passengers may feel a little claustrophobic. Middle rear passenger will also feel the obtrusive central transmission hump and rear vents. I like the center arm rest a lot which is extendable up and forward allowing the arm to rest comfortable while holding the steering wheel. Also with space saving electric park brake feature (activated via a button) there is no unsightly park brake lever in the center console.

 

The stock 8-speakers sound system seems pretty good. I am no audiophile but it is much better than those included in all my previous cars. The driver information screen within the speedometer cluster is quite nifty with most functions (i.e. car, media, radio, phone, voice control etc) organized into tabs and accessed via the steering controls. I can even tug away the main screen and just use this. A nitpick here is that the DIS and main screens cannot display chinese language.

 

Quality of materials used is top notch (and does feel more premium than competing cars). The interior sound insulation is also good with barely discernible engine, wind or outside noise. However, on rough or broken road surfaces, tyre / suspension noise does intrude into the cabin.

 

 

Exterior

 

The exterior is a conservative three -box design without the complex curvy lines, body panel creases or oversized headlights like some other cars today. The car height is relatively low and the sloping roofline does give it a sportier look than the boxier executive look of the A4 or the bmw 3-series. It is hard not to like the design but then it is also not easy go crazy about it either.

 

Most of the front part of the car including the bonnet is made of aluminum. Also standard are heat insulating/acoustic glass, remote boot/window release, sensor-based mirrors/headlights/wipers (incl. the useless headlights washer), electric park brake and my favorite, front and rear LED daytime running lights. However, all is not rosy and I would like to complain that smart key, electric seats, navigation and park/drive/collision assist package are all payable options. Plus the included 16in wheels design doesn’t look good either.

 

 

 

Driving

 

I am no race driver (or want to enjoy dangerous speeds or maneuvers) so I am just going to give my impression based on a typical car driver experience. This is my first turbo-engine car. Compared to my previous BB cars, the A3 feels much more effortless and refine in driving. It is not blazingly fast that it throws you back onto your seat but nevertheless it is very responsive and quick in overtaking on the expressway and moving off from standstill. I guess all the weight saving of the MQB platform and the dct+turbo engine really make this car very nimble and peppy. The engine is also very quiet and smooth at low rpm and sometimes it feels a bit strange when moving off from stationary without hearing or feeling the engine revving. The gear up-shift is very smooth and power delivery is linear but downshifts in low gears are sometimes not smooth and exacerbated by the inertia of engine braking.

 

Driving on the road, I would say the suspension is slightly on the stiff side but it seems to handle bumps and uneven road well so it still feels comfortable enough. The electric steering is a bit of a disappointment though as it doesn’t really give an engaging feel of the road. I didn’t really throw the car in a fast corner to test the handling (well in Singapore we don’t have that kind of roads anyway) but a real difference, which I can tell compared to my previous cars is that this car chassis is stronger and stiffer. No matter what driving scenario I put the car through I feel the car maintains a firm grip on the road without body roll or instability.

 

A very important factor to me is that this car has a comprehensive safety features including 6 airbags, traction/ESP, angled engine placement, pedestrian protection and secondary collision braking. From the information I gathered, this car has earned top safety standard from accrediting bodies.

http://www.audiusa.com/newsroom/news/press-releases/2014/12/five-stars-for-audi-a3-and-s3-sedans-in-government-crash-test

 

From economy point of view, after driving this car for 2 months, I think maybe other than a diesel or a hybrid car it would be hard to beat the fuel consumption of this car under normal driving conditions. The best I got for a non-peak long drive over distance of 95km was 24.3km/l. For normal daily commute usage I was able to achieve average of 17.5km/l with about 30/70 (city/highway) under peak hour traffic. What more, it is good to know that I am playing my part in saving the environment since this car is one of the greenest with a very low CO2 emission.

 

 

Pricing

 

I kind of stumble onto this car while I was looking to replace my then expiring car. I was considering the likes of bb cars like altis or mazda3. But at the 2015 Singapore Car Show, I found out that this car only cost $12-15K more than the altis/mazda3 then. And the A3 OMV alone was $8-10K more those cars. The reason for very attractive price was the much higher CEV rebate (plus the fact AD was not greedy with profit margin which was in-line with the other bb cars as well). I think my decision to go with this car was that for 10-12% more, I would get a car that:

 

- has better performance (compared to mainstream BB cars), lower fuel consumption, better drive experience, more environmental friendly and of course all the trappings of a luxury car including premium interior built and equipments.

- has been awarded the highest safety standards.

- has won the World Car Award of the Year (WCOTY) 2014

- and lastly (and unashamedly) the badge on the car.

 

 

 

[zerobim08]

Updated/fixed the comparison tables. Added certain indicator ratios (normalized against the A3)

 

 

Basic Features

 

Dollar and Sense

Note: Prices are from Jan 2015. Prices are from negotiating with sales staff. Freebies value are not factored into prices

 

Features

Note: Mostly taken from sgcarmart. Please don't shoot me if there are discrepancies

 

 

==============================

My Personal Review of the Audi A3 Sedan

Edited May 20, 2015 by zerobim08

[zerobim08]

Found this about 2016 model changes for Audi. No major update for A3. Just minor equipment addition.

 

http://blog.caranddriver.com/audi-for-2016-pricing-and-model-change-info-released/

[Charmet]

Updated/fixed the comparison tables. Added certain indicator ratios (normalized against the A3)

 

 

Basic Features

Car Basic Specs.PNG

 

Dollar and Sense

Note: Prices are from Jan 2015. Prices are from negotiating with sales staff. Freebies value are not factored into prices

Car Dollar Sense.PNG

 

Features

Note: Mostly taken from sgcarmart. Please don't shoot me if there are discrepancies

Car Features.PNG

 

 

==============================

My Personal Review of the Audi A3 Sedan

 

What a great post. Sometimes I wished more of us in MCF would take time to justify our thoughts with some basic rationale. Statistics may lie, but done well it does give a good proxy to the intrinsic value of a car.

 

This is a lot better than those who shoot from the hip without any valid justification on why they dislike or bash a car.

[Forrestcat]

Hi Brothers,

 

I have a brand new original Audi Polo T for sale posted in the marketplace:

 

http://www.mycarforum.com/index.php?app=sgcarstore&req=showprod&product=91507

 

Mods: Please remove my post if it is inappropriate. Thank you =)