1998 Audi A3 review from Lebanon
"Fun to drive, very quick"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Regular maintenance includes:
- Timing belt replacement (was in perfect shape but just to be on the safe side).
- 4 new brake pads.
- Oil changed twice and soon the third time.
- Air filter cleaning.
- Fuel filter replacement.
- Oil filter replacement.
Others:
- Front left side window motor failed. Had it replaced.
- Brake pedal too soft, solved by mechanic fixing the handbrake cylinders.
General comments?
Car is very quick. Zero to sixty in early 8 seconds.
The turbocharger has a nice whiz sound that adds more excitement to the 20V engine.
The boost is nice. You can feel it from around 2500 RPM, which is why the car has a very responsive and fast acceleration.
Brakes are magnificent, handling is superb for a front wheel drive. The sensitive and responsive steering is amazing.
Interior looks sporty, the seats could grab you more however.
Gear throw from 2nd to 3rd is rapid and fast, however from 3rd to 4th is weird compared to my old Audi 90. The gear could be better positioned.
Fuel consumption is good, it is a 1.8 after all, but of course you must not forget the turbo which lets the car squeeze a little more fuel
Build quality is amazing, it feels like a very robust vehicle.
Conclusion, I'm an Audi fan and freak, and I definitely do not regret buying an A3, its sports body kit lets it look even nicer than it is. And it's fast enough for now, I kept up with a 2005 Seat Leon Cupra 1.8T (he has 180bhp, I have 150bhp) and trust me, it put a huge smile on my face.
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| Slight differences between an European car and a Japanese car matter incredibly to overall enjoyment |
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| In all about 7 out of 10... nice to drive, but not loads of fun.. |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1998 |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.8T Manual |
| Performance marks | 9 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 9 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 7 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 180000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 194000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Audi 90 |
| Date of Entry | 12th April, 2009 |