Should I buy this 2005 Audi A3?

Is a 2005 Audi A3 1.6 petrol with 70,000 miles a good reliable purchase?

Deirdre O Regan (Clonakilty)

Jul 2013 Filed under: choosing used car

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Expert answer

Hi Deirdre,

You should be fine. As always with a premium badge car, look for a full service history, but seeing as an A3 is essentially a Golf in a swanky frock, it's actually pretty simple under the skin. That 1.6-litre engine is an older design, and pretty bulletproof, but at that kind of mileage make sure things like timing belt changes have been done and check for any obvious signs of wear and tear. There were issues with 2005 models with both fuel pumps and flywheels, but both problems should have been sorted by recalls.

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe