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Hi F D,

We'd recommend readers change their cars' oil and filter at least once a year regardless of mileage. Short hops are actually tougher on the engine (and its oil) as it does a lot of its driving when not fully warmed up.

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Hi F D,

There does seem to be an issue with the turbo- and supercharged engines involving the timing chain and it seems to be because Volkswagen tried to stretch the service intervals too far. Now, your A3 may not have that particular engine, depending on the year and the engine power. The lower power 122hp version of the 1.4 TSI didn't have a supercharger, just a turbo so is simpler and doesn't seem to suffer the same issues. The more recent 150hp version also does without the supercharger, so the best thing to do is not panic - if you're concerned about the car, take it to your dealer, have it inspected and maybe insist on a more frequent oil change.

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Hi Charles,

I assume you mean this Volkswagen story. At this stage we have been told that it only affects certain cars powered by the 2.0-litre TDI engine, but not all of them. So, going by current information, the 2014 model year 1.6 TDI Audi A3 Saloon is not effected. Keep an eye on our news page and social media feeds however, as we expect more news to emerge in the coming days.

Kind regards

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Hi F D,

There is a very, very slight difference. The A3 1.4 TFSI 125hp accelerates from 0-100km/h in 9.4 seconds, while the 1.2 TFSI 110hp does the same job in 9.9 seconds. Half a second is a lifetime in F1, but if you can actually tell the difference in the road then I'd suggest you change your name to Raikkonen and give Ferrari a ring...

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Hi F D,

There are some small differences. The three-door A3 sits on 2,601mm wheelbase, while the A3 Sportback (the five-door hatch) has a 2,636mm wheelbase so there's a bit more room in the back. The A3 Saloon has a wheelbase that's fractionally longer again, at 2,637mm, but that's a negligible difference, so really, it has the same rear seat space as the Sportback. There's a significant difference in boot space though. Both hatchback versions come with a 380-litre boot, or a 340-litre one if you opt for quattro four-wheel drive (the rear diff has to go somewhere, after all). The saloon has a much bigger boot though, at 425 litres for the front-drive version or 390 litres for the quattro version.

Read our Irish road test of the Audi A3 Saloon here

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Hi Peter,

As I guess you already know, Shane, Dave, Paul and myself from CompleteCar.ie are all on the APMP voting jury for Car of the Year, so we'll take this point by point if that's OK.

The Audi A3 Saloon was the model specifically being looked at, and while it's certainly at the pricey end of things for many families, more and more family buyers are being tempted in by the attractive repayments and resale figures offered by the German 'Big Three' premium brands. As for cabin and boot space, the A3 sits roughly between, for instance, a Golf and a Passat in this instance, and isn't far off the cabin space of  the current Audi A4. As a father of two, I've had my family out and about in various A3 models and can confirm that they're perfectly acceptably spacious.

It's a similar case for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Size-wise, it's pretty much spot on a rival for the Passat or Mondeo. Perhaps it's a little tighter inside, but not by much, and that's the price paid for a less space-efficient rear-wheel drive platform. Again, while it's at the expensive end of things for a family purchase, there are plenty out there defecting from the more traditional 'mass-market' brands such as Ford, Opel and Toyota to get themselves a slice of the premium action. Once again, it's often down to the tempting finance packages on offer.

As for the Outlander, it is, strictly in size terms, somewhat in-between things. Taking the BMW X5 as an example, it's slightly shorter (200mm) overall, but has a similar wheelbase measurement and it's slightly larger than the next BMW down, the X3. We judged that, given its overall exterior dimensions, its large boot space and the availability of a seven-seat version when specified with the diesel engine, that Large SUV was the best fit. A perfect fit? Perhaps not, but given the continual fracturing of the car market into ever smaller and more narrowly defined niches, it is close to impossible to find a perfect market segment for every car on sale without having an award 'for everyone on the audience'. We put the Outlander PHEV into the Large SUV category because we felt it would compete strongly there. Seeing as it took two awards home on the night (its PHEV drivetrain took the APMP Innovation Award) it looks like we were right.

The categorisation was discussed long and hard by the membership and somebody somewhere will always disagree.

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Hi Irvin,

Well, it kind of depends what you want and what you need. These are two very different cars, so it's a little tricky to compare them directly. The Audi is stylish, comfy, refined and reasonably spacious, and of course comes pre-loaded with buckets of premium appeal. The Fiesta is, by contrast, rather more cheap and cheerful, but it's utterly brilliant to drive and, with that 1.4-litre diesel, should cost little more than buttons to run.

So, as I say, it depends what you need. Want space and premium appeal? Get the Audi. Want cheap running costs and a pin-sharp driving experience? Get the Fiesta.

Let us know which way you go

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Hi Susan,

For your budget, you could consider an Audi A3 1.9 TDI five-door. Classy, good to drive and very economical. Perhaps not the most spacious car in the world in the back and boot, but it will take a buggy.

Or, how about a car based on the same mechanical package as the A3, but with the boot space to be able to handle a whole creche's worth of kiddy clobber? I speak of course of the Skoda Octavia. A brilliant car, with tonnes of space, and your budget would get you a 2008 model with the 1.9 TDI diesel engine in range-topping 'Elegance' trim. So, comfy then.

Skoda not your thing? Want something classier? I have just the thing... How about a 2008 Volvo V50 estate with the 1.6-litre diesel engine? An easy 50mpg, family practicality thanks to the estate body and your mind will be forever at ease on the safety front.

What do you think?

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Hi John,

To be honest, it's a little hard to tell. The A3 Saloon hasn't been out long enough for us to get a solid handle on its resale values but we can work from a couple of basic assumptions:

 1. Yes, diesel is currently more highly valued than petrol.

2. That won't always be the case - now that the mad post-2008 scramble for diesel has subsided buyers are starting to get wise to the value of petrol power again, helped by improved engine tech.

3. An Audi, any Audi, will likely have stronger residual values than most other marques so you're already ahead of the game.

So I guess the answer is yes, your depreciation will be a little sharper on petrol than on diesel but I suspect it won't be by very much. Fret not and just enjoy owning one of our favourite current cars. 

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Hi Paul,

That seems slightly low alright, but it depends on where you're buying it from. If it's a private sale, then it's probably on the money. If it's from a dealer, then it's about €2k underpriced and you might need to be a bit cautious. Ask if you can get an AA inspection of the car done (also a good idea if it's a private sale). If the vendor baulks or tries to come up with some excuse, then walk away.