Audi S3 buyers guide or help???

[TUCKER T]

Hello there team, im now carless and only have my bike, im really considering an audi S3 or an bmw M3
but as my other half will now be driving the car too im moving more towards the audi as she never liked it when my old cossie used to step out now and then, and she now thinks the m3 will be too lairy for her as she`s not long passed her test

Just wondering if theres any good advice on the audi front


I`ve had a look around the cars for sale on here and the A.T and i`d like the 225 bhp one 2002/2003

The thing is they seem to vary in price alot, some 7k some 11k

General knowlege tells me history and regular services are important but are there any other tips or tell tail signs of trouble

Any info is well apreciated

[Diablo SVTT]

Hey mate, I like you adressed the masses on here when buying my A3 and was directed towards www.audi-sport.net and the forums there (you'll want the one about the 8L chassis A/S3). You'll find a wealth of information, especially in this thread http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthread.php?t=5163 and the forum which its situated in.

It'd probably be a good idea to just introduce yourself in that forum in the S3 bit because I'm sure people will be willing to help out further. It's also a very good place for information once you own a car.

[mel]

I had one for several years and generally it was as good as gold, the only thing I would really stress in CAMBELT, originally Audi had the service schedule change set at 120,000 mine was serviced at 60K and they said no need to change it 8K later it went pop, audi washed their hands of it as they'd changed the service interval during that time even though I was never notified! The full story is too long and protracted to be bothered typing but the long and the short of it is make the belt is changed every 60k (atleast)

[TUCKER T]

Thanks for the help, i`ll try logging onto they sites and scope things out a bit


What do yous think about the general price of them at the minute? as in ranging from 7 to 11 k?

Do you think they will drop an awfull lot more seen as its a bad time to sell or do they generaly hold good cash?

[Diablo SVTT]

I found someone else say this on a similar thread:

I currently own a 2001 Y plate S3 and am loving every minute of being it's owner. For £5-6k you will probably be looking at the 210bhp non-facelifted model, although you may get lucky and find an X or Y plate face lifted version. They are great cars, so long as they have a good service history with them you should not have many problems.

If the car has around 70k on the clock check that the cam belt and water pump has been changed as this is a £350 job. Mine also has the Bose Stereo which was an option on the car and is well worth keeping a look out for because the sound quality is excellent.

Also be aware that the car is a quattro, so therefore 4wd, and when it comes to new tyres, the chances are you will have to replace all 4, and at around £60-80 per corner it might be worth checking the tread depth on any car you look over!

Good luck hunting!!


The prices vary a lot but there are plenty of examples for you to be able to find a good example with a solid service history. You could probably find a trusty seller on audi-sport.net. I recommend sifting through the site for any advice, people are always willing to help out, but make sure you check the stickied threads too.

[gribbert]

Just disposed of my beloved S3. Mistakenly chipped it and still drove it hard for 40k miles. My 2p's worth - get one. Go for the BOSE if you can, gorgeous sound. Outrageous good fun modded, BUT - in the last year, 2 new heads and a new turbo caused me to get rid.