chubbedup

Hey everyone! New to the forums here, and have a few questions. I'm in love with the 8V S3, and have been desperately hunting for one in my current price range (below $25k). I found a 2015 near me that is in fantastic condition with all the options I'd want (even the right color combo), and I could probably get it at a price well below my means. This is because the vehicle has 90k miles on it, which obviously frightens me. I'm not that well-versed on the reliability of modern Audis, and that double-clutch transmission makes me nervous from a maintenance perspective. The gentleman selling it says it's been regularly serviced with no mechanical issues, and considers it in "showroom condition" (doesn't everyone). Would this be a very dumb decision? Am I out of mind for even considering it, and if not what should I be on the lookout for? Are there extended warranties for Audis that you can purchase beyond 100k miles? This seems like the easiest route for me to get the car I've been pining after, but of course it may be too easy. Any help you guys could give would be very much appreciated!

jeff968

Well, IMHO, and I've owned a bunch, they are great reliable cars. I've owned my 2006 A4 2.0T since new. It has 150k miles on it and still performs great. My other Audi's have all done well. My only issue was the oil consumption issue on the Q5 2.0T but they covered it. So I just bought my 5th new Audi with the S3.

chubbedup

Thanks for the response! I figured it was reliable, I just want to make sure that if I buy it there's not a ticking time bomb issue like that transmission that'll cost me thousands to take care of. Have you heard of any issues like that I should be on the lookout for?

Spinnetti

I had my 02' A4 from new for 14 years and it still looked and drove like new when I sold it. I was in the same situation with the same cap on the S3. I got a 15' below that number with 72k miles on it just a couple months ago. Its pretty much as new (especially inside) with the exception of some small paint chips and a clunk in the suspension (probably subframe) that is not uncommon that I will fix shortly. Certainly happy with my purchase. If you are worried about warranties, probably not a good purchase for you. I take them as they are, and fix em' myself as they need it. Much less stress and hassle than fighting over warranties. I've already put Unitronic Stage 1+ ECU/TCU and have a whole pile of mods in the garage waiting to get installed in the next couple weeks.

chubbedup

That is exactly what I needed to hear! I was just worried about some mechanical issue that might end up costing thousands right off the bat, but I could knock out most of the work myself. I'll be test driving it this week, hopefully all goes well! When you purchased that vehicle did you just inspect it yourself, or did you take it somewhere to get looked at?

Spinnetti

This is my 6th Audi and a bunch of VeDubs too. Overall MKVII platform is quite good so no particular big ticket items to look out for (turbo tired at those miles maybe?). I bought from an Audi dealer and they professed to have done a "1,000 points of light" inspection or some such bull. I just gave it the once over and could tell it was generally well cared for. I did a quick test drive and wrote a check. Inspection will rarely tell you much and I never assume what a seller tells me is accurate anyway and typically change all the fluids, plugs, belts brakes etc just for peace of mind. When I got home from the dealer and checked it out closely, it did have a new air filter and new brakes, but oil, coolant, and other fluids did not look like they had been changed and were all low and there was a rear wheel shimmy at freeway speed. Took it back and had them go over it one more time. Clunk appeared a couple weeks later, but stuff happens and that would be easy for the dealer to miss. Its been a blast to drive and is one of the best "out of the box" cars I've ever bought.

M0J0

I would never ever buy a high mileage luxury car. While Audi's are reliable, costs to fix things on these cars are crazy. You could easily drop another 2-5K in repairs over the next two years on a car that will have no resale value after 100K miles. Why not lease one? I used to be against leases, but these days with how complex cars are and the high prices of repairs it makes sense. I would never buy a car with over 20K miles on it now. If a lease is not an option I would buy a car that is more in your budget. I mean I would love to buy an R8, but I can't afford it. Cars are a terrible investment as they depreciate. There are better places to put your money than a car.

Snappy Phoenix

Very well said and I agree with you 100%. I would never buy a car that has been driven more than 20-30K. Period. Higher mileage cars not only would start having issues as they age, you will have a very hard time selling them in the future.

gamegenie

Wow 90K is high, I say that driving a 2015 A3 that I ordered in July 2014 and took delivery in Oct/Nov and I'm on under 1K from hitting 50K miles.

I'm definitely going to go for extended warranty on it.


S3's weren't even available when I ordered my A3, makes me wonder if S3 owner probably went cross-country to rank up 90K miles in under 3 years.

arU4ic

the 2.0 motor is amazingly tough, as long as it wasn't chipped - the tech is a concern on older cars, but that's wear and tear and/or age - mileage isn't going to impact tech reliability.

Its a good deal, I'd go for it.