Information A2 to A3 cabriolet?

I

ijedgar

A2OC Donor
I retire next month and fancy a cabriolet for that wind in the hair feeling,before it`s all gone.It`s either that or back to the bikes and I think my old bones are past their motorcycling best.
I like the look of the A3tdi and there seem to be a few high mileage well priced examples about.I don`t mind the high mileage as long as the car is sound as I will not be adding to it much.
Does anyone have any experience of this A3 variant that they could share,especially problems to be aware of and look out for and relative running costs compared to my A2tdi.
My A2 is a very low mile,low owner `05 tdi 75 with added toys such as sports interior,leather/alcantara sports seats,Bose with
ipod connectivity and reversing warning so I don`t see a problem with either part ex or private sale but do you think as it`s winter that I may get a better deal on the cabriolet with a part ex?
All experiences and opinions welcomed,I do hate changing cars.
 
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Dealers tend to work on the "we buy any car" part exchange prices. I don't think they factor in condition, service history and extras such as Bose and leather so I would consider a private sale.

In relation to running costs the A2 wins hands down and will probably cost half as much in fuel to run. The example I give is our VW Golf 1.6 Tdi bluemotion which costs around £70 to fill the tank. It will then do 530 miles until its empty (possibly similar to an A3 cabriolet Tdi) .

The A2 tdi costs around £35 to £40 to fill up and will do around the same mileage so the A2 is a super economical car to run.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Dave:)
 
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Thanks Dave,I thought that the A3 would be a little more expensive on the running costs.I worked out mine on my last A2 when I sold it and for absolutely everything it worked out at £28 a week over a 4 to 5 year ownership covering about 50k,very impressive.The A3 will get nowhere near that sort of use after I retire so fuel is not really a problem,just a little concerned with known problems that may arise.
 
Ive not heard of any problems with the A3 Tdi cab.... it shares its underpinnings and engines with the VW Golf cabriolet which is cheaper to buy. Its only a personal opinion but the A3 may look a little classier ?.

If you do buy one please consider the 2.0 Tdi (140bhp) as opposed to the 1.6 tdi (105bhp).... I speak from experience when I say its better to have the extra power and the 2.0 feels more refined.
 
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Thank you I will keep that in mind.
I like the golf,had a mkII gti for a few years and loved it.
Sadly though the current cabriolet has not been out long enough for a 2nd hand one to fall into my budget.
 
Agreed but fabric ones are usually easier and cheaper to fix.
Some can even be used manually if troubles arise.
Not sure that the A3 can though.
 
Yes I had heard that VW had many many complaints about the roof on the Eos.
My ex had an A2 with the opensky and that failed on a regular basis,I don`t want to go through all that again.
 
I echo the same concerns about the EOS roof leakage issues
about 5 years ago I was in the market for a convertible, and considered the Pug 307, Astra, EOS, Focus, Volvo ect basically all of the folding tin tops.
The EOS was the most expensive, but I was willing to pay a premium, however when I started to ask around the people in the know I got some right horror stories regarding the EOS roof leaks, the Astra roof was also prone to going wrong as it is a combination of hydraulics and electric motors. The Pug roof was reliable as was the Focus, both being based on the Merc folding roof.
I ended up going with the Ford Focus and still have it 5 years later, never had a roof leak or a roof problem with it, actually thinking about it I have not had any problems with it other than normal servicing and an Aircon regas
 
I think that the EOS roof is operated with metal wiring. My local VW mechanic says that if it goes wrong its a specialist repair job which can cost lots of pennies. Its funny I was talking about the EOS to a friend last week. At one time you saw many on the roads around Wakefield but since they stopped production they appear to have all vanished ?. :confused:
 
Special edition said:
In relation to running costs the A2 wins hands down and will probably cost half as much in fuel to run. The example I give is our VW Golf 1.6 Tdi bluemotion which costs around £70 to fill the tank. It will then do 530 miles until its empty (possibly similar to an A3 cabriolet Tdi) .

The A2 tdi costs around £35 to £40 to fill up and will do around the same mileage so the A2 is a super economical car to run.
Click to expand...

Er.. never !
typical fuel consumptions would be 4,5L/100km for the A2 and 5,5L for the Golf, let's say 6L. That's only 33% more...
Even a quattro wouldn't burn twice as much fuel as the A2.
(had a Golf TDI 130 4motion , it burned 7 to 7,5 L/100km with normal use. Down to 6L if used with care)


Special edition said:
If you do buy one please consider the 2.0 Tdi (140bhp) as opposed to the 1.6 tdi (105bhp).... I speak from experience when I say its better to have the extra power and the 2.0 feels more refined.
Click to expand...

Here I fully agree with you.
My wife has a Beetle 1,6 TDI with that engine, and although it's more than OK for everyday use (driving "on torque"), the acceleration a a little short.
I drove once an A3 2,0 TDI 140 bhp and it's much faster.
 
Thanks for that,fuel is not really an issue as it will not be doing high mileage.
As for a 1.6 or a 2.0 I think it will depend on what`s on offer.
I have been very happy with both my A2`s and they are only 1.4`s.
I would expect the 1.6 in the heavier A3 to be fairly similar to my 1.4 in terms of performance.
 
We came very close to buying an A3 cabrio last year to replace my wife's Audi A1 (we eventually bought a Mercedes, but that's another story) I test drove various A3's including a 1.6 TDi Cabrio, and found it perfectly acceptable in power terms. The build quality is superb, it's a genuinely good looking car, great to drive, and I doubt if it would cost significantly more to run than an older A2.
 
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Thanks - the 1.6 seems to be slightly cheaper 2nd hand aswell.
Maybe time to place an ad for my A2 and see how we go.
 
I also drove an A3 Cabrio with the 1.4 TFSI engine. I believe it has 150 bhp, not that you could really tell as I found it a soulless and anodyne experience. I much preferred the diesel.
 
Yes,I drove my ex`s 1.4 A2 petrol and was severely unimpressed with the power delivery.
It looks like being a 1.6 or 2.0 diesel or maybe the 1.8T petrol.
I am not going to be doing the miles so maybe a swap to petrol would be a good idea.
 
1.8t is a peach of an engine IMHO. Our beetle T is surprisingly quick. And you can get another 75hp out of it (150ps stock) if you are that way inclined with a simple remap.
 
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