potentpotable

***On second thought, maybe this thread belongs in the General discussion board? Sorry mods, I can't delete this! ***

The situation: Parents want to get a boring Camry Hybrid to replace current Camry (which they love for comfort and reliability), and I'm pushing A3 TDI.

Dad's supposed (some hear-say) arguments against Audi:
-German maintenance is many times more costly than a Japanese
-Audi's (and VW's) reliability sucks
-Diesel engines are much harder to maintain (!!)

Now, I'm a huge Audi fan so I know much more about Audi than he does, but I've never owned one so my opinions are invalid. Coming from you Audi owners (especially A3, even better if TDI!), how would you respond to each of those points from your own experience (like avg maintenance costs/year, etc.)??

As well, are there any notable issues you've noticed with your Audi or Audi A3? As much as I love Audis, I don't want my parents hating their new baby. Looking at JD Power, reliability doesn't look too good .

The only advantage the A3 TDI has so far in my dad's eyes is the fuel economy, especially the car is expected to drive 2-3K a month. He doesn't care about performance and torque.

Thanks for your help!!