potentpotable

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!!

GeneKam

damn bro, i would never get a toyota again. I had a 2001 corolla, low end trash, but i gotta say, gas is good and repairs are dirt cheap.
My current A4 gives me troubles here and there. I got it this summer with 100,000 km on it and well its at about 120,000 now and some basic things such as clutch and rad i had to do......bloodyh pricey!
And there are always small issues here and there. so in reliability and parts, toyota wins. My subaru ( higher end jap parts) were notably cheaper!!!! WRX is one of the more pricer jap cars and that comes cheaper so i cant argue toyota owns!!
Clutch 1000
Rad and timing belt 1000 combined

New audis are also, from what i hear, kinda wired a few complaints here and there, check out the a3 thread.

I HATE OLD ****ING PEOPLE AND DEISIL!!!!
Desil engines are nothing like they used to be BACK IN THE DAY!!! That argument drives me up thewall!!!!!!!
New desil's are very good, and quiet.
Do your some research and show them what changed sense their day. I dont want to get into it, but if i had a choise now, i would def pick up a desil for my next ride.
And audi is just a great status car! IF the pricing is similar i would go to a3. DONT TELL THEM ABOUT STATUS, they would think all your previous arguments are BS and you want to get one just for that. Thats how i ended up getting a 2004 cavalier..sold it two months later lol.

Hybrids and their batteries are the biggest scam ever!!! look up on the battery life ( when you need to change it, and the price!

potentpotable

Haha trust me dude, I've already sold my parents on the benefits of diesel . PS. I really want that new DI*SEL tee from Audi.com, but it's only avail in US .

Anyway, my biggest concern is not that oil changes are pricier, but rather that I'll have to waste time and money hitting up the garage in between scheduled service because of unforeseen problems here, issues there. My parents are heavy drivers, though they maintain their cars very well.

bangoman

My experience with my 2003 A3 2.0 TDI (in the UK):
- I get at least 500 miles / 800km per tank (55L)
- Usually 50mpg (4.7L/100km) on my daily 36 mile round trip commute
- I don't know about Canadian Audis but over here the A3's are on the variable Longlife service. As long as you use the Longlife oil, I get about 2 years between services depending on how hard you drive the car. I know that the diesels actually go longer than petrol cars between services.

I'm looking to move to Canada and you guys deffo don't have enough TDI about!

wallyr25

If someone were to do a detailed life-cycle costing I am confident that the TDI would come out well on top of any hybrid. And all the automotive pundits say the same thing.

The new diesels from VW Audi are nothing short of stunning, far superior to Mercedes or BMW. The performance is great especially when you consider the fuel economy. And the diesel will outlast any gas engine by far; and the who knows how long the battery packs will last in a hybrid. The toxicity of the batteries requires careful recycling. The diesels also have huge advantages in highway driving where the hybrids are anemic. I have to give the hybrid the advantage for economy in city driving though, when they can cycle on and off in traffic.

But Toyota? Talk about bland, boring, cars; awful to drive compared to any German car. Yes you will pay more for Audi and its service but the new Audi Warranty is terrific, and you really do get what you pay for.

Good Luck