How reliable are the A3s...looking to purchase < $30,000.00

[Buddah]

[CMcLeod]

[rovision]

Depends though on your level of comfort with minor nuisances. And keep in mind that most of the A3s are less then 2 years old.

[ScottAW]

[April]

If you're looking for a post made by a specific person click on one of their messages and copy their account ID. Then put that number in the account ID box of the search page. Next try to think of a word they might have used in the message for which your searching. Sometimes they use an odd word or specific word that stays in your memory, and that can take you to their post. You do not need to choose a forum, and it depends on the nature of your search, as to whether you would want to narrow it that way. If you know it had a link or a picture, you can filter for those by checking the respective boxes.

The search engine does not look for alternative spellings, so it's up to you to get it right, and hope the post you're searching for also has it spelled correctly. If you don't find what you want, try another descriptive word. The broader your vocabulary, the better your chance of finding exactly what you want.

Of course you do not need to search for a post by a specific person. Just leave that field blank and search by key word - usually narrowing it by forum. For example:

I open the search page.

In the "Search for" box, I enter the word "reliability"

I skip the "account ID filter"

I leave the "search type" at the default "all sections"

I skip the link and/or image filters.

I select the A3 forum.

I leave the date range open to default.

I hit "Search!"

Voila! 170 hits! in descending order by date.

Now I usually open another window and drag those individual links into the spare window, thus allowing me to cross reference and/or jump back to the original search.

All this takes less than 2 minutes to do.

____________________

As a side note, if I think this is a post I will want to find easily in the future, I try to think of the most common words that might be used to search for it, and I incorporate them into the message. The most helpful thing when making searches on virtually any search engine, is to have a flexible vocabulary.

[April]

enlightening thread made at another time.

You'll find some people are considered core posters, who contribute often vs the vast body of lurkers and those that rarely post. However, the core posters get tired of writing the same thing over and over again over the years, as new people come and ask the same question. So useful knowledge that could address a specific question, could be passed over.

In the C5 A6 forum a fellow named Stoney compiled helpful posts of things that have come up repeatedly (see link under my sig). Now a general question about reliability won't get tagged, but one that covers it in greater depth with insights might - like several discussions about warranties. He doesn't usually scan for them, but depends on others to send him the links, then polls the forum on usefulness, and adds those that are cover a new topic or angle.

With regards to the A3, we're just starting to see a few threads that come up repeatedly, and so if somebody wanted to start a forum FAQ, now would be a good time.

[bbbradley]

It's good to check occasionally as a car that starts out good can turn ugly fast! And face it, Audi is not know for sparkling reliability. ;o)

[azoceanblue]

[April]

As I posted below, a search is easy to run, and if you don't find something recent (posts are listed by date), then ask away. Usually if people have a problem, they are vocal - especially something recent. I get bored with reporting nothing new and nothing wrong on the reliability front;-)

[JogJog]

I bought it when my A4 02 was wrecked, I love it to death. Honestly its more fun to throw around [ actually have to control oversteer in turns taken fast], but window swith failed [personally fixed, AC same, and back hatch latch] just recently @ 91k had the exhaust valves fixed under warranty. Had the engine sudder under hard acceleration, took Honda a freakin MONTH to fix, due to a aftermaket intake on it, sold to me in that state and litigation take place.