ford focus or audi a3

[kiggles]

okay so I been looking at changing my first car to something else.

I'm not really a car guy but I do like a nice looking car. Overall I have a preference to an audi A3. But I thought I get someone else opinion.

requirements:

- Easy to get parts and service (This has made me buy a petrol, no turbo, not desisel as DIY services will be easier)
- towbar ready available.
- 5 doors.
- enough power to tow a 2bike /3 bike trailer
- fog lights
- easy to park (must be hatchback)
- must be family friendly car (not that I have kids or anything)
- nice car to own. well cars are just a status symbol to me and yes I do like a nice car.

But with a 1.6 petrol in mind both cars mentioned is something I would like to own. I know people talk about golfs but rather an audi as they cost about the same.

But the ford focus is amazing value for money. With a budget of around 3000-4000. I don't plan to sell the car for 10 years or more so once the car is how I want it, I can continue heading towards that about that HP4 I always wanted. Only thing is if i bought a ford, its just a car, but the audi will be personal taste. Someone knock some sense into me?

[Ch00]

If your are going to do a lot of towing I would think a diesel would be better.

Focus are nice cars.

[kiggles]

I agree with getting the diesel for the torque in towing the trailer. But I dont think I will be doing much more then maybe 5 tracks days a year in the UK, and occasional picking my mates bike out of a bush, or even myself again! I only drive about 40 miles every weekend really as well.

But Diesel appear more complex to fix and have turbo's which can break. So Its just a maintain thing really. So far I have spent 500 on my first car 4 years ago and maybe 500 in replacing clutches and brakes etc.

on the other hand my motorbikes cost me a fortunate in petrol, kit and even my body taken some damage.

[DJ123]

Weigh up the total cost of ownership of each car; insurance, road tax, service parts costs, service intervals, weak spots & what will need replacing, tyres, consumables (brake pads, suspension, clutch) & see if that sways your decision.


Personally I would take the Focus, had a couple of them and have been fantastic cars. Cheap to run, repair, fun to drive & reliable. Plus all the parts are cheap to buy (even some from Ford!) and available as pattern parts from the usual suspects.


A car is only as reliable as the person who has owned it and looked after it. There is nothing to really say a petrol is more reliable than a diesel or easier/cheaper to fix. How the car has been maintained and treated by its owner will speak more about the cars history and life so far.

[fizzwheel]

IMHO both those are going to be under powered with a 1.6 litre petrol in it.

I would plump for the Audi, personal experience, I ran a focus and an Audi at the same time. The audi was cheaper for parts than the Ford was and the Audi needed less doing to it at each service than the Focus did.

I wouldnt discount the Golf, its basically the same as the A3, but I know people who have driven both and say that the Golf is better to drive.

If you are buying a Focus, make sure that you check out the suspension bushes for wear. Both the Focus' I have had have had seem to wear through the suspension bushes at a ridiculous rate of knots and I found it was expensive to repair, ( but I dont do home spannering so it was a garage job )

If this is only your second car I am assuming you are quite young, so I would also check out insurance prices and factor that in the equation as well.

Edit - IME the people who have trouble with Diesels are mainly due to the fact they do short journeys and this is not good for a Diesel engine. If you are only doing short journeys stick to petrol and discount the diesel based on that, not that if it goes wrong its expensive to repair IMHO.

[TSM]

A3 Sportback is the 5D version, if you do short journeys and/or do not want the problem of DPF filters the last versions they did were the 2.0L BKD 140 engine around 2005, I have that version and so far had it since 2010 and no problems with engine pushing 170hp.
I have had it loaded up to the brim with 5 people and it has enough power to pull up hills and all, I only wish I had got the quattro as there is just too much torque on the front alone when you floor it from anything under 20.

[kiggles]

its only my second car But I am 26. insurance quote for my 1.2 fiat punto is the same as a 2litre Audi A3.

i was kinda thinking if a 1.6 petrol around 100bph would be enough for a a double trailor. Its good to know about the suspension bushes. as one of the main things I am worried about is build quality.

[yorkie_chris]

If it was me I would absolutely go for the audi. The focus are a bean can in comparison.

I would also go for the 1.9 tdi engine no question, needs to be a diesel.
Avoid the 2l tdi, they're a friggin nightmare of shredding bits of expensive engine.

[TSM]

If it was me I would absolutely go for the audi. The focus are a bean can in comparison.

I would also go for the 1.9 tdi engine no question, needs to be a diesel.
Avoid the 2l tdi, they're a friggin nightmare of shredding bits of expensive engine.

Not really, the known issues with the BKD engine are to do with the DMF and the early ones had porous heads but that was only for the very early ones.
My car is on 120k+.
The 2.0L 16v is a 6speed and a little smoother than the 8v. Personally I would go for the 2L.

[Moleman]

IMO I woul not bother with the Audi as you say you want build quality, something Audi stopped late 90s early 2000.
If you do go diesel and it has to be an Audi then 1.9 is the pick of the crop 2.0 is a nightmare and luck of the draw. Audi VW have had and ongoing problem on injectors on the 2.0 and yill either be lucky or not. If not then hope the bank balance is healthy:-)
If you want more exclusive the go ford every one and their dog has a Audi! And not that does not make them good. A3 is basically a golf for the main if it were me I would go for the Focus.
Diesel will be better for towing but that does not seem what you mainly want it for. Turbos these days are fairly reliable so long as you keep oil fresh and let them cool down before turning off ignition after a spirited drive! Some are better than others 170 BHP VAG model has been suspect in the past for self destruction as has the 130 although less common. Dual mass flywheels on the diesels are also expensive and they do go.
If it were me I would get a petrol focus and not worry about it.

[yorkie_chris]

Not really, the known issues with the BKD engine are to do with the DMF and the early ones had porous heads but that was only for the very early ones.
My car is on 120k+.
The 2.0L 16v is a 6speed and a little smoother than the 8v. Personally I would go for the 2L.

Are we on about the diesels here? I know nowt about petrols.

the 2l shreds oil pumps and IIRC balancer shaft chains. DPFs are all a nightmare on bloody everything and want ripping out as soon as possible.


If is was me I'd buy an octavia, you can get as new as 2010 with the PD engine instead of the common fail.

[NTECUK]

Unless you do long trips, avoid DPF oil burners.
Get a Golf.

[Jabba]

Get a Golf.

Agreed. For resale values alone. Better than the A3 anyway.

From the left field, have you considered a 1.6 litre Mazda 3? Excellent cars.

[Luckypants]

But the ford focus is amazing value for money. With a budget of around 3000-4000. I don't plan to sell the car for 10 years or more so once the car is how I want it, I can continue heading towards that about that HP4 I always wanted. Only thing is if i bought a ford, its just a car, but the audi will be personal taste. Someone knock some sense into me?

For £3-4K which year Focus and A3 are you looking at? I think some of the comments posted so far may refer to models you won't be looking at. It will help everyone if we comment on the correct model you are looking at.

[fizzwheel]

Are we on about the diesels here? I know nowt about petrols.

Chris OP says he wants a petrol in his first post.

OP - here is a good source of info

Audi / VW forum on Pistonheads

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&f=86&mid=404544

Ford Forum on Pistonheads

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&f=129&mid=404544

We've had two Focus' or Foci. I'd not buy another, OK they are good to drive, but both ours fell to bits around us. The Mk1 Focus we had simply rusted away it was riddled with Tin worm when I part ex'd. The MK2 Focus CMAX we had, had major electrical issues that the Ford garage couldn't diagnose or work out what the fault was ( it stopped charging the battery and then all the accessories such as the heated windscreen stopped working )

As I said above, both went through suspension bushes like a fat kid in a sweet shop.

3 - 4K budget is going to get you into a similar age car to the two I owned... Do you research and be picky there are a lot of Focus' out there in your budget. Dont buy the first one you look at.

As for DPF issues as said elsewhere, dont buy a Diesel with a DPF and then use it for the school run or short journeys, it will clog up and you will get trouble.

Id buy VAG car in a heartbeat. But you can find horror stories on the internet about anything if you look hard enough..

[Sir Trev]

Focus petrol 1.6 units (non-Ecoboost) have woeful torque so may not be up for the towing side. Granted I live in a hilly area but I got so fed up of my nearly new 1.6 TI-VCT 125hp hatch I px'd it after a few months even though it was usually only me in it commuting. Now have a Focus 1.6 Ecoboost 150 which is WAY better and very nice to drive.

[ClunkintheUK]

I agree on the comments re Golf vs A3. I'm on my third golf, each time I have not even considered the A3. My Gran had an A3, which I drove quite a bit and when she stopped driving I had the option of taking her A3 or keeping my golf. I kept my older, higher mileage, golf

It was no contest, the A3 only has space for 2 adults in the back, the golf has space for three, I can fit three people and three push bikes into the golf, (or two people and four bikes). The drive position on the A3 is slightly off centre, i.e. the pedals are inward of the steering wheel, so you are twisted slightly, which gets uncomfortable on a long journey.

When looking for my current golf (MKIV 1.9l diesel 130 PD) I researched all the engines for the most reliable, and there was quite a bit coming up saying that the 1.4 and 1.6 petrols were not very reliable, but they probably changed before the MKV smaller petrols which, I assume, are the age you are looking at (2003 to 2007 IIRC), I'd check that they sorted the problems from the older engines. The 2.0 8v petrol in the later GTI were under powered and broke a lot more (I can't remember exactly the things that went) then the older 1.8 and 1.8t 20v engines. The 2.0 engines would be used from 2001 to 05/06 or so, they only changed them to meet new emissions regulations.

At the sort of age you are looking at the 130 bhp 1.9L diesel engines are by far the most reliable, the 2.0 petrols were pretty awful. The newer 1.6 might be better, but the previous generation didn't really make it past about 130-140k miles. 200k+ miles 130 bhp diesels are not uncommon, assuming the are well kept and the body work is not rotten.

Ford focuses are the single most common car on the UK's roads, with 1.6m registered cars, about .3 million more then the next most common, the vauxhall astra (or maybe the corsa, don't remember but they are all up there). Golfs are 5th, and I think the rep mobiles make up 5-10, the A3 doesn't feature in the top ten. The focuses are really good cars, but common as mud.

TL;DR
Focuses are good cars, but are common. cheaper to run then the equivalent VAG car. A3 are more exclusive, but not much space inside. Golfs are a the best version of the Golf, a half way house between the A3 and ford focus.

[tonyt]

Ford Focus..................:-D

[Moleman]

Yeah agree with tonyt Focus. Nothing exclusive about a Golf or an Audi just count how many hundreds you see on the roads every day they are like maggots on a corpse every ware much like so called exclusive BMW and Merc :-)

I think Focus is the better car, golf 1.9 has the best Diesel engine but the early units were best they got sloppy with build quality towards the end but still way better than the 2.0 crud. Nothing quality or reliable about German cars these days.
Ford on the other hand have made great inroads in quality and reliability.

I like the design of the Focus to and with a nice set of alloys they look good plus they handle better than both the golf and the a3.

You won't get a diesel focus that will have as good a power plant as the VW 1.9 though it's a great little engine shame VW ditched it in favour of the unreliable 2.0.
I have had two passats a golf and an A6 all with this engine and it was faultless shame however plenty of other stuff on the cars was not as reliable.