Audi A3, 2008, Espoo

Now up for auction is the king of snowy roads, an Audi A3 1.8T quattro with a 6-speed manual gearbox. I tried to win over the auction crowd with a freshly inspected Audi, but this time it did not go to plan and it was rejected. Fortunately the faults are not major, but they do require a skilled DIYer a few autumn evenings in the garage, after which it can go back through inspection and wait for the first snow. To pass inspection, the rust damage at the rear of the right sill needs repairing and the broken front springs need replacing. The sill is not visible, so you can make the car roadworthy without affecting its appearance, and a future owner who values looks will probably buy a suspension kit for it, which would also include the front springs. Road tax valid until 24 Sep 2026.

The car has been in the same family since 2016 and has been serviced and maintained very properly. Before the previous family, it had only one owner, so it could almost be called a two-owner car. In addition to the full service history, there is a large stack of receipts for the maintenance and repairs carried out. The most recent service was done in 05/2025 and, as the car has now moved to an annual service interval, a yearly service is due. The transfer case oils were changed at last year’s service, so those do not need attention for a while. Eighteen years have also left some cosmetic marks on the car, as the pictures show, but those too can be sorted with a few garage evenings. Overall, the car is very solid despite the charm that comes with its age. The gearbox, engine and clutch work excellently. According to the previous owner the car does not use oil, and I believe that because the exhaust tips are not coated in burnt oil, as is typical with many Audis. The interior is very tidy and, as the pictures show, it has intact leather/Alcantara sports seats and a 3-spoke leather sports steering wheel.

The car is very original, but the standard stereo has been replaced with an Android unit with all the modern extras. It definitely has a reversing camera and possibly Google navigation too, but that is where the seller’s knowledge of this gadget ends. The original radio is included in the boot if you want to reinstall it. The summer tyres meet the legal minimum, but I will not praise them any further. For winter there are studded tyres, some studs already missing, but they are definitely roadworthy at least for the next winter. Both sets are on original Audi alloy wheels.

Equipment:

- Two sets of tyres on alloy wheels

- Automatic climate control

- ESP stability control system

- ABS brakes

- Airbags

- Reversing camera (aftermarket)

- Cruise control

- Remote central locking

- Detachable tow bar

Technical data
Power: 118 kW
CO2 emissions: 174 g/km
Kerb weight 1450 kg
Gross weight 1985 kg

Additional information
Inspection valid: 09/2026