Way to go

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Way to go

My car was written off in no fault claim and I was given £2,000 by my insurance company (LV) to which I can add £3,000 - £4,000. That won’t buy a new car so I have decided to go for a used Audi A3. My eldest son has driven one of these for a few years. My youngest son says Audis are expensive to run and repairs are not cheap. I am drawn to the Audi as it has a more solid image, but don't fancy higher running costs. My youngest says his Honda has 150,000 on the clock and will last him well past 200k. As a pensioner I do not expect to be driving much longer and would appreciate your advice on which road I should travel.

Asked on 5 October 2011 by KB, via email

Answered by Honest John

With an Audi A3 you are paying 25% of the price for status, which is okay if that's what you want and will be reflected in the resale value. Readers generally seem to receive better Audi and dealer goodwill than they do with a VW, SEAT or Skoda. But you are not getting 25% better quality. A VW Golf, a SEAT Leon or a Skoda Octavia are the same cars underneath.

Tags: accidents write offs

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