What should I buy - Audi A3 petrol or Mazda3 diesel? | Ask Honest John

What do you think of Elon Musk? Have your say | No thanks

What should I buy - Audi A3 petrol or Mazda3 diesel?

Please could you recommend one of the following two new cars for us:
Audi A3 1.4 ACT 150 SE auto or Mazda3 2.2d SE-L auto?

Which one would be more reliable and happier to own over the next 10 years? Our driving will be mostly on long runs (6000 miles a year) as we also have a Honda Jazz auto for town driving.

Asked on 25 October 2014 by A. Yaliz

Answered by Honest John

The A3 1.4ACT 150 is good, but I don't trust its DSG/s-tronic autobox. So I'd go for the Mazda 3 2.2d SE-L auto. Chain cam so no timing belt to worry about. And three Mazda6s with this same engine have just averaged 137mph for 24 hours, which proves their durability.

Tags: buying a new car petrol or diesel?

Similar questions

Should I buy a diesel Honda Civic or a petrol Mazda 3?

I'm looking at buying a Honda Civic i-DTEC 1.6 or a petrol Mazda 3 2.0 SE-L. Could you recommend a diesel engine or suggest whether petrol is the way to go based on future diesel city taxes. Probably looking...

Need an economical hatch with auto gearbox

I am looking to upgrade my Ford Focus (2008 model) next year. I do mainly city driving and my mileage is less than 10,000. I like the 1.5 diesel automatic, but thought it lacked get up and go. Would a...

Buying a Mazda 3 - petrol or diesel?

I am thinking of purchasing a new Mazda 3 but can't decide between the 2.0 165 PS petrol or the 2.2 150 PS diesel. I have heard that the petrol models can be lethargic at low speeds so I want to know if...

Related models

Audi A3 (2012 - 2020)

Comfortable and high quality premium hatchback, low emissions diesel engines including economical 1.6 TDI, very refined at speed yet handles well in corners.