It is probably impossible to say in general terms which car is the most reliable in the world. Everyone has their own opinion and experience. But if I speak for myself, and especially if we let the statistics and numbers speak for themselves, the best thing for us is a vehicle that a lot of motorists looked at rather through their fingers. At the same time, it is a very reliable and even today cheap car. This is a car that saw the light of day already in 1996 and it was the return of a certain car company to small vehicles. You probably already guessed that it will be the Audi A3.
A car at the forefront of reliability
Already in 1997, Audi sold over 100,000 units of the A3, which was absolutely beyond the understanding of the professional public. And it should be noted that, apart from the years 2020 and 2021, it never went below 100,000 units of A3 sold per year. The little Audina simply took hold very well. The current purchase price of the A3 Sportback starts at 698,000 crowns. In a world currently dominated by SUVs, that’s a hefty price tag for a small compact. But few people can afford to buy a new vehicle, so we will shift our attention to car dealerships, where the price level is not so drastic.
Reliability first
A cursory glance at the advertisement reveals that the decent-looking third generation A3 can be had from 130,000 crowns, the second generation even 100,000 less, but it will still be drivable. The long service life of the vehicle is also confirmed by the data from the TÜV Report, where the A3 ranks at the top of the reliability statistics. Between 1 and 11 years old, only 16.4% of all cars examined had a serious breakdown. Statistically speaking, the A3 is the most reliable car you can buy.
Avoid the vending machine
But it’s not a good idea to jump right into the first A3 you see. Some flies can be found here too. The second and third generations suffered a lot on the front springs, and especially with the second generation, discs wore out faster. In the third generation, avoid vehicles with magnetic chassis, which used to be very noisy. And if possible, don’t get a vehicle with an automatic. It used to be reliable, but it was sensitive to the quality of the oil.
Photo: Shutterstock, source: AutoForum, TUVSud, Car-Racalls
