TOYOTA PREMIO VS. AUDI A3

[Stryker]

Hello,

trying to choose between a  2018 Toyota Premio G Superior and a 2018 Audi A3 TFSI Sedan, and needs some clarifications and comparisons between both.  (both are almost the same price)

1. Speed?  because the Audi comes with a tiny 3 cyl - 1.0 liter engine , How is the pick up? Not expecting sports car performance, but should be able to overtake in our roads unlike a Wagon R.

2. How is maintenance? Cost of service, and spare parts availability? Toyota should win this one easily but your thoughts and opinions. Also recommend a good place to service both.

3. Comfort and overall features?

4. Fuel consumption and resale value? Don't care about either of these, but would like to know what the general consensus is, just for the sake of comparing.

Also there is a Hatchback version of the A3 Sedan called a A3 Sportback. The specs are almost identical, but it is almost 1mil cheaper than the sedan. any thoughts?

[TheFlyingFox]

If your not worried about fuel consumption, resale value and don’t need the space the premio offers , go for it ! The 1.0T will give you the same sort of performance off the line with your foot on the floor as the premio but where is shines is good power at low rpm levels. You will most certainly enjoy the near immediate power it has over the premio in short bursts. Don’t worry about maintaining your buying a new car. Plus Idexx motors will be happy to service it for you as the agents won’t take 3rd party cars into their workshop. If you like the sline variants which gives you big Alloys make sure the car has electronic dampers as with those alloys,sline firm suspension and Srilankan roads will give you a bumpy ride and ruin the suspension faster (different story on the highway though). The standard variant is very comfortable on these roads, the car handles very nicely too ! 

 

Long teems effects ? Most of these cars comes from UK and are climatized for that climate. Don’t know how they will fare over here with the harsh climate. 

 

If you are considering the Premio, it is a very decent mid sized family car which will provide more space , Toyota reliability ,practicality , good resale value, looks plain compared to the Audi, lower maintenance costs.                     You will not have more than half the features the Audi has , you will not enjoy driving it (it’s not bad, it just doesn’t excite you ). 

Edited October 15, 2018 by TheFlyingFox

[fiat fan]

FACEPALM 

[sathyajithj99]

Never thought things would fall into this level

[kush]

6 hours ago, Stryker said:

Hello,

trying to choose between a  2018 Toyota Premio G Superior and a 2018 Audi A3 TFSI Sedan, and needs some clarifications and comparisons between both.  (both are almost the same price)

1. Speed?  because the Audi comes with a tiny 3 cyl - 1.0 liter engine , How is the pick up? Not expecting sports car performance, but should be able to overtake in our roads unlike a Wagon R.

2. How is maintenance? Cost of service, and spare parts availability? Toyota should win this one easily but your thoughts and opinions. Also recommend a good place to service both.

3. Comfort and overall features?

4. Fuel consumption and resale value? Don't care about either of these, but would like to know what the general consensus is, just for the sake of comparing.

Also there is a Hatchback version of the A3 Sedan called a A3 Sportback. The specs are almost identical, but it is almost 1mil cheaper than the sedan. any thoughts?

If you're in doubt on the above issues go for the Premio

[zeem35]

Show off A3

Practicality Premio

[Quiet]

13 minutes ago, zeem35 said:

Show off A3

Practicality Premio

Really? 

[RWD]

Only in Sri Lanka would you compare these two cars!!

[TheFlyingFox]

21 minutes ago, RWD said:

Only in Sri Lanka would you compare these two cars!!

Not really , today euro cars are much more affordable here due to various reasons like tax and engine size. Someone who was using Japanese cars for a longtime would love to jump at a euro especially when they can be had for the same sort of price as a Japanese car. This was not possible sometime ago, good euros were always considerably more expensive. I think why OP is comparing the two are quite fare. 

[sathyajithj99]

1 hour ago, TheFlyingFox said:

Not really , today euro cars are much more affordable here due to various reasons like tax and engine size. Someone who was using Japanese cars for a longtime would love to jump at a euro especially when they can be had for the same sort of price as a Japanese car. This was not possible sometime ago, good euros were always considerably more expensive. I think why OP is comparing the two are quite fare. 

If the OP really wanted to jump into a Euro, don't you think he would just go and buy one rather than comparing it with a jdm econobox with 10 years old technology?

[TheFlyingFox]

6 minutes ago, sathyajithj99 said:

If the OP really wanted to jump into a Euro, don't you think he would just go and buy one rather than comparing it with a jdm econobox with 10 years old technology?

Why should one jump the gun ? There is nothing wrong with doing a comparison. Btw the econobox your talking abut is being used by quite a lot of Srilankans. It has proved to be very reliable and economical. The Audi has its own merits. If he buys a A3 or Premio for “his own” reasons and “his own money” there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. 

[Crosswind]

 

7 minutes ago, TheFlyingFox said:

Why should one jump the gun ? There is nothing wrong with doing a comparison. Btw the econobox your talking abut is being used by quite a lot of Srilankans. It has proved to be very reliable and economical. The Audi has its own merits. If he buys a A3 or Premio for “his own” reasons and “his own money” there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. 

Dude... have you heard of 'comparing apples with apples'?

[TheFlyingFox]

6 minutes ago, Crosswind said:

 

Dude... have you heard of 'comparing apples with apples'?

Err, What's your point  ? OP didn't ask for a apple to apple comparison. 

[matroska]

13 hours ago, Stryker said:

because the Audi comes with a tiny 3 cyl - 1.0 liter engine

Well a cursory google search tells me both these cars have roughly the  same amount of power with the A3 actually having more than the premio - so no this 3cy is not like the 3 cyl that came on the 2007 beltas that felt hellish to drive.  Disclaimer - I haven't done thorough research other than a 30 second google search  so don't quote me on this. 

13 hours ago, Stryker said:

Fuel consumption and resale value?

this is where it gets a bit vague - to be honest premio/allion is a car used by masses and when it comes to the masses the truth like fuel figures etc get convoluted over time.... i've heard people claim outrageous fuel figures when it comes to Premio and mind you the idea is premio is good on fuel and is soooo re-sellable BUT mind you i know a few premios/allions that really struggled to sell of late. 

For some honest opinions on the premio read THIS.  yes I know the topic is about CHR but we ended up talking about the premio more than the CHR in true Sri Lankan  style  

in short - if you want an A-B car that will survive in both Thimbirigasyaya and Thambutthegamuwa,  and feel like driving a sofa on wheels then the premio is for you. I have no hands-on experience with the Audi so I've just given my 2 cents regarding sri lankas  version of the Bentley Continental. 

[Crosswind]

2 hours ago, TheFlyingFox said:

Err, What's your point  ? OP didn't ask for a apple to apple comparison. 

Exactly! Thats what everyone was trying to point out to OP. You on the other hand... 

[vag2]

What buyers Focus on ;

World

Driving Pleasure,Technology,Brand Identity>.Fuel Consumption,Price>.................................................................................> Resale Value

In SL

Resale Value >Fuel Consumption> Price >.............................................................................................>Others (Driving Pleasure,Technology,Brand Identity)

[TheFlyingFox]

1 hour ago, Crosswind said:

Exactly! Thats what everyone was trying to point out to OP. You on the other hand... 

Yes but instead of being sarcastic to the OP what’s wrong with giving him a comparison ? What I’m trying to point out is that for example the OP is on the look out for a Premio. He suddenly sees a more attractive Audi A3 for the same sort of price. Doesn’t have knowledge to decide so comes to a forum. Instead of helping him people here are telling him it’s not a fair comparison while being sarcastic about it. People who don’t want to comment can be quiet. People who would want to contribute to his request can. Simple. At the same time , premio haters can also put their 2 cents into the mix ?

[iRage]

Uhhh....there really is nothing called a 2018 Premio G Superior. G Superior was a grade in the previous facelift 2.0 variant. At the time the Toyota dealers offered a dealer package which was just a dress-up package for one of the 1.5L grades. 99% of the 1.5 G Superiors in SL are just fakes ones which the local importer stuck plastic parts on. The G Superior grade was scratched out of the latest facelift and if I am not mistaken the Toyota dealers in Japan do not offer a "G Superior"dealer package  anymore (mainly because there are no 2.0L G Superior body and interior parts anymore). I might be mistaken on this though...

The Premio is just a normal car with some creature comforts that will get you from A to B. The platform and tech is a decade or so old. Primary idea of the Premio is for an economical and moderately comfortable ride. That is it...not much excitement or passion in its driving (especially the 1.5L variant...the 1.8 and 2.0 variants at least have some decent punch to it) 

The Audi is the opposite of that. It is a premium brand. Quite fun and sporty to drive and those who think that a Premio defines what a smooth comfortable ride is...they will hate the Audi and say it is too hard (but it is not...its sporty).

People also would claim the Premio is cheap to run....not really....if you take it to the agents for all repairs and even use genuine (the real genuine not the fake knock-off genuine) the maintenance cost will be as much as the Audi. Only thing is..the Premio has a lot of cheap parts all over the place.  So ...wait...this is pointless....

If you really do have to ask the above question...no disrespect..but just buy the Premio...

Edited October 15, 2018 by iRage

[TheFlyingFox]

4 hours ago, iRage said:

The Audi is the opposite of that. It is a premium brand. Quite fun and sporty to drive and those who think that a Premio defines what a smooth comfortable ride is...they will hate the Audi and say it is too hard (but it is not...its sporty).

People also would claim the Premio is cheap to run....not really....if you take it to the agents for all repairs and even use genuine (the real genuine not the fake knock-off genuine) the maintenance cost will be as much as the Audi. Only thing is..the Premio has a lot of cheap parts all over the place.  So ...wait...this is pointless....

If you really do have to ask the above question...no disrespect..but just buy the Premio...

The Audi is sporty true especially with the true sline (Firm/Hard suspension) models. At the same time on these Colombo bumpy roads it can be quite uncomfortable, the massive wheels adds to this as well, this is where models with adaptive dampers help. Same goes for Japanese cars with sports suspension and big wheels,  the GP4 i had was really uncomfortable on bad roads, The GP1 on the other hand has much better ride quality on bad roads. Extreme cases of sport suspension as you know will be cars like the WRX which has “terrible” ride quality on bad roads  

 

I beg to differ. One of my friends has a Axio maintained by Toyxxx Lanxx from day 1 and the total cost for service including the following,

Genuine Toyota oil

Genuine Toyota oil Filter

Genuine Toyota Air filter

and the rest of the service including checking the health of the hybrid battery etc costs just LKR 13,000. Are you going to say that if you service say a A3,Q2 or A4 whatever it is at Senxx you can get away with anything remotely similar to that amount ?? Servicing at a 3rd party place such as idexx motors will cost more than that (The full synthetic oil they recommend for these cars can cost as much as a full service at TL, albeit being able to run ~7500km intervals). You really want to start talking about repairs ? You people really don't get why Japanese cars dominate the market over here. People in this forum may hate it but that’s the truth  

 

anyway I do not wish to fire ? a flame on this thread too 

Edited October 15, 2018 by TheFlyingFox

[Stryker]

13 hours ago, RWD said:

Only in Sri Lanka would you compare these two cars!!

Both of these cars cost 8.4million rupees. which is roughly 70,000 AUD ,which is where i hold dual citizenship and back in Aussie i can buy a Porsche or a Audi S3 Quattro for this kind of money. So yes, only in Sri Lanka will i be making a stupid comparison like this because this is where i am living right now.

 

11 hours ago, sathyajithj99 said:

If the OP really wanted to jump into a Euro, don't you think he would just go and buy one rather than comparing it with a jdm econobox with 10 years old technology?

Not sure what you mean by econobox? The A3 i inspected did not have any more features that the Premio didn't have.

Actually the JDM comes with full leather seats, the A3 only comes with half leather.

JDM has 8 airbags and the Audi has only 7...

A3 has trivial features like Wifi and dual zone climate control which i don't think are practical features. so it does not matter to me.

11 hours ago, TheFlyingFox said:

Err, What's your point  ? OP didn't ask for a apple to apple comparison. 

Thanks man, you seem to be the only one that gets it.

I was simply expecting feedback from people who have used these cars locally to get some insight on how it is like to live with either one of them..

17 hours ago, TheFlyingFox said:

I If you like the sline variants which gives you big Alloys make sure the car has electronic dampers as with those alloys,sline firm suspension and Srilankan roads will give you a bumpy ride and ruin the suspension faster (different story on the highway though). The standard variant is very comfortable on these roads, the car handles very nicely too ! 

 

I heard the same story about the SLine suspension, but unfortunately only the SLine comes with the Virtual cockpit feature (which im looking forward to)

 

Back in Australia, i don't know anyone who would consider a vehicle with under 2.0liter of engine displacement, so i cant help but think if this cheap Audi is nothing but a glorified Suzuki Celerio . Which is why i'm asking if this car is better suited to the Sri Lankan market or to go for the traditional Toyota.

[Stryker]

8 hours ago, vag2 said:

What buyers Focus on ;

World

Driving Pleasure,Technology,Brand Identity>.Fuel Consumption,Price>.................................................................................> Resale Value

In SL

Resale Value >Fuel Consumption> Price >.............................................................................................>Others (Driving Pleasure,Technology,Brand Identity)

You seem to have very little knowledge about the world.

In the UK, people will avoid a car they really want, just because it falls under a different tax band, because road taxes are quite high.

Also most Europeans care alot about fuel consumption, more than Sri Lankans in some cases.

And in western countries cars are a depreciating asset. Not so much in Sri Lanka for the most part, so it is fair to consider resale value in a buying decision here...

18 hours ago, sathyajithj99 said:

Never thought things would fall into this level

Thanks. It has.

[iRage]

10 hours ago, TheFlyingFox said:

The Audi is sporty true especially with the true sline (Firm/Hard suspension) models. At the same time on these Colombo bumpy roads it can be quite uncomfortable, the massive wheels adds to this as well, this is where models with adaptive dampers help. Same goes for Japanese cars with sports suspension and big wheels,  the GP4 i had was really uncomfortable on bad roads, The GP1 on the other hand has much better ride quality on bad roads. Extreme cases of sport suspension as you know will be cars like the WRX which has “terrible” ride quality on bad roads  

 

I beg to differ. One of my friends has a Axio maintained by Toyxxx Lanxx from day 1 and the total cost for service including the following,

Genuine Toyota oil

Genuine Toyota oil Filter

Genuine Toyota Air filter

and the rest of the service including checking the health of the hybrid battery etc costs just LKR 13,000. Are you going to say that if you service say a A3,Q2 or A4 whatever it is at Senxx you can get away with anything remotely similar to that amount ?? Servicing at a 3rd party place such as idexx motors will cost more than that (The full synthetic oil they recommend for these cars can cost as much as a full service at TL, albeit being able to run ~7500km intervals). You really want to start talking about repairs ? You people really don't get why Japanese cars dominate the market over here. People in this forum may hate it but that’s the truth  

 

anyway I do not wish to fire ? a flame on this thread too 

I wasn't talking about the S-line...I was referring to even the normal ones. I have had people say Japanese barges with their suspension on sports setting are uncomfortable and not as "patta" as an Allion/Premio. 

Now..the rest....

For starters you do realize they have different service intervals right ? Thus, by the time you match up the services over a period of time it will be more or less the same. Secondly, you do realize that most European cars have more service points per service than just changing oil and filters...don't you ? Also, there seems to be some misconceptions in the numbers you report. I have had my Toyotas serviced at the agents....the "other" services are just checking fluid levels and cleaning the under carriage and as a courtesy they just do a quick scan of the ECU (by quick I mean quick, but of course it is marketed as something more. My Mark X got a full diagnosis of the CVT....the car has a 6Spd conventional AT !) to see if there are any error codes (its more or less a matter of business continuity step for them). I am guessing this is what was involved for the "Hybrid system diagnosis" as well.

Yes, I do want to start talking about repairs (also it was asked by the OP)...because are you saying a Japanese car never has to be repaired ? I guess YOU are the pundit on why Sri Lankans go for Japanese cars. Are you actually saying Japanese cars never break or are you saying proper/reputable parts for Japanese cars are cheap ? Both are not true and there is plenty of evidence for that.  Even labor charges are pretty high at decent garages...unless you are suggesting people take their Japanese cars with all the active and passive systems over to the maka baas down the street.

The days of just pumping petrol and putting oil and run till you drop with Japanese cars are long long gone. 

..and as I said in my first post...looking at the questions asked, replying to this thread is a no brainer....just buy the Premio. Because if the comparison had to be made (especially in the areas questioned)....then yeah...The Audi is not the car. But don't be mislead by people thinking that it will be cheap to run and repair because it wont be (unless you are just using it for a short time and plan to just fix and service it at the road side garage with questionable parts)

Edited October 16, 2018 by iRage

[matroska]

4 hours ago, Stryker said:

Back in Australia, i don't know anyone who would consider a vehicle with under 2.0liter of engine displacement

Correct me if im wrong since I don't live in Australia- but aren't turbocharged small engines catching on there? Like the 1.5 L CRV? 

3 hours ago, Stryker said:

And in western countries cars are a depreciating asset. Not so much in Sri Lanka

Actually we are slowly getting there. A few years ago people were able to sell off utter pieces of crap for insane prices those days are gone.

4 hours ago, Stryker said:

Not sure what you mean by econobox? The A3 i inspected did not have any more features that the Premio didn't have.

I think what sathyajith meant was that its a bland economy car. No offense...it all boils down to requirements what type of driver you are etc. Looking at your views I think you already have a sweet spot for the premio. So don't think twice go for it - join the millions of happy Premio Allion drivers out there and enjoy the great fuel consumption figures ?

[matroska]

8 minutes ago, iRage said:

peer pressure

This is so true... once I sold my Fit the number of people advising me to buy a used Allion or Premio were surprising. Its almost like a cult. 

[iRage]

4 hours ago, Stryker said:

a. Both of these cars cost 8.4million rupees.

b. Not sure what you mean by econobox? 

c. Actually the JDM comes with full leather seats, the A3 only comes with half leather.

d. I was simply expecting feedback from people who have used these cars locally to get some insight on how it is like to live with either one of them..

 e. Which is why i'm asking if this car is better suited to the Sri Lankan market or to go for the traditional Toyota.

Please see above numbering:

a. They are both the same price range because of ridiculous import taxation schemes in the country. Not because of anything else.

b. Econobox : a general term used for a car that is focused on providing decent, economical A to B transport. The Premio/Allion combo in the Toyota line up is the highest of the econo box range and has the most features/accessories. Above that you are looking at cars like the Mark X, Crown. Audi is a premium marquee although most marquees like that now do have budget ranges (some badged as something else)

c. Japan has not had leather seats since...only lord knows when. They are faux leather (most of the time just Alcantara).  Japanese simply do not get leather like the westerners do. So theoretically, you get more leather in the Audi's half leather seat than in the Premio's full leather seat.

d. Because of how the economy over here works...you are very rarely going to get people who have had both types of vehicles. So your best bet is to get input from people like Supra_Natural who are automotive reviewers/journalists/etc...who have used these cars for tests, etc...

e. The Toyota. The Toyota. The Toyota. Also, don't fall for the G Superior badge. As I said before...99% of them are fake and installed locally but they charge a premium for it. I doubt the actual G Superior package for 1.5 is still offered by the Toyota dealers in Japan (not sure on this). The highest grade for the 1.5L now is 1.5L EX Package

Edited October 16, 2018 by iRage

[RWD]

19 hours ago, TheFlyingFox said:

Not really , today euro cars are much more affordable here due to various reasons like tax and engine size. Someone who was using Japanese cars for a longtime would love to jump at a euro especially when they can be had for the same sort of price as a Japanese car. This was not possible sometime ago, good euros were always considerably more expensive. I think why OP is comparing the two are quite fare. 

Yes- that's why I said only in Sri Lanka thanks to our insane duty structure! These are very different cars in different classes!

Premio- sterile repmobile, practical, ancient technology. Soft floating suspension, lifeless steering with a 1.5lire 1 NZ which sounds like a those horrible old sewing machines in the 80's. Spacious and reliable though but an awful dated design.

Audio A3 TFSI- bang up to date, fun to drive, responsive engine, transmission and chassis. Not as spacious. Definitely not for someone who is worried about resale value and maintenance. Looks very nice, especially in S Line trim.

It really depends what you want out of your ride really. It's only the price I don't see anything else comparable. Which is why so many people are saying if you really have to ask- get the Premio. It's the safer choice.