Technical
There are two engines for this car at the moment. The first is a
turbocharged 2.0L 4-cylinder that puts out 200 hp and 207 lb/ft of torque. This is the same engine that is found in the VW Passat, Jetta and Audi A4. A 250 hp and 236 lb/ft of torque 3.2L V6 has just arrived and is delivered with Audi's Quattro AWD system. Transmission selections are between a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed sequential manual with steering wheel mounted paddle shifters called DSG. Brakes consist of 4-wheel discs. Steering is variable power assisted and the suspension is fully independent.
On the road
The turbocharged 2.0L rockets the car onto onramps. It has very nice power and best of all, thanks to its FSI (direct injection) technology, the turbo suffers from absolutely no lag. The transmission is a Direct Shift Gearbox or DSG. It is an automated twin-clutch manual transmission. To put it simply, shifts are lightning fast. By leaving the lever in manual mode and by using the two paddles, the shifting is exactly F1 style. This transmission has purely eclipsed everything I thought was best about a manual gearbox.
The brake pedal is firm and the brakes are very strong. The binders clamp down hard on the discs the moment pressure is applied to the pedal. Steering is beautifully weighted and its precision is rewarding.
The ride is remarkably well sorted out. It prefers by default a long smooth stretch of road although even Montreal's best disastrous mine fields have a hard time perturbing the A3's composure. The chassis is incredulously responsive and taut. The only thing that could have made the drive more enjoyable is if it had been dressed up with Quattro.
Safety
The A3 has standard dual front, side and side curtain air bags, optional rear side air bags, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brakes assist, traction and stability control and seatbelt pre-tensionners. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has not yet rated the A3. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has rated it "Good" in its category.
Conclusion
Ownership costs with Audis are usually elevated. Reliability is spotty but then again, most German cars are known to be problematic at times. The A3 is actually the better of the Audis when it comes to trouble areas.
The new A3 is a phenomenal car to be at the helm of. It is very focused and the DSG transmission elevates the sport driving aspect to a whole new level. If driving is your thing, other than BMW's 3-Series, no one else can touch the A3 when it comes to the drive.
Good stuff:
Incredible DSG technology
Powerful 2.0T
Not so good stuff:
High purchase price
Competitors:
Mercedes B-Class
Volvo V50
There are two engines for this car at the moment. The first is a
 |
On the road
The turbocharged 2.0L rockets the car onto onramps. It has very nice power and best of all, thanks to its FSI (direct injection) technology, the turbo suffers from absolutely no lag. The transmission is a Direct Shift Gearbox or DSG. It is an automated twin-clutch manual transmission. To put it simply, shifts are lightning fast. By leaving the lever in manual mode and by using the two paddles, the shifting is exactly F1 style. This transmission has purely eclipsed everything I thought was best about a manual gearbox.
 |
The ride is remarkably well sorted out. It prefers by default a long smooth stretch of road although even Montreal's best disastrous mine fields have a hard time perturbing the A3's composure. The chassis is incredulously responsive and taut. The only thing that could have made the drive more enjoyable is if it had been dressed up with Quattro.
Safety
The A3 has standard dual front, side and side curtain air bags, optional rear side air bags, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brakes assist, traction and stability control and seatbelt pre-tensionners. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) has not yet rated the A3. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has rated it "Good" in its category.
Conclusion
 |
Ownership costs with Audis are usually elevated. Reliability is spotty but then again, most German cars are known to be problematic at times. The A3 is actually the better of the Audis when it comes to trouble areas.
The new A3 is a phenomenal car to be at the helm of. It is very focused and the DSG transmission elevates the sport driving aspect to a whole new level. If driving is your thing, other than BMW's 3-Series, no one else can touch the A3 when it comes to the drive.
Good stuff:
Incredible DSG technology
Powerful 2.0T
Not so good stuff:
 |
High purchase price
Competitors:
Mercedes B-Class
Volvo V50
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