College going male's view: You must decide if you want a better ride or handling with this Audi. The A3 straddles the fence on this issue. I would change the tires for less aggressive ones if I wanted a better ride and go
with larger rims and tires if I was interested in pushing the limits. The standard tires are a compromise, and a noisy one at that.
This is no lightweight at 3300 pounds, and there is significant lean on turns when pushed despite the fact the firm ride seems to promise more cornering power. It is certainly trim, and with a turning radius just a foot larger than the smallest compact car, it is easy to park and maneuver. Personally, I loved the Mazda 3. It was just the right size for commuting, although I would have liked better fuel mileage and an engine that didn't require premium fuel, and was equally at home hauling around my musical equipment or sneaking into the smallest space in the university parking lot. The ladies loved its looks and were drawn to its understated interior. Don't even think of comparing it to the Mazda 3 or the Pontiac Matrix. They simply don't have the looks and the quality feel of the Audi. Make mine black, with dark rims, blackout windows, and a more aggressive exhaust.
Young working woman's view: The Audi's sunroof screen was translucent. It gives a better look to the dark interior, but the major downside is that it gets very hot inside and the A 3's air-conditioning has its hands-full on hot days. I would definitely tint all the windows and put a much darker tint on the sunroof. Speaking of the air-conditioning, the controls were way too complicated. They are also difficult to see when driving. Yes, there is an automatic temperature setting, but I don't like those as they can come on too strong at times and I don't like my just cut hair to be blown awry by an overreacting ventilation fan. I want to manually control the situation. If I want a window open I don't want the automatic setting too see this as a call for a higher fan setting and more heat or air conditioning.
I was also not impressed with the stereo and would rank the radio reception as below average. I can imagine many an after market unit going into the car with a portion of that hatch back area giving way to more sophisticated speaker systems.
Visibility should be noted. The low position of the seats and the low roofline makes it difficult to see stop lights. You definitely feel like you are sitting low in this Audi, and this makes it a bit difficult to use post office and fast food drive throughs without having to lift yourself off the seat to reach out. Indeed, when I couldn't reach the mail drop I had to pull the car forward, exit, and hand drop the letters much to the chagrin of the numerous gas hoggish SUV owners lined up behind me. Of course, they should be upset. Having to sit in a Hummer H2, Lincoln Navigator, or Ford Expedition for 30 seconds could cost them a couple dollars for fuel. You could drive three Audi A3's on the fuel one of those used.
Also of note with the Audi is the fact that you might as well leave the rear seats folded flat all the time because almost everything you are going to carry requires the extra room this feature provides. By the way, the seats really don't fold totally flat, but it isn't too bad.
I was quite at home in the Audi on the road and in town. It was accommodating, and only grieved me when I tried to push it as the responsive engine output was neutered by the automatic transmission. I would definitely get the manual transmission. My friends also liked the looks of the Audi A3, but when told of the price looked askance. As for me, I would go with the A4 wagon.
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This is no lightweight at 3300 pounds, and there is significant lean on turns when pushed despite the fact the firm ride seems to promise more cornering power. It is certainly trim, and with a turning radius just a foot larger than the smallest compact car, it is easy to park and maneuver. Personally, I loved the Mazda 3. It was just the right size for commuting, although I would have liked better fuel mileage and an engine that didn't require premium fuel, and was equally at home hauling around my musical equipment or sneaking into the smallest space in the university parking lot. The ladies loved its looks and were drawn to its understated interior. Don't even think of comparing it to the Mazda 3 or the Pontiac Matrix. They simply don't have the looks and the quality feel of the Audi. Make mine black, with dark rims, blackout windows, and a more aggressive exhaust.
Young working woman's view: The Audi's sunroof screen was translucent. It gives a better look to the dark interior, but the major downside is that it gets very hot inside and the A 3's air-conditioning has its hands-full on hot days. I would definitely tint all the windows and put a much darker tint on the sunroof. Speaking of the air-conditioning, the controls were way too complicated. They are also difficult to see when driving. Yes, there is an automatic temperature setting, but I don't like those as they can come on too strong at times and I don't like my just cut hair to be blown awry by an overreacting ventilation fan. I want to manually control the situation. If I want a window open I don't want the automatic setting too see this as a call for a higher fan setting and more heat or air conditioning.
I was also not impressed with the stereo and would rank the radio reception as below average. I can imagine many an after market unit going into the car with a portion of that hatch back area giving way to more sophisticated speaker systems.
Visibility should be noted. The low position of the seats and the low roofline makes it difficult to see stop lights. You definitely feel like you are sitting low in this Audi, and this makes it a bit difficult to use post office and fast food drive throughs without having to lift yourself off the seat to reach out. Indeed, when I couldn't reach the mail drop I had to pull the car forward, exit, and hand drop the letters much to the chagrin of the numerous gas hoggish SUV owners lined up behind me. Of course, they should be upset. Having to sit in a Hummer H2, Lincoln Navigator, or Ford Expedition for 30 seconds could cost them a couple dollars for fuel. You could drive three Audi A3's on the fuel one of those used.
Also of note with the Audi is the fact that you might as well leave the rear seats folded flat all the time because almost everything you are going to carry requires the extra room this feature provides. By the way, the seats really don't fold totally flat, but it isn't too bad.
I was quite at home in the Audi on the road and in town. It was accommodating, and only grieved me when I tried to push it as the responsive engine output was neutered by the automatic transmission. I would definitely get the manual transmission. My friends also liked the looks of the Audi A3, but when told of the price looked askance. As for me, I would go with the A4 wagon.