Indeed, some people might feel overcrowded if they bring the entirety of the generous dimensions into the cabin of this most diminutive
of North American Audis. You see, I'm not very big in any direction (5'10", 180 lbs), but I felt like I was pushing the capacity limits of the optional sport seats and I had this horrible and unnatural thought crossing my mind throughout the week: "Do these seats make my thighs look fat?" not really a healthy attitude for any person and particularly uncommon amongst 20-something males, no doubt.
Wow, for someone who started off promising unbounded praise and adoration I sure have found a couple of flaws in my unflinching admiration for this vehicle. On the other hand, that's about it from the complaints department. Okay, there was also the tire thing, but that was a product of seasonal crossover (they gave it to me with summer performance tires) and you can't really fault Audi for early snowfall, can you. On that note, make sure you find yourself some all-season performance tires or a second set of winter boots for your A3, since it's available in front-drive only. Enough said.
To tie things back into my opening theme, the A3 was like moving into a small, one bedroom apartment... with a really big closet. But the kitchen! Oh, do I ever love cooking in that kitchen. It is like having a Sub-Zero fridge and big gas-element burners, plus built in double convection ovens, all black appliances with loads of stainless steel trim and a German-forged steel
Henckel 10" master series chef's knife. Everything was right where I wanted it, and I never even wanted to leave to go to the bathroom.
Before I get lost in my kitchen analogy, I suppose I should go over the comparable items in the car that made my stay so fitting. The 2.0T FSI: You don't appreciate the fuel saving until you drive something with a V8 that chugs premium unleaded like a linebacker downing Heidelberg at Oktoberfest. Right about now anything in the neighbourhood of 10 L/100 km sounds great. And the power? Restrict that linebacker to Powerade, pasta lunches and spring training, then set him loose like Waterboy (Adam Sandler's Waterboy for those of you wondering what I'm talking about), and there you have the T in 2.0T; 200 horsepower, 207 lb-ft of torque, 1,480 kg (3,263 lbs), light and nimble enough to slip between and past so many overburdened and overweight vehicles, and with enough power to lay waste to such slow-moving traffic.
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| Despite not being very wide in girth or large in stature, I felt like I was pushing the capacity limits of the optional sport seats. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
Wow, for someone who started off promising unbounded praise and adoration I sure have found a couple of flaws in my unflinching admiration for this vehicle. On the other hand, that's about it from the complaints department. Okay, there was also the tire thing, but that was a product of seasonal crossover (they gave it to me with summer performance tires) and you can't really fault Audi for early snowfall, can you. On that note, make sure you find yourself some all-season performance tires or a second set of winter boots for your A3, since it's available in front-drive only. Enough said.
To tie things back into my opening theme, the A3 was like moving into a small, one bedroom apartment... with a really big closet. But the kitchen! Oh, do I ever love cooking in that kitchen. It is like having a Sub-Zero fridge and big gas-element burners, plus built in double convection ovens, all black appliances with loads of stainless steel trim and a German-forged steel
 |
| The T in 2.0T: 200 horsepower, 207 lb-ft of torque, 1,480 kg (3,263 lbs), light and nimble enough to slip between and past so many overburdened and overweight vehicles. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
Before I get lost in my kitchen analogy, I suppose I should go over the comparable items in the car that made my stay so fitting. The 2.0T FSI: You don't appreciate the fuel saving until you drive something with a V8 that chugs premium unleaded like a linebacker downing Heidelberg at Oktoberfest. Right about now anything in the neighbourhood of 10 L/100 km sounds great. And the power? Restrict that linebacker to Powerade, pasta lunches and spring training, then set him loose like Waterboy (Adam Sandler's Waterboy for those of you wondering what I'm talking about), and there you have the T in 2.0T; 200 horsepower, 207 lb-ft of torque, 1,480 kg (3,263 lbs), light and nimble enough to slip between and past so many overburdened and overweight vehicles, and with enough power to lay waste to such slow-moving traffic.