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From YourSITE.com Reviews & Road Tests It’s the kind of occurrence a PR team dreams about. Here we are, two journalists driving Audi’s new A3. It’s not yet on the market at the time of driving, and my co-driver and I are headed to the end of our driving route: the Mondrian Hotel in the hills near Hollywood, CA. In these parts, image is king. Bentleys and Rollers seem as ubiquitous as yellow Ford Crown Vics in New York City. I stop at a traffic light just turned red in our new-to-market A3 and a BMW M3 pulls alongside. Our windows are down, and so are the M3's. The owner looks over admiringly and I knod. “Nice car,” he comments with a lustful look, then asks, “Where’d you get it?”
Gary Telaak, the Audi designer who penned the A3 “Sportback”, as it’s referred to in Europe, considers the car an Avant with small proportions. It’s actually not that small, as it shares roughly the same accommodations and footprint as the 1995-2001 B5 A4 Avant, but its 2/3 body to 1/3 cabin profile dimensions help make it “The first 4-door car with the sportiness of a TT coupe,” according to Telaak. At the front, Mr. Telaak pushed Audi’s design cues in an even more sporting direction by adjusting the signature “shield” grille up and adding a lower intake below, a change he noted that makes the grille, “more rectangular, more aggressive.” This sporty feel certainly makes it more attractive to the 25-40 year old target age range at which the A3 is aimed. Audi feels those buyers will cross shop the Mini Cooper S, Acura RSX/TSX, Volvo S40/V50 and Saab 9-2x as fairly broad rivals to their A3 in North America. In Europe, the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz B-class are much more direct rivals in configuration. Some might dismiss the A3’s potential, given previous compact car failures by BMW with the 318ti and Mercedes with their hatchback version of Merc’s smallest-in-North America C-class. We wouldn’t be so quick to cast that judgment though, as the A3 is a 5-door and bestowed with a range of unique and very appealing components.
For example, its revolutionary twin-clutch DSG semi-automatic gearbox shifts as quickly as competing technology from brands like Ferrari and BMW, and in real world situations beats either of those companies with its smooth and seamless automatic mode. Audi actually began developing the A3 project for the North American market as early as 2000, defining the project and finding a credible expansion for the brand below the A4 that would not water down the luxury aspect of the marque in a market that is not as acquainted with compact luxury cars in comparison to Audi’s home market of Germany. Looking over the car, as we did in California, it certainly seems they’ve hit the mark. The A3 is handsome and exudes a significantly greater level of material quality than either the Mini or the Saab, while edging out the Acuras and Volvos as well on the inside where Audi is king.
Slip into the A3’s handsome cockpit and the family resemblance to the TT is immediately apparent. Audi’s usual mix of soft-touch plastics is complemented by new silver-stitched leather, components that are particularly handsome with the optional Sport Package’s aluminum accents as in the car we drove. Opt out on the leather and the aluminum though, and its surprising how much more down-market or dull the interior feels. Without the aluminum, the handsome round vents and trim mouldings almost disappear into the background, and the standard sport cloth lacks the personality of the Volkswagen GTI’s base plaid cloth or the feel of the Volvo S40/V50’s standard T-Tec upholstery.
Noting the round aluminum-framed vents, the trim works similarly to the vent bezels in the TT, with a twist action to release or hold the flow of air. Unlike the TT’s heavy and solid feeling trim though, that of the A3 feels a bit lighter and not as smooth in action. The result is probably due to cost-cutting, and who’d blame them? The aluminum quality and weight in the TT is staggering, a showcase of what can be done, but not all that realistic for mass market sales beyond the specialty coupe and roadster. Plus, if you really want the look and feel of the TT, we’ve already seen European A3 owners who’ve successfully swapped in the sportscar’s trim and know several users of our own forums who are looking to duplicate the effort – a nice subtle upgrade for the hardcore Audi enthusiast.
The A3 we sampled also came with Audi’s unique new Open Sky sunroof. This two-pane design caters to both front and rear seat occupants, though only the front segment opens. Inside, there’s no sliding cover as with a traditional Audi sunroof, instead there’s a perforated sunshade that covers its expanse. What you lose in complete closure of the solid sunroof covers, you gain in sheer openness. The design reminds us of the sunroof found in the MINI Cooper – not surprising as the MINI is one of the cars Audi feels the A3 will compete against most directly. Under the hood of the A3 can be found three of our favorite aspects of the new car – its 2.0-liter turbocharged FSI engine and either a smooth 6-speed manual or unique new dual clutch DSG manumatic. Audi’s replacement for the venerable 1.8T engine is a technological wonder and the first turbocharged direct-injection gasoline engine available on the market.
Direct injection has been doing wonders for years for diesel engines. With the new FSI gasoline configuration, Audi is able to spray the fuel directly into the combustion chamber, unlike traditional fuel injected engines that spray it into the intake passage. The result is a wider torque curve of which a 6-cylinder would be jealous and increased fuel economy at the same time. Audi has proven turbocharged FSI technology on the track with their all-conquering R8 and the benefits of this configuration is immediately obvious the first time you mash down the accelerator pedal. For those loving to row their own gears, the A3’s new 6-speed manual won’t be a let down. Throws are plenty short, with just enough weight to make "snicking" through the gears a very pleasurable experience. There are always those who will opt for the automatic though, and Audi’s DSG replacement for the outgoing Tiptronic is good enough to even win over a few converts from the manual camp. On paper, DSG is both faster and more efficient than a manual transmission – heady claims. Still, traditional gear rowers will continue to desire a manual, but spending time behind the wheel of a DSG-equipped car with its lightning fast shifts triggered by F1-style butterfly paddles first seen in the RS 6, it’s not that hard to become smitten with the dual clutch DSG. Automatic mode seems as seamless as a traditional automatic, while Sport Mode is downright telepathic, holding revs at the right time and running the tach out to redline under full acceleration.
Handling is equally impressive. The inherent nature of Audi’s A-platform with its transversely mounted engine means a lower center of gravity and a new fully-independent rear suspension makes for a well balanced and controlled ride. For now, the A3 is only front-wheel drive and there is a bit of inherent understeer that eventually comes into play, though handling is predictable and compliant without being soft and floating. All things considered, the new A3 is sweet and very livable package. It’s frugality is welcome in today’s age of skyrocketing fuel prices, while its drivability and performance won’t leave you especially wanting - oodles of torque are on hand and the A3 has a light and dexterous chassis. The only thing it really needs, in our opinion, is all-wheel drive availability with this super efficient 2.0T that so appeals to the tech weenie and driving enthusiast in all of us.
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