Audi (owned by VW group) invented a new car class with the first A3 in the 90s: the premium compact hatchback. Strange concept? I guess not... Between the millions Vw Golfs roaming European streets, a group of clients wanted a little more, a car to satisfy daily transportation needs but with the capability of boosting also the social status. In early days, the VW Golf platform emproved in the essential parts and gifted with some interesting engines was enough to insure A3 commercial success. There was even an uber version called S3 with 1.8 T engine of around 225 hp. Time passed and competition has woken up trying to compete in this niche created by VW (Audi sorry). Bmw 1 series was, let's say, the main contender with some attents from Volvo (C30) and Mercedes. Audi implemented gradually a 4X4 version and higher spec versions (RS3 was a little bit exagerated and arrived a little bit late). The new VW platform used for Golf, Octavia, Leon gave birth of a new A3 version with a fresh design in order to compete with F20 version of 1 series, Merc A-Class and Volvo V40 (there are other competitors on the market with lower sales volumes than Ferrari, in Europe of course: Alfa Romeo, Lexus, etc.)
Pros:
- Modern design for the exterior and interior (a little boring for my taste in the cabin)
- Interesting gasoline and diesel engine offer
- Solid construction with secure setting of the drive-train
- Precise manual gear box, also DSG available
- Decent luggage compartment
- The quality feel is there, the VW Golf genes are not present
- Torque is present from low rpm
- Average steering sensation, not very direct, not very soft, average precision
- The 1.4 TFSI engine (122 hp) doesn't like to be reved upon 3000rpm
- The screen exiting from the dash-board gives you a "cheap" feeling
- Very expensive
The first contact with the car gives you a solid feeling: solid doors, nice quality interior, after the ignition key was inserted, a plastic screen pops up from the dash-board. The dash board is literaly dominated by some huge air-vents, the air-condition console is very well designed. The first speed-bums are very nice treated by the A3, no nasty noises (like the VW Golf to be tested later) and feelings are present. The car feels very solid and well made at the first glance. The 1.4 TFSI is very quiet, no vibrations are sent into the steering or pedals. The engine has plenty of torque from the low rpm and is very pleasant to be driven in the city. The moment waited by all the readers is probably the hit of the gas pedal. Well here is the first disappointment and you will soon find out that the heart of the car is an 1.4 (which feels at low rpms like a good 2.0 litres engine): after 3000 rpm, the engine is starting to scream a little bit and is reluctant to go toward the red line. The sound is also a little bit disappointing and some feeling "leave me alone, I dont't want to fight" is present. The engine will not disappoint, but is more suited (my humble opinion) for VW Golf, and for city driving. The car is nimble enough and pleasant to be driven and after some minutes you will start to enjoy it. It is not an emotional moment (these days you don't have this feeling with many brands) but more of rock solid vehicle. By comparing it with WV Golf VII, there is a stellar difference, Audi did a very well job in hiding the common genes and the extra money spent are present every where in the A3. There are some Asian car-makers that are lowering the trims quality in the hided areas (trunk, under the dash board), this is not case for the Audi: even the luggage compartment is looking "premium" with high quality plastic and textiles. The doors design is a little bit spartan, but this could be emproved by adding some additional equipment lines. Another important issue is price: with the basic equipment and engine, this car is touching the 30k euros level, so depending on each country, you could choose e medium size sedan like VW Passat, Mazda 6, Opel Insignia, Ford Mondeo, etc. Nobody said that exclusivity comes cheap, but these days money are an issue.
Competition
The main competitor is the beemer 1 series with his fancy RWD and more outdated design.New A-class is another powerful contender with a higher price tag and some entry-level Renault engines (diesel ones). Volvo V40 is also a "fresh"car, but is dominated with low sale volumes.
