Hatchbacks have never been one of my favorite cars to review, nor has the American consumer truly embraced this class, but I must admit that the Audi A3 opened my eyes long enough to really appreciate a sprite package of quality craftsmanship and sporty fun.
The A3 delivers the hatchback model and takes it where few, if any, hatchbacks have gone before. The hatchback itself creates especially versatile space configurations inside the cabin while Audi engineers provide outstanding 5-passenger ride comfort.
When you consider the A3 shares some platform essentials with Jetta and Golf, it is not hard to believe this is one of the more agile, more fun-to-drive premium compact cars on the market. Audi's reputation for quality is not lost on the A3 and the attention to detail is present throughout the vehicle.
The A3 is available in front- and all-wheel drive, manual and automatic versions. The 2.0T is a turbocharged 4-cylinder (200 hp) while the 3.2 Quattro offers V6 power with 250 hp. My Quattro was the 3.2 Quattro S-Line, which enhanced the interior with Navigation, leather upholstery and XM Satellite Radio.
As is typical for Audis, the cabin interior was comprised of tasteful gauges and understated high-quality details such as fine leather seating, soft interior task lights and multi-functional stalk functions at the driver's fingertips.
My tester offered dual-zone climate control with dust and pollen filter. This may seem like a minute detail to mention, but if you have allergies it can be a quality enhancement to several hours of your day. Audio is supplied by an amazing Audi Symphony 6-disc CD player paired with Bose speakers. The A3 is small, but the sound is huge.
Rear seats split 60/40. With the utility area dimension defined as small at best, the rear seating configurations can really make a difference. Seats are unfastened and easily laid down at the flip of a latch. Likewise, access to the storage area is easily achieved from the rear of the vehicle with the pull of a latch.
If you so choose, the base price for the A3 manual is $24,740. For the traditionalist fun-seeker, this is pure fun at work -- or work that may be fun, depending on your penchant for wanting to continually work with shifts. Living in crowded suburban and city communities, I preferred my tester's optional DSG6 automatic transmission. With the premium S-Line package and several other wonderful add-ons like Bi-Xenon adaptive headlights, a cold weather package and 18-inch cast alloy wheels, my A3 topped out at $41,050.
The A3's exterior styling is anchored around the signature waterfall grille design that is the focal point at the front end of this model. The A3 is no exception as it follows a common theme presented in the A8, A6 and A4. Not bad company for a tiny hatchback.
My A3 tester performed admirably shooting around town on quick errands. On the highway, I found acceleration to be ready and on demand, while interior cabin noise was minimal for this class of vehicle. I had a lot of fun with my A3 tester but the fuel gauge did not seem to notice. I had plenty of reason to think fuel mileage might suffer with my lead foot exploits on the highway, but I averaged about 27 mpg for the week. Encouraging given current fuel prices.
While I did experience some torque-steer pulling to one side on hard accelerations, the A3 was a pleasure to drive and comfortable to handle in all road conditions.
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