Audi’s A3 3.2 S Line Quattro combines vivid performance, luxurious accommodations andcompact dimensions.
Most people probably think “compact” is virtually synonymous with “affordable” or even “cheap,” but then most people likely have not slid themselves behind the wheel of the Audi A3.
The A3 is rolling proof that just because a vehicle has to be of compact dimension it doesn’t also have to be spartan, sparse or sparing in its interior accommodation, mechanical specifications or exterior styling.
The A3 is a five-door hatchback, which is among the most difficult configurations for automotive designers to work with because there isn’t much you can do with a basic two-box shape.
But Audi stylists managed to give the A3 an aggressive stance, thanks to the coupe-like roofline, as well as a distinctive front end, thanks to the signature wide-mouth grille opening, which, by the way, is beginning to be mimicked by other automakers.
I also like the wraparound tail lamps and the pronounced wheel arches that are nicely filled by the tires. The A3 just plain looks great on the road, as long as you don’t have a knee-jerk aversion of hatchbacks, that is.
This Audi Design sketch of the A3’s stance seems more broad-shouldered than the production version.
Inside, the passenger cabin is roomier and more spacious than expected. I love the thick steering wheel because it suggests a serious performance vehicle is in hand. All of the instrumentation falls readily to hand or eye, as appropriate, and the overall appearanceis of quality and restraint.
Being a hatchback, the A3 offers folding, split rear seats that don’t quite go flat but still open up a huge cargo area. There are also a couple of options for ski racks that can accommodate up to six pairs. Nice if you live in the Mountain West or near the ski spots that dot the several Eastern Seaboard hills.
On the road, the A3 is a splendid performer, whether you get the 2.0 liter 200 horsepower in-line four cylinder with a turbo or the 3.2 liter V-6 that is good for 250 horsepower. The A3 can be had in the Quattro all-wheel-drive edition that puts power to all four corners.
Audi’s 2.0 liter turbo four may be the best such powerplant in the world.
The V-6 gas more power but turbo four feels so responsive and flexible that it fools you into thinking it is more muscular than it actually is. My tester turned in 6.82 second 0-60 mph times. The A3 turbo would be a perfect companion for a day of apex-strafing at a Friday at the Track event at Summit Point Motorsports Park.
Audi A3 3.2 S Line Quattro in shortform:
Price-as-tested: $36,855
Engine information: 3.2 liter DOHC V-6, 250 horsepower at 6,300 rpm, torque equals 236 lb-ft at 2,800 – 3,200 rpm
Performance: 0-60 mph in 6.82 seconds (With six-speed S-tronic transmission)
EPA fuel economy: 21 mpg city/27 mpg highway
Safety equipment: Driver and front passenger front, side and curtain air bags, anti-lock brakes, Electronic Stabilization Program, Quattro Permanent All-Wheel-Drive system
Other Voices:
“Anyone who looks at the new Audi A3 3.2 DSG and sees an overpriced economy car should not be allowed to play with Rottweiler puppies. While Ingolstadt’s diminutive four-door may seem like a hatchback for badge snobs willing to sacrifice size for breeding, it’s actually a four-wheeled fiend, a beast born and bred to take a bite out of the time – space continuum.
“Everything else about the A3– the foot on the Audi ownership ladder thing, the four-wheel-drive peace-of-mind shtick– is nothing more than a glossy coat on a vicious little monster. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.” — Robert Farrago, The Truth About Cars
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