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Yep, don't go to the dealer, price it a Best Buy, Circuit Cuty or and Indie.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Since she is something of an enthusiast, SUVs were out, as were mini vans, hybrids, crossovers, any acura, and just about all american cars.
Anyway, she tried and denied just about every car she drove - the BMW 328 and 335 were too expensive equipped to her tastes, she found the G35 unsightly, the IS250/350 a poseur's car, the Mini Clubman a frankstein masquerading as a car, the Volvo lineup disappointing to drive, and the Subaru too much of a mom car.
On a whim she drove an A3 and to my surprise loved it. A week later we bought a misano red 2008 A3 with sport package, open sky, heated front seats, ipod adapter, and Sirius. details to follow
However, I was (still am, really) a RWD snob & only recently came to grips with the notion that getting what I wanted in a car meant I had to let FWD back into the calculation. So, Audi was one choice and the Acura TSX (European Accord) was another. I ended up with the TSX & have something over a thousand miles on it -- nimble, great manual transmission, excellent fuel mileage. I'm very pleased so far. What issues does your wife have with Acura? The TSX cerainly feels like an enthusiast's car, at least to me. I (used to) think I'm an enthusiast.
Anyway, I'm sure you'll continue to enjoy your Audi. How long are you planning to keep it? Any concerns regarding reliability?
Reliability is a concern, so we got the Audi Care to make sure some of the expenses will be offset. I have no plans of keeping the A3 past its warranty period either unless it turns out to be a maintenance dream. This is our first Audi, so I hope it doesnt turn out to be a bad purchase (i have heard too many horror stories about VW reliability).
The wife loves the A3 so far...her only regret is not getting the xenons. She said it handles like her mini but has more power .
I have read a lot about the A3 and people thinking it is a car with no market in the states (too high end for a hatch, too small to compete with wagons, too expensive for its target market), but I have to believe cars like the A3 will grow in popularity in the US over the next few years. It is the ideal marriage of sport, luxury, practicality, and fuel consumption. Outside of its VW cousin I found other options limited, particularly if you want a wagon or hatchback.
I will be kicking myself if the BMW 1 series hatch ends up over this way in the next two years though!
potential buyer
FYI, the 2009 has dropped the Ocean Blue; the new color is "Aruba Blue", and while it is supposedly a bit darker, the color swatches delivered to the Dealerships are supposedly a lot ("too much") darker. The A5/S5 comes in Aruba Blue, so I'm waiting to see one of those to see how much of a change it may/may not be. Here's some images of A5s in Aruba Blue I found online:
http://www.huntzinger.com/a3/
Also, another change for the 2009 A3 (USA Spec) is that cloth interior is apparently gone...leather only now.
-hh
I noticed they dropped Deep Sea Blue for the A3 as well. I was interested in that color.
Quattro with the 2.0 engine is what will probably sell me on the '09 A3.
We have a 2009 on order ... as of Friday, it has been accepted into production, but there was a "call Factory" note on it that needed to be resolved.
Heard back from our salesman on Saturday - - the note was because the color of Azure Blue is going to be a "Delayed Introduction".
What "delayed" that means could be Oct 08, or January 09, etc. Simply don't know right now. My salesman is going to be calling his regional representative this week to find out more.
BTW, I got a quick verbal list of the colors that will be available in the initial 09 shipment (eg, Aug/Sept delivery)...salesman was hoping that my wife's #2 color choice was a close second and would be willing to switch; can't blame him for trying.
Overall, it was an IMO downright uninspired list... I didn't write it down, but I recall that there was a red, a white, some type of black (probably metallic?), something called "ice silver" (replaced last year's silver) and some shade of metallic grey.
In thinking about this color list while writing this up, it reminded me very much of the color list that VW puts on the GTI...and checking VW's website, I see:
Candy White - Tornado Red - Black Magic Metallic - United Grey Metallic - Reflex Silver.
Yup, same 5 basic colors. Thanks Audi, but if I wanted a car that looked just like a GTI, I'd go buy a GTI and save $4,500.
-hh
Brilliant Red
Aruba Blue Pearl Effect
Lava Gray Pearl Effect
Meteor Gray Pearl Effect
Ice Silver Metallic
Ibis White
Misano Red Pearl Effect (S-Line only)
Monza Silver Pearl Effect (S-Line only)
There's no green or tan in there, but otherwise, it seems to cover it. Or what am I missing?
Since I only recall one shade of gray, either the Lava or the Meteor isn't initially available (another "delayed introduction").
The two colors in the S-Line weren't mentioned as I wasn't looking to order an S. Don't have any particular insight on those.
-hh
Dakar Beige, both of these are beautiful colors.
Thanks.
Lame, as I was hoping to put this in my consideration set... I love the size and the really want a wagon/hatch but don't want FWD.
No, this won’t be the most potent 2.0 TDI sold in Europe, which even powered this year’s Worthersee-inspired A3 Clubsport quattro TDI show car. That engine would necessitate the added cost and weight of the A3’s Haldex-based quattro system and federalization of a whole new drivetrain, which would price the car out of the market. Instead, say senior German sources, Audi of America is considering the use of the same new commonrail 2.0 TDI drivetrain that’s currently hitting the market in the Volkswagen Jetta.
This North American 2.0 TDI drivetrain is produces 140-hp and 236 lb-ft of torque and, in the Jetta TDI, provides and estimated EPA fuel economy of 29 MPG city and 40 MPG highway. The EPA figure only tells part of the story though as Volkswagen contracted a third party certifier AMCI to test the Jetta and the study netted real world figures 24 percent better . Figure 38 mpg city and 44 mpg highway. Given similar size and weight, don’t expect an A3 2.0 TDI to deviate far from these numbers.
The 2.0 TDI has already been certified with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed S-tronic (also known as DSG at VW). Just which powertrain will be made available remains unclear, though Audi may choose to simplify and sell only the S-tronic. While manual gearbox loyalists may grouse, we find S-tronic to be well suited for use with this particular engine. The low red line and immediate torque make the fast-shifting dual-clutch setup ideal.
Even better, Volkswagen is making headlines pointing out that their 2.0 TDI offerings are eligible for a $1,300 Federal Income Tax Credit that was recently announced. In the case of the Jetta and Jetta SportWagen, the only two cars in which the 2.0 TDI are currently offered, the Internal Revenue Service recently issued a certification letter that confirmed both Volkswagens qualify for the Advanced Lean Burn Technology Motor Vehicle income tax credit. There’s no reason to believe an A3 sharing the same drivetrain would be any different.
As near as we can tell, the decision hasn’t been completely finalized. The car is up in the air, but prospects are likely. Even better, once the nod has been given from Ingolstadt, production of the A3 2.0 TDI could begin immediately and mean cars in market within a year. For Audi, this would be a welcome draw of attention to their diesel market and a much more luxurious competitor to the wedge-like Toyota Prius – the perfect runabout for green-focused, higher income earners and TDI enthusiasts alike.
This would be great!!!
don
Larry
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Larry
Why will they not accept the order and activate it when the parts are available?
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Thanks!
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
They probably gave up on idea of large sales (or at least those close to say they A4 model) already long time ago and are not very motivated to lower the price as it would hurt their bottom line. If they believe they can sell it profitably somewhere else, I don't blame them.
Similarly to BMW, Audi has a rhomboid sales model, rather than pyramid, where their largest volumes are created by far with midrange A4 and A6, not low-end A3. I don't think they believed in that car here, but decided to try anyway. US small car market is simply too hard for many. We want rock bottom sticker price, all the features, low financing and cash back on top.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
Are the cachet of Audi' name, and the A3's differences from its GTI brother enough to overcome a high price and limited supply? If Audi is selling every A3 they bring over, then yes
Meanwhile, Audi R8's are sold out for years.
Q7 TDI - 27.6
A4 TDI - 36.2
A3 TDI - 44.6
Q5 TDI - 31.8
With these numbers, hopefully the spectator reaction across the US was encouraging for the higher mileage models.
There has been buzz, before the current economic recession (oh, come on, let's call it what it is!), that AoA/VW was considering manufacturing in N.A. If not in Canada or the U.S., why not in Puebla, Mexico, where most N.A.-sold VWs are made? Frankly, I preferred my 98 VW Passat, made in Germany, to the other VWs of that era made in Puebla. Maybe it's snobbery, but that Passat still is in good working order (I sold it to a friend!). And I kept hearing woes from friends who owned VW Jettas, etc. (non-Passats) made in Puebla. Would Audis made in Mexico suffer from the same fate? Or would they help make Audi A3s more accessible to the N.A. markets of Mexico, Canada and the U.S.? Something I never hear about with VW/Audi or with Ford, another Puebla manufacturer, in helping to overcome the U.S. $ issue with the Fiesta and other Fords that might be more marketable now in the States and Canada.
Lots to ponder, and with the economy in an uproar, all laid-out plans for Audi will likely change, too.
Hooray.
http://www.automobilemag.com/green/news/0901_2010_audi_a3_tdi/index.html
You may have misread that article:
Americans will only be able to get the A3 TDI with the S tronic (DSG) transmission and front-wheel drive.
That means no manual (aka foot clutch) and no Quattro. :sick:
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
dollars how does that compare with you
Thanks...
Does the TDI add significant weight?
Most likely this is a combination of dealer availability and the economy.
Those who would buy one, can't find one, those who would want one (or any new car in general) cannot afford an A3.
I had considered a Mini Cooper S, BMW 3XI Wagon and I even looked at the VW GTI. The Mini was just too small for my needs and the ride a little unforgiving on the local roads where I live ( Long Island NY). I liked the BMW but my perception was that the gas mileage would not be as good as the A3 and a manual transmission was hard to come by. Plus it was a good $10K more. This was going to be a second car for me and I had it in my mind I wanted the sporty feel of the manual transmission. The VW was not as "luxiourious" as the A3, the warranty in 08 was not as good ( I think they may have changed it for 09) and the flavor of the A3 was a little more mature and elegant while just as sporty.
The car is a great fun yet extremely comfortable for highway cruising. Very solid at high speed, car feels heavy but very agile. Plenty of power, great reving engine and handling. Since I am enjoying the car so much my gas mileage is not what it could be. I can't hold myself back from accelerating into turns and whipping around curves, especially when I am driving alone. It is capable of getting over 32mpg on the highway, I just counteract all the highway economy with pure joy of tooling around. It is almost as easy to park as a mini cooper but I can fit 3 passengers comfortably and I have plenty of trunk space.
Complaints? Yes but I can live with them. My tires are Conti's , they are suspossed to be quieter than the Pirellis. I feel they are fine on good pavement but when you drive on older concrete they can be noisy. I addressed it with the dealer and they told me it was normal for this car. The tires are wearing well. I wish the trunk/hatch were just a DROP larger or that the rear seats folded perfectly flat so I could put my dog crate in the rear. I would have 15K on the car if I could use it as much as I would like. Lastly, in a perfect world I would have awd instead of front wheel only so that on those snowy snowy days I could drive this car instead of my SUV. The handling in the snow is adequate but I live on a steep hill and the low profile tires ( even if they are all season) don't just cut it.
My overall experience has been wonderful and I highly recommend this car for enthusiasts who want performance without paying BMW prices. Happy Driving!