While a shopper like me likes the dashboard's simple design, I think that it will hinder sales slightly for the traditional shopper. It's a polarizing design and some may see as spartan and wish the screen were integrated into the dash. It looks too roadster-like for a mass-market sedan that's not in a niche segment. It should have been re-designed for the sedan. It probably will in the following year or two.
It really lacks the more sculpted design work and intricate interiors of other Audi sedans and coupes. From the review it also looks as if it doesn't deliver the kind of emotive driver involvement that a hot hatch should.
How is a $47.5k compact car going to capture the "lower end of the luxury market"? The past A3 hatchback was only $30k and couldn't find a market because it was too similar in performance to the GTI, the S3 would've sold in small numbers here but was never offered. I can't imagine a sedan A3 being any more desirable than the hatchback since it'll be priced so close to the larger A4. The S3 sedan will be very expensive for what it offers, a common trait of Audi's in general.
All I care about is the sedan part of this equation, the sedan really looks sweet. Can anyone at Edmunds tell us what the engine mated to the Quattro on the standard A3 sedan model (it is some 2.0 t), but what power? pricing on the sedan?
The S3, and the A3 under it, will not be priced that way when it comes to the US. Cars are traditionally more expensive in Europe, as evidenced when converting their European price to American dollars. "In the U.K., it's on sale now, priced
All the Audis and VW's I've driven have been, as this article says, one step removed from the driving experience. The disconnected steering and low/mid-range focused 2.0T are mostly to blame for that, in my opinion. It is a shame. I always love their cars, from the specs to the styling to the interior, but then I drive and find myself left just ever so slightly cold at the actual driving experience. I remember the car, but not the drive.
If the price difference really is around $6000 over the GTI, that would put this car starting around $32k. There's no chance this car will start at $32k considering you can option a current A3 TDI into the mid 45k range. If they don't price it too high this will be in my garage and not the GTI. I'd pay around 40k for this car with some good options so please Audi don't price this out of the market. It's a wonderful little car.
If they did not detune the VW engines so much they would sell boatloads more of them. It seems they don't sell enough AUdi's at the premium price to make holding back the VWs worth their while.
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pricing on the sedan?
The S3, and the A3 under it, will not be priced that way when it comes to the US. Cars are traditionally more expensive in Europe, as evidenced when converting their European price to American dollars. "In the U.K., it's on sale now, priced