Wither the A4? - 2015 Audi A3 Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Wither the A4? - 2015 Audi A3 Long-Term Road Test

The 2015 Audi A3 is Audi's best-selling sedan right now. Will Audi let it start siphoning sales from the A4 sedan?

Read the full story here

mercedesfan

"...without sacrificing overall quality..."

The problem is that the A3 DOES sacrifice quality for its lower price. I haven't been in an Audi that felt as cheap or insubstantial as the A3 in more than a decade. Before driving one I was firmly convinced that it was MB who dropped the ball and ruined their entry-level model, but I don't actually think Audi faired that much better. Luxury car companies simply shouldn't be making cars this cheap. Building small luxury cars is perfectly fine, great in fact. Realistically, though, the A3 should start around $37k. That would allow Audi to fit the A3 with a legitimately Audi-grade interior.

hacefrio

Sorry mercedesfan, I gotta disagree. I don't think the A3 sacrifices much in materials, fit and finish, design, ergo, seats, multimedia for the price. Solid switchgear, intuitive controls layout. Even the vents are good. It's not an A6, but as a bargain Audi goes, as a gateway drug, I think it strikes the right balance. How it holds up over the next 10,000 miles in our garage will tell its own story. By comparison, I found the CLA interior somewhat flimsy and subpar. Different strokes, I suppose.

legacygt

I've been in an Audi that felt as cheap and insubstantial as the A3. It was the previous A3. A perfectly enjoyable car but the line between in and the Golf was paper thin. Everything about the interior was perfectly fine in the way that everything about VW's interiors is perfectly fine...even very good. But there was nothing premium about it.

fordson1

hacefrio said:

Sorry mercedesfan, I gotta disagree. I don't think the A3 sacrifices much in materials, fit and finish, design, ergo, seats, multimedia for the price. Solid switchgear, intuitive controls layout. Even the vents are good. It's not an A6, but as a bargain Audi goes, as a gateway drug, I think it strikes the right balance. How it holds up over the next 10,000 miles in our garage will tell its own story. By comparison, I found the CLA interior somewhat flimsy and subpar. Different strokes, I suppose.

Agree - think this A3 is great inside.

I think that introducing the next-gen A4 with an available Avant model will go far to mitigate cannibalization by the A3. Even if the A3 becomes available as a hatch.

mercedesfan

@hacefrio,

Hey Dan, thanks for the reply. I don't disagree with you that for a "bargain Audi" the A3 is okay. My problem is with the whole concept of a bargain Audi. Being good enough is antithetical to the whole concept of luxury. Either offer a real Audi and charge accordingly, or don't offer one at all. The A3 is necessarily a lower-quality car than its bigger brothers even if only by a half-step, substituting plastic veneers for metals, carbon fibers, alcantaras, and woods of real Audis. Cars like the A3 and CLA dilute brand images just to increase sales. They don't even generate much profit. Luxury car companies should not be jumping down this rabbit hole. This is doubly true for Audi because they have VW. The Golf offers identical levels of quality and sophistication for a lot less money and feels more honest in doing so.

prndlol

I think the Cadillac ATS deserves a fair shake in this regard.

dldave

I've driven the new A3 and while it is way nicer on the inside, I can't help but feel like I'm still driving a dressed up Jetta.

bassracerx

Adam Corolla sum'ed this whole discussion up pretty nicely when speaking of his conversation with Jimmy Fallon who had a first gen Mercedes C class. He asked him about when he is going to upgrade his car now that he has made it to the big times. Jimmy's response was "But i have a Mercedes i don't need to." This is a car for THOSE people. The a3 is not a car for enthusiasts. The enthusiasts would buy the GTI or probably something else.

610looper

dldave..I am not sure why you feel that way, as the A3 has absolutely nothing to do with the VW Jetta. The VW Golf is a great small car if you haven't tried one lately..

mrvtecski

So on the MQB platform- I wonder how different this would be overall from the Golf. However, I have sat in an A3 at the dealer and was pretty impressed overall. Not a sea of buttons, but simple shapes and smart layout.