2015 Audi A3 Long-Term Road Test - Wrap-Up

Edmunds.com

2015 Audi A3 Long-Term Road Test - Wrap-Up

Our Long-Term Test of the 2015 Audi A3 is complete after one year and 20,300 miles. Here's our summary of how the new compact luxury sedan fared over 12 months.

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joepawlicki

really curious of overall handling thoughts. a comparison against the 1.8 T without AWD would be much appreciated.

waygrabow

We had an A3 as a loaner for several days while our A4 was being serviced. While the A3 is a nice car, it is not competition for the A4.

bankerdanny

I wonder why the depreciation was so high, especially compared to the Merc.

tom911

"We paid $379 for that service but it wasn't our only out-of-pocket A3 expense.
Additional maintenance costs on the Audi added another $1,399"

So a total of $1780 for one year ($150 per month) of ownership not counting depreciation ?? OUCH!!

patinthecity

I drove around in a '16 VW Jetta SE rental last week with the same entry-level 1.8T engine and same 6-speed Tiptronic automatic and thought to myself, this is probably what the entry-level A3 feels like mostly albeit the shoddy construction and hard plastics.
That 1.8 has some serious get up and go, btw.

darthbimmer

With the steep depreciation after one year it seems like buying lightly used is the right strategy to get into an A3. Though those maintenance costs are scary for a new(ish) entry-luxury car.

jakek66

A3 vs A4 really depends on what you want. A4 in this current model sells for about the same price. It isn't as tech friendly though and has some dated parts for infotainment/etc. Get more for your money with the A3 but more car with the A4. A4 will be replaced with a newer more expensive model in early 2017 so if you want the latest, don't buy a A4.

A3 vs GTI is a harder sale though. I drove both and I thought the A3 was too small without a hatch option. Ended up in a GTI fully loaded. Not that much cheaper than this (about $3000 sticker, maybe $5000 after discounts), but overall has more equipment. GTI also has a better following thats more developed for anything aftermarket. A3 is more of just a start to get in an Audi.

hangtime

@Tom911, yeah always expect to have an unfortunate parking incident and blown tire every year. (insert sarcasm)
Being more realistic, most cars need an oil change every 5K, where the A3 needs it every 10K. Still a little pricy at the equivalent $180 per oil change but was it only an oil change?