Audi A3

shipo

Hmmm, it seems that I mis-read wale-bate1's post. Yes, I would assume that the 3.2 liter mill would weigh in at about 150 pounds more than the 2.0T, which would still leave well over 200 pounds for the Quattro drivetrain. What is the actual break-out? Who knows. I'm thinking that this is close enough. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

wale_bate1

I'm not sure you were looking at apples to apples there Shipo. Audiusa.com lists the A4 3.2 Quattro Tip (no manual available) at 3484lbs, and the 2.0T Quattro Tip (for a clean comparison) at 3329lbs. So I extrapolated the plant difference to be about 150 lbs.

I still think the balance should be better than the TT based on body type.

wale_bate1

Ahhh, I see. I am negating the Quattro weight difference, aren't I?

Since it's Haldex v. Torsen, is it safe to assume the A3's Quattro will be less weighty?

So the Quattro will cost me pounds to be sure, which accounts for the modest increase in go-go between A3 models (from what I've read), but not all of the difference will be nosey heavy!

Gad, but this is a much more enjoyable and enlightening thread than the IS one...
;-]

shipo

Shhh! Don't tell oac! ;-)

wale_bate1

I have no comment at this time...

kyfdx

Yes.. 2.0T isn't getting Quattro.... and the 3.2 Quattro isn't getting a true manual (DSG only). That is why I estimated prices based on those two configurations..

Shipo...I would think that the rearward biased weight from having a rear driveshaft and powered axles would help counteract the extra front biased weight of the V-6... I'm thinking that the V-6 Quattro would have a better F/R weight split than the turbo-4 FWD model... or at least.. not any worse.. I haven't taken a calculator to it, though...

We need to get some of those Lexus guys over here..... ummmm... NOT.

wale_bate1

It's difficult to get any concrete idea from just the specs on the website, but it appears that the Haldex system, being more electronic and less mechanical in its operation, is about a 100lb difference. Can that be correct?

wale_bate1

Hey! I'm one of "those Lexus guys", let's not forget!

Or were you perhaps refering to the safron-robed, "reliability/luxury"-mantra-chanting, big "L" tattooed on the back of the neck variety?

kyfdx

Yeah... you know... Real Lexus guys...

blueguydotcom

A3's not on the radar of most people. A3's too obscure.

Plus it's a dirty word: German.

Yet even after two fairly unreliable yet very fun German cars I continue to come back to the well.

kurtamaxxguy

what is bad about a rotary control that allows infinite adjustment of seat back angle? Most cars give you discrette steps, and often big steps, for seat back angle, so it's impossible to get the seat exactly right.

Then again, if the A3 manual seat has the stupid hinged VW Heigth adjustment control, that would be very lame.

Like others, I'm waiting for AWD version before getting "A3 Serious".

shipo

"I figure if the TT 3.2 can handle as well as it does weighing even more than the A3 (I believe), then considering the A3's backpack, it ought actually to be a better balanced package (he said, thinking wishfully) than its two-seat go-kart on rails brother."

Pretty funny. Last night after I did my "Look-See" at the A3 I called my "Little Brother" (he's only 47) who is now driving his second TT and said, "Hey little Shipo, guess what I just did."

"Beat's me whudya just do?"

"I just drove an Audi TT Station Wagon."

"Ah-ha! You just drove an A4 Avant!"

"Nope, close. I just drove an A3, which if I'm not mistaken is far more akin to the TT mechanically than is the A4."

He's been trying to bring me back into the Audi fold (I drove a couple back in the 1980s) since I got my first BMW in 1999, and now that the A3 is on my radar screen, I'm thinking that he is going to start actively campaigning again. Should be fun. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo

"Then again, if the A3 manual seat has the stupid hinged VW Heigth adjustment control, that would be very lame."

My 1995 Passat GLX had that thing and while I didn't attempt to change the height of the seat last night, there was a lever in just the right spot to suggest that the manual seated A3s do in fact have that wacky VW Height gizmo. :-/ I'm going back to test drive a Premium Package A3 and a Sport Package A3 back to back next week to see if the Power Seat vs. Sport Suspension and Sport Seats trade off is worth it. I'll report back then.

Best Regards,
Shipo

wale_bate1

Dude! I'm in a SportCross. I embrace obscurity (even if undeserved) with open arms and a budget for rubber!

blueguydotcom

Kurt,

It had the crank for raising and lowering the seat. Don't like the dial for many reasons: chiefly, it's VERY difficult for me to use it. I can't use it from the seat but have to get out of the car to twist it. And the results are VERY slow. Hate it. It was one area of my Jetta I hated instantly.

600kgolfgt

...then I might as well shell out a few more bucks and get this instead:

http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publish/volkswagen_news/article_1472.shtml

:shades:

wale_bate1

Great, but you're going to have to go to Europe to get it! Last I heard, it ain't coming thisaway! I believe the R36 when I see it here!

Very, very cool, but for me, it's short two doors and either it's short two drive wheels or the power's going to the wrong end!

ismeto

If you compare A3 with Mercedes C Sportcoupe , What would you tell about ?

for me A3 with new design is more dynamic and good style sportcoupe design old (2001 but facelifted 2005) and no more sportcoupe after 2007.Sportcoupe old design but strong and more secure car and good handling-engine power.

I am between A3 and Sportcoupe.What would you advice me?

shipo

Well, for starters, unless I'm missing something, the Sport Coupe is now extinct, as in no 2006 models. What that means is that unless you can find a 2005 in stock someplace that has the options that you want, it is no longer an option. Personally I'm a bit surprised because I too have heard that the Sport Coupe would be around for another year, however, if you check the MBUSA web site you will see that all traces of the Sport Coupe have been removed from the 2006 product line.

Having said all of that, I guess the advice is easy, get the A3.

Best Regards,
Shipo

wale_bate1

I'll be darned, it is gone. I rather liked the little thing, too. Well that does sort of answer the question, doesn't it?

No C wagon either. Audi and BMW are going to take all the sporting wagon biz I guess....

shipo

We made the "Top 10" for today. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo

Have any of y'all had a chance to listen to the two different audio system back-to-back? I ask because I have absolutely no use for a 6-Dis CD Changer meaning that the Bose speakers are effectively a $900 option in my case. Kind of expensive for speakers. Given that the midrange and high end are the most important to me (I could care less about subwoofers), how much better do the Bose speakers sound than the basic audio system?

Best Regards,
Shipo

billherrmann

Consider the formula: B+XM=ULE

BOSE + XM RADIO=ULTIMATE LISTENING EXPERIENCE

Bill H.

kyfdx

It sounds like you will probably buy your next car, rather than lease...

If you like the Bose sound, I'd pay the $900... Because, if I were looking for a used luxury import, CD player and moonroof would be expected.... I'm not suggesting you would get the whole $900 back on re-sale, but it might be one of those things that gets your car passed over...

Of course, I don't have an MP3 player, either.. CD changers are pretty high-tech for me..

regards,
kyfdx

blueguydotcom

There's an old saying among audiophiles:

No highs, no lows, must be a Bose. Never heard a good Bose stereo in a car. Ever.

wco81

Yeah Bose are horribly overrpriced.

You could definitely get better after-market systems. They cost more but add more value.

However, not sure what they do for resale value of the car itself.

wale_bate1

Unfortunately nothing whatsoever. With very few exceptions, any non-factory, or at least dealer, installed upgrades are at best a non-factor, and at worst a detractor from resale. I think that's especially true when you're dealing in lux, entry lux and near lux.

billherrmann

Repeating a trueism: B + XM =ULE

blueguydotcom

eom

shipo

;-)

So, to sum it all up, get the "Sound Package" and XM, except on Thursdays when I swap out the XM for Sirius. Oh wait! On weekends I need to have the Bose speakers ripped out and replaced with some Umpa Thumpas with lots of low end stuff, only to have all of that replaced with the stock speakers for my normal week day commute where I listen to traffic reports more than anything else.

Did I get all of that right? ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

wale_bate1

I have a stereo in my car. I know because I've turned it on and gotten baseball highlights and traffic reports.

Since 1987, I haven't met a base stock system that didn't fulfill its mission amply. And especially in these near lux and lux cars, the systems are more than adequate, IMO. These days I take one particular disc out of my car and slip it into whatever I'm testing. Sales people get a kick out of that. But it's a (tiny) part of the test drive for me. It's Roy Buchanan's "Live Stock" album, and I flip straight to a cut called "Roy's Bluz". Any system that can handle the dynamics of that cut can handle anything. They all have, some with more adjustment than others.

I prefer to have multiple disc selection, and trunk or glove box mount is out of the question, but I can live quite happily with single disc in-dash. The MP3 option is nifty, but I don't own any such device...

blueguydotcom

Shipo, exactly.



I've liked with the HK in my 330i for almost 3 years because it's a lease. Same reason I'm not gonna drop 300 bones to put sirius in it. Otherwise, those lousy speakers would be history...too much distortion.

north0f49

Well, now you went and got me interested in Roy Buchanan, and after surfing a bit (so he's the guy who mentored Robbie Robertson, who eventually took his place with the Hawks...), I'll be looking out for one of his CDs, next time I'm in a decent music store.

Anytime I see "reluctant superstar", well, that's my kind of artist...

Cheers,
Ken

blueguydotcom

Whoa, I meant "LIVED with HK" not liked. Doh.

wale_bate1

LOL!

I recommend his stuff highly. For anyone who ever even touched a guitar, he was totally unreal. The Stones first choice for lead, ya know.

Re sound systems: provided I never have to hear about "Mark Levinson" (whoever the hell that is) systems ever again, I'll be a happy man...
:sick:

kurtamaxxguy

was a designer of __very__ expensive and well engineered audio equipment for the home. Eventually they branched out a bit and designed stuff for cars.

Acoustic Research, Advent, Sumo, Bose, Harmon Kardon, Dynaco, Audio Research, KLH are some of the other "legendary" audio names.

wale_bate1

Thanks Kurt. Actually, that was just a thinly veiled general dig at Lexusophy and its most zealous follwers.

Extremists of most any sort bug me...
;-]

kyfdx

Interesting.. when I was in high school in the '70s, we were big Roy Buchanan fans... I'd kind of lost track of him, since then..

We were in Barnes and Noble this weekend.... I dialed one of his albums up on their catalog.... Put the headphones on my wife.... She couldn't believe it..

Funny though... I didn't recall hearing he had committed suicide in '88..

Might be one of the top five guitar players.... ever..

regards,
kyfdx

dl7265

Is this where uve been hiding ? Shame on you ! J/K of course. You know i tried one of the 1st A3 in the Metro before ordering my E90. It was perfect for bike/dog ect..Other than the wheel spin, it was a good compromise for me. But atlas typical for Audi i was told a special order would take 4 MONTHS not 4 weeks my E90 took. Unfortunatly for Audi the sales lady called to tell me she located a Lava Grey Sport that I wanted as i was driving my E90 home from the dealer ::shrugs:::

DL

shipo

Hiding? Who me? ;-)

I'm over here just keeping my options open, especially because my current gig requires a daily 100 mile drive (way too much for leasing), and as such, if this contract is extended beyond the current end date of 7-Jan-2006 (looks likely), I'm probably going to have to get something a little newer than my current mount (1998 Caravan).

Regarding the E90 that is potentially in my future, if the current contract ends as scheduled, and if I either decide to postpone my flying lessons a little longer (or conversly, if I've already gotten my PPL punched), and (here's the big one) IF my new business venture is starting to turn a profit, then I'll most likely be fetching the new 330i in Munich next April as planned. However, as I said before, if my contract gets extended (I'm doing Sarbanes-Oxley database compliance these days, boring but lucrative), then I'm thinking the A3 is looking like the leading candidate (unless gas hits $5.00, then a Jetta TDI might could well be moved to the top of the list).

Speaking of that Lava Grey Sport that you missed on, were I to order one today I'd go with the following config:

A3 6-Speed (three pedal version)
Lava Gray pearl effect
Light Gray leather seating surfaces
Sport Package (yes, with the Summer performance rubber, see "Note" below)
Cold weather package (only to get the exterior heated mirrors)
Sound Package (to get the Bose system which sounds a little better than the stock system)
Open sky system
Xenon headlights
Convenience package

Note: The lone A3 on the lot with the summer performance rubber was shod with Michelin Pilot Primacy tires, the same skins as I had on my 530i. While I have nothing bad to say about them per-se, I'm not exactly thrilled at the prospect of having to deal with them for a second car (they got quite noisy after only about 8,000 miles). I guess the good news is that at 100 miles a day, the OEM set would be all but worn out after just the first year, forcing me to fetch something a little more exciting. ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

shipo

As I'm kind of new here I have no idea if this has been posted before, however, for those of y'all who've not seen it yet, enjoy.

English Version:

http://microsites.audi.com/a3_sportback_basis/en_US/flash_dsl.html

German Version:

http://microsites.audi.com/a3_sportback_basis/de_DE/flash_dsl.html

Best Regards,
Shipo

dl7265

93 oct here is about $2.76 a gallon...ugh. Im hoping fall06/07 after the low sulfer Diesel arrives we will start seeing A3 tdi, 320d ect.. A friend of mine drives 100 miles to work also in his diesel jetta, a good choice for that kind of mileage.

While im not a Bose fan myself, the one in my former Yukon, was quite liveable.

DL

blueguydotcom

Boo-hoo. :P I just 2.90 a gallon for 91 octane and I was happy as everywhere else it's $3.00+!

The non-premium requiring cars that get over 25 city are becoming more and more attractive.

allhorizon

Im hoping fall06/07 after the low sulfer Diesel arrives we will start seeing A3 tdi, 320d ect.. A friend of mine drives 100 miles to work also in his diesel jetta, a good choice for that kind of mileage.

Since I may wait a bit longer yet to buy, I am thinking the same way. If they'll sell the A3 with the 170hp TDI engine by then, I may just forgo the TFSI...

shipo

What 170hp TDI are you referring to? The only TDIs that I've seen mentioned for the A3 in Europe are the 1.9tdi and the 2.0tdi which generate 100hp and 105hp respectively.

Best Regards,
Shipo

kyfdx

Hey! NO configuring a car to my exact specs!!

dl7265

Hmm a 170hp Diesel, that would make the torque about 400ftlbs ? Me likey..

Blue: right. unfortunatly even basic cars nowadays are trying to call for premium. BTW about 4 hours north of here its about $2.39 still. Why i was complaining.

DL

blueguydotcom

I haven't seen 2.39 since...well I think the first Bush was in office. Okay maybe not that long ago. At least 1.5 years ago. If not longer.

dl7265

According to SanDiegogasprices.com, the cheapest is $2.61 and highest $3.07 for regular unleaded and last year was $2.06. We were $1.60 last year for comparison. Someone has to pay for that nice weather

DL

shipo

"Hey! NO configuring a car to my exact specs!!"

Hmmm, I'm thinking that great minds think along similar patterns... ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo