Audi A3

nmrt

so, apart from a few bells, whistles, and trinkets (all aesthetic) the A3 is exactly the same as a 5-door Mark V GTI?
how about differences in suspension, chasis, brakes etc etc?

then, i woudl guess, one advantage in buying teh A3 vs the new GTI woudl be the audi service.

blueguydotcom

The GTI is tuned tighter. The A3's different body design will impact handling too. The GTI's taller and that would change the center of gravity.

the A3's got the maintenance from audi...big plus in my eyes.

jccai1

Right there you drove a handicapped 325i. Steptronic is garbage and I wouldn't dream of driving a 3 series with an automatic.

I would buy a manual car if I would be the only one driving it and I didn't have to deal with city traffic every day. Unfortunately, I have to make a compromise between practicality and fun. The previous poster didn't specify manual or auto in his question, so I just gave my driving impressions. I wasn't trying to say the Steptronic was better or worse than the DSG. A3 isn't available with a conventional auto, and you can't get the SMG on the 3 series (other than M3). So this is the best I could do in terms of comparison shopping. I prefer RWD, too, and would buy another 330 if I had that budget. But given my current budget, A3 is still at the top of my list.

blueguydotcom

I'd take the DSG over Audi/BMW's manuals. The DSG (in addition to the 2.0T) are pulling me strongly to the Audi/VW fold again.

DSG's a great compromise for a couple with differing driving abilities/likes.

travelinman

I have been waiting patiently for the new GTI mark V 5 door.

I didn't think there was such a thing as a "5-door" GTI. According to Car & Driver's A3 road test:

"Speaking of hot hatchbacks brings us to the grand pooh-bah of the hot hatch, the VW GTI. The newest GTI, which shares its chassis and engine with the A3, will reach our shores in about six months. The question is this: Since the A3 is so good, has it out-GTI'd the GTI?

Differentiating the two will be door count and price. The GTI will come only with two doors; as for price, the GTI should run two grand less. Tinkering with the A3's handling and chassis dynamics to make the GTI unique could screw up what is already a frisky but comfortable setup.

Then again, it won't matter if VW bungles the GTI because we already have the A3. And it is deliciously good."

Did I miss something about a 5 door GTI?

blueguydotcom

Yes, you trusted a magazine. Don't believe what you read in magazines.

Vortex can be trusted..." Expect to see the new GTI two-door arrive in dealers around February with 4-door models due in June."

http://www.vwvortex.com/artman/publish/article_1622.shtml

nmrt

heh heh heh as blueguy said, dont trust a magazine. but why vortex then eh? actually, there is a 5-door as it will run about $500 more than its 3-door sibling.

so, which leaves me in a dilemna. the 5-door gti or the a3? i owned a 1999 vr6 jetts. and so have had enough of vw dealership experience. on the other hand, an a3 configured to my tastes msrp's at $28300 (i love the DSG but i coudl do without it). the 5-door GTI may msrp at 24K with my options.
so, guys help me out. will the GTI 5-door be any lighter than the a3? the a3 with the manual transmission is 3263 lb. this woudl be a lot of luggage for the gti. it was supposed to me a light hatchback.

kurtamaxxxguy

has anyone compared the A3 with the Mazda 6 Hatch or wagon?

C&D seemed to like the Mazdas...

blueguydotcom

Mazda6 hatch is positively massive in comparison to the Audi a3. Heck, the Mazda3 is really big vis-a-vis the A3 in terms of length and height.

wale_bate1

Audi emailed me a Q7 update, so I took the opportunity to email them back. I won't bore with details, but I told them the 3.2 was overpriced and the 2.0T needs to be Quattro'd, big time. In short, I had other options to look at.

I'm sold on DSG, so I'll leave the whole "gotta have three pedals" fight up to the rest of all y'all....

blueguydotcom

I wish they'd listen to the consumers on the A3 2.0T Q! I believe we'd quickly prove that decision a good one...the A3 would essentially become the high-end WRX option (especially after chipping) for those of us who want WRX goodies but not the econobox trappings.

As May inches closer and my deadline for ED on a 3 is even nearer, I'm seriously vexed. Darn Audi.

andys120

I swung by the local Audi-Vee-Dub store to have a quick look at the A3 and was surprised that they had a 3.2Q on the lot. It stickered at $38,763.
It had a base of $33k with the S-line package, I couldn't tell what it would cost w/o the S-Line.

I also noticed a slight misalignment between the leading edge of the hood and the front fender.

Lava Red is a nice color for an A3 but I'd stay away from the black interiors, they make it look pretty tight in there. As I suspected the A3 is around the same size as my former B5/A4 Avant ('98 MY).

dl7265

Ack say it isnt so. Id rather drive a Buick than a G.

DL

blueguydotcom

sorry but at least a 6 speed g35 would offer some fun, RWD and a rock solid reliability (great cpo on infinities too).

The BMW guy i know is claiming start of production on the e90 335i (310-320 hp) is September. That probably won't work for me as i don't think BMW will extend my lease that far out (lease ends may 2x 2006). I've heard they'll do 6 months but that will only get me to November.

Running out of options...

dl7265

It appears now you can do that. But for some unknown reason there are separate boxes for bluetooth for DSG and bluetooth for manual and the same for the Xenon option. Like its going to be different depending on what transmission you choose ??

DL

dl7265

Is a 330I Sport not aggressive enough for you ? Or getting one a few months before a new model is out ? Course if your leasing again at least you wouldn't take a bath on resale not too mention the ED discount.

Good Luck,
DL

shipo

Yeah, there are indeed separate boxes, however, the Bi-Xenon headlights with automatic self-leveling for Sport Package is mutually exclusive with the Convenience package, which is required before you can order the Bluetooth® interface phone preparation*/Voice Control with Sport Package. Why? As an old preacher man I used to know would have said, "Only the good Lord knows, and he ain't talkin'." ;-)

Best Regards,
Shipo

blueguydotcom

Is a 330I Sport not aggressive enough for you ?

Unfortunately it feels too soft for me. Hard to explain. The A3 with DSG seems wiser on many fronts for me - more room, better mileage, awesome engine/tranny and 5k or so cheaper.

Course if your leasing again at least you wouldn't take a bath on resale not too mention the ED discount.

gotta say if lease MF numbers are good, a ED based lease is a steal.

dl7265

If you also drive high mileage I don't blame you. The biggest A3 problem I had was spinning the front wheels at each Stop sign , and I have pretty good pedal feel I think. A 2.0TQ would solve that. AOA ARE YOU LISTENING ?

DL

dl7265

Ah yes, I see it now. Go figure, honestly im supprised that bluetooth and Xenons arent standard for the safety features even though it add's cost.

DL

shipo

When I ordered Xenons on my 1999 328i I caught a lot of flack here in the TownHall because many folks said that if one failed, it would cost me over a G-Note to have it fixed. I opined at the time that within five or six years (as in 2005), every moderate to high end car would be sporting Xenons as standard equipment and as such, given the economies of scale, their replacement cost would plummet. Bzzzzzzt! I'm sorry, that is incorrect (at least the part about the standard equipment)!

To my pea sized brain at least, Audi really doesn't have their act together on their option restrictions. I've heard that they force such wacky combinations on us consumers so that they can protect the exclusivity of other (more expensive) models. Hmmm, I suppose that there is some merit to such an argument, however, if said option restrictions force said consumers to shop other brands, then it seems to me that Audi is simply biting themselves in their own butt.

Years ago I read somewhere (like Marketing 101 for instance), that it is much better to offer products that potentially cannibalizes sales of other product lines of yours rather than sending the customer to your competition. Yo, Audi! Wake up!

Best Regards,
Shipo

kurtamaxxguy

I'm really trying to like the A3 as a future replacement but AOA is going a great job of killing the sale with mismatched options, few dealers and "go way boy ya bother me" attitude.

Who are they selling cars to that allows them to act that way? And will that market be large enough to let AOA expand and grow, or merely tread water?

dl7265

Yes I recall in early 1999 when I ordered my E46 My salesman took me to meet the Service manager and we had a discussion about the Xenon replacement cost and when it would be covered under warranty. I didn't like the answers I was given so I passed.

Now fast forward to 09/05.Im travelling about 2 miles from my BMW center and my warning triangle comes on and the buzzer that about causes me to crash! I whip into the Center and learn a high beam is out. Since I don't typically use high beams I wait a week til one is ordered. Im given a brand new E90 for a loaner and off I go. My car is returned washed and vacuumed. I realize that under the same circumstances why wouldn't an optional Xenon bulb be covered ? I think I was given misinformation.

DL

shipo

I'm 99% positive that Xenon headlights are fully covered under the warranty and have been back to 1999-2000 era when BMW and Audi (and even earlier for Mercedes-Benz) started offering them on even their entry level cars. If your dealership implied otherwise, then I'm inclined to believe they were either seriously misinformed or simply lying to you.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jmartin1

What is the difference in the xenon/bi-xenons? I notice you can get xenon with the sport and convenience packages, but not the bi-xenons. (per edmunds' configurations)

dl7265

I guess the question was in what synario's would they be covered/not covered . For instance.

1. Simply burned out
2. hit by object /rock
3. electronic failure of some sort.

My Center showed me the area where they keep their overstock. It was a 8 foot chain link fence with razor wire. He showed me a dozen 5ers that had the front ends gutted for the Xenon

DL

rjlaero

bi means both high and low beam are xenon.

mapin

Anyone know if any good air filters or cold air intakes for the A3? Looking to squeeze a little more performance out of mine

wale_bate1

One of my xenons was replaced due to an accident. Cost was $1200 retail for the part. Now, of course, insurance covered that replacement, but replacing a unit out of warranty? I've said it before: I don't find the difference over a good halogen compelling enough to spec HIDs on a car I'd buy. On a lease it's a slightly different story, though not having them would certainly not be a deal breaker for me. I have them now only because they were on the model I accepted from stock, not because I spec'd them.

Oh, I got nice form response from the good folks at AOA. Keep sending them in, y'all. They can make a difference...

vw79type2

I realize I mentioned this awhile ago, but since I am actually nearing a position where I will be able to purchase a new car, I thought I would bring this up again.

I test drove a A3 2.0T and think it is an excellent car. In fact it has made my short list. But from an objective position, I still cannot shake the feeling that this car may end up as another German luxury/economy orphan in the U.S. as did the BMW 318 and the C Class Coupe. To date, I have only seen one A3 on the road and I don't particularly live in the boonies.

On the other hand, it appears that many automakers are anticipating that the U.S. is going to become a bigger market for smaller cars given the plans Nissan, Honda, and even (as last I heard) BMW are planning on bringing models that slot in below the cheapest in their respective line-ups.

I guess what I would like to know is how often are other people seeing the A3?

:confuse:

wale_bate1

Well, YTD through last month, they've sold 5300+ of them. Target was 9K per year IIRC, and the 5K is roughly a half-year's selling. Seems OK.

I'm on the East side of the SF Bay, and I see them regularly. Then again, this is a small wagon/hatch-rich environment, this Bay Area is. People seem to get it here.

Re the trend: latest word from Toyota is that there will be a sub-IS sized hatch based on the IS platform and using the 250's six. Seems they're watching the A3 like a hawk to see if the US is ripe. For certain, they will see it in Europe.

With the lease rates on the A4, I'm putting the 3.2Q Avant into the mix. The deal is too good not to shop it. Wonder what effect that will have on 3.2 A3 sales...

blueguydotcom

The lease deals on the A4 make the A3 pretty unattactive. I figured out the mf on those one night and Audi is giving buyers quite a deal. Plus the MF is based on MSRP. Negotiate the price down on an A4 - pretty easy - and you can get a way better deal than audi advertises.

wish I liked the A4 more...2 year lease would be nice.

ivan_99

I’m not sure if I fully understand your concern.

You found a luxury German car that has a unique drivetrain with a flexible chipable engine that delivers respectable performance for a reasonable price all in an attractive distinctive package.

And…you’re concerned that there won’t be enough “other” people on the road with it?

cosanostra

Well I'm in Nebraska (Omaha to be exact) and I've seen exactly 1 A3 on the roads here since the A3 arrived on the local dealer's lot. Granted we're not exactly an automotive hotbed. The dealer seems to have the same A3's on the lot whenever I drive by too.

-cosanostra1

cosanostra

I'd guess his concern is less about whether or not others are driving it but perhaps lack of available follow-up (knowledgeable staff for maintenance, etc) if the car is orphaned on this side of the Atlantic. But I may be incorrectly applying my psychic ability.

blueguydotcom

The underpinnings are similar to the golf/gti, which will be very common.

If anything the A3, even should it be abandoned, will become a sought after vehicle. There are folks who actually seek out the 318ti. Seriously. It may not be universally loved but those who dig it, do so wholeheartedly.

vw79type2

I understand your point and this is what frustrates me with the A3, but I believe I have a legitimate concern.

I realize the A3 is a great car. In fact, it is the best car I have ever driven. A base 2.0T 6-speed manual I took for a test drive felt more connected to the road and responsive to my inputs than a new BMW 325i I drove. Furthermore, I actually really could care less about what other people think about the car. BUT Audi DOES care and could abandon the A3 in the U.S. market if it does not sell.

Now you are probably asking so what if they do? Well, if I decide to trade the car in on something else a few years down the line (which is likely to happen given that I probably will be moving around in the next few years and different geographies dictate different vehicle needs) and it turns out that Audi does can the A3 here, they, or anybody else for the matter are likely to give me squat in terms of what I originally paid for it. Even though I believe buying a car is never an "investment," I still don't feel like losing a few thousand dollars more than I really needed to come trade-in time.

Maybe that clears things up a bit. :confuse:

vw79type2

Good points. I hadn't thought about either.

misterjj

I would not worry so much. Orphaned cars that are terrible cars go down in value. Orphaned cars that are great cars go up in value. I think it's quite obvious that the A3 falls into the latter category.
Also, most of the engine and transmission are the same as the Golf/Jetta. And the A3 is very popular in Europe and will continue to be, so there will always be a supply of OEM and aftermarket parts available.

wale_bate1

I would worry about an orphaned POJ.

If we were talking about an unwanted variant that didn't live up to expectations that would be one thing, but this one has been roundly praised and remarkably well accepted considering track history for hatches in the US.

Besides, Audis keep their value pretty darn well.

nyccarguy

I'd have to agree with blueguydotcom on this point. If the A3 develops a "following" like the 318ti, then I wouldn't worry too much. My 2001 Honda Prelude Type SH is in a similar predicament. People have randomly offered to buy my car. I refuse to sell because there's nothing comparable at a reasonable price right now. Either way, I buy a car for me, not for the next guy a few years down the road.

kurtamaxxxguy

If Toyota builds their sport hatch, Audi will have real competition, especially in that the Toyota product will prove much more reliable. Whether they get the "German feel" right is another question.

Even Chevrolet is watching the A3; there was talk at the LA Auto show that the Maxx may end up with AWD as a result.

gogogodzilla

Chevrolet wants to have the Maxx compete with the A3...

Bahahahahaha!!!!

:P

Wow, no really, wow! What is GM smoking. They'd need a massive redesign of the engineering and bodystyle to even start.

shipo

I was going to ask, "What's a Chevy Maxx?" Not wanting to look like too much the fool I decided to check the Chevrolet web site instead. Then I saw it... The Maxx go head to head with the A3??? That's a joke right? :confuse:

Best Regards,
Shipo

donthegreek

The MAXX would be a joke...

How bout the upcoming Volvo C30 Concept (its out next year).Looks like an A3 done the Volvo way....

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/AutoshowArticles/articleId=108857#2

wale_bate1

After a lot of pondering, Shipo, I'm in your garden on that one. For me, the more I consider, a portable unit is the only thing that makes great sense. I could slip it in my travel case for business trips, which are about the only occasions I find I want one.

I slipped the suggestion over in the IS thread that a portable, docking NAV unit is the next great gizmacci for Toyota to slather onto the Lexus line. I like that idea, I do.

And BGDC is correct, the price is unrealistic IMO, though driven by (equally unrealistic) demand.

cosanostra

I am/was interested in the C30, so I asked my friendly neighborhood Volvo salesman that is trying to get me to take a V50 over an A3 about it. He told me that at present it will be a European unit only. So I guess for the time being the A3 will remain alone.

qbrozen

He's either misinformed or just trying to get you to buy a V50 NOW!

by the way, the V50 is the A3 competitor (4-door compact entry-lux wagons). The C30 is, so far, planned to be a 2-door.

cosanostra

by the way, the V50 is the A3 competitor (4-door compact entry-lux wagons).

Yeah, I know.

I prefer the A3 versus the V50 as it "feels" less like a wagon. I was just toying with the idea of a C30 'cause I like to see my wife's eyes roll as I add yet another vehicle to the short list.

We already have our 2-door compact sporty car in the Mini, so the next/rest will have to be 4-doors at least.

qbrozen

LOL.

i hear ya, and I know all about the rolling eyes.