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Audi A3

Discussion in 'Other German' started by fou, Dec 9, 2011.

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  1. fou

    fou Formula 3

    Feb 1, 2007
    2,232
    Central Virginia
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    Call me the breeze
    #1 fou, Dec 9, 2011
    So here is the deal. I own 3 Land Rovers, the 575, and a 911, but as I have moved out of the downtown area and drive a lot for work, I have been looking for a runabout for commutes only. I drive tons from courthouse to courthouse. Not concerned about rear space, or rear leg room, or any of that stuff. Just need a nice small car with great milage and not too boring. Parking is a plus in the city with a smaller car. Anyone here own an A3? What are your reviews? I am leaning towards a diesel. With all the Land Rovers, 4 wheel is not needed. thoughts? Any other options..please ring in if you are in the same boat or have other cars to look at. Thanks
     
  2. Scotty

    Scotty F1 World Champ
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    #2 Scotty, Dec 9, 2011
    VW GTI. I love mine (see my update thread lower down the thread list in this section). Gas, 40 mpg on the highway (now that it is broken in), was mid 30's when new.

    Sedate when you want that, sporting when you want that. Worth a look.
     
  3. fou

    fou Formula 3

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    #3 fou, Dec 10, 2011
    does it come with all the bells and whistles like leather and premium sound?
     
  4. 4REphotographer

    4REphotographer F1 Veteran

    Oct 22, 2006
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    #4 4REphotographer, Dec 10, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    You can get both leather and premium sound. You might get more bang for your buck with the GTI anyway. I absolutely love the Audi S3, but we don't get them over here.
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  5. fou

    fou Formula 3

    Feb 1, 2007
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    Central Virginia
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    #5 fou, Dec 10, 2011
    Chris. let me know sometime if you are up here, we can go for a test drive if you want. I am not in a real rush, but the Landrover is just sucking gas like a motherF now that I moved out of the city. As for the Photo shoot of my 575: It is being trucked up north for service and detail. After I get it back, it might be a good time to get it somewhere for a few pics
     
  6. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 26, 2005
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    #6 Bullfighter, Dec 10, 2011
    I've driven A3s as loaners when I get my A5 serviced at the dealer. It is a nice driving car, and the quattro awd is a nice step up from fwd. (My main beef with my former GTI, Corrado and Audi TT was the fwd, which makes it feel like an economy car.) The 2.0T is a great engine, very torquey, good fuel economy. No reliability issues, and I've had two Audis with that engine now.

    The A3 interior is the cheapest of the Audi range, so it won't be as nice as a 911 or 575. When you get into the A6/A8 range, the interiors actually do trump the 911/575, but you're talking $70K-$100K+, which probably isn't what you're looking for. The A3 is more practical than sporting -- I didn't think there was enough bolstering on the seats. Standard automatic is competent.

    You might also think about a TT if you can deal with a two seater. The luggage space is great, and they are fun to drive. They all have quattro now, so the fwd issue I mentioned with mine isn't one anymore. Parking is fantastic, and performance is very decent.
     
  7. Scotty

    Scotty F1 World Champ
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    #7 Scotty, Dec 10, 2011
    Yep--you can get a ton of bells/whistles on the GTI. The telematics system is great--I have an iPhone, and it integrates without issues and works great.

    Things missing--auto dimming rear view mirror, Homelink buttons (I added a mirror with these for $175), passenger side mirror tilt down when in reverse, adjustable suspension.

    I have cloth (wanted this for the grip over leather--I love the heated cloth seats, though all of my other cars are leather).

    The car has no annoying torque steer. The most annoying thing, though, is that being front drive it has problems putting the power down (wheel spin city). The upcoming R model will have AWD, but is more money.
     
  8. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

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    #8 parkerfe, Dec 10, 2011
    the VW Golf R will be out in the USA next month. It has a premium interior, is faster than the GTI, has awd, gets good mpg and looks great.
     
  9. fou

    fou Formula 3

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    #9 fou, Dec 10, 2011
    All I need is a run about, Thanks for the replies guys! like I said, it is just a commute car, got plenty of other toys. I may swing by the Audi dealer in the AM. maybe check out a TT as well.
     
  10. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #10 ryalex, Dec 11, 2011
    I'd check out used A6 and A8s too. They depreciate like crazy and you can get a few year-old S-class competitor for the same price as the A3. Heated seats, plush ride, etc. There is also a huge gap in the interior build materials, in the base A3 they use a lot of plastic while the A8 is leather, wood veneer and alcantara.

    If you drive a lot between courts, being comfortable should also be an issue.
     
  11. JTranfield

    JTranfield Formula Junior

    Dec 29, 2003
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    J Tranfield
    #11 JTranfield, Dec 14, 2011
    I recently drove an A3 rental for 3 weeks in Europe. A great handling driving car (4wd) and the quality interior is fantastic for the price.
     

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