Why you should buy this car: The A3 has the world s best gearbox, and it isn t afraid to use it.
Why you shouldn t buy this car: $40k for a hatchback?
Suitability Parameters
· Speed Merchants: Yes
· Fashion Victims: Yes
· Treehuggers: No
· Mack Daddies: No
· Tuner Crowd: Yes
· Hairdressers: No
· Penny Pinchers: No
· Euro Snobs: Yes
· Working Stiffs: No
· Technogeeks: Yes
· Poseurs: Yes
· Soccer Moms: No
· Nascar Dads: No
· Golfing Grandparents: No
Vitals
· Manufacturer: Audi
· Model tested: A3 3.2 quattro DSG
· Model year: 2006
· Price as Tested: $37,700
· Engine type: 3.2 liter V6 DOHC
· Horsepower: 250 hp @ 6300 rpm
· Torque: 236 lbs-ft @ 2800 -3200 rpm
· Redline: 6500 rpm
· Wheels and Tires: 17-inch 5-spoke cast alloy wheels with 225/45 all-season tires
· Drive type: Haldex quattro all-wheel drive
· 0 - 60: 5.9 secs.
· 1/4 mile: 14.4 secs.
· Top speed: 130 mph (limited)
· Fuel economy city/highway: 21 / 27
· NHTSA crash test rating front/side/rollover: NYR
Related:
Jalopnik Reviews: 2006 Audi A3 3.2 Quattro DSG Part 1 , Part 2 [internal]
DISCUSSION
TexansAreHot, I have no idea what you're trying to say.
- First you say hatchbacks are cheap, then you complain that the A3 is too expensive.
- You claim that Audi is the same as VW, which is something i disproved in another post. Don't understand the different qualities of materials and chassis tuning, do you?
- Then, to top it all off, you list a bunch of shitcars that happened to be hatchbacks as evidence that all hatchbacks are junk. Shall i list a bunch of crappy sedans to prove that all sedans are terrible?
Personally, having test-driven the 2.0T, 6 speed manual A3, i found it to be a wonderful car. Unfortunately, as my next vehicle will be AWD to better deal with winter driving (we're skiers), I asked if Audi offered the 2.0T with Quattro. — NO! To get (Haldex) Quattro in the A3, you must also opt for the 3.2V6 and S-tronic transmission, a large bump in both price and mass. You might as well move up to the A4 Avant (Torsen Quattro).
Now, I love the 3.2l six, but the A3 is not supposed to be a big car, and rather than install an extra 200 pounds ahead of the front axle, Audi could just offer the high-output 2.0T engine from the S3.
Better still...
Audi USA: import the S3 already!!!!!