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Wagons Audi A3 Audi A3
2279 messages, Last post on Nov 25, 2009 at 8:36 AM
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I continue to be surprised that none of the specs available anywhere in the Internet or in print show the rear seat room for the A3. I keep wondering if that is because it is actually more spacious than the A4. Today (errr, yesterday now) while I was strolling through the dealership I got into an A3 and set the driver's seat perfectly for my frame, and then climbed into the left side rear seat. Ingress and egress were quite easy and while seated I easily had over two inches between my knees and shins and the front-seat seatback. I repeated the experiment in the A4 and came up with the exact same results as I did two years ago, namely that the rear seat legroom in the A4 is an easy two inches shorter than in the A3. Not only was I forced to press my right leg in behind the front seat while entering the A4, once I was seated there was barely a quarter of an inch between my knees and the front seat. Hmmm, apparently the next generation A4 is supposed to be a tad longer than the current model. Maybe once the A4 can boast more room than the A3, Audi will start publishing rear seat space for the latter.  Best Regards, Shipo |
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Replying to: shipo (Jan 10, 2008 3:40 pm) One thing... if you don't like to put your hands where they are "supposed" to be on the steering wheel (where the paddles work just great in their current placement), then just use the up/down DSG shifter handle where your "stick shift" is always located (it's similar to constantly shifting between 1 and 2 manually, only w/o the 3rd pedal). Second thing... I believe the DSG has "learned programming" to learn your style of driving and conform to it, whether that be hard or soft, although it obviously can't know what your current mood is and whether that changes often. However, I believe the DSG is generally aggressive (medium hard but smooth) and ultra fast with it's shifts in D mode, but in S mode it goes into madman lightning fast mode (seems to me; maybe subjective). On another note, I think you and others had tested the GTI to compare it to the A3 when they both first came out in 2005/06, and noticed that the GTI had a higher riding height and was much softer with greater lean, roll, and all those other bad things. The suspension from VW just wasn't as sophisticated in tuning as the Audi. Did you know that VW has lowered the ride height of the 2008 GTI's by 10 mm? That might bring it into feeling more like the A3, but I haven't driven one yet; have you?
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Replying to: andres3 (Jan 11, 2008 12:03 pm) Already? Uhhh, my current car has 154,000 miles on it. While it has been the model of reliability, it is getting a little long in the tooth. "One thing... if you don't like to put your hands where they are "supposed" to be on the steering wheel (where the paddles work just great in their current placement), then just use the up/down DSG shifter handle where your "stick shift" is always located (it's similar to constantly shifting between 1 and 2 manually, only w/o the 3rd pedal)." Ain't nothing similar about it; with an extended "H" pattern shifter, I can "feel" what gear I'm in and I can "feel" what the tranny is doing, not so with a DSG. "Second thing... I believe the DSG has "learned programming" to learn your style of driving and conform to it, whether that be hard or soft, although it obviously can't know what your current mood is and whether that changes often. However, I believe the DSG is generally aggressive (medium hard but smooth) and ultra fast with it's shifts in D mode, but in S mode it goes into madman lightning fast mode (seems to me; maybe subjective)." Adaptive software not withstanding, the transmission simply cannot know how I want my shifts executed from one moment to the next, and until there is a neural pathway between my brain and the tranny, there's no way for it to be able to adjust on the fly like that. The fact is, the DSG is a very good automatic, but it is a very poor substitute for a manual gearbox. "On another note, I think you and others had tested the GTI to compare it to the A3 when they both first came out in 2005/06, and noticed that the GTI had a higher riding height and was much softer with greater lean, roll, and all those other bad things. The suspension from VW just wasn't as sophisticated in tuning as the Audi. Did you know that VW has lowered the ride height of the 2008 GTI's by 10 mm? That might bring it into feeling more like the A3, but I haven't driven one yet; have you?" Hmmm, you must have me confused with someone else; the last GTI that I was in was something like 1984.  Best Regards, Shipo |
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My Audi A3 Sport Package with DSG has now been owned by me for just under 2 years. I have accumulated lots of mileage in these 23 months, and have reached past 33K miles already. I have to say, this car appears to be performing excellently, and flawlessly. The car seems bulletproof. I haven't discovered any problems, and have had no hassles or reliablility concerns. I haven't got my "warranties" monies worth, unless of course you consider getting a trouble-free car a "bonus." I haven't had to use the warranty since dealing with issues that occurred at delivery. This has been by far, the most flawless and reliable new car I have ever owned, and I've owned both Dodge and Honda. The Dodge was a POS lemon  all the way through and through; every part of it. The Honda was great and had stellar durability, but had it's share of warranty issues (none mechanical other than tranny). I'm still happy and loving the A3 I got. I'm still consistently getting 25 MPG in mixed driving with my lead foot and need to go 80+ when I can on the freeway. The only think I regret is settling for the light gray interior; I had wanted a beige interior. I think Audi should include those fancy adaptive Xenon lights as standard from now on to boost sales, and bring back free Audi Care Maintenance. Also, I think Audi should go ahead and bring on the S3 similar to the TTS's specs I hope. |
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Hi All, i was looking for a new car, something with style and good mileage. After looking at lot of cars i came across A3. this seems to be a perfect fit. The average consumer reviews are very good. I saw a 2006 A3 today with sports package for a decent price. Then i came across this forum (http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0ee004 ) about the transmission issues with DSG on A3. The experiences posted there will deter almost anyone from buying this car. Now i am really confused, if the tranny problem is as severe and common as posted by so many A3 drivers. Since i see a lot of A3 owners posting here, i really would like to see some feedback from you guys. Has anyone experienced the problems with DSG going haywire while downshifting, or problems with clutch going out? Thanks
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Replying to: activex111 (Mar 04, 2008 7:44 pm) The only issue that I have had was the tires: Pirelli P6 225/45R17: good traction, short wear life, very loud. It wasn't till I was ready to replace them that I determined they are rated for mud and snow, so open lugs are noisy. Car is as quiet as can be now that I have Continental ProContacts. You probably won't have these Pirelli's on the Sport Package. Good luck with your decision. |
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Hi all, Been awhile since I've really been active on Edmunds. Wife is thinking about an A3 and if I heard correctly, isn't Audi now offering a European delivery program (finally)? In either case, was wondering if anyone knows when 2009 production is going to start...looks like 2008 was into the USA by roughly August, so I was wondering if we could do a May/June order for July/August pickup of an '09. -hh |
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I took at test drive in the A3 yesterday. What a little car.  Well, not so little, since I am now driving a MINI.  The husband has an M3 BMW and a BMW touring wagon , so I looked at the 328i Sport Wagon, all pretty expensive, even the used ones. I failed to measure the inside size of the back (of the A3) when the rear seats are down. Does anyone have one and know the size? I have driven E-type Jags, Porsche and Z3 BMW in the past, have gotten older, but still want the performance the A3 seems to have. Have never had an Audi. I will read the opinions here, looks like a great place to become more knowledgable on the pros and cons of this machine.
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Replying to: mountainmists (Mar 21, 2008 3:34 pm) Eyeballing the car, I was pleasantly surprised by how deep the trunk was (seats up); it looked to be almost as deep as my wife's 2000 A4. I do understand your question, as I've been frustrated over the years with "Tech Specs" on hatchbacks that don't understand the concept of reporting both the Seats Up and Seats Down volumes. Its specs say "19.5 cu. ft.", but they also have the A4 is listed at 13.4 and the A4 Avant at 27.8. My guess is that these volumes could all be realistic (and "Seats Up") if you load all the way up to the ceiling. Not all that practical, granted. I had had a Saab 900 years ago and its ratings were 24 and 48. My current ride of a Mercedes C-Coupe offers a similar rough doubling of volume when the seats are dropped, although its smaller overall, so its around 14 to 25ish. I would expect that the A3 is going to be pretty similar to my C-Coupe and be probably be around 13 with seats up (and nothing blocking the rear visibility), and in the 25 neighborhood when it is 'stuff it to the gills' time. BTW, I know firsthand that an 8x10 chinese carpet can be squeezed into a C-Coupe (hatch closed) *with* a cooperative Spouse riding in the back seat behind the driver -hh |
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Replying to: mountainmists (Mar 21, 2008 3:34 pm) The A3's rear is a bit smaller than my old Jetta wagon, but not appreciably enough that I've ever noticed. I'm extremely pleased with my '06 A3 - it's a great blend of performance, luxury and practicality. Not one problem, not one squeak in 24k miles. (BTW, my final choices were the Mini Cooper S and the A3 - both great cars. Love the Mini, but the A3's been more practical.)
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