IFCAR Review: Audi A3

IFCAR Review: Audi A3

Evaluations:

Interior Comfort: 7/10

Interior Quality: 8/10

Versatility: 4/10

Refinement: 7/10

Fun-to-Drive: 8/10

Fuel Economy: 4/10

Safety: 8/10

Price: 3/10

Overall: 6/10

Overall: The A3 is high-quality and fun, but there are still better deals.

Overall Rating: 6/10

Recommended: Yes

The A3 is rare in the US market as an undisguised hatchback wearing a premium badge. Other recent attempts, like the Mercedes C-Class Sport Coupe and the BMW 318Ci, were unsuccessful and were discontinued within a few years of their introductions. But with four doors instead of two and more cargo space, the A3 adds practicality to its price advantage over other premium-branded compact cars.

The A3 rides and handles well, has excellent steering feel and response, offers to sprightly engines with well-designed sequential manual transmissions (clutchless manual transmissions that can be left in automatic mode), and has a high quality interior. For buyers who would accept a hatchback design, it seems like a steal at a base MSRP below $25,000.

It's really not. Except for the Audi badge, there are other cars that offer the same for less. One is the Mazda3 hatchback, which starts around $7,000 less with similar equipment. Another is the Volkswagen GTI, which shares its platform and powertrain with the A3, and costs several thousand less.

Fortunately, the A3 does offer more than its badge, and though it is more expensive than those cars, it is also able to stand out from them. Its interior quality, rear seat, and powertrains are superior to the Mazda's, and it rides more comfortably than the sport-oriented GTI even when it is equipped with its own sport package.

The A3 is a fun-to-drive, high-quality, and comfortable little hatchback that is reasonably priced with the standard turbocharged 2.0-liter I4. (A 3.2-liter V6 is also available, but at a $5,000 premium. It's not worth that much, even with the AWD system that comes with it.) And if a premium badge is a requirement, the A3's price stands out against anything else that offers a blend of driving enjoyment, luxury, and practicality.

But fun-to-drive, high-quality, comfortable little hatchbacks aren't quite as hard to find in this country as Audi may want us to think. Its merits definitely make it worth checking out to see if you find it worth the premium over the Mazda3 or GTI, but those two are definitely the better buys among premium hatchbacks.

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