Anyone got one ? Looking for a second car, have a Legacy wagon so something a bit smaller but that i can chuck a bike in once a week (with a wheel or two off). Any major downsides of them ?

Nice cars, maybe only downside is the fact that you could get a Golf which is a bit bigger for cheaper? Any reason why you would go for the A3 rather than a Golf? This isn't an anti A3 thing, just a thing to help you go through the options.

Its an S3 I am looking at, Golf R32 v hard to get in manual and would pref manual, most R32s here are DSG. Same price for golf/audi as well relative. AWD pref as needs to get up slippy roads sometimes and roads are so pish here prefer awd.

I've got an A3 2.0T Quattro S line with is a fantastic car to drive. We wanted an S3, but at the time they were only making 3dr's so we had an sline sportback instead. You lose a bit of depth in the boot space due to having the quattro compared to a 2wd version.

The ride is 'firm' but comfy seats, good stereo and a good build quality. We've had no major problems in the 2 years we've had it, apart from needing new tyres when it snowed as the ones it came with were useless.

We have an A3 2.0 Tdi. Like a go kart to drive. I know lots of petrol heads say audi handling is a bit wooden so I must be a rubbish driver but I think it's a great little car to chuck about. Nicely put together inside but expensive to service and maintain.

I should probably have bought a golf but never mind.

Small boot but you can always drop the seats. As above, it's a very firm ride.

Samuri – you must have driven some pretty shit go-karts if you think an A3 is like one to drive. I have an A3 and it's a car. Boot is fairly narrow which makes it not the best for getting bikes into.

Had an A3 2 years ago and got rid of it after 6 months. Just not very refined. The seats were uncomfortable, cabin noise was high, suspension choppy (it did have the sport suspension). Surprisingly the Golf GTi we had of the same age was better built and more refined.

Have to say I wasn't a fan of the A3.

Never put bikes in the boot as I use a Freelander with a towbar for biking.

Used to have a Mark 4 golf TDi before which was an excellent car and the wife would have had a golf or an A3. But finiding a manual R32 is difficult and then the other 4WD golfs didn't have the spec she wanted, so it meant an A3, not that it was a hardship!

The Audi might cost you more to buy but you will generally see that extra back when you sell them. Dealer servicing is not cheap and driven hard fuel economy is not great (around 27mpg making good progress in a petrol car) and it does seem to run better on Optimax.

Thanks chaps, bike goes in no worries with seats down and it will be like that when i need to stick bikes in it. Drives nicely though, fastish and ride OK considering, should do the job really. Still have the weekend car for track action and general fun so this is purely a day to day driver with a few 400km round trips in comfort. NZ roads really are sh1t (think A road for those who have never experienced our roading infrastructure) so hammering along and testing the limits of its handling will be left to the 993 and the track thanks ! Will post some pics once we've done a deal.

Like a go kart to drive

…presumably as in the suspension is rock hard 😉

We've had a couple of current generation A3 Sportbacks. You can squeeze a hardtail with front wheel removed in the boot with the back seats folded; in fact you can pile a couple on top of each other like this if necessary. It's not uber-practical, but then you have a Legacy estate so it's probably an OK compromise. I don't know about how the 3 door loadspace compares – I think the car is a smidge shorter externally.

Build quality is OK. We've had 3 (brand new) cars. The first 2 had minor assembly faults; one with a loose wiper, second a dodgy filler cap – but both are the kind of issues that would have been quickly and easily remedied on a 2nd-hand car. Current one has a rather obstructive gearbox that is probably just about within manufacturing tolerance, but is a bit of a pain.

MkV Golf is a bit lower on the perceived cabin quality front, and our R32 had some really irritating squeaks and rattles – allegedly it's problems like this that hastened the introduction of the Golf MkVI. Having said that the R32 was otherwise ace – but I haven't driven a current S3 to provide a comparison.

I'm sure you're aware of the technical limitations of the A3/Golf 4WD system.

S3 (current) is a great car. The rest are a bit dull – light steering with no feedback, snatchy brakes, uninteresting handling, nice interiors.

Same as Chris H. Audi 2.0T Quattro S-line special edition Sportback. Fabulous car to drive, great handling with the 4WD, firm ride (so that may not be to your taste), No reliability issues in 4 years but is heavy on tyres. Fine for 2 bikes in the back.

I had a golf before that and it was reliable but not a very exciting drive. Again 2 bikes were not a problem. I thought the 3 dr A3 too small in the back.

Had a previous generation S3 which was very fast, huge amounts of grip but disappointingly dull to drive. Test drove an S4 which was exactly the same. The car mag road tests say the current S3 is also competent but pretty dull – seems like Audi struggle to make entertaining cars for real drivers.

Currently drive a MK V R32 manual – specifically went for a manual rather than DSG. Not only is it truly entertaining to drive, but it is also the most re-assuring in very wet conditions including standing water etc. I live in highland Scotland so weather similar to NZ.

If you like driving, absolutely definitely go for the R32 rather than the S3. R32 with DSG still 10x the fun of an S3 with manual.

+1 for what captain said.

As a few people above have already said, they can be a little bit sterile in terms of handling. I had a quick spin in one and it did feel slightly wooden. Everybody complains about snatchy brakes in VAG products, but you get used to them very quickly. If you want something small and quick with 4WD, and you don't want a jap import you are pretty short of options, the S3 will be a great mile-muncher on all those NZ A-roads and they are a very nice all-round motor.

my sis has a 2.0tdi.. nice car but it is a 5 door and she is tall and i'm tall… the front doors are very short and the B pillar is right in the way when you are looking left and right…if you have the seat back (i can look out of the rear door window it is that bad!

rootes1 – i would stop driving it like a boy racer in that case. I need to have the seat all the way back and do not have this problem.

The S3 that NZcol is considering only comes as 3 door so doesn't have the B pillar problem. The R32 which is much the better car and much cheaper is 3 or 5 door but looks better as a 3 door.

Alfa guliettea – how could you buy an audi now these are nearly here 🙂

Alfa guliettea – how could you buy an audi now these are nearly here

Because it's an Alfa, it will break down a lot and the depreciation curve will be vertical. Oh, and the OP wants AWD

I've got an a3 3door black edition on order as a company car, which is quite well specced, and in 170 bhp form is actually cheaper than the equivalent golf.

I'd still rather of been able to keep hold of my mk5 golf gti though for longer given the choice, but sadly had to hand it back after 120,000 smiley- miles…..

Obi_Twa wrote:

rootes1 – i would stop driving it like a boy racer in that case. I need to have the seat all the way back and do not have this problem.

Boy racer – not me – how would being a boy racer effect the driving position? stupid hat, blacked out windows? 🙄

i'm 6' 6" tall when I drive her car and I come to a T junction and look right the B pillar is very obstructive i.e. right in the line of sight – my sis agrees she is 6', yes you can get used to it, but still poor design

Also not sure in a side shunt i like the of the B pillar bing in line with my head – perhaps you do?

her A3 is a recent model 2009 – she and I have also driven the 3 door version at it is find as the doors are much bigger. But she got a better deal on the 5 door and she can get a work stuff into the back easier

because the audi will not let you down

At over 6ft myself with a 59 plated A3 and a background which means I know how to set up a car, I will stick to what I said up there. LOOK AT HOW YOU ARE SETTING YOUR CAR UP – YOU APPEAR TO BE DOING IT WRONG.

At over 6ft myself with a 59 plated A3 and a background which means I know how to set up a car, I will stick to what I said up there. LOOK AT HOW YOU ARE SETTING YOUR CAR UP – YOU APPEAR TO BE DOING IT WRONG.

my sisters car – she likes it despite this?

not really an issue for me as only drive it once a month, but still stand by what I said – would love to see a picture of you in your car to see your position (seriously), i'm not being a cock – if I tilt th eback forward enough to move my head forward then i am sitting very upright not comfy on long drive.

You do realise that you are meant to lean forward in your seat when you are at a t-junction dont you? So that you can see out of the junction. My wife apparently complains of the same issue with the A3, she is 5ft3. Perhaps I don't notice it because I drive properly.

You do realise that you are meant to lean forward in your seat when you are at a t-junction dont you

are you meant to? thought it might of case of if you have to..

so yes in my sis's car i have to lean forward to get good vision i'm not stupid.

Suppose i'm just used to driving vehicles where I don't have to do this – perhaps a case of relearning.

does not cure the issue of being smacked on the side of the head in a side shunt though, so hopefully side airbag would help – i would prefer to bang the door glass rather than the b pillar.

Thank you for your advice.

Si

I have to lean forward in most modern cars to see at junctions and roundabouts. It's cos the pillars are now further away and beefier, to improve safety. And I like the idea of the pillar being next to my head so it can protect me from impacts with its nice big airbag.

When I was looking for cars, initially my mate wanted to sell her A3 2.0 TDI quattro.. I declined cos I thought it was not economical enough and too expensive. I ended up getting smoething less economical and abotu the same price. Her car would've been better…

The B pillar is part of the monocoque chassis, going from roof to floorpan. In the event of a T-boning you would therefore be far less likely to suffer intrusion injuries if you are behind the B pillar than the door.

That said, for performance driving the correct set up is that with your shoulder blades touching the seat back you should be able to reach the top of the steering wheel rim with your wrists. Look at any racing driver, police driver or videos of road tests and you will see they all drive with elbows bent at 90 deg or more on a straight road. This would probably put you in front of the B pillar even at 6' 6". I do accept that a lot of people do not like this position for normal driving

Look at any racing driver, road tests and you will see they all drive with elbows bent at 90 deg or more on a straight road.

I find that to get arms in that position, my legs often foul the dash/tunnel/steering wheel in most cars

– more cars should have adjustable pedal boxes so you can get leg room and just get good position (though most racing drivers are little ;-)) but for race cars you can make and include such features look ate touring cars for example they sit mush further back that they would in a road car for weight distribution, etc, no trim to worry about, no rear seats and passengers etc

Caterham/westfield have the right idea, adjust pedals position rather than seat 😉

suppose good point about B pillar strength – would be interesting to compare test results for 3 and 5 door version of the same car – will tap up a friend are Mira and see what they say

I had a mk4 R32 (tried an older shape S3) and loved it – not as keen on the mk5 look but they are quicker.

The pre-production Alfa Giulietta in TitusRider's pic looks ace, but the production versions don't look that nice.

the correct set up is…

I must admit that I don't have a problem with the B pillar in the 5 door A3 (or, in fact, any car I've ever sat in). I don't quite reach the lofty heights of 6'6", but I sit with the seat all the way back on the runners and height adjustment at minimum. I suspect you sit very reclined – as per the advice above, consider where your shoulder blades are in relation to the seatback, and possibly try a more 'upright' seating position – there's plenty of in-out adjustment in the steering column of an A3 to avoid feeling hunched over the wheel.

Having said that, there are cars which I simply can't get the right seating position in, despite being not that far out of the 'norm' heightwise.

more cars should have adjustable pedal boxes

Yes! I'd love that.

I'm a terrible seat fiddler.. what I want is the wheel closer to me, the pedals further away, the rear of the seat base lower down and the front a bit higher up.

I can almost get this in the Passat but seat angle is linked to height, so when I get a good position I'm quite low in the car. Good for weight distribution, but less good for visibility. I almost took out some guy in a Honda S2000 with the top down a while back at dusk – his whole car and lights were below the door line, so as I just glanced over I didn't see him. Of course, because I was moving slowly and carefully and with full visibility to all just in case, accident was averted 🙂

CaptainMainwairings comment on set up has nowt to do with performance driving – it's how you're meant to set it up for normal road driving.

I can't say I have ever driven an S3, but normal A3's are a bit dull but very well made.

The press also says that the S3 is in no way as good as the S4.

Alfa guliettea – how could you buy an audi now these are nearly here
Because it's an Alfa, it will break down a lot and the depreciation curve will be vertical. Oh, and the OP wants AWD

What he said. Is beautiful , like a fragile glass vase carried by a buffoon on rollerskates on an ice rink. Destined for failure. Anyway, deal done, had to negotiate a bit on this one but the sniff of cash at the end of tax year landed me a 2008 S3 with 13,000k's on the clock, 1 owner, minter. Lovely. Thanks for all the advice, all the golfs i could see locally or within farting distance were more expensive, DSG and multi-owner jobs. Drove a DSG one and wasn;t all that keen on DSG, i already have a tiptronic Porker so decided to go manual. Wife liked the colour as well which we all know is the main criteria 😯

What I REALLY wanted was the nutty one-off Golf thing shown HERE – that would be urm interesting.

Nice one Vol! A mate has one – very quick and competent. Enjoy!

Tiptronic porker? Noooo 🙁

I've got an A3 3.2Q manual and I love it to bits. They don't do the A3 with a 3.2 new any more because of the emissions, so in the UK you'd be looking at one a couple of months old or older. You can easily get 2 bikes in the back. I often take mine to Afan with my son's bike in the back because it's easier to park than the family car and less hassle than putting the towbar carrier on etc.
It doesn't handle like a go cart, the steering is fine but doesn't have the feedback of, say a BMW 1 series and the ride is hard. It's beautifully built and compared to other cars I've owned, it just seems to have a feelgood factor just sitting in it. I've driven a Golf GTI and that's a purer, better, all round driving experience, even if it doesn't have the power. The Quattro 4wd system, as others have touched upon, is really a FWD with the rear kicking in if the front starts slipping. It ain't any good in snow (compared to a "proper 4wd", that is), but if you dump the clutch from standstill on a streaming wet road – or even a gentle start from a wet uphill junction – and it grips and pulls away well, astonishingly well if you give it the full beans. I've had no reliability problems whatsoever with mine and the dealer service is superb (albeit expensive). The only thing I'd add is that, with the 3.2 (and I've heard that same applies to R3.2) if you have a manual, the clutch bite is an acquired taste (you'll know what I mean if you drive one).
All in all I absolutely love mine. Yes there are plenty of "purer" driving cars around, but OMG, give it a ribbon of empty Welsh country road, windows down so that you can hear the howl of the V6 and it's pretty damned good as experiences go. Finally, one of the big attractions for me was that I could order it debadged and without BFO wheels, so that it doesn't stand out and could pass for a 1.6 when parked up (as long as you don't hear it growling past).
PS Bose sound system is an essential option too, if you ask me. The standard amp isn't up to much and the Bose upgrade sounds much better and worth every penny if you like to listen to music.