Thu. Mar 28th, 2024

Audi is a reputed brand, known for the premium build of its cars. The brand Audi is usually associated with the exhilarating drive it’s cars cater. It is in Audi’s DNA to manufacture cars with bravura. The Audi A3 on the other hand seems to be bequeathed from this progression. The A3 is Audi’s venture to enter the mid range sedan market and clearly, it is a swing and a miss. The A3 is an expensive buy with nothing to offer when placed among its contenders. The Skoda Octavia VRS for example would beat the A3 black and blue for a fraction of the price. The Chevrolet Cruze would keep up with the A3, again for a fraction of the price. The Toyota Corolla Altis, The Hyundai Elentra are just some of the cars that do what the A3 does for a cheap dollar. With no cabriolet versions in these contenders, it’s the only area where they fall short. Another feature that won’t take the fancy of keen drivers is that, most variants come with front wheel drive.

Specifications and Price

Audi A3 40 TFSI Premium 28L
1798cc Petrol, Automatic Front Wheel Drive
178 BHP
Audi A3 35 TDI Premium + sunroof 30L
1968cc Diesel, Automatic  Front Wheel Drive
141 BHP
Audi A3 35 TDI Premium plus + sunroof 33L
1968cc Diesel, Automatic  Front Wheel Drive
141 BHP
Audi A3 35 TDI Technology + sunroof 36L
1968cc Diesel, Automatic  All Wheel Drive
141 BHP

2015-audi-a3-rear-three-quartersEngine and Transmission

Though the car is rigged with a pocket sized engine, it chugs out a lofty amount of power. Audi has fitted the A3 with a lot of gears, 7 to be exact, to keep the car shifting all the time. It seems with the gearbox, Audi has left no stone unturned in making your journey aboard the A3 as afflictive as possible. The front wheel drive in most variants is another punishing feature of the car rendering the car burnt out when driven aggressively. The Engine noise is insignificant, thus the car is fit to be driven down the highway at cruising speeds with the roof down.

2015-audi-a3-cabriolet-cockpit

Suspension, Safety, maintenance and appearance

The ride is kosher. The car comes with standard safety measures like airbags. The A3 is equipped with a lot of driver assistance aid. The seats in the front are comfortable. Rear seats are a little cramped but manageable. The boot is spacious. The car looks ravishing from the outside. The interior is tidily arranged. The upholstery and the dash are fabricated with premium material to give a placid feel to the cabin. It’s all tip-top, but none of it makes up for the exorbitant quotation. The post purchase maintenance costs won’t exactly require you to sell your house but, it isn’t exactly cheap either. A trip down service lane will be taxed at around Rs.20,000/-.

I can fathom only two reasons why anyone would buy an Audi A3. The first reason is, they can’t afford an Audi A4 but want an Audi and, the second reason is, they think that a car with a fold-able roof is “SWAG”.  I don’t say that car is bad, it is a good car, but the car just isn’t worth the money. With far better, bigger cars like the Skoda Superb being available for a comparable price, buying the A3 doesn’t make sense.

I’ll end with a note of caution, If you ever go in the soft roof version to the rural areas  and find yourself being gazed upon a women, careful she might want the cloth from the roof to stitch a dress.

By Shiv

I cherish a profound sentiment towards cars, bikes, speedboats, planes and almost all modes of transportation and writing about it is an avenue that helps me redeem myself.

4 thought on “The abominable Audi A3, a classy way to bankrupt yourself”
  1. I have had the pleasure of driving a delectable red Audi A3 S line after owning a slightly more utilitarian Audi A4 Avant Estate. The A3 was a completely different animal in comparison to the A4 being far more fun and exhilarating having a much sportier feel. I would never have looked at Skoda, Chevrolet, Toyota or Hyundai when considering the A3. In my opinion they are not in the same league as the A3 which extolls the fine virtues of German engineering, iconic design and a certain sense of class. If the argument is based on price alone it fails on the basis that Audi has a specific demographic and their cars hold their value unlike many of their competitors.

    1. Everything you say about the A3 is on target, but the mere point of this review is to explain that while being in the dark the other contenders have improved remarkably and need due consideration. The Skoda VRS for example, at a fraction of the price is far more powerful, fun to drive and you get so much more car. The VRS is a better car than the A3 in every fathomable way. The Skoda Superb a luxury saloon is another citation of what A3 money can buy. Audi is charging just because they can and to fall prey to it’s brand name without atleast considering the other options in my book is unintelligent.

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