2006 Audi A3 Review

Specifications

Sign Me Up!

When I first heard that Audi would be bringing its Golf… oops, I told myself I wouldnt do that, but I guess its better to get that slipup out of the way early rather than have it weigh on my conscience.

To call Audis new A3 a Golf is unfair, as its really the next-generation GTI, re-skinned and restyled with an upscale Audi A4-ish interior. Smartly, for the Audi elite, four full-size doors have been included to go along with the 200-horsepower four-cylinder that GTI lovers will be able to get their pedals on in another year or so.

Rewind….

When I first heard that Audi was finally going to be bringing its A3 to North American shores I got very excited. I even called a dealer friend of mine and started asking him about prospective prices. He told me to relax, and that it was still an Audi. Then I saw my next paycheck, so I suggested a possible sale of my sister into bondage, but she said shes going to hold out for a family Porsche.

But this is only a temporary setback, as the A3 is very likely going to be my next car. Somehow. Sometime. Why do I want it so badly? Its real. Its not a Carrera GT. Its not a Range Rover 4.4 HSE. Okay, maybe those cars are real to some, but to me they are simply pages in a glossy magazine or a dream passing by on the street. Yes, the A3 is an Audi, but its no $70K A8. Recently my annual earnings eclipsed my age (multiplied by a K), so Im feeling confident that I could actually save enough for a down payment, or mortgage my soul and avoid going bankrupt for at least long enough to live out the warranty. As I see it, one years work is definitely worth a car this nice.

Just look at it. Gone is the tall profile and vertical sides of the Golf we know, replaced with the low-slung, wide and planted profile of a corner hugger. Im sure the narrow windows will earn visibility reprimands from many reviewers, but there is no substitute for the raciness imparted by a high beltline and slashes of cockpit slim window proportions.

I cant say that Audis new corporate grille is a favorite, but with the overall smaller size of the A3 and blacked-out clear-lens headlights canted downward into the grille, it doesnt seem quite as cumbersome or slack-jawed as on its larger siblings. One thing Audi almost always gets right is the back end, and with the angled rear windshield, twin-tailpipes and slight roof mounted spoiler, the A3 takes what Audi designers have perfected in their Avant and allroad series and successfully translated it into the smaller hatch-wagon genre.

200 HP….

I want my next car to have at least 200-horespower. Granted, I could go shopping around for a used 5-Series or Acura TL Type S, but with the amount of extra weight I would end up carrying plus the number of Ks on the odometer it would have to have for me to be able to afford it… well, I wouldve already done it if it was an enticing enough option. And as with computers, with cars newer is better, unless youre a 911. Not only does the A3 achieve the 200-horsepower mark, but those horses spin out 207 lb-ft of torque, which is good, very good. Good enough for sub 7-seconds to 60 mph. Good enough for a limited top speed of more than 125 mph. Who goes that fast anyway? Not a good idea, unless youre a man named Kimi or a woman named Patrick.

Perhaps a more in-depth explanation of how a 2.0-liter four cylinder engine cranks out 200 in every category is in order. First you add a turbocharger, which Audi has been supplying throughout its model range for years, with 1.8Ts, 2.7Ts, TTs, etc. And then you add what many industry-types are touting as the most sophisticated fuel delivery system ever designed: FSI. This system blends high performance, free-revving response with pulling power in all speed ranges (max torque is available from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm), yet it maintains excellent fuel economy (23 / 33 mpg city / highway).

And Im sure by now some of you GTI fans are asking: “What about the six-cylinder?” That will be coming early in 2006, in the form of the A3 3.2 quattro with the same DSG sequential manual that is available on the 2.0-liter car. The 3.2-liter V6 is good for 250-horsepower and 237 lb-ft of torque, enough to get you off the line quicker than your average RSX, IS, Cooper S, V50, 9-2X, B-Class or 325. Official numbers arent out yet, but expect 6-point-something seconds to 60 mph.

The transmission shouldnt make more than a fraction of a difference as the standard 6 speed is reportedly brilliant and the DSG, as seen previously in the TT 3.2 DSG is one of the cleverest manual-mode automatics available. The difference maker is the fact that it switches gears like a manual, with a full set of gears and twin clutch plates no less, which means that the “slushbox” is ready and waiting for you to tap the wheel mounted paddles into the next gear before you are. It shifts quicker than sequential manuals available from BMW and Ferrari-Maserati, the only two automakers to offer anything close to Audis advanced design.

The Ride….

Every time my friend gives me a ride in his A4 I get a little jealous, because between the leather seats and 17-inch rims and rubber, something magical and mysterious is going on. You could lecture me on the differences between control arms and MacPherson struts, and explain ad nauseam the benefits of an independent suspension, but more than likely my eyes would glaze over and my mind would drift to a nice porterhouse steak or back to the time that I nearly chopped my finger off with a hedge trimmer. So I will spare you the technical explanations. My buddys A4 always holds the line through each corner and it never fails to make the road seem a little less choppy than it really is.

Although the A3 will be a tad stiffer and more responsive as it is more oriented toward the inner juvenile in all of us and is therefore tuned to deliver cornering pleasure at the expense of some bone-jarring knocks on potholes and street car crossings, but that requires the Sport Package, so dont fret if you live along Pothole Avenue like I do. The Sport Package will also get you a set of special
16-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels (18s are available for the 3.2), plus leather seats and aluminum trim in the cockpit.

Leather Me Up….

So as mentioned, leather comes as part of the Sport Package, but for the faint of heart opting to forgo the excitement of the sportiest upgrade, the Premium Package provides all the same niceties as well as navigation and HomeLink, plus various other goodies. All cars come with a list of features that is to be expected from a high end brand like Audi, but perhaps never before seen in a compact this size. Rather than go over every power switch and electronic aid, Ill sum it up by saying that if you want it, you can probably get it. One thing I have to mention is the sunroof, which is about as wide as the whole roof and bigger than my porch.

On the safety front, airbags are standard pretty much everywhere except for the cargo area, as are three-point seatbelts at all seating positions, active head restraints and the LATCH anchoring system for child seats. On the active front are ESP stability control, disc brakes all around with Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution as standard fare, and of course, Audis famed quattro all-wheel drive will be available with the 3.2.

More Mor Me….

Though the A3 has done well in Europe, it is entering shaky territory here in North America. BMW pulled the plug on its plans to bring the 1-Series here, and Mercedes is only willing to test out its B-Class in Canada (too bad, so sad). The one bright light of precedence guiding Audis hope for success with its A3 is the Mini Cooper, which pulled in buyers left, right, centre and even top and bottom. How did they do it? With the promise of performance, and packaging that is irresistible. Its cute-as-a-button styling didnt hurt either. While the price is steep considering the size of the package, the Mini delivers a driving experience unheard of in a car of its size, something only BMW could muster. Its unqualified success is likely to spawn a more varied Mini product line with the possibility of coupes, roadsters, wagons and even SUVs being suggested.

Like the Mini, the A3 is stressing the performance attributes refined from over 25 years of experience with VW GTIs and Audis ability to craft masterful interiors and comfortable rides without giving up the sportiness that a Mercedes doesnt reach until the AMG nameplate is attached to the rear trunklid.

So will it be a success? Audis estimates are so conservative (10,000 total in
North America), that it would be hard for the car to flop. Between the hopefuls who cant quite break the bank for an A4, those who want the unbridled performance of the 3.2 DSG without the increased price tag, the odd pragmatist who cant resist the mini-Avants efficiency and comfort, as well as the GTI driver who is just growing up and needs the increased space and functionality of a five-door, it shouldnt be hard to find enough people to sign into the Audi network.

As far as Im concerned, I dont care how many people get onboard. It just means mine will be all the rarer.