Audi A3

In the second half of 2020, the outgoing and third-generation Audi A3 range met its demise. We spend a day in the 2022 Audi A3.

Audi has applied the black pen to its options list to create the Audi A3 40 TFSI S line plus, but do the extras make a compelling proposition?

Does the 2019 Audi A3 have the tech and comfort to impress?

Our six months with the Audi A3 have come to an end, and we come away impressed with its all-round capabilities.

Audi has committed its popular A3 hatch and sedan range – just as BMW and Mercedes-Benz look to pull back or withdraw from the compact car market.

The all-new small sportback and sedan will arrive early next year, with new features, more tech, and a price bump to show for it.

The new 2022 Audi A3 Sportback hatch and sedan range is slated to launch in Australia by the end of 2021 with two engine options – plus a go-fast S3 flagship.

Despite being less than two per cent of the new car market, premium small cars on the rise – with one car taking the lion’s share.

We put four new petrol-electric offerings through a real-life fuel test.

We pit the German brand's green machines against each other.

I must be stark raving mad, what was I thinking? Buying a 12 year old European car with 215,000km. Almost everyone I’ve spoken too has scoffed at my choice whilst giving me that look that says “are you made of money”. Well I’m here to burst some euro myths. This is my $5000 Audi A3 2.0 FSI, a safe, stylish, surprisingly sporty Sportback, that doesn’t cost a fortune to own. Firstly I’d like to point out I’m not a fool, I wasn’t just seduced by a bright colour. If your keen on something premium thats over a decade old do your research. The internet can be a terrifying place for advice, start typing any car name into Google and be prepared for the auto completes that read “....blew up after 100km”, “....drinks more oil than fuel”, “….caused my wife to leave me”. However after weeding through the drivel find out if the car your looking at has any major faults or problems especially once its clicked over 160,000km. Then when your making a short list go for cars with a full service history. My car has only had one fastidious owner and every bit of paperwork has been kept and the service schedule stamped. If the car needed fixing it was done and recorded. This is the sort of used car you want to hunt out. Come on Australia, when are you going to learn that European cars do not cost a fortune to run and own? I have found that spare parts are easy to come by online form within Aus or wait a week and get bits shipped from Europe. At the most parts will run into hundreds of dollars not thousands. Just shop smart and find a decent independent European mechanic. Yes a Korean or Japanese car will cost a bit less and I’m not for a minute saying an A3 will be a bargain basement mode of transport but the difference is negligible and can you really complain when the price gets you quality? In roughly 2000 kms of driving so far all I’ve changed is a temp sensor and a few globes, total bill $50. Go on treat yourself to something you’d not consider usually buying second hand. Ok enough stroking my used car buying ego, how does my second generation A3 drive? Let’s start by getting platform specific for a moment, the A3 8P rides on PQ35 underpinnings or in other words VW Golf Mk5 oily bits. This platform change ushered in many niceties for the second gen A3, like an independent rear end, a new range of engines and improved build quality. Under the bonnet of my car is a 2 litre FSI naturally aspirated petrol with 110kw. And you know what, it is so refreshing to not wait on a turbo, especially as its mated to a superb 6 speed manual, with a wonderfully tactile ball gear knob. Its very nice to the touch and allows you to take full control of winding the car out to 6000rpm, which is where you’ll find that full 110kw. 0-100km/h is dealt with in 8.8 seconds in case you care but it’s the handling that does it for me. Front end grip on 17" by 225 Bridgestone Potenza’s is excellent, turn in is accurate and body roll minimal. Feedback through the wheel is great. Honestly nailing a blipped downshift on the floor hinged accelerator whilst stirring the gears on a twisty bit of blacktop is nothing short of magical. A relatively poverty spec naturally aspirated hatchback with a manual gearbox, especially when it has the hallowed chassis of the game changing Mk5 Golf GTi make the A3 a wonderful car to drive. Despite its lack of turbo charging the FSI does reasonably well on fuel. Alas my commute is a mix of hilly country back road and rural two lane highway so the car hardly ever sits in stop start traffic. It is currently averaging 8L/100km. Not great by today’s standards but not awful, let's call it a happy medium. Bear in mind it does like drinking at least premium E95 though. Moving inside you’ll find an interior which has aged well, with a superb driving position thanks to a seat which drops properly low. You sit behind a perfectly sized wheel and look out at a mainly button free minimalist design with just a few nice touches to lift the quality. Namely that lovely manual shifter with an aluminum shaft (don’t laugh) and round air vents as opposed to the usual rectangular ones. Aluminium highlights on the doors and dash also help, contrasting the soft touch black plastic you’ll find elsewhere. Noise, harshness and vibrations are well suppressed too except on really coarse surfaces. The Sportback design, think of it like a mini wagon also offers amazing practicality in a relatively small package. There's plenty room in the back for adults and the boot swallows a couple of suitcases and a pram easily. Or fold the seats and throw in a couple of bikes (front wheels removed). Whilst for me Audi really nailed the exterior design with this A3. Crisp smooth surfaces, perfect shutlines, a mildly aggressive front end and a low roofline helped by a bright colour really make the car stand out. Actually If you squint enough my car still looks like todays brand new model, in my Audi obsessed mind at least. Moving onto issues, no car is immune to them. Firstly it doesn't sound too sporty, it almost has bit of a diesel rattle to it, however I’ve thrown an air filter on making it a bit rortier but it’s no sweet N/A Alfa Twin Cam thats for sure. You won’t find a drivers centre armrest, which is a bit annoying, there are no rear seat air vents and it will come as no surprise that there is zero connectivity as this 2006 car predates the original iphone by a whole 12 months, how did we ever survive! A cheap bluetooth FM receiver fixes this relatively easily though. Other gripes I have are more age related than actual problems with the cars design. Things like a sagging headliner, very slight paint fade and the driver’s seat padding having collapsed a little are all due to a couple of hundred thousand km’s and years spent in the Aussie sun. So how did my myth busting go? From my experience second generation A3’s are now well within an accessible price point and they do not cost a fortune to run or own if you shop smart and put in a bit of effort. Crucially though they are a solid quality product that just happens to drive superbly. Personally I like the underdog N/A 2 litre FSI, its basic spec actually translates to thrills behind the wheel. But find a 2 litre turbo TFSI with Quattro and you’ve got yourself an all weather Golf GTI in an expensive suit. Embrace a second hand Audi, you won’t be disappointed.

When I found this A3, I knew it was time for my upgrade. After having Audi's in the past, I feel right at home in my A3! The A3 I purchased used at my local Audi Centre with just under 90,000kms and have done 5,000 mostly happy miles in the vehicle. My example was an MY11 1.8TFSI Limited Edition; featuring extras such as Xenon Headlights, Navigation, 18" Alloys, Roof Rails and more over the standard 1.8TFSI Ambition trim. Since owning, the only major negative has been oil consumption; an issue which Audi is repairing under my warranty and could have been to the previous owners poor servicing at a private mechanic that we believe may have even used the wrong oil. There is also some DSG hesitation at times, and some not so smooth changes but overall the transmission behaves itself well, better than my previous vehicle, a 2008 Jetta 2.0T which had some major DSG problems. When on a spirited drive as well, I have noticed some brake fade when pushing, not something that all owners of the vehicle would do though, and I'm sure could be solved with better/new fluid and pads/rotors. Other than this, Audi parts can be expensive as I know well and I'd love a USB changing input in the vehicle. Overall though, the positives far outweigh the negative aspects of the car! Performance from the 1.8TFSI paired with the DSG is fantastic, the quality of construction is excellent, has a very dynamic and engaging chassis when pushing, and also balances this with good economy! For a hatchback, it has great interior room, and a boot that swallows bags/work gear with ease! The design and materials haven't aged much at all either, making the A3 still feel very fresh and modern, leaving me with a car that does not feel like it has completed over 90,000kms at all now! I'd highly recommend an A3 8P to anyone in the market for such a vehicle!

Owned it since Brand new. Under $50k, one of the best looking/value for money 'luxury'(I've used that word very loosely) car sedans. If you can negotiate well, you should be able to pick on up for just under $45k driveaway, making it quite the bargain! Personally looks - this car is up there with it's other german rivals (Merc C Class, BMW 3 Series, Merc CLA). MQB Platform, 1.4 Litre Turbo, S-Tronic Gearbox - it never leaves me wanting more power! It's not a "sport's car" but it has more than enough torque to feel like a very zippy car. Interior is quite spacious, leather seats are very nice, dual zone climate, very good factory speakers. In my opinion in today's time cars have too many unnecessary features that add to the cost but do not 'add any value' and are soon forgotten once you've owned the car for a while. This is where I think the A3 offers great value. You pay for what you need & you can spec it up to have a lot or to have just enough for your requirements. When I'm shopping, I personally look for 4 things as options: DRL/LED Lights, Leather, Sunroof & Nav+sound Package. These can generally be recovered in the resale. Anything else, is nice to have but doesn't add any value to me(and to resale). With a lot of modern cars, they give you a lot of 'unecessary' features that I would happily give up to bring the cost down (eg. heads up display, blind spot monitoring on windows, interior lighting package, electric seats etc). S-Tronic in the 2016 version is very nice. Earlier models in "sport" mode was a bit too aggressive and would hold gears till 6000 Rpm even when using 'half throttle'. This one is more town friendly while making the car feel quite a lot faster. Interior finish - very nice. We also own a Q5 and to be honest, the A3 is quite a lot nicer inside as it feels more modern and just as high quality. Engine - 1.4 COD. The numbers lie. 110kW,250Nm - it feels like MUCH more. Having driven a Mk6 GTI - It is very comparable to that. I honestly don't know how to explain it. Even at 5000 RPM + the turbo still has a bit more puff. Fuel economy is very good! Real life figures are roughly 850km's per 50 litre tank. Overall I would highly recommend this car to anyone considering it!

the annual price for the navigation system update is a blatant unmitigated ripoff. Although I love my Audi, my next vehicle will be a BMW. This is purely a moral judgement based on the current price of navigation uodates. This may sound petty to the multitudes but this is my perception. Again it is not a case of money but sheer principle. I am unable to ascertain how Audi is not responding to the general angst of its lovers. The handling is superb. I am a professional musican and consequently spend a great proportion of my time on the road. I cannot compare any other vehicle that meets my standards. I enjoy just driving my Audi knowing I will arrive safely and on time. The sound system is a little troublesome when using th SD cards but I suspect its a minor problem with either the capacity or format of thr said cards. The service centre is fantastic and can't do enough. They are timely and professional. The boot space is not wide enough for a guitar, primarily I should have purchased a larger model. The handling for a front wheel drive is exceptional, and is underpinned by a superb braking system. Aerodynamics are great with an acceptable drag profile. If by some miniscule chance I receive a petrol voucher, I will take it off the cost of a navigation upgrade. Again, I reiterate Audi must take action regarding the ridiculous cost of the navation upgrades. BMW changed their agents, I cannot fathom why Audi with all their wisdom is unable to do the same.