TRIPLE-A RATING FOR THE NEW A3
This article is from our archives and has not been updated and integrated with our "new" site yet... Even so, it's still awesome - so keep reading!
Published on Sun, Jun 12, 2005
By: The LACar Editorial Staff
A
TRIPLE-A RATING FOR THE NEW A3
If someone had to design the best car for the
enthusiast commuter with a family, it requires some seemingly contrasting
qualities: Easy access (four-doors), and room enough for a couple of parents
and their two-and-and-half kids. Small enough on the outside to maneuver
through traffic and fit easily into parking spots. Accelerate with the best of
them - particularly off the line. Get good gas mileage. Go around corners like
a bat out of hell. Ride comfortably. Look sharp. And, oh yeah, have a
rush-hour-friendly automatic transmission that sacrifices no quickness to a
manual transmission - and be able to operate it manually. Folks, we can go though all the cars you want, but only one
car I know of meets all of the aforementioned criteria: Audi's new A3. The Subaru WRX and Saab 9-2X Aero (the one with the WRX
turbo) have the four doors, the room, the gas mileage, and the handling, but
both suffer from considerable off-the-line turbo lag - accentuated even more in
automatic transmission mode.
The Mitsubishi Evolution VIII is even more sporty, but it
also suffers from considerable turbo lag, and its ride is equally unsuited for
day-to-day driving on real roads. The new Mustang GT has no problem with turbo lag, but its
300 hp V8 is not a model for good gas mileage, it only has two doors, and the back
seats are for emergency use only.
A few vehicles come closer. The Acura TSX has the tight dimensions on the outside, while
affording reasonable room on the inside. The car handles well and gets
reasonably good gas mileage out of its four-cylinder engine. With the six-speed
manual transmission, it can run quite briskly. Its only downfall is the
automatic transmission, which saps some of the quickness out of the car. Surprisingly, the Chrysler PT Cruiser GT Turbo comes close.
Its SRT4-derived 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is one of the best
in the business, exhibiting little of the lag of the turbos from
On the outside, the car is over 16 inches shorter than the
Toyota Prius, itself one of the more maneuverable cars around town. With an
overall length under 159 inches, the A3 can parallel park with the best of them.
On the inside, the A3 benefits from the expanded cabin
dimensions of its Mark V GTI-derived platform (a car yet to be introduced to
these shores). It's not exactly cavernous inside, but the A3 can fit four
adults comfortably (five in reasonable comfort for short distances).
Its five-door hatchback configuration proves to be very
versatile. With the rear seats folded flat, I'm able to fit two Vandersteen
2Ce full-size loudspeakers in the back and a Hsu Research VTF-2 Mark 2
amplified subwoofer into the front seat cavity, with no problems. Now, that's
versatile.
Audi's tried-and-true 1.8T was considered one of the best
four-cylinder engines in its day. Yet, the A3's new 2.0-liter turbocharged
four-cylinder engine with FSI direct injection is dramatically better in almost
every way. In addition to producing 200 horsepower, the new engine puts out 207
lbs. ft. of torque at 1800 rpm and holding it there all the way up to 5000 rpm.
This power plant exhibits virtually no turbo lag, and offers diesel-like off-the-line
acceleration. Audi says this is the first production unit worldwide to combine
FSI gasoline direct injection with a turbocharger. This technology - which is
also to be found in the Le Mans-winning Audi R8 - enables a synthesis of high
performance, free-revving response and pulling power in all speed ranges, while
maintaining good fuel economy. With the standard six-speed manual transmission, the A3
gallops from 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds. With Audi's innovative dual-clutch DSG
(direct shift gearbox) six-speed automatic transmission, it's even quicker,
zipping from 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds.
The DSG transmission sets the Audi apart from all its
competitors. Not only is it quicker than a manual transmission, it even yields
better gas mileage (returning 24 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway, versus
23/30 for the manual). The DSG has the requisite sequential manual shift gate
option for those who'd rather roll their own. However, it's almost not needed,
because the sport mode on Audi's DSG is the most intuitive ever encountered. It
seems to be able to predict how I want to shift with astonishing accuracy.
How about the handling? Keep in mind that the A3 is
essentially the new, Mark V GTI - the car that's been winning accolades all
over That leads us to the visual impact of the car. This is
another area where the A3 leaves its competitors behind. Visually, the A3 looks
like its larger, more expensive siblings, but shrink-wrapped to size. The fit and
finish goes well beyond what one expects from a car at this price point.
Consequently, the A3 can look just as appropriate at the valet parking section of
Spago's as far more expensive cars.
In summary, the A3 is the only car I know of that scores a
perfect 10 on the enthusiast commuter-with-a-family meter - i.e., small on the
outside, but big on the inside; quick off the line, but stingy with gas; good
handling and good ride; sporty-looking and refined; and an
automatic transmission that gives up nothing in the way of performance. That it can do so at
$26,146 is even more remarkable ($24,740 with the manual transmission). You can, of course, option the car well-over
$30,000 with premium packages - including an alluring panoramic tinted glass
roof. As with many bargains, however, it's best to resist the temptation to go
hog wild on the options list. I have but one word to say as far as options go:
DSG.
For more information about Audi products, go to www.audiusa.com.
SPECIFICATIONS
Price:
$24,740, base
$26,146, with DSG automatic transmission
$30,085, as tested Horsepower:
200 @ 5100-6000 rpm
Transmission type:
6-speed manual transmission
6-speed dual clutch DSG automatic transmission with
sequential shift mode and paddle shifters Suspension:
Front: Independent McPherson struts with lower wishbones, aluminum subframe,
tubular anti-roll bar, traction-stabilizing steering roll radius
Rear: Independent four-link with separate spring/shock
absorber arrangement, subframe, tubular anti-roll bar
Brakes:
Dual-circuit brake system with diagonal split, ESP with electronic brake
pressure distribution EBD and ABS Front: Discs 12.3-inch diameter, vented
Rear: Discs 11-inch EPA mileage estimates City/ Highway:
24/30 DSG automatic
23/30 manual
Engine type:
2.0-literDOHC turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with FSI direct injection
Torque:
207 @ 1800-5000 rpm
Drive configuration:
Front engine / front-wheel drive (all-wheel drive optional)
Wheels and tires:
17-iunch alloy wheels and 225/45 all-season tires
Overall length: 158.7 inches
Overall width: 77.1 inches
Overall height: 56 inches
Curb weight (lbs.): 3329
0-60 mph:
6.7 seconds DSG automatic
6.9 seconds manual