"It mixes excellent refinement and an accomplished driving experience with easily the finest cabin quality ever seen in a small family hatchback", they continued. However, it only reached American shores in 2006. Serving as the company’s entry-level model, the Audi A3 is a very tempting option for those who want a small family car of a high pedigree. Considering the lineage of this car, its price is quite a bargain as long as the number of options is kept to a minimum.
Audi may be one of the few luxury carmakers that bother with the small hatchback segment, but does it sacrifice some of its standards for this entry-level model? Here is a look at the answer to this question.
New For 2013
The Audi A3 is all-new for 2014 and the first Audi to ride on the Volkswagen Group's MQB chassis. Audi will offer the A3 exclusively as a four-door sedan in the United States. We expect engine choices to include turbocharged four-cylinder gas and diesel mills similar to those found in the outgoing four-door hatch model.
Exterior
The 2013 Audi A3 is available only as a hatchback, and its design is actually not new for this model year. In fact, Europe has already received a completely new generation of the car, complete with three body styles. However, this does not mean that the Audi looks dated or old. It has the same classic looks that make an Audi so special.
The front of the 2013 Audi A3 gets the signature single-frame tapered grille, which forms a majority of the front façade. The profile of the car becomes flatter and flatter as it progresses towards the rear, similar to the way Audi designs its coupes. The round wheel arches add muscle to the otherwise aerodynamic stance of the A3.
Standard exterior features of the 2013 Audi A3 include 17-inch alloys, chrome accents, and dual exhaust outlets. The car is also available with 18-inch alloys, wraparound headlights, and bi-xenon high-intensity-discharge lights with LED daytime running lights.
Interior & Cargo
The cabin of the 2013 Audi A3 follows the same classic and understated design language used in other models from the stable. The materials are, of course, of the highest quality, and the cabin gets a very upscale feel thanks to small design elements like metallic trim on the knobs and air vents.
As an entry-level model, customers can expect some hard plastics around the cabin of the 2013 Audi A3. However, they blend in so well with the rest of the design that they hardly seem like a shortcoming anymore.
The A3 is available with a navigation system that is a little challenging to learn, but useful nonetheless. The screen for this system is large with clear writing, but it lacks touch-screen capabilities. Instead of touch, the driver has to use an Audi MMI dial controller. While this is a bit strange considering that most cars get touch-screen interfaces today, it would not be a problem if the dial controller were located on the center console. However, this is not the case – the controller is instead located on the dash.
The 2013 Audi A3 offers a decent amount of passenger space up front. However, the front seats lack enough forward travel to accommodate the needs of shorter passengers. The rear seat, while comfortable for average-sized adults, can feel cramped for tall passengers.
On a positive note, the A3 offers around 20 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats up, which is enough space to fit a few large suitcases. A center pass-through is available on the rear seat that lets people store longer items and still keep the usability of the rear seat intact.
If needed, the seats can also be folded down to an almost-flat position to expand the cargo capacity to a maximum of 39 cubic feet. Standard interior features inside the 2013 Audi A3 include dual-zone automatic climate control, leather seating surfaces, and satellite radio with an MP3 jack. Optional features include wood trim, Bluetooth connectivity, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat.
Safety
Standard safety features in the 2013 Audi A3 include full-length side curtain airbags, front-seat side airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability controls, and front restraints for whiplash protection. A set of rear-seat side airbags come as an option. The IIHS gave the A3 its best rating of "Good" in terms of roof strength, side impact, and frontal-offset impact safety.
Driving Experience
The 2013 Audi A3 is available with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that delivers 200 horsepower (hp) and 207 lb-ft of torque. The engine is combined with a six-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive as standard, although a six-speed dual-clutch, automated, manual transmission is available. This transmission, called the S tronic, comes standard with the all-wheel-drive models.
A 2013 Audi A3 can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in around 7.2 seconds, which is average for an entry-level luxury car. Fuel economy is also average with 21/27 mpg city/highway, and the all-wheel drive cuts off one mpg from the front-wheel-drive A3.
Despite a strictly average setup, the 2013 Audi A3 offers ample power and a nicely designed transmission system that includes both manual and dual-clutch. The suspension of the A3 is better tuned for performance, but it does not get so firm that it fails to take in the usual road imperfections.
Audi is known for its refined performance, and the A3 is no different. Whether stuck in heavy traffic or cruising on the highway, the 2013 Audi A3 offers a nice driving experience.
So already make your decision?
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