Test drive Audi A3
The A3 sedan is perhaps the best deal for those looking for an inexpensive premium and tired of crossovers. But how will the troika behave on very bad roads?
Twenty years ago, the Audi 80 seemed like a car from another planet. I will forever remember the pleasant smell of velor, the soft plastic on the dashboard, the side mirrors with legs and the feisty stern with a solid block of lights. Surprisingly, the "barrel" managed to get ahead of the time - never before had the Germans produced cars with such a bold appearance. The updated Audi A3, which almost 30 years later became in fact the ideological successor of the "eighties", is damn similar to its ancestor. She is very stylish, cozy and just as tough.
In fact, between the Audi 80 and the Audi A3 there was also an A4 in the back of a B5 - it was she who was called the direct heir of the "barrel". However, after the generation change, the A4 increased in size so much that it was immediately assigned to the senior D-class. At the same time, Audi did not have a sedan in the C-segment - this class of cars was losing popularity in the European market in the 2000s, so Ingolstadt continued to produce A3 in all bodies, except for the four-door.
The current "troika" sedan is a very stylish car. In the evening, it is easy to confuse it with the older A4: the models have similar head optics with a characteristic notch, a giant radiator grille and a branded bonnet relief. We tested the A3 in the S line: with side skirts and bumpers, sports suspension, 18-inch wheels and a large sunroof. Such a "troika" looks even more expensive than it actually costs, but there is one problem - it is too low for Russian roads.
The base A3 with a 1,4-liter engine has a ground clearance of 160 millimeters. But the door sills take away about 10 mm, and the sports suspension - about 15 millimeters more. You can forget about parking on curbs, and it is better to drive through obstacles very carefully - the sedan has a plastic crankcase.
The Audi "troika" is presented with two TFSI petrol engines to choose from: 1,4 liters (150 hp) and 2,0 liters (190 hp). But in fact, dealers only have versions with base engines, and this is exactly the A3 we had on the test.
The technical characteristics of the two-liter sedan, at least on paper, look ominous: 6,2 s to 100 km / h and 242 km / h top speed. Given the TFSI's tuning potential and all-wheel drive, this A3 could be turned into something very interesting. But 1,4 liters in the city are enough with a margin. Due to its low curb weight (1320 kg), the "troika" travels quickly (8,2 seconds to "hundreds") and burns little gasoline (during the test, the average fuel consumption did not exceed 7,5 - 8 liters per 100 kilometers).
The seven-speed "robot" S tronic (the same DSG) is tuned here almost to the standard - it selects the desired gear very logically and does not attract attention in traffic jams. A barely noticeable kick in the transition from the first to the second remained here, but I still have not met smoother robotic boxes. Even Ford's Powershift, which is too gentle on the clutch, fails to provide the same smooth ride.
The rest of the softness from the A3 should not be expected. The sports suspension on the Moscow Region highway is ready to shake everything out of you without a trace, but as soon as Audi is on smooth, preferably winding asphalt, it turns into a real driver's car. Ingolstadt knows a lot about the right suspension settings.
At first glance, the A3 sedan is too compact a car. Yes and no. In terms of dimensions, the "troika" really lags behind the average in the golf class. There are no premium cars in this segment, with the exception of the very fashionable Mercedes CLA, so the dimensions of Audi have to be compared with mass models. So, the "German" is inferior to the Ford Focus in all directions.
Another thing is that inside the "troika" does not seem to be tight. The narrow center console and recesses on the door cards allow you to sit quite freely. The rear sofa is more likely only for two - the passenger in the center will be very uncomfortable there from the high tunnel.
The A3 trunk is not its key benefit. Volume is claimed at 425 liters, less than many B-class sedans. But you can fold the back of the back sofa piece by piece. In addition, there is a wide hatch for long lengths. At the same time, the useful space is organized very competently: the loops do not eat up precious liters, and all kinds of nets, hiding places and hooks are provided on the sides.
The trump card of the compact sedan from Audi is its interior. It is so modern and of high quality that it is just a pleasure to be in the A3. The dashboard is especially good - with large understandable scales, informative speedometers, a tachometer and a digital fuel level indicator. In the pictures, the "troika" dashboard looks rather poor, but this impression is deceiving. Yes, there really are not very many buttons, but most of the functions are hidden in the menu of the multimedia system. She, by the way, is here with a huge screen and navigation puck - as in the older A4 and A6.
After the departure of the A1 compact hatchback from Russia, it was the A3 that turned out to be Audi's entry model. And this means that becoming the owner of a premium "German" today is more expensive than ever: in a rich configuration, a front-wheel drive Audi A3 will cost about $ 25. But the good news is that the A800 is perhaps the best deal for those looking for a premium and tired of crossovers.
| Body type | Sedan |
| Dimensions: length / width / height, mm | 4458/1796/1416 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2637 |
| Cargo space, l | 425 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1320 |
| engine's type | Gasoline supercharged |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1395 |
| Max. power, h.p. (at rpm) | 150 at 5000 – 6000 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 250 at 1400 – 4000 |
| Drive type, transmission | Front, RCP7 |
| Max. speed km / h | 224 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 8,2 |
| Fuel consumption (mixed cycle), l / 100 km | 5 |
| Price from, USD | 22 000 |
