I am on my third A3 sportback sline first two had for five years each both never missed a beat only real criticism as you say is tyre roar but must admit I got used to it current car is again an sline sportback 35tfsi had for a couple of months and so far quite happy with it again tyre noise is still there but I can handle that as far as quality goes I think most cars in this class seem to have scratchy plastics nowadays but to me the bits that matter seats dash steering wheel etc are acceptable. Thanks for a good review found it very informative.
Can’t believe Audi going cheap on interior I’ve just purchased a Octavia mark 4 se first edition with the 1.5 litre engine in manual transmission and it’s so quiet and refined It also has felt lined door pockets! Come on Audi ! I bought a pre reg car with 4 miles on the clock for £17995.00 .
Good review. I have already bought the same but on a standard suspension so a bit easier ride. Some of the foibles that you mentioned seem to have gone - phone box charger fits phone and is wireless charging. Also there is a rear camera that shows on the MMI system so you see the back whilst reversing and the surround sensors are shown there as well. But thanks enjoyed watching
Very fair review Dave. Appreciate your good & less desirable points. Sounds like the 1.5 TFSI S- tronic is the sweet spot. Why oh why has Audi penny pinched on the interior. Lack of felt linings to the cubby storage may seem inconsequential but rattling items on a long journey can be distracting and spoils the whole ambience. Interesting about the visual auto hold button ( or lack of it) but function still there. Totally agree when selecting reverse I want a visual display not just the radar tones. Lovely car and although many people are less impressed with BMW 1 series or Grand Coupe looks I personally like them and those interiors are definitely classy with right quality. If only I could have the Audi engine/ auto combination with BMW quality interior.............
Great detailed review, Dave. Before I go to look at a new car in the showroom I like to see as many reviews as possible so that I know what I’m looking at rather than being overawed by all the new features. It can be hard to take it all in while the salesman is giving you the hard sell at the same time. In common with other reviewers, you found the interior quality a bit disappointing and rear access more limited than the previous model. A common theme is emerging from all the reviews, so I’m going to have a good idea of whether I’m going to like it before I arrive at the showroom. I bought a new A3 Sportback s-line in 2014. A lovely car and the new version will feel very much like that one. However, that had the awful tyre noise you describe and, yes, it did become a bit wearing on long journeys. I spec’d the softer suspension but it was still too hard for my wife and me. She has a 2017 A3 cabrio s-line and the ride is very good, so Audi seem to have ironed out the harshness in the suspension. The final thing to say is that prices have increased sharply. The same is true of all cars and the spec has improved on the s-line since 2014, but mine cost £23K whereas the same model 6 years later is now around £30K. I would love another A3 Sportback, but would I pay £30K for it? I’d have to see what my dealer says. I’ve bought 4 Audis from him now (same salesman each time) and we’d have to work hard to get to a price I’d be prepared to pay.
It’s worth mentioning that your review car included the Storage Pack (for things like the lockable glove box and cubby hole to the driver’s right). You get a graphical display of the parking sensors with the Driver Assistance Pack or the Comfort & Sound Pack.
Hi Adam. Thank you for the comment. I do mention the storage pack (dog food), but every car has a display when the rear sensors are engaged. That surprised me.
@@AutoBears I did wonder if I’d missed the mention. It seems, from reading the Audi car forums, that quite a few buyers are only learning when they pick up their cars that things they assumed are standard are, if fact, optional extras. Another is the missing speed limit info in U.K. spec cars - to get this you have to option the Drivers Assistance Pack (to get road sign recognition).
This clearly comes down to poor dealership training. Where salesman are not letting customers what’s fully standard on their cars or not informing them what options a demonstrator car has that has maybe been used for a test drive. That’s why in the description I mention options fitted to the car to help viewers.
Thanks for this latest review but for this model it’s quite disappointing to see the compromises of this car... if this was the review of the A1 I could forgive the downgrade and compromises but the A3 is meant to be a posher / upmarket version of the Golf.
Just a little correction, the tdi returns around 60mpg quite easily and probably a lot more during a long run. So the tdi definitely returns a lot better mpg than the petrol. It isn't as small as indicated on the review here. Otherwise great review
Whereas new models used to be tested to destruction over many thousands of miles before being released to the market, the pressure to get new models out and selling means that we the customers are largely the beta testers. It's all covered by warranty, but it doesn't do much for a manufacturer's reliability reputation.
Great review as always cheap plastics on a audi just not good enough. I own a 2018 vauxhall insignia 1.6 turbo petrol vxstyling it seems a lot more premium than the audi plus more toy's at no extra cost.
THIS CAR HAD FAULTS ALL THROUGH CAR IN GARAGE 10 TIMES IN 4 MONTHS AND THEY SAID CANT FIX MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THE CAR WOULD SHUT DOWN AND LOCK ME OUT OF CAR CRASH PROGRAMME WOULD COME ON, FAULTS WOULD COME ON AND THE JOKE WAS WHAT NEXT, THIS CAR IS (CRAPE)WOULD ADVISE DONT GET THIS CAR I NOW HAVE A PROPER CAR (MERCEDES), NEVER AGAIN WILL I PURCHASE AN AUDI THE AUDI GARAGE POOR.STIRLING
