Great review, Tom. I’ve been given the previous gen A3 as a courtesy car when servicing my car on numerous occasions. I was always impressed by how nimble and zippy the previous gen was. And E888…. Arguably the most versatile engine in the industry.
0:08 Keep hearing about new car chip shortage issues yet haven't seen any issues with phones, microwaves, laptops, tv's, etc all of which outsell cars a thousand fold over and are full of chips. I'm calling shenanigans on the vehicle chip excuses. It doesn't take two years to restart chip manufacture. They can make thousands an hour. Just sayin...
Great review Tom. I left VAG last year when I was so disappointed with the Golf 8 after being so happy with the Golf 7 90 tsi. I actually went to Toyota RAV4 hybrid on the basis of your review. I miss the great integration of the VAG products. I’m glad that Audi have gone for the physical controls and the quality looks spot on. It seems that dieselgate is living through the less than optimal outcomes with a high price yet the same mqb underpinnings.
Are you enjoying the RAV4? I drive the base 2 litre RAV4 as a work vehicle and it’s a nice car to drive but I’m always happy to hop back into my 2019 132tsi Tiguan but maybe the2.5 hybrid rav4 could be the answer and the reliability isn’t an issue but I do know every time I see a R line I’d be little sad.
@@russellchristison8425 It’s going well enough. To be honest we needed a wagon. I miss the integration of systems that VAG seem to do so well, especially around driver controls. Toyota seems to have a haphazard approach. For example the randomness of warning lights on the instrument panel. We also got the AWD for the purposes of towing. The system is quite clever with putting drive to rear axle on every take off, which works well on hills in the wet, especially on gravel roads. We’ve done some light off roading using the trail mode which works best on lots of accelerator and let the computer sort it out.
Another great objective review Tom. I have driven the 35 TFSI and it is still a quality product and a lovely drive particularly with the mild hybrid offering smoothness and great economy. The interior though has taken a step back in quality with exposed paint around the doors and harder plastics compared to the previous model. No spare tyre also smacks of being a cheapskate even though there is room for one. I think the 35 TFSI is the better value than the 40 TFSI and it is almost better forking out the extra for the S3, if one can stretch that far.
For $60k before on road costs I would want soft plastics in the rear compartment. What is it with VW/Audi using hard plastics in very expensive cars and manually adjusted seats. I'll pass.
They used used. My wife has a previous generation A3 in "Shiraz" with the pale grey interior & 18" alloys from the S3. Pity they don't do it any more. They should also use the Sonoma Green from the RS4/RS5 for the S3/RS3.
@@stephenhunt6673 that sounds like a lovely combination, I remember the shiraz, very tasty! And I've just seen that they actually do a beige interior in some markets, like France for example. But nowadays its only the seats and part of the door that get to be anything else but black, not the lower part of the dashboard. cause its cheaper
Nice review Tom. Please do an Octavia v Golf v A3 comparison. Could be done on similar price, but a better option would be same engine outputs and spec level. Lloyd
My 2008 Audi A3 1.8 L FSI turbo absolutely Fantastic every time the turbo kicks in your staring at the ceiling and it has killed every golf it has ever raised not that I do a legal street racing in the car but occasionally you do find a golf or another sports hatch pull up beside her and she hasn’t lost one yet
I ordered my 40 TFSI Tango Red + black trim with a sunroof but no premium package. However, I wasn't impressed by the interior either. My wife has Q3 Sportback ($63k) with giant wheels + sunroof + ambient lights +adaptive cruise control and more. The cost of 40TFSI is $68k with very little extra details. A3 40TFSI is not a value for money at all. I just fell in love with Tango Red and that's all. Still not sure if I should spend that much money for this car...
$55400 for vehicle cost $1200 for Tango Red colour $2000 for sunroof $750 for black exterior package $554 for private registrations $436 for CTP $115 for plate $4995 for dealer delivery $2320 for stamp duty Total = $67820.96 If you want premium package, you need to pay $4500. This is 2022 model price breakdown. 2023 model cost +5000
3:10 Hello??? How can you straight out say it's snappy without any lag if as apparent it''s laggy and it's definitely not and doesnt come even close to being snappy.
Nice looking car, but gee that dicky little gear shifter is a step backwards, especially as the so called freed up space hasn't enhanced practically, just more easy to scratch black plastic.
This interior is a step back IMO. Air vents behind the steering wheel wobble and move loads too! Door panels rattle like mad and turning the volume up only makes this worse. Plastics all over the place. Central touch screen feels cheap and flexes a lot. The seats although comfy and look nice lack serious side bolstering. Feel a little like Tom is an Audi fan as he never really points these issues out.
I’m not an Audi fan. I’ve pointed out dash rattles in many Audi reviews on this channel (see Q7). The simple answer is often the right one: this A3 had no tattles.
