audi a3 tdi

[GnomadAK]

Originally Posted by LRPct

Lol.. the fwd a3 tdi feels more like the VWGolf that it IS. Even the awd feels nothing like a rwd BMW. Even though it has decent overall cargo room because of the hatch and fold down seats its still a very tiny car overall in which only midget legs could fit in the rear seats. .

My 5'11" 200 lb ass spent some time in the back of the A3 so the bride and her daughter could have some time together without shouting from the back seat, and I was fine. Plenty of leg room and head room.

I'd think about buying one but nobody gives up their tdi A3 around here.

The final mileage figures came in at 54.4 US MPG, converted from 89 liters of fuel and 1281 miles. Basically, 2 tanks of fuel and neither one went below a quarter tank. The car ran through the crowded cities, hills around north Yorkshire, up the hill coming out of Whitby, along the motorway at 70 to 80, with plenty of power. We likely could have gotten more mpg's but we turned off the annoying stop/start feature.

The gummint wants the new CAFE standard to be 54.5 and nobody can imagine how we get there? Oh wait, we're already there!

[Brian_M]

On a whim the wife and I test drove a 2011 S-line A3 TDI today. My thoughts are that it Really doesn't look/feel any better inside (more "upscale") than my 2001 Jetta TDI. Actually, the Jetta seats may be higher quality (both were leather, Jetta has heated seats). I thought there'd be more of a perceived quality difference... not a big deal though because I *like* the interiors of both cars (minus that 'soft-touch' plastic coating that inevitably peels like a sunburned leper with the worst case of psoriasis know). Odd/annoying that there's no convenient 12vdc outlet on the dash for a GPS, you have to go under the armrest.

My wife and I tested out the rear room and she absolutely had more in the A3 when I was driving (I'm 6'4", 34" inseam), and I fit Comfortably behind her when she was driving. The same can't be said for our Jetta, and that fits with the stock numbers. That front passenger seat is WAY more roomy than our Jetta too. Couldn't be happier there.

The only real major fail is the transmission. I haven't driven a slush-box in a Long time, and it sure was slushy. rolling up to a hill, apply throttle....apply More throttle... apply MORE throttle, have the power surge on. Maybe one could learn to drive that thing smoothly but it was a rotten egg in our test drive. Even my wife noticed it and she's very much less tuned into those kinds of things. Annoying beyond belief that one can't even buy a manual in the States.

Looking more and more like we're going to have to ditch diesel (boo! I love knowing that when I turn 400 miles, at the 1/2 full point, I'm still 400 miles from running out ~ on a 17gal tank) to get a sporty looking hatch with manual. But, it's not my final say in the vehicle since my wife makes the lions share of the income in my house. Good thing she's wanting to wait a few years before buying something, maybe that MKVII GTD will end up over here (in manual), or Mazda will bring in that sexy looking 3-wagon in a manual diesel. Don't think BMW/MB are in the cards and the Cruze is a fail from the design and ergonomic standpoint.

[uscgto]

I know old thread, but the new A3 Tdi is slated to be launched with an even better engine in couple weeks.