Hey guys its my first post on this forum

I will shortly be purchasing my first car with help from my parents

I was considering a 2010 Audi A3 1.4 TSi Sport

I'm wondering if its
a)A good car to begin with?

b)Gearbox wise should I go for the manual or the S~Tronic?

c)Any nessasary accesorys (parking aids etc)



I understand that I am very lucky to be getting a brand new car and am interested in your replys

 

I dont own one but have read extensively since I am considering getting one soon. I hear wonderful things about the S-Tronic platform. I intend to go that route with a TDI. Good Luck.

 

The A3 is a great car, I prefer the 3 door version over the Sportback though. Note that Audi will be doing a complete model update/change around 2011/2012 I believe.

As far as extra's, the sky is the limit but so is the price for add on's. I drove a couple of A3's (loaners) and did not need parking sensors. These were 3 door TDI (105/140hp) versions so a little shorter I believe over the Sportback. Although for resale, extras like this cannot hurt!

Stronic is defiantly the way to go (from what I have read). Have you checked the TDI's or maybe the 1.8TFSI 160hp? The 1.4TSI is a great engine, but with 125hp and 200nm torque, you may regret not checking out a similar TDI with tons more torque (and less fuel costs). My advise is to take a couple for a test drive and see how they feel.

Good luck!

 

does the US version have parking sensors as an option? i would like that. is the bluetooth capable of a2dp bt stereo streaming from phones and ipods ?

 

No on the parking sensor; you could probably add an aftermarket solution, however. Also, no on the a2dp; according to everything I've read, a2dp is available only with MMI, which rules out the A3. Again, an aftermarket solution is possible -- you could replace the headunit, or Kufatec.com makes a replacement BT module that adds a2dp functionality.

I'm supposed to take delivery on an A3 TDI sometime in the next two weeks or so -- placed the order back in October. Basically, we made some modifications to one of the cars already in the pipeline as part of the dealer's allocation; a couple of production delays pushed the date back a bit.

 

I would very much appreciate your feedback once you get it. I am pretty serious about this car. I would likely love to add a2dp since i know i would use it all the time. I will likely get a fully loaded tdi. I wish i could get quattro also since i am in the mountains of park city utah alot = tons of snow. but i feel the fuel efficiency and all the driving i do calls for a tdi. any chips for this car that are safe ? I wonder how long i will have to wait once i am ready.

 

I am not sure why the US limits its A3's to no Quattro & only 4 door Sportback models. I have seen here in Germany all types of A3's from 1.4T's to S3's with 265hp. Also their TDI's are quite popular here, and most can come as a Quattro. The two I had as loaners were the older 1.9TDI 105hp/250nm torque FWD and a 2.0TDI 140hp/320nm torque Quattro, The 2.0TDI took off like a scalded cat! As far a Quattro, my A4 does not have that either and we have had some serious snow this year (I live in the Mountains) as long as you have good tires and drive sensibly you should be fine.

 

They dont offer it yet i hear bc of the reduction in MPG, getting it approved in the 50 states and the extra weight. that is what i have read. i hope it is a matter of time before they change that but i guess snow tires will have to do.

 

Yes I'm considering the 1.6 TDI however the insurance companys probably won't like a 17 year old behind the wheel of a turbo diesel.

 

The 1.6tdi is a great replacement for the older 1.9tdi. With a few mod's you can have a really nice car. Are you getting the 3door or 5 door SportBack? I like the 3 door version better, it looks more compact and sporty.

Anyways, good luck and enjoy!