I'm on the market for a new car and just recently came across the A3. I currently own an Acura TL, so i'm not looking to downgrade, obviously.

This is the first time i've really seen or heard about the A3, and I think i'm in love. Once optioned, the A4is not worth the money compared to a G35, TL, etc., so an A3 seems to be a cheaper alternative, am I assuming correctly?

I've been in the Honda/Acura family since my first car, so i'm a little skeptical of going to the "dark side". Would an A3 be reliable enough for me? Expensive to fix? I love the AWD, styling and performance of this car, but i'm shooting for a car tolast at least 150k without burning a hole in my pocket. Is this the right car for me, please say yes!

 

Well I have a buddy with a new 2007 TL with the larger engine (sucks 26MPG on the freeway), and he likes the A3 ride and interior. Granted the TL has a voice commanded nav and rear view parking video camera, sadly the TL seems to gone the route of bigger engine and heavier car, where as the A3 is still very nimble and sporty compared to the recent TL's. The recent sport back version of the A3 has been pretty free of problems, aside from some early 2006 production problems with side airbags issue, and open sky problems, and a few radios that had problems. For the 2007-year there have been very few complaints from any A3 owner regarding reliability, most owners love their A3's. The 2.0T FWD offers very good mileage and performance with a stick, and slightly better with DSG transmission (6.7 secs 0-60 mp/h and 25/31 versus 25/32 MPG EPA). The 3.2 V6 offers Quattro 4 wheel drive, a bit faster and a great ride with slightly less milage (5.9 secs 0-60 mp/h and 21/29 MPG EPA). One complaint I have with current TL's is that they offer a small trunk and the fact you can't fold down the rear seats for increased storage. The A3 sport back is more versatile with it being a hatchback for my usage. I should add the fit and finish of the Audi A3 is clearly not a cheaper alternative to a TL, and the interior appearance with the upgraded sound system will put your mind at ease. All you have to do is test drive a Audi A3 a few times and you will see why they are gaining in popularity! [sm=type.gif]

 

My friend had a 2004 (?) TL. it was nice and confy. Very nice navigation sys, but he used to call his car "the boat". the A3 is very nimble and fast. i agree with John, the fit and finishof the A3 is superior (my other friend has a TSX and there is no comparisson).
Test drive one and you wont regret it.

 

If you are going to use it for a daily drive to work, you'll love the A3 its performance is outstanding, are you talking 2.0 turbo or the 6 cyl. ?

If your into modding2.0 fsi is the way to go.
Let me not forget to mention the dsg tranny its amazing.
good luck.[8D]

 

Personally, the two cars may be close in "class", but they are two totally different breeds. If you want good reliability with very little effort, a decent car to drive and a reasonable interior, then the TL isn't a bad choice. If you are a car enthusiast who truly enjoys driving your car, doesn't have a problem keeping up a faithful maintenence schedule, and loves a classy interior, and excellent performance, then the A3 is for you. My best suggestion is to drive both and make up your own mind.

Cheers!

 

I just bought my A3 last week... and after painfully analyzing every car on the market... the A3 won hands down as far as price/performance/looks/ and economy.

 

The A3 seems like the car for me. My TL isn't the most exciting car to drive, but I do love the luxurious feel. I am dissappointed the Quattro only comes in an automatic, I desperately need to go back to a stick-shift. After fully optioned the A3 is around 35k, should I expect to pay this much? Seems like a lot for 200hp FWD, when the TL is at 258hp for 33k.

But I am looking for a car that makes me smile every time I drive, and I do drive a lot, around 25k a year.I always perform regular maintanence on my cars...should I expect to get a lot of miles out of the A3 with regular maintanence, or will I expect to have transmission failure or engine failure at a certain mileage regardless?

My 2 Accords and TL have never let me down, each going to 200k without a problem, but I need a little more excitement.

 

Markie,

Did you test drive the car yet? IMO the DSG tranny is unbelievable... you can still control the power of the car with the shifter paddles and/or steptronic gear shifter. Since you live in MA I would definitley go with the quattro. Unfortunatley that means getting the 3.2L engine... but if you want convincing then the car will do the talkin.

p.s. Audi is having a special 4.9% financing right now. (60 mtnhs) if you compare the same loan to a say.. a 6.5% loan you will be saving a good amount!

 

IMO, the A3 is not cheap. A fully loaded 3.2 will cost more than a reasonably equiped A4 2.0T. It is also quite a bit smaller than your old TL, especially the back seats. Having said that, it is definitely more fun to drive. As the poster above mentioned, you should give the DSG a test drive before throwing thatoption out the window. It's not your regular "tiptronic".

AWD is nice, but if you don't live up North, FWD is very sufficient. Even if it snows, a good set of winter tires will out perform having AWD alone. So if you want the manual, go with the 2.0T, you will not be disappointed.

 

Hi GrandMarkie-

If you're going to operate the vehicle into the 200,000 km/125,000 mile range, I would suggest the normally-aspirated 3.2 liter, V6 powerplant. Turbos are very nice when new, but there is no replacement for displacement as engines age. AWD is the bonus.

~ Blue Jays ~