So my 2001 Bmw 530i got totaled[] Some fool took a right hand turn from the left lane while the light was green. The car in front of me stopped.. I slammed my brakes but not soon enough and hit the person in front of me. There isa saying: "One fool makes many". Of course he took off and although an independent witness got his license plate it looks like I am going to get screwed. So thanks Black Lexus SUV you !##$

Anyways... I need a new car and I was thinking of getting an 07 A3 2.0T with the S-Line package in Lava Grey with black interior. What do you guys think? Should I get the manual or the auto tranny? Does it really matter? I had steptronic in my beamer and probably 75% of the time I had it in manual mode. Is there anything I should know about the A3?

 

Popular color. Seriously test drive a stick versus a DSG model of the A3 2.0T. The DSG shifting is way smoother then BMW steptronic, you'll see when you test drive one. The A3 will also have paddles on your steering wheel with either premium or s-line packages. See which combo of packages works for you (interior design, functions, power drivers seats versus sports seats).

 

hmm.... 07 2.0T s-line in lava gray / black? sounds awfully familiar....almost like i have the exact same car. Mine's manual, i droveboth, and after a while the DSG as great as it is, is still just a fancy automatic. I'd rather shift for myself, and a good chunk of the fun of manual is having a clutch(for me anyway).

 

You'll find that the A3 is a bit smaller than your 530, but the engine will be much more powerful, especially with just a chip. The bimmer will feel a bit more solid and larger, but the A3 will hold its own very well and you'll fall in love with the car. I suggest the S-line, then DSG or Manual based on your preference, since both are dynamite.

Welcome to the club!

Cheers!

 

Steptronic is way, way smoother than the DSG. The 3.0 in your 5er put out 225hp/ 214 tq. Compared to the A3's 2.0T with 200hp/207tq. The real difference will be the lighter weight of the A3 v. the bimmer. The bimmer is better balanced, but for a fwd car, the A3 S-Line is not bad. In certain circumstances, my '01 325i will understeer more than the A3. Also, surprisingly, the steering feel is pretty good for a front wheel driver.

Immediately off the line, the bimmer is smoother andhas a better engine sound and feels slightly quicker.Interestingly, in the E46 anyway, is that the A3DSG is about a second faster 0-60.But the 2.0T has better punch after 2k rpm. Idle is muchbetter in the bimmer too. The DSG exhaust sound as it shifts is simply addicting.

The 5er is a full step and half above the A3.

 

Hmmm. What is it with Lexus drivers? This is not the first Lexus story I had the displeasure of reading about - bike forums in particular seem to reference them quite a bit.
But, on to business.
Raslion - I went froma '99 540i to an '06 A3 and love it. But, I'm not that tall - you may want to go and test drive one first. On those few situations that I need to have the wife and kids in there - we are not pinched for space. In my hubble opinion - the A3 is more fun to drive than my former babe. It's smaller - therefore more nimble and it just fell quicker. Though when we start talking about the upper reaches of the speedometer - the 540 would be where my money went.
One of the reason's why I went with the A3 over an A4 is because of the hatch. The trunk on the 5' used to infuriate me when I would make stops at the home improvement mega-giant and would not be able to maneuver my purchase into the trunk.And I also did not want to spend the kind of money they wanted for an equivelantly equiped A4 Avant. The 330i / 325i wagons were also options. Gas mileage was a heavy consideration - since we had to balance out the suburban assault vehicle's gas indulgence.