Just thought I would throw this in here in case VW AG surfs the net....

The GTI steering wheel is meaty, flat bottomed, has thumb indents and looks and feels cool....the A3's is a tad wimpy.
Please try to upgrade the A3 steering wheel to match the GTI's wheel. The steering wheel is one of the few items in a car you can't skimp on...drivers touch it the entire time they drive their cars...

Although the audio controls on the A3 wheel are better than the GTI's.

My $.02 after test driving both cars the other day.

 

I am in 100% agreement. Audi should model their A3 S-Line steering wheel to be identical to the GTI except with Audi badging and the current Audi audio controls. Good post.

 

I prefer the A3 steering wheel rather then the GTI's.

The GTI steering wheel looks a bit child-like. If I was perhaps in my teens it would suit me well, but overall the A3's steering wheel is more sophisticated, classy, but yet still sporty.

 

I'm 41 and I guess I am biased towards the GTI wheel because my former car was an 2004 BMW 330i ZHP. That car had the M steering wheel which is thicker with thumb indents. Alcantara, too vs, leather.
I would be fine with the A3 wheel if they would just thicken it a bit.

 

I'm comming from an IS300 without the audio steering wheel controls... and am much happier with it so no complaints here...

I have never actually driven the GTI though so I can't comment on the feel of the wheel, but just based on the looks it does look meaty (width wise) but also looks skimpy (from a diameter prespective)

 

Funny how one of the first things I noticed about the 07 A3 I test-drove was how nice the steering wheel felt. This coming from 12 years in a '96 Volvo 960, and before that several more in an '83 Chevrolet Malibu. I guess I've been deprived all my life, and not even known it!