Well I got to test drive an A3 (2.0) today and loved it. I also got to learn a little bit more about my taste.

Exterior: I have been drooling over these things for 2yrs now and absolutley love the look of its exterior.

Interior: The interior was almost flawless. The placing of some of the buttons, doodads and whatsits could have been better in my opinion, but the fit and finish were great. I'm not a fan of leather though and that is all they have. The interior was almost too nice. This is such a big step up for me that I almost feel like it is against my down to earth personality to own such luxury. I felt out of place in it.

Open Sky: thought I would love because it is so sharp looking and really makes the car feel larger, however I'm not willing to put up with the fact that there is only a mesh screen to block the sun. Why the hell didn't they make it a solid sliding cover? I bet the car gets hot quickly.

Performance: I love the acceleration you can get with this thing. And the suspension is low and smooth. I felt like I was in a tank and there was no way I could roll.

I am a little frightened at the idea of maintenance costs and insurance on an Audi. Can you take an Audi to any old place to have its oil or brakes changed? Though I can easily afford it, its kind of a hassle for me to get to a certified Audi repair shop.

 

maintenance is super expensive if you go to the audi dealer. I do most of my own maintenance though so it won't bother me too much. If you like the acceleration, you'll be addicted once you start modifying one if you get it. Open sky is nice, but does have its quirks.

 

You won't believe the insurance costs; My insurance ( State Farm) rates the A3 as an economy hatch. I'm paying $750 yearly for myself. My 24 year old daughtere also has an A3, and a not so perfect record- her insurance is $1050 yearly. This is comp, collison , UM., 100/300 - full boat coverage.
Maintenance is no more expensive on these than any other European car, and you won't spend much till it gets older and out of warranty. Any good Euro shop can do the oil and brake work.
If you think the open Sky will be too hot where you are, put an IR rejecting clear tint on it, like Huper or 3M Crystalline. I've done mine, and it's fine here in the very warm Oklahoma summer. However, the black top does make it a bit toasty if parked in the sun for any length of time.

 

It might be partially because people who want a sunroof actually spend more money if there's only a flimsy screen than if it was better designed, getting dealer add-ons like tint or whatever. Thus, the best economic signal you can send if you dislike the sunroof is to not get one (rather than: "get one and then spend more money at the dealership fixing it up").

This may also partially explain why there's still no aux jack in Audis--they're gambling that they'll make more money on their silly iPod connectors if they don't put them in.

Evil, evil...

 

Whoops, forgot to answer this. There is a cloth option for upholstery on the 2.0 (no such luck on the 3.2), though you may have to look around at multiple dealers to find one in stock.

 

Hey gravitron;
Is your "down to earth personality" against surviving a car accident? The A3 is not a lot of flash or 'bling'. Hey - I drink Budweiser - and consider myself down to earth. But, have a taste for German cars. Totally nothing wrong with it. As far as isurance: my company rates it as a station wagon.