Hey everyone, I'm new to the forum and hope to be a permanent member. I am looking to trade in my Tundra for an A3. My hope is to find a more practical vehicle that is more enjoyable to drive and I don't curse and scream about finding a parking spot that my truck can fit in or about getting 14 mpg.

ANYWAY... I am looking at a 2007 A3, for around $22k, seems to be a good deal and this car is GORGEOUS. My biggest problem that I have is my dog. I have a large German Shepherd, right at 100 lbs, very tall for his breed. He currently sits in the back seat of my truck which is ruining the rear seats. I want a hatchback that will solve this problem, but I noticed that the rear seats of the A3 don't fold completely flat. Does anyone have an A3 and a large dog that they tote around? If not, would someone mind taking a tape measure and measuring two things, the height from the middle of the rear seat while folded down to the roof (the middle in both directions since he won't be standing right on the edge about to fall into my lap) and the distance from the rear door to the back of the front seat. This would be greatly useful for me since I can't really tell how big the back is from pictures.

Thanks in advance!

 

if you know anyone with a mazda3 hatch try to compare. my girlfriend has one and her dog (200+lb mastiff) fit in quite comfortably. sorry i cant offer anything more direct to compare!

 

If you want to put the dog in the back seat, consider one of these (if you want to stay Audi):
http://www.directaudiparts.com/store...cat=256&page=2

Or in the trunk space (pretty small) I think you would need this:

Urg, can't find it. The grate which puts a barrier between the trunk and the rest of the car. Know what I mean?

Hope that helps.

 

I've owned an A3 for a little over 3 years and my 2 Australian Cattle dogs love jumping in the hatchback and going for rides. Buy the car and your Shepherd will appreciate the shorter distance to climb as he/she ages. My dogs are 60lbs or so and though they aren't as tall as your dog, there's plenty of room for the pair of them.
Good luck!

 

For animals, especially pets, you need to be able to take care of them carefully, I think. It is a careful reading of a variety of materials on this topic that can help you here.

 

I used to worry if the dog ran off somewhere far away and I couldn't find him right away. Now everything is much easier when you use gps dog fence system https://pawious.com/en-ca/collection...ess-dog-fences It really makes my life easier and makes my morning walks with my dog very comfortable.

 

Welcome to the forum! It sounds like you’re considering a great upgrade from the Tundra to the A3. I don’t have an A3 myself, but I can definitely share some insights that might help with your decision.

Regarding your German Shepherd and the A3, I understand your concern about the rear seat space. The rear seats in the 2007 A3 do indeed have limited folding capabilities, and the space might not be as accommodating for a large dog compared to a truck. Here are a couple of things you could do:

1. Measure the Space: To get a better idea of the dimensions, you might want to measure the height from the folded rear seat to the roof and the length from the rear door to the back of the front seat. This will give you a clearer picture of whether it will work for your dog. If you can’t measure it yourself, maybe visiting a dealership to check out the car in person could help.
   
2. Consider Alternatives: If the A3 doesn’t seem quite right for accommodating your dog, you might want to look at other hatchbacks or wagons that offer more cargo space and rear seat flexibility. Some models are specifically designed with more cargo room and might suit your needs better.
   

Hope this helps, and good luck with your car search!