Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £15,265 to £26,525
Looks smart, nice cabin, well-built, economical.
Expensive, poor rearward visibility, small boot, not terribly sporting.
Desirable but pricey. Justified by its good road manners and strong resale values.
The 1.4 TFSI lacks air conditioning in standard-spec form - pretty poor, in a car this expensive - and even metallic paint is an extra-cost option. You do get electric/heated door mirrors and heat-reflecting windscreen, though.
SE and S line models are better-equipped, though the prices soon mount up near the £20,000 mark once you start adding satellite navigation, an upgraded stereo and so on.
As with the other A3 models, the 1.4 TFSI has comfortable, well-shaped seats which prove supportive on long journeys. The ride can be firm, depending on the wheel/tyre combinations, but the A3 is generally smooth and quiet in most road conditions.
It's not the roomiest car in the sector, with front kneeroom quite tight for longer-legged drivers and a narrow rear cabin section - it'll be a squeeze for three rear rear-seat occupants, and rear headroom is not generous, either. The boot is narrow and not very long, though the split/folding rear seats do help load capacity, and it is quite deep - instead of a spare wheel, you get a puncture repair kit. There's enough space for oddments, with cupholders, a large glovebox and door pockets.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Audi A3
wrote on 18 05 2007
wrote on 07 10 2006
wrote on 09 06 2006