Category: Small Family 
Price Range: £15,265 to £26,525
High-quality interior, lower CO2 emissions.
Premium price for a premium car, magnetic ride system has to be used wisely.
A few nips here, a few tucks there, and the refreshed A3 is now better than ever.
The A3 comes with a choice of seven engines, four petrol and three diesel.
The petrol range comprises a 100bhp 1.6-litre unit, and three with a turbocharger and direct injection - a 1.4-litre TFSI generating 123bhp, a 1.8 TFSI (158bhp) and a 197bhp 2.0-litre TFSI engine.
The three diesels are a highly efficient 1.9 TDIe that produces 103bhp and just 119g/km of CO2, plus two versions of a new 2.0-litre TDI engine with common-rail piezo injection that debuted in the new A4, generating 138bhp and 167bhp.
We tested the 2.0 TFSI and the 2.0 TDI engines at launch and found that both provided very strong performance. The petrol unit is smooth and quiet, but produces plenty of power on all types of road. Acceleration is potent, whether from a standing start or when required for overtaking on motorways, with plenty of power on tap in-gear.
The 2.0 TDI is also refined and powerful, with lots of mid-range torque available, making it an accomplished cruiser.
Although it's not the machine for a driving enthusiast - for that you'll have to stump up over £27K for the new S3 - the A3 is a very capable car on the road and will be popular with buyers for whom driving dynamics isn't a primary consideration. That said, it handles well, the steering is direct and accurate and it holds the road well, with plenty of mechanical grip keeping you feeling safe and secure.
The ride is also a plus point, thanks to a MacPherson strut system at the front and four-link rear suspension. However, on selected models there's also the option of Audi's magnetic ride system, which enables the driver to change the damper settings at the touch of a button. The standard Normal setting provides a supple, compliant ride, which firms up when the Sport setting is selected. There's an immediate, identifiable difference and on twisting, bendy roads it works well. However, when we switched it on when driving on a poorly-surfaced motorway, it did make the ride somewhat jittery. The lesson we learned is that it has to be used in conjunction with road conditions for best effect.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Audi A3
wrote on 18 05 2007
wrote on 07 10 2006
wrote on 09 06 2006