A3 2.0T FSI driven
02-08-2007, 02:36 AM
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A3 2.0T FSI driven
Took an Audi A3 2.0 turbo FSI for a test drive last night...
This one was a three-door, with S-Line package which means it gets full leather seats, interior light pack, 18" 5-arm alloys and slightly different front/rear bumper bits.
On a personal level I think the alloys and bumpers contribute to the look of the car, making the look nice and chunky, quite sporty looking, so that gets a good thumbs up from me.
The interior is typically Audi - nice and solid, good quality plastics and easy to understand dials / controls. Also dual-zone climate control which is a massive bonus if like me you're constantly hot while the passenger is constantly cold
Being a 3-door, the seats tilt and slide forward to provide access to the rear - didn't seem too difficult getting into the back.
I was pleasantly surprised when driving the car - it felt nice and solid on the road, although the 'sports' suspension did seem a bit on the solid side so you could feel bumps and the like..
I was really surprised by the engine, however. It's very torquey and willing to rev, without a hint of turbo lag at all. The gearbox felt lovely, sliding into each gear with ease. Obviously the 'throw' of the stick is longer than the S2000, but I didn't have any difficulty in selecting gears.
Didn't get a chance to drive it too hard around the countryside etc., but the couple of roundabouts I did pop it around it felt solid and composed, with minimal roll (unlike my BMW 330d which loves to roll).
All in all, I was quite impressed!
This one was a three-door, with S-Line package which means it gets full leather seats, interior light pack, 18" 5-arm alloys and slightly different front/rear bumper bits.
On a personal level I think the alloys and bumpers contribute to the look of the car, making the look nice and chunky, quite sporty looking, so that gets a good thumbs up from me.
The interior is typically Audi - nice and solid, good quality plastics and easy to understand dials / controls. Also dual-zone climate control which is a massive bonus if like me you're constantly hot while the passenger is constantly cold
Being a 3-door, the seats tilt and slide forward to provide access to the rear - didn't seem too difficult getting into the back.
I was pleasantly surprised when driving the car - it felt nice and solid on the road, although the 'sports' suspension did seem a bit on the solid side so you could feel bumps and the like..
I was really surprised by the engine, however. It's very torquey and willing to rev, without a hint of turbo lag at all. The gearbox felt lovely, sliding into each gear with ease. Obviously the 'throw' of the stick is longer than the S2000, but I didn't have any difficulty in selecting gears.
Didn't get a chance to drive it too hard around the countryside etc., but the couple of roundabouts I did pop it around it felt solid and composed, with minimal roll (unlike my BMW 330d which loves to roll).
All in all, I was quite impressed!
02-09-2007, 01:12 AM
#5
Originally Posted by alex.stanley,Feb 8 2007, 11:36 AM
Took an Audi A3 2.0 turbo FSI for a test drive last night...
This one was a three-door, with S-Line package which means it gets full leather seats, interior light pack, 18" 5-arm alloys and slightly different front/rear bumper bits.
On a personal level I think the alloys and bumpers contribute to the look of the car, making the look nice and chunky, quite sporty looking, so that gets a good thumbs up from me.
The interior is typically Audi - nice and solid, good quality plastics and easy to understand dials / controls. Also dual-zone climate control which is a massive bonus if like me you're constantly hot while the passenger is constantly cold
Being a 3-door, the seats tilt and slide forward to provide access to the rear - didn't seem too difficult getting into the back.
I was pleasantly surprised when driving the car - it felt nice and solid on the road, although the 'sports' suspension did seem a bit on the solid side so you could feel bumps and the like..
I was really surprised by the engine, however. It's very torquey and willing to rev, without a hint of turbo lag at all. The gearbox felt lovely, sliding into each gear with ease. Obviously the 'throw' of the stick is longer than the S2000, but I didn't have any difficulty in selecting gears.
Didn't get a chance to drive it too hard around the countryside etc., but the couple of roundabouts I did pop it around it felt solid and composed, with minimal roll (unlike my BMW 330d which loves to roll).
All in all, I was quite impressed!
This one was a three-door, with S-Line package which means it gets full leather seats, interior light pack, 18" 5-arm alloys and slightly different front/rear bumper bits.
On a personal level I think the alloys and bumpers contribute to the look of the car, making the look nice and chunky, quite sporty looking, so that gets a good thumbs up from me.
The interior is typically Audi - nice and solid, good quality plastics and easy to understand dials / controls. Also dual-zone climate control which is a massive bonus if like me you're constantly hot while the passenger is constantly cold
Being a 3-door, the seats tilt and slide forward to provide access to the rear - didn't seem too difficult getting into the back.
I was pleasantly surprised when driving the car - it felt nice and solid on the road, although the 'sports' suspension did seem a bit on the solid side so you could feel bumps and the like..
I was really surprised by the engine, however. It's very torquey and willing to rev, without a hint of turbo lag at all. The gearbox felt lovely, sliding into each gear with ease. Obviously the 'throw' of the stick is longer than the S2000, but I didn't have any difficulty in selecting gears.
Didn't get a chance to drive it too hard around the countryside etc., but the couple of roundabouts I did pop it around it felt solid and composed, with minimal roll (unlike my BMW 330d which loves to roll).
All in all, I was quite impressed!
02-09-2007, 04:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Nick Graves,Feb 9 2007, 10:12 AM
Well, apart from that deliberately-added heaviness, is it really worth the extra over the Golf?
02-09-2007, 05:15 AM
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Originally Posted by alex.stanley,Feb 9 2007, 01:35 PM
I don't actually think it's any more expensive than the Golf - certainly we considered a Golf GTi and couldn't find any with a similar spec under 22/23k at the time, and the quality of the materials is nowhere near as good as the Audi...
I prefer the look of the A3 and could have got a lower spec version - but went for the Golf as I could get more of the things I wanted.
Yes it is a diesel
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02-09-2007, 07:25 AM
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Originally Posted by alex.stanley,Feb 9 2007, 01:35 PM
I don't actually think it's any more expensive than the Golf - certainly we considered a Golf GTi and couldn't find any with a similar spec under 22/23k at the time, and the quality of the materials is nowhere near as good as the Audi...
If the potential 5 large price difference evaporates that quickly, then I suddenly like the idea!
No I don't - S/H WRXs are
02-09-2007, 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Nick Graves,Feb 9 2007, 04:25 PM
I assume therefore that you were buying secondhand, at which point things are different.
02-09-2007, 07:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Dan Hale,Feb 9 2007, 02:15 PM
I have a Golf, because my company car budget wouldn't get me the equivalent A3.
That said, I heard that VW discount their cars quite heavily for fleet buyers, so frankly I have no idea
