Latest arrival: The Audi A3
The A3 is one of Audi's big sellers and this new model has been some years in the making. So we're running one for six months to see if it lives up to the hype.
Date: 1 November 2012 | Current mileage: 460 | Claimed economy: 68.9mpg | Actual economy: 51mpg
My latest car is a new Audi A3. Why? Because this A3 is so much more than a premium hatch, it's the first of an entire generation of new mid-size cars from Volkswagen Group that all built using a large proportion of shared components. After the A3 comes the Volkswagen Golf, SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia. After that there could be as many as 60 different models on the same platform
So this A3 is rather a big deal. Not least because the previous model was launched back in 2003 and, despite being comprehensively facelifted in 2008, it felt stale when compared to the BMW 1 Series. Plus, with the first Mercedes-Benz A-Class models hitting showrooms right now, its timing couldn't have been better.
We've gone for the 2.0-litre TDI with 150PS. I reckon my mileage will justify running a diesel, though I'm sceptical about the claimed economy. 68.9mpg? I'll believe it when I see it. Realistically, I'm hoping for 55mpg (although hopefully higher), though I'll be interetsed to see how this compares to readers submitting readings for our Real MPG section. Who knows, I might be pleasantly surprised.
I've driven this engine a few times and economy aside, this four-cylinder is a great all-rounder. It's incredibly refined, making motorway cruising a breeze, while the wide power band is great for a back road blast. There's a pleasant wave of power as the turbo kicks-in, it's the kind of sensation that keeps buyers coming back for diesel. The performance figures show that this A3 doesn't hang about - 0-62mph arrives in just 8.6 seconds and it's capable - on paper at least - of 134mph. Though I'm unlikely to see that...
What I am likely to see is a lot of the interior - so it's just as well that I think it's one of the best in the business. There's a lot of attention to detail and to the comprehensive Sport specification (which around a third of all buyers opt for) I've added 18-inch ‘5-arm dynamic’ design part-polished alloy wheels (£595), the Technology pack (including HDD-based MMI Satellite Navigation Plus and MMI Touch costing £1495), an auto-dimming rear-view mirror with light and rain sensor package (£395), xenon plus headlights (£750), Storage and luggage package (£145), Interior lighting package (£225), tyre pressure monitor warning system, (£75), Audi parking system plus, front and rear with selective display (£595) and the Audi sound system (£255).
That means it's not cheap, coming in at £22,085 before options and £28,580 after. It will be interesting to see how that compares with similar Volkswagen and SEAT models and to see if the old saying is true: you get what you pay for.
Three doors good, five doors better?
There's a five-door A3 Sportback arriving in Audi showrooms early next year, which got me thinking: should you go for three or five doors?
Date: 22 November 2012 | Current mileage: 721 | Claimed economy: 68.9mpg | Actual economy: 51mpg
So within days of taking delivery of my A3, I was behind the wheel of the new five-door A3 Sportback, due on sale in the UK early next year. Here's the full A3 Sportback road test, but I thought I'd also put down a few thoughts for those who may be torn between three and five doors. Should you go for the smart, but compact three-door or pay an extra £620 for the five-door Sportback?
 |
 |
Children could be the deal-breaker (or maker), as the Sportback is a significantly better option. One of the grumbles that I have with my A3 is that access to the rear is a bit tight. It's not a problem for me, as there's rarely more than two people in the car and the back seats tend to be used to lay coats on. In fact poor rear access is more of a failing of most three-door cars rather than the A3, but it's svelte shape doesn't do it favours. I don't have kids, but I can see that fitting a child seat in the back would require some contortion.
With extra side doors, the Sportback makes that much easier. At 365 litres, the boot on the standard three-door A3 isn't brilliant, either. That kind of volume is good for a couple and can swallow their weekly shop, but is rather on the small side for a family. The Sportback makes a better case for families with 380 litres of boot space with the seats up (that's 10 more than the old model) and 1220 litres with the seats folded down. Other nods to enhanced practicality inlcude hooks, tie-down and a reversible boot mat for muckier loads.
Boot of my A3 Sportback
Boot of the A3 Sportback
Another drawback is that the arrival of engines is staggered, with some arriving after they've been in the Sportback first. Although 1.4 TFSI (122PS), 1.8 TFSI (180PS) and the 2.0-litre diesel (150PS, the same as my three-door) are there from launch in March 2013, the 1.6-litre TDI with 99g/km CO2 doesn't arrive until May 2013. Summer sees the introduction of the 1.4 TFSI Cylinder on Demand engine with 140PS and quattro models - again behind three-door models.
The end of in-car CD players starts here
One thing that struck me about the A3 is just how hidden the CD player is. Does this mark the beginning of the end for the in-car CD player?
Date: 13 March 2013 | Current mileage: 1154 | Claimed economy: 68.9mpg | Actual economy: 52mpg
Is there anything that strikes you as particularly odd about the dash of my A3? No? Take a closer look...
There's no CD player.
It's the first time that I've seen a car of this size without one and it hints at what's just around the corner for all of us. It hasn't gone completely of course, but it has been relegated to the glovebox, which means it can't really be used when you're on the move.
But why would you want to anyway? In this A3 you're spoilt for choice when it comes to audio options. Up against dual SD cards, iPod connectivity, USB memory stick compatibility and a hefty 10GB of built-in storage, the humble CD player does seem pretty archaic. It make me think that we're on the verge of a technological change on the scale of when cassette players started to disappear in the mid-1990s.
Ford has been going down this route for quite a while now. Back in 2011 it said: “In-car entertainment technology is moving digital more rapidly than almost any other element of the vehicle experience. The in-car CD player – much like pay telephones – is destined to fade away in the face of exciting new technology.” Ford is yet to banish the in-dash CD player from any of its mainstream models, but with a facelift of the Focus due in 18 months or so, it may be just around the corner.
It's good to see car makers catching up with the pace of progress in the wider consumer electronics industry. It's easy to forget that cassette players were still relatively common in the early 2000s and it wasn't until 2006 that they were phased out for good. There was a time when it felt as though car makers - with their seven year product cycles - were being left behind by electronics manufacturers who replace or upgrade products every 12 to 18 months.
Early ways to integrate iPods and MP3 players were clunky and felt like an afterthought. Aux-in meant that you still had to change tracks via the player itself (dangerous on the move), while early iPod integration was often a confusing and expensive system. Recent years has seen the rise of built-in USB. This not only means that you can play MP3 files direct from a USB stick, but also - as is the case in the Fiat 500 - record details about the car's fuel consumption and how you've been driving. And as mobile phones have moved to standardised micro USB charging, owners have been able to charge via the USB point without the clumsy 12v cigar lighter chargers.
Back to the A3 and its high tech wizardry. It's an easy system to use and has evidently benefitted from years of evolution on larger Audi models. The MMS system uses a mixture of buttons and screen-based menus. I find it more intuitive than systems that are predominantly on-screen. Main functions (i.e choosing audio) are controlled by buttons, while sub-features (choosing an audio source for example) are chosen by a carousel menu. On the move this can be done by steering wheel-mounted controls and a colour screen between the dials gives details of audio tracks or sat nav directions, so you don't need to look across at the main screen.
It's not all good news though, as there's one glaring omission and that's the availability of DAB radio. It's especially surprising when cheaper stable mates SEAT and Volkswagen offer it as standard on almost all models in their ranges. On the A3, it's a whopping £305 option, which seems a bit on the steep side. It can only be a matter of time before it's a feature that's offered as standard - watch this space.
