Audi A3 Sportback Car Review

HerCar Rating: Model Reviewed Audi A3 Sportback 1.4 litre TFSI   S tronic $39,950* Other models priced from: 1.6 S tronic Attraction $37,200* HerCar 3 word summary Comfortable, economical, versatile

Viewing image 1 of 5

HerCar Review

The Audi A3 Sportback is a compact, classy five-seater that packs a punch well above its weight.  Its good looks and versatility add to the appeal of this car. Bundle in some impressive fuel economy – 5.8l/100km – and the A3 Sportback is sure to be not only a crowd pleaser but easy on the wallet. The 1.4 litre engine is a spritely and responsive performer, delivering generous power through all seven gears. The Sportback is available in 7 different models with varying engines and equipment levels. The 1.9 litre diesel manual is the most fuel efficient prestige car in Australia, sipping on only 4.5 litres. We test drove the 1.4 litre auto with a couple of extra goodies such as leather seats and Parallel Park Assist.

Driver Comfort & Visibility
The strong and sporty exterior style of the A3 is let down by a bland interior. It has a slightly plastic and underdone feel to it. A flaw that you may well forgive in a lesser brand, but for an Audi I was disappointed.  It has all the features –a leather multi-function steering wheel, electric windows and mirrors, eight speakers and MP3 compatibility - but you feel like you’re getting the budget version.  The pensioner grey leather interior of our test car did not help in this regard. This aside, the cabin is very comfortable and surprisingly spacious up front. Visibility is very good through all angles and the A3 is very easy to manoeuvre thanks to very light, yet responsive steering.

Catering for up to five passengers, the A3 Sportback is a much more comfortable proposition with only four occupants.  The leather seats (which are extra $$) are nicely contoured and the manual seats are easily adjusted.

The A3 is a pleasure to drive and at the end of a week’s road test, I no longer noticed the previously deemed ‘bland’ interior. The drive experience and overall package was strong and appealing. Maybe first impressions are not so important after all.

Safety
Safety is well covered with a full suite of airbags – driver and front passenger front and side airbags plus curtain airbags front to rear. There is also ESP, ABS, ASR and EDL. If you want even more stability, opt for the 2.0 litre Quattro model-Audi’s brilliant all wheel drive technology.

Storage
In cabin storage is reasonable, albeit mostly made up of small storage spots. It’s a small car after all. The hatch is easy to open and close and access is simple thanks to a large opening. Four anchor points and two bag hooks make safe storage easy. The 60/40 split fold seats flip forward easily to increase this already large boot space.

Kids’ Comfort
Passengers in the rear row are not that well catered to. There’s an ashtray and a small centre storage hole, but no back of seat pockets, no cup holders and no air vents. It’s a little sparse and boring back there. Good visibility and a light, airy cabin will make up for some of the disappointment of being shoved into the back seat. Two passengers will fit very comfortably. Squeezing three in there will mean you might be a little close for comfort.

Green Factor
The A3 Sportback is quite the eco hero. Returning a combined fuel consumption of 5.8l/100km and a Greenhouse rating of 8/10, this car will be easy on your wallet and the environment. But, if you’re after a real bowser wowser then go for the 1.9 diesel. It can do 100kms combined city/highway driving on only 4.5 litres!

Parallel Park Assist

Our test car was fitted with Parallel Park Assist – an option priced at $1,750. At first, to use this function this feels so wrong. But after you overcome your trust issues, this is a wonderful and handy feature. To activate Parallel Park Assist, press a button on the centre console and slowly drive past potential parking spots. The Parallel Park Assist function will notify you when it deems a spot suitable, via a visual display. At this time you take your hands off the wheel (the ‘so wrong’ part), place the car in reverse and accelerate very slowly as the car does all the steering. Beeps and visual display notify you when the process is complete. Parallel parking has never been so much fun.

Parallel Park Assist does mean that you may lose your ability to parallel park ever again. Assuming you ever could.

Overall View
The A3 Sportback is a versatile, economical, stylish hatch. With the ability to handle a variety of lifestyle demands, this car is quite the surprise package and a worthy contender in the small car/family car segment.

Test Drive Tips
If you’re worried about the capability of a 1.4litre engine, put this car through its paces and worry no more.

Features of Model Reviewed

* Excludes on road costs

# All new vehicles sold in Australia (up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle mass) are tested to determine the level of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (Greenhouse rating), which are displayed on the fuel consumption label attached to the windscreen of the car. The Green Vehicle Guide rating combines the Greenhouse Rating and Air Pollution Rating and awards a star. 5 stars is the best rating.  For more information, click here.
Information is correct at the time of the review. Please check with your local Audi dealer for the most recent information.

Review Date: February 2009

Reviewed By: Nadine Armstrong