Audi A3 Hatchback 2003-2008

The Audi A3 is a small compact family car that is mechanically similar to the VW Golf. However as it's an Audi you are paying for the brand name as well as the increased refinement. This makes it more expensive than the golf with fewer extras to show for your money. However it is superbly constructed due to the Germans fanatical attention to detail with any faults seen as being unacceptable.

Pros and Cons:

• Wide choices of engines with excellent fuel economy on most
  Sharp handling and excellent road grip
  Superior quality interiors and design

• 2.0-litre TDI engine suffers with oil pump problem
  Wiper motor failure is common in all the models
  Don't get much more with your money compared to rivals

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Exterior and Interior

The Audi A3 is a good looking compact vehicle which has been designed to please the masses. The styling may be seen as superior to some of its competitors and with a wide range of trim levels the owner will be able to style the car to their choice.

The A3 is also very generous up front with plenty of room for the passenger and excellent support from the chairs. The back seats are spacious enough if a little hard to get into on the three door versions. The boot comes with 350 litres of space that in this size of car is typical but which increases to 1100 litres when the split-folding rear seats are lowered. Thanks to the small turning circle the car is also very easy to park in tight spaces.

Audi has put safety high on its priority list with the A3 receiving a safety rating of 4 out of 5 by Euro NCAP. The A3 comes kitted out with ABS, power steering, front and side airbags, traction control and an extremely strong body which all help to keep the occupants safe.

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Engines

The A3 comes with the option of 5 petrol engines and three diesel engines ranging from the slow 1.6-litre, 100bhp, petrol to the 3.2-litre V6 producing 236bhp. The Diesel engines include a 1.9-litre TDI generating 105bhp and a 2.0-litre TDI producing either 140bhp or 170bhp.

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Performance and Economy

The 1.9 was replaced in 2009 by the 1.6-litre TDI which runs a lot smoother and quieter and gets from 0-62 in the same 11.4 seconds. It also gets an impressive 69mpg, 14mpg more than the 1.9. Out of the petrol engines the 1.6-litre FSI is probably the most enjoyable all rounder which offers excellent mpg levels and is fast enough to keep most people happy. Audi's quatro four wheel drive system comes as standard on the 3.2 V6 and is a further option on both the 2.0-litre diesel and turbo charged petrol engines. The A3 comes with a 5 speed manual gearbox in most of the cars with the top of the range vehicles coming with a 6 speed gearbox. There is also the option of an automatic which takes the strain out of urban driving but which have had a few reports of being jerky.

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What it's like to Drive

The ride in the A3 is extremely smooth with only the worst of the bumps being noticeable. There is good grip and body control in the corners but the steering can feel a bit soft with not much feeling coming back to the driver. The gear changes are also exceptionally smooth especially when travelling at higher speeds such as on motorways. The A3 comes with 4 trim levels to choose from with extras including climate control, air conditioning, cruise control and parking sensors.

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Faults and Repairs

The build quality of the A3 is superb and with the proper care and regular servicing it should never give you any significant problems. However the automatic gearbox has proven to be jumpy in some vehicles with dealers being unable to improve it. The seats found in the Sports model are very hard and are not suitable for long journeys unless you are will to swap style for comfort. There have also been reports of some 2004 diesel models suffering with leaky fuel pumps but these were recalled so when purchasing just make sure that if it was one of these models it was taken in for repairs.

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