Audi has released the pricing for the 2009 A3, which I’m comfortable saying is one of the most under-appreciated cars in the U.S. Or one of the most overpriced. Audi’s set pricing at $26,920 for the front-wheel-drive, six-speed manual model equipped with the 2.0T. The top of the line 3.2-liter Quattro variant comes in at $36,975. For the first time for American A3 buyers, the 2.0T is available with Quattro AWD– the first genuinely good reason I’ve heard to buy an Audi A3 rather than a VW GTI. Well, that and the better interior, more prestigious logo, and so on. The A3 2.0T Quattro with S-Tronic (that’s DSG in VW-speak) will weigh-in at $28,400. Leather seats become standard on all A3s. Audi is not offering a Quattro version of the A3 with a manual transmission, meaning many of you will likely say “deal breaker.” But it’s not because Audi hates you. Audi PR manager Christian Bokich tells me:
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This is a tough one where we have to balance personal tastes with business numbers. Automatics are 85+% of our mixes of every engine in most cases of regular models (S/RS excluded), so we can usually bring in one combination of an engine/transmission/drivetrain. S tronic meets business needs because of its sporty nature. Regardless of our personal tastes and desires, we are faced with such difficult decisions every day and make the best of them and we’re convinced this is the best balance for the customer. Keep in mind it costs tens of millions to homologate each of these combos just for the USA (even with world engines), so that might help illustrate why we only can bring in one combination, which is better than not bringing them at all. Our AUDI AG colleagues really do bend over backwards for us, I’m glad to report.
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Audi is also “considering” selling the A3 TDI in North America. If they offer an A3 Quattro TDI, I’ll be buying one used in a couple of years.
http://www.fourtitude.com/news/publish/Audi_News/article_4286.shtml
@brettc:
Based completely on my imagination, I can’t see the TDI A3 happening in the US any time soon. The A3 is just way too low-volume a car for them. VW wouldn’t even sell us a Golf/Rabbit TDI. Only the Jetta and Jetta wagon. Between those and the upcoming A4 3.0 TDI, I think VWoA will say they have all the bases covered that they want to have covered.
Leather seats become standard on all A3s.
That’s too bad, as far as I’m concerned. Cloth doesn’t burn your ass in the summer, and helps you stay in your seat in the twisties.
As manual goes, VW’s DSG makes you forget all about it, really, and the quattro+DSG comba, at $1400, seems like a pretty good deal. I wonder what the weight difference is between Quattro and FWD.
Oh, and for a long time, I couldn’t see any A3s, but they seem to sell pretty well now in Northern NJ. Maybe some Americans are warming up to the concept of compact luxury. And it’s not as if the current A4 was any roomier…
I guess offering leather for the same price that they’ve previously offered cloth is a good value proposition…but I would also have liked to see a cheaper cloth option, as well. So ditto AKM.
Should be a nice car choice in a couple of years, once it has depreciated to the same level as a similar VW ;)
@AKM:
I agree. The lack of cloth seat options really grinds my gears…
Justin
Help me out…and don’t laugh…someone once said there isn’t a stupid question, only stupid answers.
But why would someone buy the A3 over the Speed3?
This has always been a really hard question for me.
I really love both cars, but the miser in me keeps telling me the Speed3 is by far the smarter choice.
This in both performance and value.
So, other than the resale rench everybody keeps throwing into my thinking, the Speed3 keeps winning.
The reason I never pay attention to resale is I have never sold a car of mine.
Most, if not all, if still running are in the hands of relatives and college students somewhere.
Please give me your opinion.
Thanks.
@ppelico:
I think they are just very different cars for different consumers.
A3 has quattro available (some people insist on AWD).
A3 has an automatic available, speed3 does not.
Image. The A3 is an Audi. The Speed3 is a Mazda. This matters to some people. Also, some people think the speed3 is a “boy racer” car – in other words, it’s a rice rocket etc.
The 6-spd manual in Audis (A3/A4) combined with the drive-by-wire accelerator is awful matchup, no loss to not have one in the 2.0 quattro.
I see very little overlap between Speed3 and A3. Maybe 10% cross-shopping at best.
It’s probably higher among GTI shoppers, but only because of the platform sharing. The overall design, fit, finish, and interior of the A3 is head and shoulders above the Mazda3, by most measures.
And since image/style is the single biggest factor in car purchasing, just ask anyone over the age of 30 which vehicle they’d prefer when taking the boss out to lunch? It’s those little intangibles that even keep Audi afloat next to platform-mates from VW that cost less.
After seeing the three door A3 versions in Europe, my A3 desire for the 5 doors we have here left me. Much nicer design.
Thanks, everybody.
Image.
I forgot about that.
Not much for image when discussing cars.
But the quatro and the auto and the interior are all important features I will revisit.
But the fit and finish…I am not really sold on that.
The spped3 ranks umong the very best.
But thanks everybody for the thoughts.
I wonder how much Canadian pricing will be…? I’m bracing myself for a $5000+ sticker price bump.
@MikeInCanada:
Just buy it in Buffalo. Who needs a warranty? Oh wait, it’s an Audi…
Wow, those prices are cheap compared to what they sell that car for up here in Canada. I’m jealous.
I’m also disappointed about the lack of a stick with quattro (assuming they do that in Canada too), because that was actually the combination I was thinking of going for next time ’round.
MikeInCanada: The local dealer told me that the 2.0T will top out at $52k when fully loaded up here.
@ AKM:
Have you driven the DSG and manual versions of the A3? I did, and while it’s a great automatic, the connection is still lost without the stick.
Great car, though.
ppellico:
It’s a matter of interior aesthetics and general feel. The Mazda is nice, but doesn’t have an upscale look or feel. The related Volvo does, but then it costs about the same as the A3.
So far, the repair rates on these have been about average, based on TrueDelta’s survey:
http://www.truedelta.com/latest_results.php
The most common problem: an easily broken clip in the optional sunroof. I believe it’s been redesigned.
I’ll get these prices into the database soon. Currently bogged down some much needed infrastructure upgrades…
I drove a manual A3 and a DSG GTi. While I love manuals, I was really impressed by the DSG. And given that I commute on a busy road, I’m tempted to go manumatic…
@AKM:
That’s why I did. I was going from the burbs to Manhattan, five days a week, frequently during rush hour (though rush hour runs from 5 AM -10 AM and 2PM to 9 PM in NYC). The DSG gives 75% of the fun of a manual with 0% of the left leg misery.
I just find driving stick in heavy traffic every single day unbearable. I’m sure others disagree.
The A3 will stay an insanely low volume car as long as it’s priced essentially the same as the A4 and competes with BMW and Lexus. OK, the A4 isn’t much bigger, but it IS bigger and it’s the same price! Very few people appreciate paying more to get less, and the A3 is just less than it’s competitors. For a FWD wagon I’d take the MS3 or Jetta (especially the TDI!) over the A3 any day, and save money to boot. And if I need AWD and 6 cylinders I can get a barely-used 325xi wagon and have twice as much car for the money… far better handling, same (if not better) mileage, and for more “prestige” – for those who care about that stuff.
The top of the premium hatch market in the US is defined by the Mini (and few odd balls like the MS3). Sure, a loaded Mini convertible will set you back $45k, but the base model starts below 20.
BMW can give us a RWD 1-series with a manual (== fun to drive). Audi cannot do the same with their AWD. I have choices; I will take the BMW.
@brettinlj:
But BMW can’t give us a 1-Series hatchback in the US. There are tradeoffs…
Michael Karesh
Thanks.
I don’t really want to turn this into a speed3 vs a3…
But the Volvo is no speed3.
I feel bad about switching the topic.
Thanks
I don’t recall how much the Haldex AWD system uses in the A3 and Golf weighs (although it’s badged as “Quattro,” it’s mechanically different than Audi’s proprietary system, which is for longitudinal engines), but it’s probably in the vicinity of 150 pounds. Audi’s Quattro system weighs about 220 pounds.
@Justin: I’m with you.
Oh, and I live in northern NJ, between Summit and Newark. I missed the previous TTAC pub meeting, unfortunately and therefore couldn’t meet you and the other B&B..
@argentla: thanks for the findings.
As an owner of a 2008 A3, a few thoughts:
Audi clearly doesn’t understand how hot it gets in a southern state in the summer. My “open sky system” (front and back sunroofs with windowshade-like blinds that still let in tons of light), an expensive “option” that I couldn’t get the car without, arrange for the car to be blisteringly hot if I dare park it outside. (And I already had the side windows and sunroof windows tinted.)
The leather seats are perfectly comfortable. Audi just needs to add a/c to the seats so they’re less hot. Likewise, given that my wife and I are a full foot different in height, I really wish they had memory seats. They’re already electric. Why not spend the extra two cents?
Audi did a surprisingly good job on the Bluetooth integration, and a surprisingly stupid job on the iPod integration. Mapping playlists to a virtual 6-CD changer? Oh please.
As to whether somebody will buy the 2009 model with the AWD and the 2.0T, I somehow doubt it. If you want zoom-zoom, you’re probably getting the bigger engine. If you want decent mileage, you’re clearly skipping the AWD. So who does that leave getting the AWD + 2.0T combo? People who don’t want to pay for the faster engine but absolutely need AWD. If you’re budget constrained and you need AWD, you’re not looking at an Audi A3. You’re looking at a Subaru.
It’s an attractive car, and if I were a smaller person, I might see it. Still, the price is high considering the engine reliability. I have accepted the given that buying german means taking a roll of the dice on electric failures, but I will be damned if I will accept this engine’s reputation.
“Mapping playlists to a virtual 6-CD changer? Oh please.”
Tell me about it. Can someone tell me why iPod interfaces suck so much? I have a GTI and I couldn’t imagine them designing a more inferior interface if they tried.
“I were a smaller person, I might see it.” Are you tall? I am and VW’s and Mini’s are two of the few cars that I drive without the seat all the way back.
The size of a car and how much front seat leg room they have are often weakly corelated.
Your prices are different than the ones on the Audi USA website. Their 2009 A3 builder has the 2.0T FWD S-tronic at $28,400 and the 2.0T Quattro S-Tronic at $30,500. Your prices for the 2.0T FWD manual and the 3.2 are the same.