Audi A3 TDI on economy flash

The last time I tested the Volkswagen group's TDI 110 HP engine, I was impressed by the low consumption.

All car manufacturers have their "potato engines", - engines which are repeated in several models and which become big sellers. VAG's TDI 110 HP can become such an engine. I tested it two years ago in a Seat Leon. Then I was impressed by the fuel consumption and predicted that the engine could become the Volkswagen group's new "potato engine". I think it took a long time before it entered Audi's model range. In Norway, it has appeared in the price lists and in stores, but not yet on Audi's Norwegian website.

Look-and-feel

It's been a long time since I got into a basic Audi - like this one. The seats could be characterized as mediocre at best. They were dressed in a greyish fabric that made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up - in a negative sense. The same fabric was used again in the inner lining of the doors and on the center armrest. Few options were made here that could give the good feeling you usually get in a new Audi. A lot of gray plastic without elegant decorative elements.

The gear lever with the S-tronic badge, the operating wheel on the center console, the operating levers on the steering wheel, and the infotainment screen that appears when I switch on the ignition still gave me enough signals that this is a premium class – albeit in the basic version.

From the outside I got a better impression. Glossy roof rails, 16 inch light alloy wheels, Xenon Plus and separate running lights. I think the Audi A3 is a beautiful car.

Driving pleasure

We set out from the airport in Barcelona, further on Ronda del Dalt. It wasn't rush hour, but dense traffic moving around the speed limit of 80 km/h. As it was, we had some hard braking followed by rapid accelerations. I don't like driving this way, but noticed that impatient fellow road users expected me to follow the traffic. Then I noticed that the Audi was not able to pick up speed quickly enough. The panda behind us, drove past. A little annoyed, I had to flip the gear lever over to the right to downshift manually. It seemed as if the S-tronic went into some kind of eco mode and hesitated to follow the driver's uneconomical driving style.

I'm sure the Spanish city traffic must be a nightmare for thinking gearboxes programmed for economy. S-tronic has no eco setting. There is "D" (normal) and "S" (sport). I think "S" was too fussy. Eventually, I found the situations occurred less frequently. Maybe the engine needed a bit of break-in? - Or maybe the fine motor skills in my right foot improved?

Let me add that I am well used to S-tronic as I regularly drive another Audi with this transmission system.

With the gas at the bottom, however, everything happened as it should. I went from a standstill up to 100km/h a few times and it happened effortlessly. There is no reason to doubt the factory figures which state that 0-100 goes away in 10,7 seconds. It is actually very good.

The nice bottom pull in the engine was available from low revs, but unfortunately much of the excess power disappeared at high southern European motorway speeds. I couldn't get rid of the thought that the nice 110 horsepower might have been better in a smaller car, - or maybe I was expecting too much because I was driving an Audi?

The A3 was otherwise very stable on the road, even at motorway speeds with strong winds. On the road, the A3 felt like a cross between the Golf and the A4.

Sportsback is Audi's term for a hatchback.

Comfort

A prominent motoring journalist once stated that Audi's standard seats were only intended as a temporary solution, because all customers still opted for upgraded seats. If you want to sit comfortably in an Audi, you must order proper seats from the list of additional items. Everyone knows the.

The standard seats are quite soft, while the armrests are hard, so they provide better lateral support than you would think from the looks. I like to sit low, so the center armrest provides comfortable support. The only thing I really missed was a little better thigh support.

Otherwise, the Audi A3 scores well for sound comfort, at least to my ears. I liked the soundscape of some raw diesel engine noise, especially when I was accelerating at low speeds. No clatter, just good diesel engine sound. In the Seat, which I tested earlier, I could barely hear the engine. I know that Audi has its own engineers who work on sound experiences, and assume that the nice sound image is not accidental.

At high motorway speeds, the shelter image became more and more characterized by the fact that you were driving a moderately motorized car. There is a limit to everything.

As much space as in a standard Golf, but no station wagon.

Place

The term Sportsback signals a station wagon - at least in a light version. I got a good sense of space inside the compartment, but the trunk certainly did not resemble a station wagon. It is 380 liters and has a sloping rear window that robs cargo space in the height. But the good interior space can be converted into 1220 liters of cargo space when the rear seats are folded down. These are more or less identical numbers to the Volkswagen Golf, with which the A3 shares a platform.

Security

The kinship of the Golf also shines through in NCAP's crash tests. The A3 has almost identical results to the Golf, and was in the top ten the year it was tested.

The Audi A3 has a high level of active safety due to its safe driving characteristics. It is very directionally stable. Like the Golf, it is engineered to handle the mistakes drivers often make. I would particularly like to emphasize the good braking properties.

Nicely designed climate panel. But could just as easily have sat in a Fiat. — Nicely designed climate panel with a hint of retro.

Economy

I measured the average consumption of between 0,55 - 0,60 liters per mile based on kilometers versus the number of liters of diesel. Consumption was higher than I experienced previously with the same engine in a Seat Leon. According to factory figures, consumption should have been 0,35 l/mile on country roads and 0,45 in city driving. The consumption has been taken into account that much of the driving took place at motorway speed.

The list price of an A3 with TDI 110 HP S-tronic is 323. Nobody buys a new Audi without adding additional equipment. What I missed most about "my" A600 were upgraded seats, rear parking sensors and navigation. I would also pay for adaptive cruise control (€3) and B&O system (€340). Once you've got it in your car, you won't want anything else. Then we are talking about expensive equipment packages for 930-40, but think it is wise to add that much in view of the trade-in value.

The A3 enjoyed itself best on French country roads.

Conclusion

The TDI engine with 110 horses and a torque of 250 Nm gives the feeling of driving a bigger engine than the horsepower would indicate, provided that you are within the correct rev ranges. S-tronic, which is based on Volkswagen's DSG, remains the world's best series-produced dual-clutch system. I think it did a good job of delivering the power to the road, although on a couple of occasions it got bogged down in one eco program or another.

No matter how you twist and turn it, it's a moderate motorized drive set on economy mode. Perhaps the most reasonable A3 you can order. In the 11 days I had the car, I spent most of my time on French country roads, although most millennium was covered on motorways. I think the A3 enjoyed itself best on the country road...