CD Article: 2006 Audi A3 2.0T DSG

[soj]

Colour and other optioning minutiae aside, the fact remains that on the value front, the GTI trumps the A3 handily.  Some would argue that Audi has it on the image front and that no doubt could be worth a 10 - 15% premium to some.  For my part the Audi name plate doesn't carry much cache being old enough to remember the unintended acceleration debacle and the less than stellar reliability of many Audi products.  Mind you, VW hasn't being doing too well in that department either recently. 

[jww]

Colour and other optioning minutiae aside, the fact remains that on the value front, the GTI trumps the A3 handily.  Some would argue that Audi has it on the image front and that no doubt could be worth a 10 - 15% premium to some.  For my part the Audi name plate doesn't carry much cache being old enough to remember the unintended acceleration debacle and the less than stellar reliability of many Audi products.  Mind you, VW hasn't being doing too well in that department either recently. 

Interesting point - they are basically coming from the same corporation anyway - so pick one, and everyone wins 

[The Mighty Duck]

The dealer certainly doesn't care which one you pick, he sells both.    I think the A3 will probably appeal more to the slightly more "mature" crowd looking for an affordible luxury car (maybe mid-late 30s?); the GTI appeals to the younger crowd?

[a4_tom]

Audi listed V50 T5 as A3 2.0T's primary competitor, even ahead of B200 Turbo. GTI's listed competitors are Civic SI and Cobalt SS. Totally different crowd. As much "class" as GTI, A3 is actually a classy GTI.

[soj]

Audi listed V50 T5 as A3 2.0T's primary competitor, even ahead of B200 Turbo. GTI's listed competitors are Civic SI and Cobalt SS. Totally different crowd. As much "class" as GTI, A3 is actually a classy GTI.

So if I've got this correct, you believe what the marketing gurus at Audi and VW tell you!  What their statements say to me is that this is where in their dreams they'd like to see their respective products positioned since somewhere they have to convince someone that paying $3 - 5K more is justifiable.  No wonder Audi would like to compare the A3 to the V50 T5.  It is after all a grossly over priced Mazda 3 with a trick engine that Volvo is having great trouble flogging to anyone.  In comparison, an A3 is good value but the GTI is an even greater value.  Lets remember what the original GTI concept was all about, it's a slayer of giants on a budget.  As such, the A3 is an orphan within the market place.  If you like it's a GTI with pretensions to grandeur.  Now if it had been an A3 2.0T Quattro for $3K more that would have been a different story.

As a result, I predict that unless the A3 2.0T gains that quattro drive within the next year, it'll disappear, particularly when it becomes apparent that GTI sales are considerably greater.  When that happens watch how the marketing of the GTI will change.  You too can dust off "classy" cars that cost $10K more and grin all the way to bank doing it.   

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I think you'd have to test drive both before drawing conclusions.

Audi has the luxury feel down - suspension is tuned slightly more toward luxurious ride comfort with some sport, while GTI is sport with reasonably comfortable ride. The interior trim is a notch above and the feeling within the cabin is of higher quality/price. There are differences, and the Audi brand complete with no-charge scheduled maintenance and (hopefully) elevated customer service is enviable tho unnecessary for me.

[a4_tom]

GTI's suspension setting is stiffer than those in the A3. While A3 has more luxurious features, GTI's interior environment is more hardcore racer with Interlagos cloth seats standard. I drove both back-to-back, both are awesome driver's cars. But I can easily feel GTI appeals to younger crowd. In Subaru's words, GTI is more like an STI while A3 feels like a LGT.

[Railton]

Where's the pics Tom?
Railton

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Base price has jumped $850 to $33,800 and $700 for the 3.2L Quattro in '07.

And alas... the colours I loved most - Moro Blue, Murano Green, Venetian Violet - are no longer 

[Giant Dwarf]

GTI's suspension setting is stiffer than those in the A3. While A3 has more luxurious features, GTI's interior environment is more hardcore racer with Interlagos cloth seats standard. I drove both back-to-back, both are awesome driver's cars. But I can easily feel GTI appeals to younger crowd. In Subaru's words, GTI is more like an STI while A3 feels like a LGT.

Will the S-Line tune help stiffen up the A3?

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Will the S-Line tune help stiffen up the A3?

Appears so. S-Line 2.0T Pkg for $3,060 consists of:
- Leather seating surfaces
- 3-spoke multi-function leather wrapped sport wheel
- Front grille & rear side mouldings w/ S-Line badge
- Alum door sills w/ S-Line logo
- S-Line front/rear bumpers
- Sport seats
- SPORT SUSPENSION
- Roof spoiler
- Monochrome trip computer ??
- Front fogs
- Dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors (surprised it's not std)
- Front reading lights
- Alloy radio buttons
- Alloy A/C vents
- Brushed alum beltline trim (that oughtta look nice)
- 17" X 7.5" 16-spoke bi-colour cast alloys

With the extra sound deadening, etc, it would likely still feel more luxurious than the GTI. Perhaps heavier too.

[ghost]

WTF is Sport Suspension?! I hate it when mfg lists that on their sportier models. Spring rates? rebound numbers? thicker sway bars? Metal Bushings? More negative camber? What?! What?! 

[davidm]

WTF is Sport Suspension?! I hate it when mfg lists that on their sportier models. Spring rates? rebound numbers? thicker sway bars? Metal Bushings? More negative camber? What?! What?! 

On our A4, the results of the sport suspension (no idea how the results were achieved) were: lower ride height (almost 1" IIRC), much stiffer ride, much flatter cornering.  Felt to me like different springs and different sways with same shocks, but that's a total guess.

Like the BMW, the Audi sports suspension is well worth the dough and represents a substantial change in the handling of the car.