NOT EVERYONE wants to drive a Volkswagen Golf and fewer still want to drive a BMW 1 Series, but there are plenty of people who want something in between. Spotting the niche for a compact premium car back in the early 1990s was what gave Audi an opportunity to put its A3 firmly on the map for customers who wanted to make a statement, but not necessarily a big one.
The A3 is a very smart car and is very clever in its execution. It has a big car name and a relatively luxurious profile for a car of its size, but its biggest appeal is in the subtlety of its design. You can have it with three doors or five and while the five-door version might suit smaller families, the A3 is not really a family car. Anyone requiring very generous boot or rear passenger space would be advised to look elsewhere.
That said, the A3 has a lot to offer, from a great interior to very solid handling and ride qualities.
The seats are very comfortable and supportive, the dials are excellent and have a very appealing backlit feature for night driving. Instruments are just the right size and the radio/cd unit is solid and unfussy.
You can have a choice of engines but the most practical are the 1.6-litre petrol with 102 horse power or the more powerful and proven 1.9-litre turbo diesel. The 1.6 is adequate for petrol drivers and the diesel is still acceptable, but from last year the diesels are much more refined and more efficient.
The A3 has a four-star rating in the EuroNCAP crash test programme, but this is probably to do with the age of the current model. There have been some recalls in 2005 and 2006 for problems with flywheels and fuel pump covers, but these have involved relatively small numbers of cars.
A 2006 petrol version with five doors, air conditioning and alloys as well as standard equipment such as ABS, multiple airbags and brake force control and with 25,000km is €16,950. A 2006 1.9-litre diesel with only 44,000km is €17,000. A 2007 diesel with 54,000km is €19,950.
STAR RATING:7/10
