Post by racingteatray on Jun 26, 2017 11:40:24 GMT
So…it seems that Avis has taken delivery of a job lot of Audi A3s. After the TDI saloon we had in Munich last month, we once again found ourselves in an A3 for four days in Ibiza. I'd booked a Seat Ibiza (it seemed appropriate and was cheap) but when we arrived, they asked if we minded a 3-door car (answer: no) and promptly handed over the keys to an A3. This time, it was a metallic grey 3dr hatchback running a 1.4 TFSI engine and, at a guess, in some sort of Sport spec (the key fob didn't specify the trim level).
And I must say, I really rather liked it. It sounds a bit odd to describe an Audi A3 as unpretentious but that's exactly how it felt. It was just a smallish, smart-looking car which was decent to drive and nice to sit in. The 3dr is also a prettier and more youthful design than the Sportback to my eyes.
This version was pretty boggo compared to the bells 'n whistles S-Line version we had in Munich, but actually none the worse for it. Sure, a sunroof would have been lovely, and the pop-up screen is entirely pointless when not equipped with an SD card, but otherwise it had a reasonable sound-system and efficient climate control which were all we really needed, and cloth seats were definitely better than leather given the scorching heat. It also had Xenons – they all seem to now.
Inside, the Spartan dash design suddenly didn't feel quite so out-of-place in this humbler A3. As ever the fit and finish is impeccable, and it all feels high-quality – almost more noticeably so when not surrounded by leather and lashings of FG. Even in the 3dr, there's sufficient space in the back seat for adults and a decent-enough boot.
Engine-wise, it was a 1.4 TFSI with cylinder deactivation (an indicator popped up in the instruments from time-to-time to tell you it was in 2 cylinder mode) and had around 3,000kms on the clock. I liked the engine - it was smooth and peppy and had just enough urge to encourage you to row it through a slick 6spd manual box and actually quite enjoy the sinuous country roads Ibiza has to offer. Economy seemed fine – we did 250kms or so in 4 days (remarkably given Ibiza isn't that big) and that required about 30 euros to top up to full again.
Unsurprisingly, handling-wise, it was much as per the saloon we had in Munich. It rode very comfortably but you could still definitely hustle it down the road with a good degree of fluidity and plenty of confidence. Mercifully, it lacked the horrible steering that afflicted the Munich example.
The most interesting part is that this is now the fifth version of the current A3 that I've driven (the others were 1.6 TDI, 2.0 TDI, S3 and RS3) and, perversely I think it might be the version I liked the most. The diesels are hobbled by being diesels, and the S3 and RS3 are hobbled by overly stiff suspension and a price point which well exceeds the feel-good factor engendered by the overall package (if you deduct engine from the argument). Whereas this little 1.4 TFSI just felt like a bit of a sweet spot.
I'm never very good at remembering to photograph rental cars so here's a hasty snap from when we were handing it back!
upload photos in fb
And I must say, I really rather liked it. It sounds a bit odd to describe an Audi A3 as unpretentious but that's exactly how it felt. It was just a smallish, smart-looking car which was decent to drive and nice to sit in. The 3dr is also a prettier and more youthful design than the Sportback to my eyes.
This version was pretty boggo compared to the bells 'n whistles S-Line version we had in Munich, but actually none the worse for it. Sure, a sunroof would have been lovely, and the pop-up screen is entirely pointless when not equipped with an SD card, but otherwise it had a reasonable sound-system and efficient climate control which were all we really needed, and cloth seats were definitely better than leather given the scorching heat. It also had Xenons – they all seem to now.
Inside, the Spartan dash design suddenly didn't feel quite so out-of-place in this humbler A3. As ever the fit and finish is impeccable, and it all feels high-quality – almost more noticeably so when not surrounded by leather and lashings of FG. Even in the 3dr, there's sufficient space in the back seat for adults and a decent-enough boot.
Engine-wise, it was a 1.4 TFSI with cylinder deactivation (an indicator popped up in the instruments from time-to-time to tell you it was in 2 cylinder mode) and had around 3,000kms on the clock. I liked the engine - it was smooth and peppy and had just enough urge to encourage you to row it through a slick 6spd manual box and actually quite enjoy the sinuous country roads Ibiza has to offer. Economy seemed fine – we did 250kms or so in 4 days (remarkably given Ibiza isn't that big) and that required about 30 euros to top up to full again.
Unsurprisingly, handling-wise, it was much as per the saloon we had in Munich. It rode very comfortably but you could still definitely hustle it down the road with a good degree of fluidity and plenty of confidence. Mercifully, it lacked the horrible steering that afflicted the Munich example.
The most interesting part is that this is now the fifth version of the current A3 that I've driven (the others were 1.6 TDI, 2.0 TDI, S3 and RS3) and, perversely I think it might be the version I liked the most. The diesels are hobbled by being diesels, and the S3 and RS3 are hobbled by overly stiff suspension and a price point which well exceeds the feel-good factor engendered by the overall package (if you deduct engine from the argument). Whereas this little 1.4 TFSI just felt like a bit of a sweet spot.
I'm never very good at remembering to photograph rental cars so here's a hasty snap from when we were handing it back!
upload photos in fb
