Post by Big Blue on Sept 2, 2017 23:38:30 GMT
Well we didn't have a car for our family holiday in Greece in July so the family visits were the next rentals. Europcar decided to give me a Prestige compact so I was handed the keys to an Audi A3 Sportback which had a 1.6 85kW something-something Darkside engine in it. We dud 1100kms in it and the computer said we did 5.3l/100km which is 53mpg by my calculator and a fuel fill up vs odometer calculation came up 53.52. Pretty accurate and kind of negates the need for measuring yourself.
So what's Good? It was Fully loaded from what I could see. Half leather seats were nice. MMI High, if it's still called that. Easy interface with MMI but trip computer was a PITA to find and set up with no manual. Once done though it was fine.
Handled ok when pushed, if a little wallowy through sweeping turns and of course it under steered when leaned on. I was impressed to get over 50mpg considering what I made it do - town driving; country roads and nailing it on The motorway at 140-160.
It was a very comfy cruiser and swallowed us four and our luggage with ease. Fit and finish was exemplary as expected and ergonomics were bang on.
I'm increasingly amazed at the data now thrown in our faces as we drive. The centre section of the instrument binnacle could toggle through unending menus relating to the Nav or the Audio or the Computer or the phone etc etc all in high def-looking graphics. I was playing with buttons more than driving. The Nav also had traffic updates and saved our bacon on the trip back to Vienna as the Hungarian M1 was rammed due to lane closures. I'm making these notes on the plane to Nice so we made it!
Side moan: We're Flying with Austrian and I will be inviting BA to fly with them to experience how short haul with BA USED to feel. Loads of legroom, full size coke cans, a snack that probably cost Austrian 2p (ffs BA, 2p. I mean what.The.actual.fuck?) so why do BA feel the need to act like Shit Jet when I'm happy to pay an additional £5 to get given a coke and a bag of nut free salted snacks?
What then is Bad? Even though this had a "bit of poke" as my late father would have said I still don't see the benefit of manual gearboxes on diesel cars who's primary objective of using heavy oil as a propellant is reducing fuel use. Having a Diesel engine when pulling away, driving with spirit or simply throwing it through the gears on the way to cruising speed takes away all the associated pleasures a petrol engine of the shittiest specification offers. The engine made itself heard at all low speeds and it was an altogether unpleasant noise. The act of pulling out of a junction with that ludicrously narrow power band and having to snatch 2nd like a demented lorry driver trying to keep momentum up a hill is nothing less than unseemly. I've noted before that the combination of gearing and torque makes corners and roundabouts an unedifying experience as you're either too low and running out of puff or too high and simply chugging round with no feel for what the engine is adding to the team. Utterly and totally joyless. The aforementioned late father had a Polo 1.2 3-cylinder as his last car and it was always a riot to drive, not least because the engine sounded zingy and the gears were just right for snicking around the gate. Never felt that in a small diesel yet. We must have an entire generation of drivers that find the experience dull but perhaps that's the plan.
In all reality the only cars I would spend my own money on are a G31 Alpina B5, an E92 M3, a Porsche 911 991 Targa or a Ferrari. As you get older your taste buds fade so mine have for cars. So to round up on the A3, notwithstanding the last statement, I'd have an up-specced A3 Sportback as a family car without hesitation. Great space, quite pretty and well appointed and built. I'd even have a diesel one if I did 1000km a week regularly as it makes financial sense, but if it was a diesel it would be Auto, which might remove some of the economy so a TFSi with DSG would be more likely.
So what's Good? It was Fully loaded from what I could see. Half leather seats were nice. MMI High, if it's still called that. Easy interface with MMI but trip computer was a PITA to find and set up with no manual. Once done though it was fine.
Handled ok when pushed, if a little wallowy through sweeping turns and of course it under steered when leaned on. I was impressed to get over 50mpg considering what I made it do - town driving; country roads and nailing it on The motorway at 140-160.
It was a very comfy cruiser and swallowed us four and our luggage with ease. Fit and finish was exemplary as expected and ergonomics were bang on.
I'm increasingly amazed at the data now thrown in our faces as we drive. The centre section of the instrument binnacle could toggle through unending menus relating to the Nav or the Audio or the Computer or the phone etc etc all in high def-looking graphics. I was playing with buttons more than driving. The Nav also had traffic updates and saved our bacon on the trip back to Vienna as the Hungarian M1 was rammed due to lane closures. I'm making these notes on the plane to Nice so we made it!
Side moan: We're Flying with Austrian and I will be inviting BA to fly with them to experience how short haul with BA USED to feel. Loads of legroom, full size coke cans, a snack that probably cost Austrian 2p (ffs BA, 2p. I mean what.The.actual.fuck?) so why do BA feel the need to act like Shit Jet when I'm happy to pay an additional £5 to get given a coke and a bag of nut free salted snacks?
What then is Bad? Even though this had a "bit of poke" as my late father would have said I still don't see the benefit of manual gearboxes on diesel cars who's primary objective of using heavy oil as a propellant is reducing fuel use. Having a Diesel engine when pulling away, driving with spirit or simply throwing it through the gears on the way to cruising speed takes away all the associated pleasures a petrol engine of the shittiest specification offers. The engine made itself heard at all low speeds and it was an altogether unpleasant noise. The act of pulling out of a junction with that ludicrously narrow power band and having to snatch 2nd like a demented lorry driver trying to keep momentum up a hill is nothing less than unseemly. I've noted before that the combination of gearing and torque makes corners and roundabouts an unedifying experience as you're either too low and running out of puff or too high and simply chugging round with no feel for what the engine is adding to the team. Utterly and totally joyless. The aforementioned late father had a Polo 1.2 3-cylinder as his last car and it was always a riot to drive, not least because the engine sounded zingy and the gears were just right for snicking around the gate. Never felt that in a small diesel yet. We must have an entire generation of drivers that find the experience dull but perhaps that's the plan.
In all reality the only cars I would spend my own money on are a G31 Alpina B5, an E92 M3, a Porsche 911 991 Targa or a Ferrari. As you get older your taste buds fade so mine have for cars. So to round up on the A3, notwithstanding the last statement, I'd have an up-specced A3 Sportback as a family car without hesitation. Great space, quite pretty and well appointed and built. I'd even have a diesel one if I did 1000km a week regularly as it makes financial sense, but if it was a diesel it would be Auto, which might remove some of the economy so a TFSi with DSG would be more likely.
