Yahoo Autos 2018 Audi A3 in Depth: Big Fun in a Small Car
Overall Rating:
Looking every bit like an A4 that has shrunk in the wash, the A3 offers everything we love about Audi sports sedans in a compact package. It’s a tossable, spry little thing with available Quattro all-wheel drive and a potent optional turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Audi’s high-quality interior design is cheapened only slightly from more expensive Audis, and the innovative technology the brand is known for is still available, including a trick digital gauge cluster and a motorized pop-up infotainment display. If the four-door tintop doesn’t appeal to you, then perhaps the two-door convertible will lure you to the open-air lifestyle. In either guise, the A3 is the quintessential good thing in a small package.
What’s New for 2018?
Only minor changes are in store for the A3 this year: heated front seats and dual USB ports are now standard on all models. Midrange Premium Plus trims now come standard with blind-spot monitoring, and the Bang & Olufsen premium audio system is now a part of that model’s $3200 Technology package
What Wax New for 2017?
Audi made some revisions to the A3’s grille and headlights for 2017, enhancing the compact Audi’s already aggressive appearance. The most important changes were inside, where Audi’s MMI Touch system and virtual cockpit became available, as did several driver-assistance systems that had previously been unavailable to A3 buyers. Those systems include Audi’s forward-collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and a lane-departure-warning system. Convertible models received a power front seat and a new rear bumper.
Trims and Options We’d Choose
As much as we love the idea of feeling the wind in our hair, our home state of Michigan only provides a precious few months of perfect convertible weather. Thus, we’d stick with the A3 sedan and repeat our pick from last year by outfitting it with the midrange Premium Plus trim. For a starting price of $36,175, the Premium Plus adds a number of high-end features we love, such as:
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Passive entry with push-button start
• S line exterior styling package with uniquely designed front bumper and rear diffuser
We’d also spring for the Technology package for $3200, which adds Audi’s sweet Virtual Cockpit gauge display, navigation, a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo system, and the Audi Connect Prime and Plus vehicle telematics system. We’d opt for the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, which adds $3000 to the bottom line-not necessarily for its all-weather assurance but because it unlocks higher output from the A3’s turbo four-cylinder, boosting horsepower from 186 to 220 horsepower. As equipped, our chosen A3 carries a sticker price of $42,375.
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