# Driven: A3 Sportback 1.8TFSI S-Tronic



## John Y (Apr 27, 1999)

I’ve been given a company car budget at work - this comes at a good time as my current GTI is a 2-door and we’re expecting a daughter at any time in the next few weeks. The GTI is great and I wasn’t about to ditch it just because of its door deficit, but shopping for something more ideally suited to our situation on someone else’s dime is a welcome development. Other than the spending limit, there aren’t many requirements: it must be German; no convertibles, no luxury cars or “sports cars” are permitted – though I (and the company, I think) are still trying to figure out how they define “sports car”. 

It’s been a while since Audi made anything that interested me – I mean really interested me, enough to want to own. The last time they did I bought it – my MkI TT Roadster. As a casual observer, I’ve found the 8V A3, in (Sportback and Sedan form) to be a handsome car and one whose apparent mission in life – to be compact, practical, good looking and sporty while injecting some kind of sense of occasion into the drive – appeals to me. So despite the obvious draw of the grunt, practicality and all around goodness of the new GTI, the sharp looks of the Benz A-Class and the RWD dynamics and slick manual gearboxes at BMW, the MQB A3 was bound to get attention from me. 

Our Audi dealer supplied me with a Monsoon gray 1.8TFSI Sportback with 7 spd dry clutch S-tronic, in “Ambition” trim – which is the sportier upgraded “line” that Audi offers over here, which you can supplement with varying degrees of S-Line goodness, as desired. The car was setup on 17-inch Dunlop Wintersport 3Ds. 

Setting aside the convoluted options program, this was in some respects one of the nicest Audis I’ve driven. I had the car for a little more than 24 hours. My initial impression behind the wheel was a lot like the first time I set off in a TT – a jewel-like interior in how attractive it is, but it is in no way a distraction. It’s a soothing driving environment, honestly. That slim and low profile dash almost gives you a feeling of steering a go-kart, the view ahead is so unobstructed. It’s sleek, stylish and minimalist – way better, IMO, than what’s in other Audis right now, and in that way also reminiscent of the MkI TT. The little climate control panel is immediately easy to use and looks good, I was even figuring out the MMI without any help, pretty quickly. Material quality is Audi nice – I’d opt for the “mono.pur” package to enhance things a bit; I kept thinking that it may be time for me to have an Audi again – and I was lukewarm on the cabin when I first saw photos.

I also had an MB A 250 w/AMG Sport line to sample during roughly the same time period as the Audi, but I suppose that’s another story. Suffice it to say that it disqualified itself as a contender for me for practical reasons (like our stroller wouldn’t fit in the hatch when folded up) but more importantly, the driving experience and some of the ergonomic touches disappointed. I learned almost as much about the Audi through comparison with the Mercedes, so bear with me if I throw in a reference here and there.

On the move, the sensations that stay with you are of the impressive rigidity – the “of one piece” feel of the MQB architecture and the overall sense that this is a reasonably light car (which it is, at 2987 lbs for the FWD, 1.8T S-tronic according to Audi) that turns in quickly and precisely, usually responds instantly to throttle inputs and stops strongly. Combine those things with the positive, high-quality feel from all of the major controls and you do find yourself paying attention to, and actively enjoying the driving experience – which is about as well as I can explain the notion of a “sense of occasion” behind the wheel. I looked forward to each stint in the Audi during its stay, however mundane the outing; I didn’t feel the same way about the Benz.

Another hallmark of the Audi was that it had excellent body control while remaining very supple, it was one of the things I enjoyed most; the one I drove had the intermediate suspension choice - they run normal, sport, S-Line sport, at least over here in Europe. It easily rode better over the many tram line crossing we have all over town than either the Merc A-250 (see below) or my Mk6 GTI, for that matter. 

As for the motor – if this car had a 2.0T of some sort in it, I’d have ordered it by now and been into my 11-week waiting period, because the rest of the package is that nice. This isn’t a criticism of the 180hp 1.8T, which I was concerned I might find a bit weedy, going into my test. I come from a history of a Golf, 4 GTIs, an R32, the TT, 2 Corrados, and a couple of 987 Porsches including an S, in no particular order; all manuals except the 08 R32 and a brief time with one GTI before it, and not a 4 door among them. Other than the Porsche’s, most have been at least a little tuned. I like cars that can impart at least a bit of a visceral sense of thrust. Well, this Audi does – it didn’t disappoint, so it's a contender for me. I can’t imagine a US-spec A3 sedan could differ much, here. I could live with this 1.8TFSI - it has a nice, instant surge of torque you can ride when you get on it in the low to mid 2k rpm range and it’s almost more fun to put it in manual mode to ensure you stay in that “fat” range, than leave it in D where S-tronic will likely kick you down a gear. You can also enjoy the somewhat more insistently sporty exhaust note under load in that range. 

This engine revs out very sweetly IMO, with good pull almost off idle. It isn’t a terribly sporty or memorable sound overall, but decidedly better than the thrashy, non-descript industrial sound of the Benz. (I really like that car’s looks for the most part, and wanted to like it – but I digress.) Around town, especially with S-tronic making the most of things, you really don’t notice the difference much compared to a 2.0T, other than perhaps the ease with which this one revs. I didn’t check, but I assume it’s geared a bit differently to keep things humming along. Get on it harder and as speeds climb, this motor’s legs get a little shorter, it’s true – whether compared with the 2.0T in the MB or the one in my GTI that is modified, but currently running in GIAC ‘stock mode’ because of generally miserable winter traction. The Audi had a noticeable power deficit to the Merc, as the figures would suggest (180 hp v. 211 and the Benz also has a 10hp over boost feature, I think). That’s not to say it was slow, however – I had both cars up to 130 on my little local Autobahn test stretch and the Audi was brisk and composed getting there, just a little slower than the Benz, but not disappointingly so, and with a little more work on the part of the S-Tronic. But given that it’s a better gearbox than the Benz DCT, and the fact that the engine sounds OK, this wasn’t so bad. Wind and road noise at that speed were conspicuous by their absence relative to the Benz, but I recognize that may be less relevant for my countrymen at home. On balance, I’d say the new 1.8 is a tick off of the pace of a stock Mk6 GTI. GTI lite? Nearly-hot hatch?? I guess the cliches fit, but if this were not going to be a company car, I think a 1.8T S-Line would be a great platform for a few performance mods (and if so, it’s a no-brainer to select Quattro).

I guess this epic tome wouldn’t be complete without a few words about S-Tronic: in short, it worked well, was mostly transparent in use and was nearly flawless – very little if any of the occasional wonky behavior or clunky shifts that my prior DSG travels have revealed. I don’t know whether this was due to the improvements that time has brought, or Audi vs. VW tuning, or the 7-spd v. 6 spd wet clutch gearbox, but it was good enough that I’d consider it again. I plan to go back and drive a manual as well as a Quattro; I’ve been offered the S3 as well. 

The Audi’s brakes were more than adequate, with good initial bite – they seemed grabby or overboosted at first, until I adjusted from my GTI's somewhat worn brakes. Steering was always enjoyable – not vague or overly-light, and this was without the new progressive steering option that they are touting on the MQB cars. 

The cabin had an open and airy feel, especially after the Benz, and it passed our baby gear tests, though it was still tight. "Audi drive select" was nice and made noticeable throttle, tranny and steering differences, but I’d need to play with it more. Dynamic mode was the only time I noticed DSG burps on the upshift. 

Assuming that the S3 and the Golf R are ruled out by my employer’s fleet manager as being too sporty or are over budget (I can, but do not want to kick in any of my own money to go over budget) I think it will come down to the A3 or the GTI Performance - just don't know if I can give up on the extra _“go”_ in exchange for some Audi niceties and greater ability to customize. I would definitely opt for it, or the VW equivalent if I go the GTI route.


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## John Y (Apr 27, 1999)

Sorry, but this is the only photo I have for now - the car was dirty by the time I got it off the lot, and it was 16 degrees and snowing intermittently much of the time I had the car, so I wasn't up for a lot of photography.


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## VW MK 4 (Apr 29, 2010)

John thanks much for the write up. I'm trying to decide between the GTI, Golf R and the Audi A3 sedan. 
My choice would be the A3 Sportback 2 door. But the only sportback that we are getting in North America is the 4 door E-Tron.


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## steve111b (Jun 2, 2011)

I like how you have presented your impressions of the A3 and other cars. Thanks a lot John. Please keep us up to date with any other test drives. I will look forward to any future installments.


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## nickjs1984 (Jul 30, 2009)

This is a really eloquent write up and very thoughtful, to boot. Thanks!


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## davewg (Jul 30, 2001)

Thanks for that write-up John. I think, I, like a lot of folks are trying to decide between A3, MkVII GIT PP or Golf R.Your views are definitely helpful

:thumbup:


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## jubasa (Oct 15, 2010)

Great write up. Thank you! Looking forward to your impressions on the Quattro version as well.

Did you say that the 1.8T felt a bit more rev-happy compared to the 2.0T? Or do I have that backwards?


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## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

Excellent feedback. I know you've had some great "driver's cars" in the past, and you've been around for a while, so I put a decent amount of stock in your opinions of the car. Reading your review of the 1.8T made me very, very giddy for the potential the S3 has. This is going to be a lot more car than it looks like on the stat sheet.


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## BrutusA3 (Jul 10, 2013)

Thanks for the review. This makes me think long and hard about opting for the 1.8T instead of 2.0T and saving the $3G.


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## John Y (Apr 27, 1999)

BrutusA3 said:


> Thanks for the review. This makes me think long and hard about opting for the 1.8T instead of 2.0T and saving the $3G.


I think you should; if what you require of your engine is moving out briskly and keeping up in traffic while staying fairly efficient, the 1.8T is definitely up to that challenge and does a pretty good impression of the 2 liter, while you enjoy what the rest of the A3 package has to offer. I suspect that outside of enthusiast circles, many (if not most) people would be hard pressed to notice the difference. Sounds like you'll be able to judge for yourself, soon.



Dan Halen said:


> Excellent feedback. I know you've had some great "driver's cars" in the past, and you've been around for a while, so I put a decent amount of stock in your opinions of the car. Reading your review of the 1.8T made me very, very giddy for the potential the S3 has. This is going to be a lot more car than it looks like on the stat sheet.


I appreciate that, Brian, coming from another Vortex "old hand". I'm envious - I think the S3 will fulfill all expectations. I expect to drive it or at least the Mk7 Golf R soon, so I will come back with my impressions.



jubasa said:


> Great write up. Thank you! Looking forward to your impressions on the Quattro version as well.
> 
> Did you say that the 1.8T felt a bit more rev-happy compared to the 2.0T? Or do I have that backwards?





davewg said:


> Thanks for that write-up John. I think, I, like a lot of folks are trying to decide between A3, MkVII GIT PP or Golf R.Your views are definitely helpful
> 
> :thumbup:





nickjs1984 said:


> This is a really eloquent write up and very thoughtful, to boot. Thanks!





steve111b said:


> I like how you have presented your impressions of the A3 and other cars. Thanks a lot John. Please keep us up to date with any other test drives. I will look forward to any future installments.





VW MK 4 said:


> John thanks much for the write up. I'm trying to decide between the GTI, Golf R and the Audi A3 sedan.
> My choice would be the A3 Sportback 2 door. But the only sportback that we are getting in North America is the 4 door E-Tron.


Thanks for the kind words, all! If there are things I didn't cover that you're curious about just ask, and I'll try to jog my memory or figure it out when driving one of the other A3 variants in the next week or so.


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## caliatenza (Dec 10, 2006)

BrutusA3 said:


> Thanks for the review. This makes me think long and hard about opting for the 1.8T instead of 2.0T and saving the $3G.


no quattro for 1.8T . I would have gone with the 1.8 with quattro as well...


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## pjunk1 (May 13, 2010)

nice write-up JY! very thorough and detailed.


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## smoothsix (Jun 19, 2001)

Good writeup, looking forward to your Golf R review


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## John Y (Apr 27, 1999)

smoothsix said:


> Good writeup, looking forward to your Golf R review


24 hrs of R starts Monday...


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## davewg (Jul 30, 2001)

John Y said:


> 24 hrs of R starts Monday...


Looking forward to it!


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