# Not as roomy inside as a B5 A4 :(



## Creekmoose (Dec 14, 2013)

Went to the dealer presentation of the A3 earlier this week and since I had a B5 A4 for 11 years, I was hoping that it was true that this new A3 was as roomy, but unfortunately it isn't. 

It looks good but it is cramped inside for a 6 footer. Worst, on the front passenger side, the front wheel well is protruding inside the cabin forcing you to have your feet stuck together sideways.  This is a no no, the kind of things that Subaru does!

Too bad, I had big hopes for this car. Now I will have to wait for the B9 A4...


----------



## anti suv (Sep 26, 2013)

That's why audi makes larger cars. It sounds silly when people complain that 6 ft plus people aren't comfy in the rear of a compact car.


----------



## .:Ru4dubn¿ (Mar 14, 2012)

I'm guessing the sloping rear roof line of the new 3 means the rear seats need to be moved forward to make sure there is enough head room, thereby giving more trunk than cabin space. The 4 (an S4) I drove felt too big for me, but would probably be just about perfect for my fellow 6+ footers.

Cheers:beer:


----------



## Creekmoose (Dec 14, 2013)

anti suv said:


> That's why audi makes larger cars. It sounds silly when people complain that 6 ft plus people aren't comfy in the rear of a compact car.


Never complained that the rear seat was not comfy for a six footer, I complained that the front seat was not suitable for a six footer as opposed to the B5 A4.

Please read properly the post before making silly comments...


----------



## lotuselan (Apr 9, 2008)

Creekmoose said:


> Never complained that the rear seat was not comfy for a six footer, I complained that the front seat was not suitable for a six footer as opposed to the B5 A4...


I've had 6 footers up front and they don't complain. Fat/big folks complain about the narrow seats. I'd like a little more width because with the manual shifter I stick my elbow out and nudge my passenger. If we get the hatch I'd like more length so I could sleep in the car comfortably on camping trips.


----------



## anti suv (Sep 26, 2013)

Creekmoose said:


> Never complained that the rear seat was not comfy for a six footer, I complained that the front seat was not suitable for a six footer as opposed to the B5 A4.
> 
> Please read properly the post before making silly comments...


Fair enough. I miss read your post. I figured you were talking about rear seat room. I've never heard of anyone not having enough room in the front of the car. That seems silly


----------



## VWNCC (Jan 12, 2010)

This is the first time someone is complaining about the front seat space of the A3. This is very odd indeed. 

Even for the back seat, many people have posted that people ~6'1" can fit comfortably.


----------



## Creekmoose (Dec 14, 2013)

VWNCC said:


> This is the first time someone is complaining about the front seat space of the A3. This is very odd indeed.
> 
> Even for the back seat, many people have posted that people ~6'1" can fit comfortably.


I red in some reviews of the car that it was not very roomy in the front, I was hoping that it was not true with all the hype about being as roomy as the B5 A4. I presently have an A4 and feel it drives like a big car. My old A4 was more fun. I was hoping the new A3 would be a nice option. 

As far as the back seat are concerned, they are useless in a car this size, this is true also for the older A4. The present back seat of the A4 are a little better. Sure you can sit a 6 footer in the back, if you have a child in the front seat!

But the wheel well protruding in the passenger front seat is bad, the older A4 did not have that. The front driver seat is quite snug, but it could be bearable, but I would think twice about spending this kind of money for a car that feels this snug. But I would not sit on the passenger side, my front of my boots were touching the bottom of the glove box and I needed to have my right foot sideways because of the bulge of the wheel well...


----------



## VWNCC (Jan 12, 2010)

Creekmoose said:


> Sure you can sit a 6 footer in the back, if you have a child in the front seat!


Dan has sat in the car and he said he was fine at the back with the front seat set to his position as well. He is 6' or 6'1".


----------



## Creekmoose (Dec 14, 2013)

VWNCC said:


> Dan has sat in the car and he said he was fine at the back with the front seat set to his position as well. He is 6' or 6'1".


Dan must be all torso, no legs because I looked at the room left behind the front seat and it was not all the way out and there were about 8 inches !

Anyway, my comment is that the B5 A4 is roomier in the front than the new A3 and since I had this car for 11 years, I am speaking from experience...

I guess Audi can keep their Haldex clutch Quattro...


----------



## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

My pants are 33”-34” in length, and I wear a size 12.5 or 13 shoe. Does that give you a good frame of reference?

I fit the situation to which someone else alluded- I'm buying a compact car that can, in a pinch, carry four adults. I stated in my LA thread that I feel I could be comfortable in the back seat for four hours or so. From what I recall of my time riding in the back seat of a MkIV VW, the 8V A3 is an improvement. I haven't spent substantial time in a B5 A4.


----------



## VWNCC (Jan 12, 2010)

Dan Halen said:


> My pants are 33”-34” in length, and I wear a size 12.5 or 13 shoe. Does that give you a good frame of reference?
> 
> I fit the situation to which someone else alluded- I'm buying a compact car that can, in a pinch, carry four adults. I stated in my LA thread that I feel I could be comfortable in the back seat for four hours or so. From what I recall of my time riding in the back seat of a MkIV VW, the 8V A3 is an improvement. I haven't spent substantial time in a B5 A4.


Based on what you have posted, the 8V A3 is a vast improvement over MkIV VW. I used to own a MkIV VW and there was absolutely no leg room at the back (my frame is similar to yours) when the front seat was set to accomodate some one my size.


----------



## Rudy_H (Jul 6, 2012)

Goes back to the seating issue I am having...you sit too high also in the A3 vs the old B5. I am hoping with the S sport seats you can sink those seats like I could in my S4, that was one of the adjustments I couldn't dial in quite right.

I wouldn't say it's worse then the B5. One item is the S4 also I had, had rear bucket seats, where the middle hump made it horrid to fit 5 in the back. The A3 had more of a flat bench so it will likely be more comfortable to pile people in. The only thing might be shoulder room, but that was a problem in the B5 as well.

Being 6' ~200 lbs, the car felt fine though for me. I could careless about the back seat, simply because I am only going to be sitting in the driver seat, and if you don't like the comfort we will take your car next time...I sat in the back seat with the driver seat in the position I would be driving with and had plenty of room, legs and head.


----------



## BrutusA3 (Jul 10, 2013)

One concern that has not been mentioned is the central tunnel. For example I could not stand driving the VW CC, since I felt like my right leg was being pressed to force it left because of the center console tunnel. That car not only had that issue but felt like the A-pillars were enormous, just claustrophic feeling, and this is someone who has driven in smaller cars but not felt pinched in by a technically larger car in the CC. I am 6ft by the way.

B.


----------



## Hubble (Jul 26, 2010)

This thread has me really concerned. I was about to go put some money down to reserve my car. I was a B5 S4 owner and I was a little too tall for that car too. My head fit in the sunroof opening. If I stretched out I could hit the roof. I currently own a VI GTi and that has cavernous headroom so I thought the S3 would be okay. 

I'm 6"3. Would I fit in the front of this car?


----------



## qtroCUB (Mar 22, 2005)

Hubble said:


> This thread has me really concerned. I was about to go put some money down to reserve my car. I was a B5 S4 owner and I was a little too tall for that car too. My head fit in the sunroof opening. If I stretched out I could hit the roof. I currently own a VI GTi and that has cavernous headroom so I thought the S3 would be okay.
> 
> I'm 6"3. Would I fit in the front of this car?


I am 6'4 and I sat in the front. Head was in the sunroof opening but I could have adjusted the seat more for a better fit. 

Good thing about the S3 is that you can try an A3 first.


----------



## dmorrow (Jun 9, 2000)

When your head is in the sunroof opening and you are at a light, how can you see up at all? Seems like looking forward would be tough also.

If you are concerned about headroom seems like you would be better off without a sunroof. When I was deciding on my current A3 I found both the front and back easier to sit in when it didn't have it.


----------



## nickjs1984 (Jul 30, 2009)

What I find fascinating about this entire thread is just how culturally specific it is. To wit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxFnmzT_9kk 

If you haven't watched the video above, it's a typical Brit review of the A3 sedan, with a particularly tall gentleman discussing the car. When he gets to the amount of room in the cabin, he finds it more than adequate, saying this about the back in particular: "There's enough room for two adults to sit perfectly comfortably..." 

Anecdotally, every American friend who rode in the back of my A3 Sportback winced at being made to sit there for longer journeys (though, to my memory, none of them died or lost any limbs after the trip). However, when my two English friends came for a visit (both of whom are around 6' tall), they couldn't stop going on about how spacious the car was. They also couldn't stop laughing at how "overpowered" a 2.0T was, but that's another conversation for another thread...

Anyway, everyone obviously has their own preferences but I find it very unlikely that, when I finally meet the A3 sedan at the Detroit show in a few weeks, I'll come away feeling as though it's incapable of being a small car that can support my 6' frame in a normal driving position while hauling passengers in back.


----------



## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

dmorrow said:


> When your head is in the sunroof opening and you are at a light, how can you see up at all? Seems like looking forward would be tough also.
> 
> If you are concerned about headroom seems like you would be better off without a sunroof. When I was deciding on my current A3 I found both the front and back easier to sit in when it didn't have it.


We won't get non-sunroof cars here, but I suspect that the rear headroom in a sunroof car is about the same as a non-sunroof car. They've done away with the rigid shade panel, and the glass now opens over the roof instead of into the headliner. Both of these changes translate into a very different roof profile on the interior of the car.


----------



## Shomegrown (Feb 26, 2002)

I'm 6' and I think the A3 is more than roomy enough. I don't believe it's tighter than my B5.


----------



## Motown_Dub (Feb 22, 2003)

One of the definite benefits of being average height (5'10") is that I'm not worried about fitting in this car. I do worry a little bit that my son won't be able to fit behind me, he's 16 and 5'11". After seeing Dan's pics I think most of us won't have issues with fitting the car and for short trips average sized adults will be fine.

I'll be checking the car out at the Detroit show next month and will have the boy with me, so we'll see how well we fit.


----------



## dmorrow (Jun 9, 2000)

nickjs1984 said:


> What I find fascinating about this entire thread is just how culturally specific it is. To wit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxFnmzT_9kk
> 
> If you haven't watched the video above, it's a typical Brit review of the A3 sedan, with a particularly tall gentleman discussing the car. When he gets to the amount of room in the cabin, he finds it more than adequate, saying this about the back in particular: "There's enough room for two adults to sit perfectly comfortably..."
> 
> ...


Easily explained by what cars you are used to. In the U.S. the current A3 is a small car and the average car is bigger. In the U.K. the average car is small and they get used to it. As a 6'1" back seat passenger I would rather sit in a car bigger than my current A3. I can deal with it but if I am going on a decent length trip I would rather be in a bigger car. 

Ask a NYC resident how much square footage is needed for living compared to the rural Kansas resident and you will get the same type of response as the UK/American when comparing car sizes.


----------



## Rudy_H (Jul 6, 2012)

Motown_Dub said:


> One of the definite benefits of being average height (5'10") is that I'm not worried about fitting in this car. I do worry a little bit that my son won't be able to fit behind me, he's 16 and 5'11". After seeing Dan's pics I think most of us won't have issues with fitting the car and for short trips average sized adults will be fine.
> 
> I'll be checking the car out at the Detroit show next month and will have the boy with me, so we'll see how well we fit.


I was at the reveal in town for the A3. For sure you guys will be fine and comfortable space wise, HOWEVER, the back bench as you mentioned is for short trips, it's not comfy for a 3-4 hr trip...for adults of course, mind you for someone in their teens / early 20's that can sleep on couches, futons or floor, doubt it will bother them for a second.

It's flatter bench then the Genesis Coupe, where it has more 'bucket' seats, however someone can sit in the middle in the A3 / S3, where you need to be 5' nothing to sit in the middle of the Genesis Coupe.


----------



## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

I guess I'm just more European in my preferences, though it's more due to my desire to have the best rather than the biggest. :laugh:

I'd rather have a very well-appointed 1,600-sqft house than a builder-grade 3,200sqft house, and I'd rather have a well-equipped small car than a "poverty spec" larger car. That hasn't been particularly possible with cars in recent times, but the A3 is a good example of Audi pushing in that direction.

... of course, ask a group of Europeans which type of real estate they'd prefer, and I bet you'd get many who would gush over a sprawling McMansion. I just don't get the unnecessary excess... and who can really maintain that much, anyway? If a school bus is required to haul your family around, that much space may be in order. Two people in 5,000-sqft? Pfft.


----------



## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

Rudy_H said:


> It's flatter bench then the Genesis Coupe, where it has more 'bucket' seats, however someone can sit in the middle in the A3 / S3, where you need to be 5' nothing to sit in the middle of the Genesis Coupe.


Yeah, Genesis Coupe rear seats are much more in line with what you'd find in a sports coupe, IMO. I did quickly notice that Audi did as much as they could to lower the seating position in the rear as well as they could, though. Just look at how recessed the seat cushion is, relative to the bottom of the backrest.


----------



## Motown_Dub (Feb 22, 2003)

Rudy_H said:


> I was at the reveal in town for the A3. For sure you guys will be fine and comfortable space wise, HOWEVER, the back bench as you mentioned is for short trips, it's not comfy for a 3-4 hr trip...for adults of course, mind you for someone in their teens / early 20's that can sleep on couches, futons or floor, doubt it will bother them for a second.
> 
> It's flatter bench then the Genesis Coupe, where it has more 'bucket' seats, however someone can sit in the middle in the A3 / S3, where you need to be 5' nothing to sit in the middle of the Genesis Coupe.


The Gen Coupe is a penalty box in the back. My son just plain doesn't like it back there (I only tried it once when he was about 5'8"). It's a car I bought because it was fun to drive and not a ton of money plus my 2.0T Jetta was giving me grief.


----------



## nickjs1984 (Jul 30, 2009)

Yep, I definitely get this. The last I was in London, I got shoved into the back of a Nissan Micra (which I also survived but would not recommend). The evidence of our cultural differences really shines through with that Micra, though since it's representative of a class of cars we don't even have on sale here.



dmorrow said:


> Easily explained by what cars you are used to. In the U.S. the current A3 is a small car and the average car is bigger. In the U.K. the average car is small and they get used to it. As a 6'1" back seat passenger I would rather sit in a car bigger than my current A3. I can deal with it but if I am going on a decent length trip I would rather be in a bigger car.
> 
> Ask a NYC resident how much square footage is needed for living compared to the rural Kansas resident and you will get the same type of response as the UK/American when comparing car sizes.


----------



## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

nickjs1984 said:


> Yep, I definitely get this. The last I was in London, I got shoved into the back of a Nissan Micra (which I also survived but would not recommend). The evidence of our cultural differences really shines through with that Micra, though since it's representative of a class of cars we don't even have on sale here.


A Smart is about as dumb as we're willing to go here in the US. :laugh:


----------



## LWNY (Jul 30, 2008)

nickjs1984 said:


> Yep, I definitely get this. The last I was in London, I got shoved into the back of a Nissan Micra (which I also survived but would not recommend). The evidence of our cultural differences really shines through with that Micra, though since it's representative of a class of cars we don't even have on sale here.


but the london cab is worlds apart from whatever we have here, whether it is giant sedans or SUVs (where you feel as spacious as being in the back of a pig cruizer with the hard partition)


----------



## Velocipedio_Redux (Jul 26, 2013)

My 8P S3 sportback is roomier in the rear than my old B6 A4 avant, I can't see how the 8V is more cramped than a B5.


----------



## JDub713 (Feb 25, 2012)

@ OP; I'm 6' and I was fine in the drivers seat. I have a B5 A4, and I love the MQB A3 interior. The back seat is a bit tight, but I won't be sitting back there


----------



## t.oorboh! (Feb 11, 2012)

i don't know what the volume #s say. but the new A3 doesn't feel as roomy as my 8P. specially in the back!

sure there's definitely more shoulder room up front, but the back seat felt cramped. the roofline has a lot to do with it but the best feature for backseat passengers in the 8P is the opensky roof.

having that piece of glass above your head really makes it feel more airy than it actually is back there.

every time i have back seat passengers they comment on how it feels spacious in the back. last time i had 2 guys back there along with stuff coming in through the pass-through. the comment was "hey man, this is great. first time i don't feel like a second class citizen being carried like cargo in the back seat." 

i get to drive on road trips cause people don't mind my back seat. and i much MUCH prefer to drive somewhere than be in someone else's back seat. 

quite frankly the MBQ sedan doesn't do much for me. not only would i have to give up my preferred body style, i'd have to give up the manual too? 

check that picture of Dan Halen in the back seat of the sedan. he looks like he folded himself in there. it looks comical. 

the interior is also boring. ya i said it. booooring. other than the pop up screen. neat party trick but it doesn't offer anything practical while driving around. i'd probably keep it down. and to get the full MMI experience you have to get the teknik package. and getting my hockey bag in the trunk will be a pain in the ass. i was hoping that since the new car was set to be a bit bigger, the trunk would be practical enough to fit a hockey bag and at least one set of golf clubs without folding down the seats. ideally 2 sets of golf clubs. 

i can probably wait one more year to see if anything pans out with a sportback. otherwise i'm going to end up in a mazda3 or 6 or bite the bullet and get a 3 series touring. or maybe something else comes along.


----------



## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

Considering I'm Dan Halen, I can tell you no folding was involved. It's not an A8L level of comfort, but it's more than sufficient for average use.

I don't want a bunch of people insisting on riding in my car, so “serviceable" is preferable to me. If you were expecting similar spaciousness to your A3, you maintained an unreasonable expectation. I have a Golf and a Jetta, and I'd hope you'd not be surprised to learn that the Jetta's back seat doesn't feel as generous as the Rabbit's.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


----------



## Rudy_H (Jul 6, 2012)

Dan Halen said:


> Considering I'm Dan Halen, I can tell you no folding was involved. It's not an A8L level of comfort, but it's more than sufficient for average use.
> 
> I don't want a bunch of people insisting on riding in my car, so “serviceable" is preferable to me. If you were expecting similar spaciousness to your A3, you maintained an unreasonable expectation. I have a Golf and a Jetta, and I'd hope you'd not be surprised to learn that the Jetta's back seat doesn't feel as generous as the Rabbit's.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


ha so confusing, why does 'Brian' sometimes post?

I was playing with a new gadget I got and stumbled upon this :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ5nIitHd7s

~1:50 see front seats, looks like we are getting the diamond stitched S Sport Seats = win!
~ 2:45 the back seats vs CLA, you will notice more leg room then the CLA and better over all. The guy in the video is obviously a pretty big guy too.


----------



## Dan Halen (May 16, 2002)

You're right- that was Brian in the rear seat photo. I suppose Dan Halen would fit with substantial room to spare.


----------



## ChrisFu (Jun 9, 2012)

I dont think Mr Halen has much problem fitting into _any _rear seat.


----------



## davewg (Jul 30, 2001)

Here we go with the gratuitous image postings.... :laugh:


----------



## qtroCUB (Mar 22, 2005)

He fits completely...


----------



## Rudy_H (Jul 6, 2012)

ha, ok sadly I had to ask, only cause it's apparently an American only thing. Don't have them here in Canada

Should trade A3 pricing for Squidbillies


----------



## davewg (Jul 30, 2001)

Nice photochop of Dan Halen in his A3. We should have shirts made up.


----------



## StateSideS3 (Apr 13, 2007)

being it is an A3 and not an A4 I would think that it would obviously be somewhat smaller inside then an A4


----------

