Well, we all have opinions and I just don't agree with you, material quality is very important IMHO when evaulating the quality - I don't care what the tolerances are if it is crappy feeling and'or does not hold up well and/or looks low rent. And I can tell you that the remarks made by people I know were not from people accustomed to low quality vehicles.

Just curious, have you touched, pushed and pulled at pieces of the interior of an A3?

 

Jesus. Illiteracy is a terrible thing

 

Well first off I didn't say that material quality is not important. It is very important, and that's only another reason the Mini interior is pure Section 8. Hard plastic and vinyl abound.

As for intimately evaluating and A3, yes, of course I have. It would make me look like an *** if I put forth an opinion without firsthand experience.

Have you done the same?

 

I wouldn't "reply too" any of his e-mails, either. I reckon I'd rip my face off before I could even finish one.

 

I don't want this thread to deviate any more then it has, I outlined my references in my first post and then in the subsequent responses and you can see what I have and have not said if you read them. I only asked because you did not describe your experience with the A3 specifically in any detail and spoke of dismantling 'an Audi', etc.

 

I have "dismantled" the interiors of two Audi A4s and an A6. I have extensively inspected, but not dismantled, several A3s - two dealer cars and one friend's car.

Again, the materials are not comparable, FROM FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE.

 

I have over 125,000 miles on my 1996 A6 Avant Quattro. It's a friggin' battleship, strong, big and graceful. I've found it to be very reliable, and do much of the maintenance myself to save $$. Then again, I do a lot of the maintenance and mods on my MCS too, so maybe it's a carguy thing. Whatever. I've been very happy with both Audi and MINI. They're both basically over-engineered teutonic vehicles. The MINI has more "soul" as it's made in Oxfordshire, England; but the Audi has its personality and little quirks too. I've been known to keep cars for twenty years, or more. I take my time in deciding what to buy and then rarely sell one without running the life out of it (I put over 120,000 miles on a Toyota 4-Runner in Central America, at that). I figure I'll get at least 250,000 from the A6, so I've only gotten to about half life at this stage. Go for an Audi, or get another MCS, ya can't go wrong with either.

 

at this point, it seems like were not comparing apples to apples anymore. you, too, can have a new a6, base model with no additional options, for about $41,000. i would expect quality in most aspects to be better than a car starting less than half that much. for that matter, an a4 price begins at the upper end of a new hardtop cooper s with many options/packages at $28,000. i do have a consumer reports subscription--and according to them, reliability has been a shortcoming for the cooper. the new mini is four years old--how long has audi been around? the 'a' series since '98, and before that it was the audi 90, correct? and before that, audi's were plowing into peoples foliage and garages on their own (a bit o' sarcasm there). let's not pretend audi has the best reliability record either, and consumer reports data supports this. this of course is only one product testing source out of who knows how many. but anyways, this is way off topic now...

as a side note, i am curious to test drive the a3 (love the S4 and A8)--doubt i'd even think about giving up my S for it, though....i believe mini owners are probably some of the most satisfied around...somethin' to be said for that...

 

Quattro name *but* same lowend Synchro tranny as VW has had for a long while. The Quattro name is unfortunately about to exerience inflation and de-valuation as it is forced to cover non-related engineering designs.

 

No.

The Synchro system is not related to the current Haldex system used on VW and Audi transverse engine vehicles. You are correct that the original Quattro Torsen system is only used on Longitudinal setup VWs and Audis, but the old Synchro system is not used in any current VWs or Audis, and hasn't for about ten years for that matter.

 

After 3 months of ownership I'm really enjoy driving the A3 as much as the MINI or may be a bit more....

 

Well then, where's that doggone review we've all been waiting for. Give us the skinny on A3 ownership and a comparo with the MCS.

 

Well, I've been holding back waiting for MPR to join in, so here's my 5 month review of ownership of a US A3.

Still an awesome drive. The turbo response is immediate, I have yet to notice any lag what-so-ever. We have the 6-speed manual and it's quick and smooth. The fit and finish on the car is superb, inside and out. The ride is slightly harsh with the sport suspension, but nothing like my '02 MCS. Although not an MCS in cornering capability, it's definitely above others even with the light steering.

Honestly, it's beginning to make my MCS feel clunky in comparison. We will be test driving the new 3.2 litre AWD version as soon as it arrives.

 

You won't be the only one.

 

When will the AWD option be available?

 

According to Audi of America..."it will be in showrooms in December".

http://media.audiusa.com/article_dis...rticle_id=9220

 

Coop,

I sold my 2000 GTI VR6 when I bought my MCS. Loved the acceleration of the GTI, but in the handling department it was a P-I-G compared to the stock MCS, never mind the suspension mods I've done afterwards. I know that the A3 is Golf/GTI based with Audi amenities. Is it just a luxury Golf or is it something more?

 

The A3 is based on the MK5 platform, not the MK4 platform of the 1999-2005 Golf/Jetta/Audi TT. We haven't even seen the MK5 Golf/GTI in the U.S. yet, but from all accounts it is suppose to be a much better handler than it's predecessor.

 

I can't honestly answer that, because I've never owned a VW and have rarely driven them...the A3 is not a luxury car, at least to my standards of a luxury car. It's my wife's daily driver and has a lot more cargo space than the MINI as well as having a true backseat. The drive is just a bit on the "looser" side than the MCS, but the throttle response is tremendous...no hesitation/stumble.

Some other points about our Audi experience...first and foremost we purchased the car at a dealer 50 miles from our work, but we have an Audi dealer just minutes from our workplace. By far the worst part about MINI ownership is the 80 mile distance from me to the dealership...I know of others in my area that have decided against MINI ownership because of the distance factor...MINIUSA are you listening?

Also beware, the accessories being sold for the A3 are Euro spec. We purchased A3 rubber floor mats from the dealer and they don't fit the US A3...we're still waiting for Audi to catch up.

We did receive a large package from Audi via UPS a month or so ago that included a beautiful Bose computer sound system, retail value $300...all I got from MINI was a t-shirt, a pen, and set of Bingo cards.

 

COOPERation is pretty much saying it all. My impression so far with the A3 is the power...I mean all that 207hp torque come as soon as 1800rpm. The other thing I like is the DSG with the paddle shifter. I'm really enjoy using it even in the traffic. It's a fun way to drive without moving your hand down and shift the gears.

I'm sure that handling is not on the rail like a MINI, but the stiff sport suspension is really stay neutral even I pushed hard in the corners.

I knew that 3.2 quarto is coming, but I really want to tune the turbo car, so I jumped in this 2.0 in no time. Plus, I like to save some money to put on gas to do my mods instead...hehe

I have no idea why Audi stated about the platform of an A3 to be similar to golf, jetta or TT. I have drove all those cars and I can feel that each has its own characters.

Me and my wife were thinking to get another MCS after we sold our 350Z, but then we decided that more doors and more room are what we need. AUDI A3 is just right on the money for our situation.

If I have to keep one car for the house I would keep the A3, but luckily I can have my MINI and my wife loves her A3 so I think it's best for both of us in my opinion.

 

I think great minds think alike.

I just got that package from Audi as well...hehe. All I got from MINI after all that many promises from the dealer was the welcome kit..a little bit disappointing.

I would not say it's a luxury car, but I have to say that the built quality is much better than my MINI and Nissan Z.

One thing that I keep tracking is the MPG on the Audi is noticeable better than my MCS compare to 1.6 and 2.0. I think Audi did pretty good job with the new FSI engine to be more fuel efficient.

 

Thanks, I think we established that on another thread...

 

I drove the A3 today and was very impressed with the fit,finish, materials etc......it is a really nice car. The one I drove did not have the sport package...it was a manual 6 speed.....

It is very civilized and I would put it more in the class of my IS300 sportcross which I think will out handle it. My MINI is faster and pulls much harder but it has had lots of mods. I was thinking of replacing the Sportcross. I am going to wait for the 3.2 quattro and then evaluate......I also saw a very sweet blackk/red S4 convertible 6 speed.......wow was that nice.

I liked the A3 but not as a "fun" car.......I think the MINI is hard to beat in that category but I am seriously thinking of it as my daily driver

 

You definitely need to drive one with the sport package. The non-sport ones aren't even a consideration IMHO.

 

Good point......what is the upside with mods for this engine?