Anyone care to comment knowledgably about the Clubman S versus the Audi A3? I am considering either.

 

The A3 has a bad reputation for quality control. It's the worse Audi in production. It's basically a Volkswagon.
A Clubman would be a much better car.

 

Gerarddm, what's been the biggest comparison point for you personally?
I assume you've put your hands on either car and gotten to try both out?

Having been both an VAG multi-car owner and Clubman owner, I'd take the S-Line A3 over the R55 most any day.
The powertrain is tried and true in the Audi, and with available DSG and the Quattro all-wheel-drive it's a well-mannered vehicle.
Plus, there's a much wider and proven aftermarket support following if you decide to take the suspension / power to the next level.

The true 5-door configuration is great for egress with more than 2 occupants.
If you plan on bringing others around, it nice to have true swinging doors for passengers.

- Erik

 

I've looked at both quite a bit and with the A3, my question always becomes: Why would I pay a bunch of extra money for this when I could get the exact same car, a GTI, for a lot less money? Or, if I wanted a little more room and better gas mileage, a Jetta Sportwagen TDI?

 

....or a Golf R. Like Bluefox, I also have owned many VAG cars and all have had excellent fit and finish with really high quality materials,..especially interior. I just sold an S4 Wagon with over 150,000 miles and it was solid, tight and rattle free,...amazing.

My daughter's 2004 GTI is nice but doesn't seem to have the same level of interior fit and finish and it is filled with odd rattles and creaks. BUT,..it is fun.

 

I considered the A3 but it just felt...heavy. I drove VWs exclusively for 15 years and one Audi. The A3 is no different than the GTI, it just costs more. And being a VWAG product it's heavy. 3300 pounds or so, with only 211 HP. The fit and finish is a bit better than MINI's, but not so much so that I'd call it a deal breaker or a must-have. The MINI is absolutely more fun to drive and get MUCH better mileage. My JCW R55 gets better mileage than my GTI ever did and that includes after I chipped the GTI and the mileage got better.

I had an 08 GTI which is basically an A3 so the comparison is current and pretty on-point.

 

I only drove a used A3 and was so distracted by rattles and squeaks that I can't comment on the drive. I wasn't impressed...but it appears i am perhaps lucky on the solid build of my hardtop (2011). The backseat felt much smaller in the audi (no headroom) but we're pretty tall people - 5'11" and up.

 

I dunno. The Audi A3 is overpriced pretty badly for what it is, and the base models are FWD, not Quattro. Granted the fit and finish are great, but it's just plain overpriced simply because it is an Audi. A better comparison would be Cooper S Clubman vs. GTI...

 

having driven my Boss's 1.6 Audi A3 back to back with my cooper clubman I have to say I would much prefer the MINI. Theres no feel to the steering in the audi and the gearbox feels very loose. the A3 was only about 3 months old and my clubman was 3 years old at this stage!

I wasn't impressed at all

 

If you were to build your own A3 it would take 4-6 months for delivery, and if you were to build your own right now, you might end up with a sedan instead of a 5 door (if they don't offer the 5-door for the new model year).

GTI vs A3, I've read that the quality of materials in the A3 are nicer (better textures, feel etc.)

A3 vs R55, well, I went wit the R55. I also came from a BMW, so as much as I wanted the A3, the factors mentioned above drove me away from them. When I got into a Mini I felt at home.

Also Mini(BMW) has the free maintenance for 3 years.

 

For the $10 grand difference, I'd stay with the my Clubman.

We have an Audi wagon now, since 2004, an Allroad, which is supposed to be the biggest maintenance headache in the Audi fleet - we've had absolutely no trouble with ours......

That said, I've had A3 loaners and driven them quite a bit, I find the car to be pretty much an Audi - quiet, smooth and a good performer.

I would not get one unless I got the benefit of Quattro, which used to only come with the V-6, and actually isn't the same system used in the rest of the Audi lineup, so to answer your question more directly, if I were to get an Audi, it would probably be an A4 quattro wagon, which is even more money!

Bottom line, buy what suits your needs and wants, they're two really different cars and I don't think they're a direct comparison. A better one would be a Countryman All4 and an A3...

 

I have an 06 A3 3.2q that i ordered new six years ago when they first came out. It's a great car, but I am now in the market for something else. The build quality is superb and the interior is far ahead of the Clubman I tested last week. In my opinion, the A3 is a more complete car (particularly with the extra cyliders), it is well mannered on the road and the Quattro (with Haldex gen II controller) handles anything I through at it. The DSG is also far superior to the Mini auto. However, the smaller size of the Mini (it felt smaller/lighter/nimbler) may be overall more fun to drive(YMMV).

I am happy to answer specific questions on the A3 if you'd like. Regarding price, I paid about $40k all-in back in 06 and the Clubman I'm pricing out is right on that same number with all the pricey options, that is for 2 less cylinders and no AWD.

I'm in the market for something new and the Clubman is at the top of my list, largely because I'm a wagon guy and Audi no longer imports S4 or A6 avants. Here's my A3:

 

hmm a decision that I was pondering when I made my purchase. Not a clubman owner or driver, but a very happy R53 owner. I test drove many an A3 from as base as it gets to the opposite. It didnt have the same spirited fun drive that I experience in the Mini everyday. It is truly a car that I cannot wait to get into at any given time - hell sitting at work now just waiting to get into it at the end of the day. When decision time came, and $$ was in question I had two cars; a bone stock A3 (very cheaply finished IMO) low miles and an MCS MC40 Edition low miles. I couldnt/wouldnt pay more for less options and less fun behind the wheel. Still happy with my decision a few months later, drive past A3's very often and never experience the least bit of buyers remorse (especially when the supercharger whine kicks in)!....

 

I'll be the first to admit that my R55 was an impulse purchase. Having said that, I did this comparison 2 years ago when I was deciding to move on from my then Mazda RX8 GT. The A3 and R55 were the two leading candidates, and in my mind, the A3 was the logical choice- 5 doors, higher quality fit and finish, and the availability of the DSG, which really appealed to me at the time. After driving both, I came to the same conclusion that MC40oregon mentioned- The A3 just didn't give me the same sense of satisfaction that the R55 did. Couple that with the much higher price tag, and the R55 became a no-brainer for me. I didn't go either route then due to circumstances, but now that I had the chance to scratch the small car itch again, I'm completely satisfied with my choice.

Audis are still not out of the question though- the wife's Caddy SRX is due for replacement very soon, and she wants out of the SUV game and into a car. The A5 looms large on our horizon- she thinks it's the most beautiful coupe available right now, and I'm inclined to agree with her!

 

I'd agree, especially with the S-Line package or an S5.

 

I agree with most here and say definitly stick with the clubman i did the same comparison and love the mini much more plus if u shop around dealers or just build it on line u can get one SIIIIKK clubman that NO one else has,,,and for me that was the selling point of trading in my 2010 VW GTI for my mini there was just too many out there and the driving experience wasn"t even close.... the only reason i didnt get the clubman was because the one i picked out on the showroom floor was sold by another ******* salesman to another customer while i went home real quick to get my check book(i guess i wasn"t quick enough LOL)..anyways for me there is no substitute for individualality...and that is MINI to a tee if u wanna be noticed and have fun while doing it get the R55 if not then stick with the dime a dozen A3... thats my $.02

 

This. And the auto transmission left a lot to be desired, strangely. Most VW group transmissions are excellent in my experiences (excluding CVTs... egads). I drove my stepmother's 2004 Touareg, a couple Passats, and a few Jettas.

 

Yes, the Tiptronic IS garbage. The DSG is damned impressive but I can't deal with it's low-speed behavior. Same with the M-DCT.