A3 2.0T configuration question
11-21-2008, 07:06 AM
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A3 2.0T configuration question
Hi all-
I'm wondering if the A3 is available with a manual tranny and the 2.0T and quatro. When I use the configurator on the audi site it seems impossible. please advise.
I'm wondering if the A3 is available with a manual tranny and the 2.0T and quatro. When I use the configurator on the audi site it seems impossible. please advise.
11-22-2008, 05:17 AM
#7
While there is a big element of that, a big part of it is U.S. overregulation. Don't forget that.
Each engine/transmission combination must be separately crash tested, which is enormously expensive. And the American market isn't very manual-friendly, outside of enthusiast ranks, so the numbers don't justify bringing them over, to AoA. It's the same reason for the lack of Avants. No B8 S4 Avant, no V8 A6 Avant, I don't think you can get a 3.2 B8 A4 Avant, etc.
I'm loving the DSG, BTW. It's pretty damn cool. It's very unlike driving a torque-converter-based automatic transmission.
I'm loving the DSG, BTW. It's pretty damn cool. It's very unlike driving a torque-converter-based automatic transmission.
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11-22-2008, 09:48 AM
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I know the reason why it is expensive for Audi to bring those cars over here, but it still does not
make is acceptable. If AoA really wants to continue with it's sporty image then they need to offer manual transmission on each car/engine combo that they sell here. I'm not expecting to see these increasingly rare manual cars sitting on dealer lots, but I would like the option of being able to order it from the factory.
We have a GTi with DSG as my wife's daily driver, and while it is certainly a huge step forward from the older Tiptronic transmissions, it still leaves me cold when I really want to "Feel" the car...
We have a GTi with DSG as my wife's daily driver, and while it is certainly a huge step forward from the older Tiptronic transmissions, it still leaves me cold when I really want to "Feel" the car...
11-22-2008, 11:30 AM
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Audi isn't in the business of making you happy. They're trying to make a profit selling cars.
In their opinion, they don't believe that they will sell enough manual transmission cars to justify the expense of emissions and crash testing. The A3 market isn't broad enough to pay for models that will have low sales numbers. For instance, even the new A4s (which sell more) are just now coming out with a manual option--until recently the only choice available was the tiptronic transmission.
11-22-2008, 06:48 PM
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Not just me, there are a lot of enthusiasts out there that want manual as a option...
We've had this discussion before...but if Audi want to remain as a sporty brand then they do need to offer this to the market - BMW do it, and so should Audi (which these days is getting a larger share of the market worldwide)...
As for the new A4, nothing new there. It was the same for the B5 and B6 where the Auto cars come first and the manual later (but this time with the B8 Avant only being sold in manual)...
Having a car such as the new TTS in DSG only for the market is preventing a lot of current TT owners to make the move up the ladder...
Another example could be how slow Audi is to get TDi on the market here...
Anyway AoA first needs to get it's act together with it's dealer network and sort that out first...
As for the new A4, nothing new there. It was the same for the B5 and B6 where the Auto cars come first and the manual later (but this time with the B8 Avant only being sold in manual)...
Having a car such as the new TTS in DSG only for the market is preventing a lot of current TT owners to make the move up the ladder...
Another example could be how slow Audi is to get TDi on the market here...
Anyway AoA first needs to get it's act together with it's dealer network and sort that out first...