TheWalrus

I went with a good friend, Paul, to Barrier Audi of Bellevue, WA to buy an A3. He's giving up his 1994 Acura Integra and stepping over to Audi. After driving my 1998 A4 2.8QTip and my 2006 BMW 330Cic, he realizes why people rave about German cars.

We worked with Brad at Barrier and the experience was great. We test drove four cars and I'll give you the impressions of each:

A3 2.0T DSG: the slickest automatic on the planet, yet still an automatic. It's just not as engaging as a manual. Paul also thought it was needlessly complex: you can use the paddles, or shift it into "S" or use the manual shift gate... He thought it was too gimmicky and would rather just have a manual. He's no luddite, but he's coming from a very basic car and would rather keep it simple.

A3 2.0T 6-spd manual: the 2.0T is quick, fun, peppy and makes this car move. It's a great combination. The sport package seats are supportive and wrap around you in just the right way. OpenSky makes the car feel much bigger than it is, though it reduces headroom in the back seat.

2005 A4 1.8T Quattro 6-spd manual: Paul wanted to understand how important Quattro is, so we did the 'Quattro test': an aggressive start from a full stop with the right wheels on dirt and the left wheels on pavement. He was amazed at how seamless, planted, and drama-free that was. Unfortunately, the 1.8T in a car that heavy makes it a real dog. It just doesn't move like the A3. The car has 22K miles on it and was priced at $29.9K

2006 A4 2.0T Quattro 6-spd manual: somewhere between the last two. The 2.0T is a real improvement over the 1.8T, but the A3 is still lighter, quicker, and more fun. The A4 is a little more 'grown up' and that's not what Paul was looking for.

So, at the end of the day, he opted for an A3 2.0T manual with only the $350 stereo option, OpenSky, and the Sport Package. I tried convincing him to get the Tech Pkg for the Xenons alone, but he has discipline and wanted the car's price to start with a "2" -- he succeeded and is getting the car for $29K+, $32K including taxes. The car won't arrive until March which is fine.

Paul is a Costco member and rather than negotiate for a better price he simply let Costco do the work for him in advance. The dealer whipped out the Costco pricing sheet, calculated a quote and that was that. It was clear to me that there isn't a lot of margin in this car for Audi. Once we started talking Costco pricing, Brad came back with a very competitive A4 quote as well. He would have been much happier to see us in an A4. As we were surrounded by A8s, Q7s, S4s, I told Paul, "This place sells very, very few cars for under $30K."

Overall the experience was painless. Brad was a helpful, no-pressure, knowledgeable salesperson. Curiously, when I asked him why there was no 2.0T+Quattro he didn't have a good answer

-James
Seattle, WA<ul><li><a href="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/1051/anacortes.jpg">My car (hint: not an A3).</a></li></ul>

Skyler@Achtuning.com

APR chips are on sale here until Friday, plus we don't charge an installation fee!

kram n

"A3 2.0T DSG: the slickest automatic on the planet, yet still an automatic."

False. The DSG has no torque converter so it is NOT an automatic. It has 2 clutches.

later

OOOO-A3

"False. The DSG has no torque converter so it is NOT an automatic. It has 2 clutches."

...neither one of which you have direct control over with a pedal under your left foot. It's a <i>torque-converter-less</i> automatic.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.... if you're into that sort of thing... but this argument has been beaten to death on here so why did you have to bring it up again?

vplaza

From Wiki:

"A Twin-clutch gearbox or Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) is a semi-automatic transmission with separate clutches for odd and even gears. The outer clutch drives gears 1, 3, and 5 (and reverse). The inner clutch drives gears 2, 4, and 6. Shifts can be accomplished without interrupting power, by applying the engine's torque to one clutch just as the engine's torque is being disconnected from the other clutch. Since the synchronizers that select an odd gear can be moved while driving the car in an even gear, and vice versa, DCT's have been configured which shift faster than Formula One cars and other single-clutch AMT's (automated-manual transmissions, a.k.a. single-clutch semi-automatics); the shift can also be made smoother and more suitable for street-driving than a single-clutch AMT is capable of. A twin-clutch gearbox eliminates the torque converter, which is a major source of parasitic loss in a traditional automatic transmission. However, dual clutch transmissions that are currently on the market use wet multi-plate clutches, similar to the clutches used in traditional automatic transmissions. Versions that use dry clutches, like those usually associated with manual transmissions, are rumored to be in development by several manufacturers."

TheWalrus

Semantics OK. As far as the driving experience is concerned, it's an automatic.

RS4saloondrivr

If my wife can drive it, it's an automatic.

MisterJJ

The DSG is what it is, regardless of what name you attach. How about a "clutch-pedal-less manual"?

I think the most accurate term is "automated manual", but all the stick lover snobs get their panties in a bunch over any term that includes "manual".

vplaza

At least, that's what I gather from folks who say the DSG isn't a manual.