bluetentacle

I'm rather annoyed by the way the doors on the A3 holds open only at certain angles, and when it's in between those angles, it tends to swing uncontrollably toward the next notch. This makes careful door handling in tight parking scenarios unnecessarily difficult.

Just today I parked next to a rather high curb. When my friend and I exited the A3, I heard a heart-wrenching scratching noise as the tip of the passenger side door brushed against the pavement. A sliver of paint on the underside of the door--about a fingernail's length--was completely sheared off, exposing the primer underneath. Fortunately it can't be seen unless you get down on all fours and look skyward. Still, I'll be getting some touchup paint next time I go to the dealer.

This was on a car barely three days old. While it's not exactly a disaster, you can imagine my feelings when it happened.

In the future, I will be advising all my passengers to be extra careful when opening doors, to protect both my own property and those of others. Customers could have been easily been spared of such worries if Audi designed the door hinges like most other cars on the road.

I wonder if other people on this board have had similar experiences.

cpurick

Now, on my TL, we had something called "the automatic door closer." Those doors would swing shut unexpectedly in the slightest breeze, or when parked on the slightest incline.

I'd rather have Audi doors.

qfrog Ti20

there is a tensioned spring with several steps where it can hold tension, those notches or steps correspond to several angles at which the door will rest. Its a nice feature when you are on an incline and perhaps dont want a really heavy door to flop back onto you as you are trying to get out, lets say maybe you are an old man like my father, that notched door opening might make his life a little bit easier.

If the door operation is your largest concern you need to be medicated imo. Frankly I am amazed that you wasted the time to write that post.

Most other cars on the road, get real... if you wanted a toyota or honda why did you buy an audi? Maybe you should learn to be more attentive to detail when shopping for something that can disturb you so deeply. You are going to use the drivers door every single time you operate the vehcile... actually twice per use. Thats a major commitment isnt it. I mean you and that door are going to have to learn how to get along with one another right, this could be a long term relationship.

RogDog

My Nissan doesn't even have the indents, so I miss my Audi doors.

BostonScott

I would always check before exiting a car, especially a friend's brand-spanking new Audi.

520

it sounds like your passenger could car a little more, or use her/his brain cells in a better way:-)

bluetentacle

Please do not so easily take offense at others expressing concern about a single aspect of a car.

For the record I am quite satisfied with my purchase, except for the filmsy front roof latch and the tautness of the doors.

April

if you think it might strike something.

Depending on the colour of your car, you might be able to fit the really thin door edge guard people usually install on the vetical edge of doors to prevent dings.

Paris UK

A3 so they are presumably heavier than the 5 door Sportback. To exit my garage I occasionally have to get out while the car is parked on a severe incline. With the A4 my legs got regularly "chopped" by the heavy door swinging back - Big Ouch!. I think it's a sign of the quality of the car. My Mum's Merc is the same. If it bothered me I would have bought a Fiat or Renault which you can probably push open with a fingertip!

racer-genx

Approximately 2" on the bottom of the door is trim piece of plastic that can easily be replaced, if damaged from hitting a curb, it won't rust.