ScottAW

Trading in my 2006 A3 and picking up a new A4 Avant. Loved my A3 2.0T and will miss it, but got a great deal on a 2009 A4 and a good trade-in on the A3.

Back in 2006 the A3 was re markedly a better handling and tighter car than the A4 at the time. I was impressed during my test drive at how the current generation A4 handles a lot better than the previous generation. It's about on par with the A3 in terms of feeling nimble, tight, and quick in the corners, and the added torque is nice too! Ended up with a white on black Avant, premium, with quite a few little add-ons. :-) Oh, and if anyone is interested in a set of winter mats or an oil filter for the A3, shoot me an e-mail since I no longer have a need. Reasonable offer, and they are yours.

Take care A3 folks! :-)

a4mulet30red

how much did u get for a trade if you don't mine me asking

ScottAW

I ended up with basically a 51% residual value after owning the vehicle for 3 years and 7 months.

tkf125

I am looking at an Acura TSX 2010, along with a BMW 335 and I at one time had my eyes set on an Audi A3. AS a daily driver, assuming this was your daily driver, were you really happy with it? And is the interior as roomy as the A4 , I heard the A3 interior was just as roomy? is that true?

ScottAW

Yes, A3 was a DD. Served me very well for almost 4 years. Had one initial problem with an exhaust hanger, but after that it was flawless. Loved the A3, it was very nimble, quick, and fun to drive. Great on gas, good on the highway, was a lot of fun to zip around in. The A3 is not quite as roomy as the A4, the A4 is wider and you notice that sitting in it. A3 is certainly not cramped feeling though, I'm a larger framed guy at 6' and 230+ lbs, and never felt cramped. I would have gladly purchased another A3, but the deal I received on the A4 was great and I missed having torsion Quattro from time to time. I also have a kid on the way soon, and expect the larger trunk area will be beneficial too.

BMW 335 is nice too, but usually cost more. Just not worth it, I've always compared BMW's and Audi's, and am on my third Audi if that says anything. Love BMW's, just don't find it worth the extra cash over the Audi. Audi's interior is *always* nicer, and the 2.0T is a beautiful engine. Throw in Quattro, and it's hard to beat when it cost less than a comparable BMW.

Acura. No thanks. I'm not a snob by any stretch of the imagination, growing up on a farm and milking cows in my younger days - But it's really hard to beat the German automobiles in terms of the ride, handling, and composure. The Japanese sedans have always been too muted, with no road feedback and never feeling like you are connected with the road.

Halftrack

I have short legs but a very tall torso and am a big guy at 280 lbs. My wife has long legs and is also big at over 200 and we never feel cramped. With the open sky option, even the back seat is quite comfortable. We were surprised how roomy the A3 is compared to cars like the Lexus I-series. Absolutely NO REGRETS!

tkf125

THANKS for the replies to my question. Since my post, I went back to look at the TSX and the audi and I really like the audi, but love the Honda/ Acura reliability. I drive 40 miles each way to work, so that is 80+ miles a day, so reliabilty will weigh in heavily. I just love the fun ride of the A3.. It is really making my choice very hard. I plan to buy before christmas, so we will see..

uberwgn

Guys, can you compare and contrast rear seating room in the A3 and A4? Something tells me the A3 rear area is tiny and the A4, IIRC, is somewhat tight. Was the A4 rear seatning area ever "stretched" in newer models?

Thx.

ScottAW

Neither car has huge rear seating area, but the A4 is bigger for sure. For shorter rides, normal sized adults fit in the back of the A3 just fine. Larger (6' & taller or 250 lbs or more) folks will not like the A3 much for more than 30 minutes I would guess. In the A4 Avant, the rear seat room is adequate for long trips for most folks I would think.

uberwgn

Scott, thanks for your reply. That is my concern. While I really like the design/functionality of the A3, I don't think the rear seating area is going to work. I've owned a Mk4 Jetta and have a strong suspicion the area would be very similar....and it was a primary reason why I got rid of the car. There simply wasn't enough room for 2 kids.

I haven't been in a newer A4, my only experience was an early A4 from the period when they were hugely popular 10+ yrs ago. I'll have to look at the contemporary car. Problem is, I often have to move around 2 - 3 kids and the space can become an issue. I'm not going to select a car where the seating is cramped.