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Hatchback
The cabin is a great place to sit, superbly finished and classy. 'Every-which-way' seat and wheel adjustment can be tailored to pretty much everyone.
Space in the back is better than in the previous A3, but still not great unless you pick the Sportback (five-door) version. However, the boot is well shaped and fairly generous.
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The A3 drives and responds competently but the steering isn't as sharp as a BMW's. It's comfortable and hushed at speed, although the suspension on Sport models gives an over-firm ride. Safety-wise, in Euro-NCAP tests, the A3 scored four stars out of five for protecting its occupants and three stars for keeping children safe. However, it gained just one star out of four for its ability to protect pedestrians. It's as well made as other, more expensive Audis but it's also expensive for what you get. It loses value only relatively slowly, so good three-year-old examples are still worth two-thirds of what they originally cost.
Running Costs
The A3 is no bargain, particularly against the mechanically similar and almost-as-classy VW Golf. You'll pay much more for the Audi name, but what you get isn't necessarily much better. Your extra cash buys a posh image and small gains in quality, with the hope of a good trade-in price. Insurance comes in at group 11 for most models expensive for the car's size and power, but the same as its closest rival, the BMW 1 Series.
The A3 2.0 petrol turbo sits loftily in group 15 while the 3.2 V6 is higher still, in group 18. Service intervals depend on how, when and where you drive, the car then calculates the service due date. Take it steady and you can stretch them to 15,000 miles, maybe more. Prices are steep if you use main dealers, but there are highly regarded specialists in most regions that do good work and save you money. Diesels manage over 40mpg, while 1.6 FSI petrols achieve around 35mpg. Anything bigger boosts your bills the 3.2 routinely dips below 20mpg on short urban hops.