With a diverse mix of engines, fine ride and superb interior refinement, the third-gen A3 should be on your used hatchback shortlist
Looking strictly at price, you might not think the Audi A3 is a bargain buy. After all, you can have the same technology, engine options and drivetrain layout in a Skoda Octavia or Volkswagen Golf and both of those are cheaper, like for like.Examples of the third-generation A3 (2012-2020) are knocking around from £3000, about twice the price of the equivalent Skoda or VW.So why plump for the more expensive version of essentially the same car? Because it’s a better all-rounder.On the second-hand market, where prices are lower and mileages higher, what you really want is a comfortable, dependable car built using the sort of attention to detail that Isambard Kingdom Brunel gave his viaducts. And the A3 should deliver that.Outside, you get a clean, neat design typical of then-Audi design chief Wolfgang Egger’s sketches. The car was facelifted in 2016, bringing a more angular single-frame grille, as well as restyled tail-lights and rear bumper.No matter which version you go for, you get an interior styled to look as though it won’t date.Much like the ultra-luxe Bugatti Tourbillon hides its screen when not in use to make it look less ‘of the moment’, so the A3’s screen can retract.This leaves a cabin that’s an optical feast of soft-touch and attractive materials, buttons with a reassuring click and trim pieces stuck tighter than a barnacle to rock.There are no eye-catching gimmicks to divert your attention from something cheaper or less attractive lurking elsewhere in the cabin. In simple ergonomic terms, it is close to perfect.When you want to use the retractable 7.0in display, it glides out of the dashboard and can be operated using a rotary controller.It comes as standard with DAB radio, Bluetooth, smartphone integration and USB connectivity but can be upgraded on SE Technik, Sport, S Line and Black Edition models with dual-zone climate control and a 10GB hard drive.Generous equipment levels meet equally generous practicality. The five-door Sportback model offers 380 litres of boot space, and the three-door model 330 litres. In other words, it’s equal to the Golf but a bit less than an Octavia.SE cars got 16in alloy wheels, xenon headlights, heated wing mirrors and automatic lights and wipers, while Sport added 17in alloy wheels and more chrome and aluminium trim. S Line cars got lowered, tauter suspension and LED headlights, while Black Edition cars chiefly added black exterior trim and tinted windows.Our pick is S Line trim, with its handsome looks and, even now, good residual values. We would make sure the car has the softer suspension fitted, which was optionally available on an S Line model in place of its firmer set-up.The A3 gives the impression of a car that handles exactly as its maker intended, with a stable and accurate gait that is entirely undemanding of the driver.Engines? They range from the ultra-frugal 113bhp 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol and the 108bhp 1.6 TDI diesel to the 296bhp S3 and 395bhp RS3. Our recommendation is the 148bhp 1.4 petrol turbo, which is fast enough and has cylinder-on-demand tech for a claimed 61.4mpg.So it’s a refined hatchback with three or five doors, petrol or diesel power and the practicality and running costs to match a Golf. But it also draws parallels with the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series for material and ride quality. Small wonder so many people continue to want one.
