Subaru’s New Canine Cast Ready For Prime-Time In ‘Dog...
What do you have planned for Super Bowl Sunday? Besides noshing and rooting for your favorite team, that is? While the players take to the field...
Women’s Influence In Car Buying Evolving: Study
Automotive marketers have known for some time that women exert a powerful influence over what cars will be purchased for family as well as personal...

See all news

Topics

VIEW Videos, Photo Galleries

Videos

2013 Acura ILX Concept, 2013 RDX Crossover Concept: 2012...

Photo Galleries

More photo galleries

Find the Right Car:

Used Cars

Audi

By Make

By Model

2010

New

By Year

2012

Used

By Year

2010 Audi A3 - Review

MSRP: $27,270 - $30,850 See Local Classifieds

James Hamel March 15th, 2010 By

James Hamel

Editor BIO

James initially started working as a Service Advisor for Ford Dealerships so he could hone his technical knowledge before embarking on his automotive...More

LATEST ARTICLE
Minivan Wars: 2011 Toyota Sienna SE vs. 2010 Honda Odyssey EX
This week we here at FamilyCarGuide.com are driving a pre-production Toyota Sienna SE minivan...Read More

N/ALEADERBOARD RANK
286ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
0COMMENTS POSTED

7,497 views March 15, 2010

Angular Rear Exterior View - 2010 Audi A3 4-door HB S tronic 2.0T FrontTrak Premium

Enlarge Photo

The Audi A3 TDI is a luxury vehicle that sends out some serious mixed messages. First off the A3 is supposed to be a luxury car yet it only comes as a five door hatchback? Doesn’t Audi know Americans equate hatchbacks with cheap? And boy must we get extra confused when we see that the 2010 Audi A3 TDI diesel starts at $29,950 before options. So what is so special about a five door hatch imported from Germany (or Austria)? And besides, can’t you buy a 2010 VW Golf TDI for a whole lot less?

Well, of course you can get a vehicle similar to an Audi for less but it will just feel like less, drive like less and smell like nothing more than less of an Audi. The A3 makes a case for itself by having unique exterior styling that is so finely honed that it could have been tailored by Italian suit makers. If anything it looks a bit like an A4 Avant in miniature—no bad thing.

The interior has robust yet simple switches for everything from the climate control to the navigation and even on down to the power windows. The leather seats are softer than the chairs in, say, a BMW 1-series and the dashboard design is much warmer in the Audi as well. The Audi A3, above all else, feels like it has an interior that will last forever.

The TDI variant of the Audi A3 comes with a standard 2.0 liter turbocharged 140 horsepower/236 pound feet of torque diesel motor that gets 30 miles per gallon city/42 highway. Those are mighty impressive fuel economy figures for such a lavishly equipped and rather heavy hatchback. The 2010 Audi A3 TDI is only available with the 6-speed DSG double clutch automatic which is known for working very well with the unique power characteristics of this diesel engine.