2009 Audi A3 Sportback 1.8T Review

Few cars do that, simply because so many of them aren't really that interesting and lack character.

There's nothing fun about some of the cars, especially some models that are made for the masses because that usually multiplies the boredom by a few hundred times. The last two A3 Sportbacks I've tried, however, weren't disappointing at all. In fact, after having driven them around, at the end of the day I didn't want to get out.

When you climb in the new Sportback, the first thing that strikes you is its build quality. The interior bits and pieces are well fitted, so you won't be listening to a choir of trimmings sing when you accelerate hard. Its centre console design is intuitive and everything from the buttons to the switches are all pretty well-positioned. It's exactly the sort of quality of you'd expect from an Audi, even though it comes from the lower-end of the range.

Even on the outside, its attention to detail will impress anyone. Gracious "wings" form the iris of its headlamps while its eyebrows are made of several LED lights. Its body has grown minutely longer, too, by 6 mm, but it's basically the same chassis with new body panels.

Its 1.8-litre engine remains the same, producing 160 hp and 250 Nm of torque (from 1,500 - 4,200 rpm). Mated to a clever set of ratios in the seven-speed S tronic, there's a good quantity of power on demand. More importantly, its seventh gear ensures a respectable fuel consumption figure (Audi claims a combined figure of about 15 km/l).

But all that doesn't really sound interesting at all. It doesn't say that the A3 accelerates to a hundred faster than whatever or that it can do 300 km/h. In fact, it completes the century sprint in a very respectable 7.5 seconds. Looking at it, it doesn't awe you like an R8 would (obviously), and there's nothing about its proportions or even carbon emissions to shout about. Not just another one of'em

So it's really just another car with a slightly fancier gearbox, isn't it?

Well™no, not at all. What it really is, is a car with a slightly fancier gearbox and a unique character for a very reasonable sum of money.

On the road, it feels slightly firmer than the average ride provided by the other cars utilising the same Volkswagen Group's PQ35 platform. Body roll is controlled and its handling is undoubtedly capable of meeting the requirements of a daily drive. Push it harder and you'll still get to have some fun, but only as much as the Laws of a Front Wheel Drive physics allow.

It's a good balance between a feisty GTI and a cool, calm and collected Audi. The ride isn't as harsh and the A3 would definitely be the better choice for a long drive.

But let's face it, when you're looking at a car in this range, you want more than just a car. You want quality, style, a certain level of sophistication that says something about you and your personality. And the A3 definitely has plenty of those to offer. With this, it's more about the car's character and not just what it has to offer mechanically.


As a five-door in its price range, it has pretty much everything from the right curves, good performance, all the way to the shopping-friendly 1,080 litre trunk (with seats folded).

Other than whatever other bits of information you can find on the spec sheet, what else is there to it?

Well, remember your dating years? There was probably one of those unforgettable nights, after a movie, with your partner-to-be when the both of you just wanted to stay in town and stroll with each other, desperate to soak up every romantic moment before having to part ways again. It's one of those nights you wish will never end.

Yes, that's what it was like with the A3. Don't be fooled by the fact that it's made for the masses. It has a lot more personality than meets the eye, and it doesn't show easily. You need to be patient before it reveals itself to you, letting you appreciate it as a whole.

And that's when you realise that you've got a gem in your hands and you're in love.