"Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle" (1500sand535)
02/24/2019 at 19:06 • Filed to: None
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"Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle" (1500sand535)
02/24/2019 at 19:06 • Filed to: None | 0
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Audi released the newer A3 with two options: the 2.0T Quattro and the 1.8t with front wheel drive. The Quattro model didn’t see a lot of people spec the sport package, but a fair amount. And why not? iIt became a GTI in sedan form with awd and 10 extra hp. If I had to guess based on my internet shopping, 5-8% added the sport package. And I can’t believe it wasn’t more people, it cost $800 and gave you different sway bars, springs, seats, flappy paddles, and drive modes.
The 1.8T was supposed to just fulfill the needs of selling a car to people who want a luxury badge. Although, for all the reasons you might want the sport package, you could get it in like a 300 pound lighter car on the front wheel drive model. Still , it’d make a lot of sense to get a GTI for the money if you were shopping new. So if you were so compelled to get a sport pack, you’d probably just get the GTI. The whole point of an A3 over a GTI is either AWD orrrrr you have just enough dollars to get the badge. The take rate on my internet shopping of a 1.8T and the sport package? I’d guess 1-2%.
Here is the closest 1.8T with the sport package to me, just a 5-6 hour drive away:
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I’m not saying I’d actually buy the thing but I prefer the A3 sedan body to the GTI and with the sport package you get the GTI suspension, nice seats, and drive modes. You’re just down a handful of horsepower. Kind of a near car.
412GTI
> Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
02/24/2019 at 19:51 |
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That seems like a lot of car for the money! The 1.8t isn’t a powerhouse, but they have plenty of torque which is nice.
My brother purchased a fwd A3 this past summer and I will say it does feel a bit more substantial/refined compared to my GTI.
Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
02/24/2019 at 19:56 |
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I’m still upset that the US 5-door is e-tron only now. And don’t get me started on the 3-door. We get the sedan and the freaking cabriolet. Why, Audi? WHHYYYYYYYYY
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Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
> 412GTI
02/24/2019 at 20:22 |
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Yeah, the price is pretty good. I’m going to be car shopping once it stops snowing or being -0 temps every day. I’m going to try sampling a 1.8t A3 against a GTI and a 2.0t A3 Quattro.
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Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/24/2019 at 20:27 |
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Yeah I like the A3 hatch. But I have to imagine most people that love hatches that much go for a GTI or R.
facw
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
02/24/2019 at 21:59 |
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Probably because Audi only sold ~15k A3/S3's in the US last year, and didn’t feel they could afford to further wreck their economies of scale even if it might result in a few more sales. They were having to sell them with steep discounts too. I’d guess Audi considers the Q3 close enough for people who wanted the hatch (is the A3 5-door a hatch? I might call it a short wagon)
CompactLuxuryFan
> Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
02/24/2019 at 22:53 |
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My brother has an A3 1.8T with the sport package (and S-Line). It’s a 3-door hatch with a 7-speed DSG, so clearly not US-spec. It’s not bad! You trade some of the GTI’s oomph for a lot of style. I would totally go for a heavily depreciated 2.0T quattro in the US, in a different life.
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Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
> CompactLuxuryFan
02/24/2019 at 23:20 |
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I don’t know which way I’ll end up going but yes, ideally I’d end up with a 2.0T Quattro and the sport package. But wheee I live, is devoid of interesting cars in general so some of this will depend on availability.