2016 Audi A3 E-Tron Review - The Audi Of Volts

In between yesterday and tomorrow is today.

Yesterday was when cars were powered exclusively by internal combustion engines. Tomorrow will be when cars are powered exclusively by electricity, or perhaps even hydrogen fuel cells. 

THE GOOD + Classy inside and out + Electric power is so smooth + Overall economy figures + Such a solid unit + Feels very premium

THE BAD – Doesn't feel quite like $50K – Limited electric range – Very, very heavy – Cheap grille/outlet cover – Press start... and wait

Today, we have hybrids.

And in between today and tomorrow, whenever that is, resides the plug-in hybrid. 

Granted, buyers in search of tomorrow haven't been as numerous as many industry insiders anticipated. U.S. sales of Chevrolet's affordable first-generation Volt, for example, peaked at only 23,461 units in 2012 and by 2015 had fallen by more than a third. 

But the idea makes a lot of sense. Having plugged in the 2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron overnight, I travelled from GCBC Towers in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, to the downtown core of the capital, Halifax, on electricity alone.

Once the electric range dried up, the A3 e-tron just kept on trucking as a conventional hybrid, charging up the battery with its powerful 1.4L turbocharged gas engine. 

Yes, the idea makes a lot of sense. And in the real world, the A3 e-tron works well in practice, as well. So what's the problem?

Money, money, money.

WHAT IS IT?
Canadians can buy an Audi A3 sedan with one of two engines, a high-powered Audi S3 sedan, and a two-door Audi A3 Cabriolet. But after the far less popular A3 that first came to North America in hatchback guise only, the new Audi A3 Sportback is sold in North America only as an e-tron. Think of the A3 e-tron as Audi's version of the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid that could theoretically run forever without ever being plugged in and charged through an outlet or as a pure electric car if every trip you take is less than 25 kilometres and you have time in between each trip to charge up through an outlet.

2016 AUDI A3 SPORTBACK E-TRON TECHNIK Base Price: $41,395 * As-Tested Price: $50,185 * Colour: Daytona Grey Assembly: Ingolstadt, Germany Drive Type: front-wheel-drive Transmission: 6-speed DSG automatic Engine: 1.4L DOHC 16-valve turbocharged I-4 Battery: 8.8 kWh Li-Ion Horsepower: 150 @ 5000 rpm Torque: 184 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm Total System Horsepower: 204 Total System Torque: 258 lb-ft Curb Weight: 3616 pounds Length: 169.8 inches Width: 70.3 inches Height: 55.0 inches Wheelbase: 103.5 inches Tires: Pirelli Sottozero Tire Size: 225/40R18 Passenger Volume: 2520 litres Cargo Volume: 385 litres EPA MPG: 35 EPA MPGe: 83 Electric Range: 25.7 km NRCAN OEE City: 6.4 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 5.7 L/100km Observed: 47.0 mpg Observed: 5.0 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $2195 in fees.

Canadian pricing for the regular 2016 Audi A3 starts at $33,795. The Sportback e-tron, however, commands a hefty $7600 premium. Progressiv trim adds $700 to the base price of the slightly more efficient A3 e-tron ultra. Our specific test car was an A3 Sportback e-tron Technik, priced from $46,795 before Audi's PR department slathered on spectacular Daytona Grey Metallic paint ($890) and added an $1100 Sport Package (which includes the stunning 18-inch Turbine wheels and very comfortable sport seats) and a $1400 Technology Package (active lane assist, adaptive cruse, Audi front pre-sense). 

HOW BIG IS IT?
Outside, the 2016 Audi A3 Sportback is very much sized like the Volkswagen Golf with which it shares a platform. The A3's wheelbase is three-tenths of an inch shorter than the Golf's but the A3 e-tron is nearly two inches longer than the last Mk7 Golf 1.8 TSI we tested. The Audi is half an inch narrower and nearly an inch lower. 

Inside, however, it's a different story. The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron offers 43% less cargo capacity and 5% less space for occupants than the Golf. In reality, it feels like 25% less cargo capacity and 25% less passenger volume.

DOES IT WORK?
As a variant of the Audi A3, the 2016 A3 Sportback e-tron has plenty going for it. Outside and in, the A3 is a classy piece of kit, particularly on these 18-inch wheels and with this deep and lustrous grey paint. This is a factor in forming an A3 e-tron impression, because you're impressed before you start the car up.

But then after pressing the starter button, you're left waiting for a moment while the car readies itself. Shifting into Drive before the A3 e-tron is ready is a meaningless shift. This isn't the case if the car was running recently, but after sitting, the post-start pause is aggravating. 

Then, with a fully charged A3 e-tron prepared for the journey, you're underway, riding a wave of electric torque that can in no wise be compared with the way a conventional ICE produces acceleration. The silent smoothness is unusual in all the right ways. 

Unfortunately, the electric range maxed out at 26.7 kilometres while the A3 e-tron was in our care, enough for a one-way trip into the city. Five or six years ago, that figure would have been fascinating. But there are much less expensive cars that will allow you to travel into the city and back. And then back into the city again. 

The A3 e-tron is fortunately hooked up to Volkswagen's dual-clutch 6-speed gearbox, and the whole powertrain marriage is a happy one. The A3 e-tron is quick off the line and punchy in the mid-range. At the same time, the plentiful GTI-like power figures are let down by excessive weight and, consequently, somewhat sloppy handling. With four adults and a toddler aboard we headed down twisty Prospect Road toward famed Peggy's Cove and quickly discovered that, while sufficiently quick, the A3 e-tron's 441-pound penalty (compared with the front-wheel-drive A3 1.8T sedan) clearly dulls the platform's typical responsiveness.

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
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It's in the city where the Audi A3 e-tron shines, however, where its powertrain makes the most sense and its solid structure and tidy dimensions are welcome in an urban environment. 

Regardless, the A3 e-tron is a mixed bag of good and bad. The four-rings on the grille unlock with the twist of a knob to slide over in order to reveal the charging port, but everything about the operation feels bizarrely cheap and breakable. 

At the same time, the A3's screen rises up out of the dash with all the refined techno-wizardry you expect from an Audi. 

The powertrain shuffles between modes imperceptibly, but at the end of the week we essentially consumed 5 litres of premium fuel per 100 kilometers, plus two overnight charges. (At worst, here in Nova Scotia, the cost of those charges work out to about $1.30 each.) We did 4.1 L/100km in a 2016 Toyota Prius in May.

The Audi A3 e-tron is no Prius, that's for sure. It's far more dynamically appealing, far more engaging, and infinitely more comfortable. But the A3 is not nearly as spacious, not as efficient, and far more costly, as well.

IS ANYONE BUYING IT?
Audi doesn't issue a breakdown of A3 sales figures in any way, whether by A3/S3 or bodystyle or fuel type. We know that the latest A3 range is far more successful than the first A3 Audi brought to North America. In the United States, Audi A3 sales in calendar year 2015 were on par with the total number of A3s sold in America between 2007 and 2013, a seven-year span. In Canada, Audi sold 3788 A3s in 2015, more than double the number of A3s sold in the previous-generation's best ever year. 

According to registration figures provided by our favourite electric car source, Matthew Klippenstein, Audi Canada sold 133 A3 e-trons between December and April, a period during which Audi Canada reported 1458 total A3 sales. HybridCars.com says Audi USA sold 1589 A3s e-trons in the first five months of 2016, 12% of the overall A3's 13,413-unit total.

SHOULD I BUY SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD?
Despite entrenched Audi love here at GCBC, the A3 e-tron seems just a little bit silly. And it becomes very silly when the price climbs above $45,000. And then it becomes extremely silly when the price soars past $50,000 to $50,185 as tested.

It's not that an Audi A3 e-tron doesn't feel like a premium product, but the luxury content levels and space aren't there to justify a significant plug-in price premium without two traditional Audi virtues: Quattro all-wheel-drive and a technical advantage. But the 2016 Audi A3 e-tron is a compact, front-wheel-drive, hatchback with 70% less pure electric range than the 2016 Chevrolet Volt. 

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Audi A3 Historical Monthly & Yearly Sales Figures
2015 Lexus NX300h Driven Review
2016 Audi A6 3.0 TDI Technik Driven Review

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Vorsprung Durch Technik? Audi's famed Advancement Through Technology? 

Not that much technology, very little advancement. The A3 e-tron is technically behind the curve. Sure, the Chevrolet Volt lacks a premium badge and a premium appearance, but if you take your green car cred seriously, you must give the second-generation Volt a look. And if the green car aspect of the equation isn't important to you, just go ahead and get a regular Audi A3. Or at this price point, an Audi S3. That car is sublime. 

HOW MUCH SHOULD I PAY?
But let's say you insist on purchasing or leasing an Audi A3 e-tron, perhaps helped out by rebates in the province in which you currently reside. (No such rebates exist here in Nova Scotia.) In that case, we'll acknowledge that the top-trim Technik's navigation system, Bang & Olufsen sound system, backup camera, and adaptive lighting seem worth the added cost. 

Skip the wheel, paint, and tech package upgrades and the 2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron Technik is a pill that can be swallowed at $46,795. 

WHAT'S THE VERDICT?
If the 2016 Audi A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid made a technological case for itself, perhaps we'd be willing to overlook some of the car's dynamic flaws: its indecisive turn-in, slow startup response, and snug rear quarters. Indeed, if the 2016 Audi A3 e-tron was as sharp a handler as regular A3s, if startup wasn't stupidly slow, and if it didn't sacrifice space because of the extra hardware, we would forgive the fact that it's not a leader among plug-in hybrids. 

But the Audi A3 e-tron isn't a technical powerhouse – strike one – and it's not as good of an Audi as the regular A3 – strike two – and less costly cars do more for less. Strike three. 

Drop the price by $7600 and we're in business.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. The A3 e-tron was supplied by Audi Canada's press office.

BMW vs. Mercedes-Benz vs. Audi: U.S. Sales 2006-2015

2015 is expected to be the second consecutive year and the ninth in the last ten years that BMW USA has sold more new vehicles than its German rival, Mercedes-Benz. 2013, was the lone exception to the rule, as the big Stuttgart luxury automaker outsold its Munich foe in America by a narrow 3254-unit margin.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW are both increasingly dependent on SUVs/crossovers for their U.S. sales volume. Through the first 11 months of 2015, 33% of the BMWs sold in America were X1s, X3s, X4s, X5s, and X6s. 

When this chart began, back in 2006, BMW's X3 and X5 – the lone SAVs at that point – generated just 21% of BMW's volume. BMW sold variants of the 3-Series, 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, Z4, X3, and X5 in 2006, along with five remaining Z8s. In 2015, BMW sells a 2-Series, 3-Series, 4-Series, 5-Series, 6-Series, 7-Series, Z4, i3, i8, X1, X3, X4, X5, and X6.

Click Chart To Expand

At Mercedes-Benz, 39% of the brand's non-Sprinter/Metris sales in 2015 are SUV/CUV-derived. Volume generated by the G-Class, GL-Class, GLA-Class, GLC-Class, GLE-Class, GLK-Class, and M-Class totalled 121,435 units in 2015's first 11 months, a 16% year-over-year increase. 

That compares with BMW's 102,100 SUV/CUV sales, a 5% improvement. Mercedes-Benz's passenger cars are down 2% to 187,450; BMW's are up 4% to 209,298.

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U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - November 2015 YTD
U.S. Car Sales Rankings By Model - November 2015 YTD
U.S. SUV/Crossover Sales Rankings By Model - November 2015 YTD

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In 2006, Mercedes-Benz's SUV division consisted of the G-Class, GL-Class, and M-Class. In the future, the GLK will be extinguished in favour of GLC nomenclature. The GLE is replacing the M-Class as we speak. The GL-Class will become the GLS.

Mercedes-Benz and BMW aren't the only high-volume premium brands from Germany, of course. Between 2006 and 2015, U.S. sales at Audi jumped 121%. Indeed, since the industry-wide disaster of 2009, Audi sales are up 141%. BMW USA volume rose just 73% since 2009; Mercedes-Benz just 77%. 

Audi's product portfolio in 2006 was significantly smaller than it is now. The A3 hatchback, A4, A6, A8, TT, and Q7 attempted to lure luxury car buyers. In 2015, the A3 lineup has greatly expanded, and Audi also sells the A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, R8, TT, Q3, Q5, and Q7.

The Q5 is the brand's best-selling model and helped to generate a 33% improvement in SUV/CUV sales to 75,843 units in 2015's first 11 months. Audi car sales are up 1% to 106,320 so far this year.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz have combined to outsell the former number one seller of luxury vehicles in America, Lexus, every year since 2011, when Lexus sales, hampered by a post-Tōhoku earthquake crisis, slid 13% and BMW jumped 13%. 

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

Auto News For Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - Tesla Has 1,656 Job Openings

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories and videos for Tuesday, December 8, 2015.

EMPLOYMENT
Need a new gig? Want to work in Palo Alto, or one of the many other attractive destinations around the globe? Tesla currently has 1,656 job openings, from radar engineers to service managers. 

FUTURE
The Hyundai Ioniq will take on the all-conquering Toyota Prius with a bevy of powertrains: hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric. The teaser image is rather Volt-like.

DISTANT FUTURE
Could another Honda S2000 be in the works, and could it be a more direct rival for the Mazda MX-5 Miata? AutoCar has details.

REVIEW
While the Nissan Frontier quickly becomes an also-ran in North America's small/midsize pickup truck market, CAR Magazine is reviewing the new, 2016 Nissan NP300 Navara, and they're saying nice things about it.

WATCH
Earlier today, GCBC highlighted the Alex On Autos video review of the 2016 Toyota Tacoma. Surprisingly flexible but not quite as rugged as that Tacoma is this 2016 Audi S7, again reviewed by Alex Dykes, the most thorough and detailed video reviewer on YouTube.

Auto News For November 24, 2015 - Audi Has A 3.0L Diesel Software Fix

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories, recalls and videos for Tuesday, November 24, 2015.

FUTURE
BMW’s latest Concept Compact Sedan is a handsome little thing that previews a sub-3-Series entry-level BMW. The car was introduced at an auto show in Guangzhou, China, but there’s no reason to believe this couldn’t be a global model. 

DIESEL
There’s a fix for 3.0L diesel engines, Audi announced yesterday. The software update needs to be approved by the EPA and CARB, but the news suggests that 85,000 Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen vehicles with the 3.0L diesel can be remedied with software alone. 

DETROIT
Jaguar and Land Rover won’t display cars at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan. The two Indian-owned British luxury automakers prefer to emphasize auto shows in New York and Los Angeles. 

REVIEW
The Wall Street Journal’s Dan Neil praises the new fourth-gen Lexus RX plenty, but also notes that, "The preproduction RX I drove sounds kind of thrumming and unhappy in the lower rpms, around town, and the 8-speeder shifts like it’s just trying to stay busy.” 

WATCH 
Curiously, Fiat USA’s recent commercial, featuring Pentatonix, aired during the American Music Awards and failed to display in any meaningful way the company’s latest model, the 500X.

Auto News For Monday, June 29, 2015 - Finally A New Audi A4

Here are the five must-read, must-watch auto news stories, review and videos for Monday, June 29, 2015.

FUTURE
No surprises here. In keeping with Audi's handsome but conservative design ethos, the 2017 Audi A4, the first all-new A4 since the fourth-gen B8 was introduced nearly eight years ago, looks a lot like the previous car. Although its dimensions have increased marginally, the new A4 will weigh approximately 265 pounds less than the outgoing car. The wagon is gorgeous, but we're more likely to receive a slightly elevated, be-cladded Allroad version of the Avant. Audi USA sells an average of 38,000 A4s per year.

TTAC
2015 will be the seventh consecutive year that Ford's Fiesta ends a calendar year as the United Kingdom's best-selling car. The Fiesta's lead over the second-ranked Vauxhall Corsa stands at 18,883 units through just five months. The Fiesta outsold the second-ranked car, Ford's own Focus, by 46,114 units in 2014.

REVIEW
Is the iM the answer to Scion's problems? Not if the market agrees with Car & Driver. Calling it the iMeh, C/D says, "The segment is also full of cars offering better performance," and, "If Scion is going to survive, it needs a following. And at first blush, the iM doesn’t seem good enough to build one." U.S. sales at the Scion brand are down 19% so far this year.

RECALL
In a recall not yet posted to NHTSA's main recall page, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says 65 owners of Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos must stop driving their vehicles. The Durangos and Grand Cherokees were built in early June the recall is taking place, "because they may have been inadvertently equipped with improperly heat-treated suspension components. This condition, which was not apparent during the assembly process, could lead to component breakage, rear-end instability and/or reduced braking power." You can read more about the specifics and the means of discovering if your vehicle is involved at FCA's website or by calling FCA's U.S. customer care centre at 1-800-853-1403.

WATCH
Is the new HR-V the spiritual successor to the CRX, Civic hatch, Prelude, Accord wagon, del Sol, S2000, and Element? That's the story Honda is telling in this terrific commercial.

Auto News For Thursday, June 25, 2015 - New Mini Clubman Is A True Mini Wagon

Here are the seven must-read, must-watch auto news stories, review and videos for Thursday, June 25, 2015, with a heavy dose on new product info after a bizarre early summer Wednesday in which multiple automakers coincidentally revealed new vehicles.

FUTURE
The Chevrolet Cruze, which will continue to be marketed with a diesel engine and will be available in a hatchback bodystyle, was shown in new, second-generation form last night. The 2016 Cruze carries on with the 2016 Malibu's styling direction but does so, not surprisingly, with less pizzazz. Fortunately, the Cruze will lose around 250 pounds. Great weight has always been the car's chief downside. The Cruze is currently America's third-best-selling small car.

MORE FUTURE
The Mini Cooper 5-Door is actually not the Mini for people who wanted the most spacious, flexible, realistic new Mini. The Clubman is back, and it brings more barn doors and nearly an extra foot of length compared with the 5-Door. It also wears Mini's latest styling direction better than any of its siblings.

DROPTOP FUTURE
Take one new, sixth-generation Camaro, and remove the roof. There you have it,the new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. The roof is fully automatic. Camaro volume has fallen this year as a new Mustang took over and the faithful waited for the debut of a new Chevy muscle car.

UNPREDICTABLE FUTURE
In Quadrifolglio trim, the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia will be a gorgeous 503-horsepower, BMW M3 fighter. The car isn't due in North America until mid-way through 2016, and don't believe anyone who tells you it will be common. But it would be good for automotive enthusiasts and the industry as a whole if a car like the Alfa succeeded. To do so, it'll need to be more reliable than Alfas of the past, it'll need to be dynamically sorted in lesser trims, and it'll need to be priced very aggressively. Concerns? In the words of Peter DeLorenzo, "You don't honestly believe that a magic switch will be "flipped" that will instantly purge decades of piss-poor quality from the Fiat car making Empire, do you? I suppose if you do, you're exactly the kind of buyer that Marchionne and his espresso-swilling minions are looking for."

RECALL
Subaru USA is recalling 72,000 Legacys, Outbacks, XV Crosstreks, and Imprezas (model year 2015) and WRXs (model year 2016) which are equipped with the Eyesight Driver Assist System. "If the switch that activates the brake lights fails, the automatic pre-collision braking component of the driver assist system will not function."

Mitsubishi is recalling 459,618 Eclipses (2000-2005), Eclipse Spyders (2001-2005), and Chrysler Sebrings and Dodge Stratuses (2001-2005), because, "In the affected vehicles, the passenger side sun visor may be folded down in such a position that, if the passenger frontal air bag deploys, the passenger side sun visor may detach."

Mitsubishi is also recalling 74,836 Eclipses (2006-2009) and Eclipse Spyders (2007-2009), for a braking corrosion issue. "Due to corrosion inside the ABS unit, one or more of the internal valves may seize. In a braking event that uses the ABS, a seized valve would increase brake pedal travel and reduce braking ability."

WATCH
GCBC recently reviewed the 2015 Audi S3. The Audi RS3 reviewed here by CarBuyer's Mat Watson offers distinctly more performance than that already shockingly quick S3. And it's a hatchback.

Auto News For Monday, June 22, 2015 - Current Dodge Grand Caravan Lives Through 2017

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories, review and videos for Monday, June 22, 2015.

INSIDE THE AUTO INDUSTRY
Why were auto industry observers, including GCBC, skeptical of any plan that said the Dodge Grand Caravan was about to die? Windsor, Ontario's, FCA minivan plant has undergone renovations in order to build the next generation of Chrysler's minivans, but now we learn from Automotive News that Dodge will build the current, value-priced Grand Caravan for the 2016 and 2017 model years.

INSIDE THE CANADIAN AUTO INDUSTRY
The Globe & Mail makes rather obvious the point that FCA Canada isn't really selling quite as many vehicles as they say. The problem? It's not really an apples to apples comparison. We don't know what tactics other automakers are employing. We also know that no automaker's sales figures are directly comparable to another's at the best of times, since their lineups, outlets, prices, and incentives don't line up. 

INSIDE CANADA'S FASTEST-GROWING AUTOMAKER
No automobile manufacturer is growing at a faster clip in Canada than the Volkswagen Group: Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche. Autofocus.ca's Timothy Cain, the founder of this site, has details on the year-to-date Canadian sales of every VW Group product.

REVIEW
Automobile Magazine compares the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Mazda 6, and Subaru Legacy and finds that the best-selling Camry was the worst of the bunch while the Mazda 6 buyers ignore is the best. 

RECALL
72 Dodge Challengers (model year 2015) are being recalled by FCA because of a loose or missing rear mounting bolt in the driver's side air bag.

Toyota is recalling 1,973,468 Tundras, Sequoias, Corollas, Matrixes, Lexus SCs, and Pontiac Vibes from assorted model years between 2002-2007 "to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag."

WATCH
The upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLK-replacing GLC is more offroadable than you'd expect. That doesn't necessarily make it a modified Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, of course.

Watch 2015 Audi S5 Video Review - Alex On Autos

Audi USA began selling the A5 family in late 2007. There have been many updates, particularly under the hood, but this is essentially the same design Audi used late in the second-last year of George W. Bush's presidency. That was a while ago.

Yet the A5 still looks current, it's still one of the best all-weather sports coupes, it's still reasonably priced, and especially for an aging model, it's still selling well.

In this week's video review from Alex On Autos, Alex Dykes drives the 2015 Audi S5. That's not the quickest A5 derivative - that'd be the RS5 – nor is it the slowest.

The 3.0L supercharged V6 is the same powerplant found in the 2014 Audi S4 that GCBC reviewed last summer and the Audi SQ5 that GCBC reviewed last autumn.


Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook. Alex On Autos is also on Facebook and Twitter.

2015 Audi S3 Review - Not Flawless But Far From Flawed

The 2015 Audi S3 isn't perfect.

But let's not kid ourselves. The 2015 Audi S3 is awfully close to being pretty freaking perfect.

THE GOOD • So much power • Impressive interior • Grip for days • Handsome exterior • Audi Drive Select is key

THE BAD • No manual-trans available • Steering could be slightly quicker • Ride quality is jarring • Bit of low-end DSG and/or turbo lag • Golf R, anyone?

If you think the A3 on which it's based, the smallest Audi sedan, is just a little too cutesy, the S3's menacing bodywork and wheel-hugging stance add just the right aura of aggression. 

Those who believe the BMW M235i's coupe bodystyle is too impractical find in the S3 a proper cabin for a small family. Others may feel the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG simply doesn't feel sufficiently classy inside, but the S3's interior makes it feel like a $65,000 car for a $55,000 price.

But you're right, it isn't perfect. 

2015 AUDI S3 TECHNIK Base Price: $47,495 As-Tested Price: $54,845 Drive Type: all-wheel-drive Transmission: 6-speed direct-shift gearbox Engine: 2.0L 16-valve DOHC I-4 turbo Horsepower: 292 @ 5400 rpm Torque: 280 lb-ft @ 1900 rpm Curb Weight: 3450 pounds Length: 175.9 inches Width: 70.7 inches Height: 54.8 inches Wheelbase: 103.6 inches Tires: Dunlop SP Winter Sport Tire Size: 235/35R19 Passenger Volume: 2435 litres Cargo Volume: 283 litres EPA City: 23 MPG EPA Highway: 31 MPG NRCAN OEE City: 10.1 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 7.7 L/100km Observed: 24.2 mpg Observed: 9.7 L/100km Canadian dollar price includes $2095 in fees.

The manual transmission you can select in its architectural sibling, the Volkswagen Golf R, is not an option on the Audi's spec sheet. 

The steering, though operable in Audi Drive Select's three different modes, never quite feels adequately pointy and direct, though to what degree that can be blamed on the brutally noisy winter tires we do not yet know. 

The rear seat and trunk are fine for a family with children, but my five-foot-seven-inch mother didn't want to be back there for any length of time. 

As always in a premium German car, some of the features you expect in a much less costly volume car from Kia or Toyota aren't even on the options sheet: cooled front seats, for example, or heated rear seats. 

Finally, the ride quality can be downright jarring, and even in Comfort mode, the S3 thwacks at potholes and jiggles about over an imperfectly paved bridge. With coastal roads in Nova Scotia being what they are, which is to say mostly brutal, the dampers' middle Auto and stiffest Dynamic settings were rarely selected after initial forays.

From there on out, however, it's a love fest. Audi engineers struck a balance between making this third-generation S3 (the first S3 in North America) a clinical beast and a tactile delight. As a result, the Audi S3 provides its driver with enough interactivity to be driven and not just experienced, but not so much responsiveness that the S3 can't be considered refined. 

All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain ©www.GoodCarBadCar.net
Click Any Image For A Larger View

2.0T
If there's a particular aspect of the 2015 Audi S3 with which you'll wish to interact, it'll be the 292-horsepower 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder known in VW Group speak as the EA888. One prod of the throttle is all it takes to forget the 250-horsepower 3.2L V6 of the last A3. 

All-wheel-drive means traction is of no concern. Pin the throttle and accelerate to 100 km/h in less than five seconds. No fuss, no muss. The S3 is propelled forward seemingly without effort; with none of the heavy breathing of a former athlete lacking proper conditioning; springing out of the starting block like a track star of the moment. 

With maximum torque achieved at such low rpm and prodigious power available across the rev range, the kind of acceleration you experienced from rest is the kind of acceleration you can experience at cruising altitude on the highway. Where conditions, laws, and traffic permit, of course.

ADS
Yet that engine, like the transmission, exhaust noise, steering, and suspension, can take on a whole new personality at the press of a button just above the driver's climate control knob; just under the air vent. Audi Drive Select is a wonderful thing because it provides such consequential alterations. 

In Comfort, the steering is lighter, the engine less antsy, the transmission less aggressive, the noise more muted, the suspension more tolerable. 

Drive Select's Auto setting increases steering weight, upgrades engine responsiveness, doesn't slur a shift, bumps up the volume, and stiffens the suspension.

Dynamic is where the S3 truly shines as a performance car; as a true back road barn burner. Throttle response becomes more urgent, the steering becomes rather heavy, the 6-speed dual-clutch automatic is now snapping off shifts, the exhaust burbles compellingly, the suspension is too stiff for roads that aren't smooth. 

Better yet, there's an Individual setting accessible through Audi's MMI (more about which in a moment) that enables you to select Comfort, Auto, or Dynamic for any one of Drive Select's features, including the adaptive cruise control. This is ideal, because with the dampers/suspension in Comfort, the steering in Auto, and everything else in Dynamic, the S3's owner can create a better Dynamic mode than the full-on Dynamic mode configured by Audi. 

MMI
Althougb there's a quick access button for Audi Drive Select, the functions can also be operated through Audi's Multi Media Interface. The buttons and rotary knob are located between the front seats. The screen pops up out of the dash when the car is turned on. (The screen isn't isn't perched like it is in the Mercedes-Benz CLA and can be told to go away with a button located near the passenger climate control knob.) MMI may not be the fastest infotainment unit you'll use in a new car, but it's among the most intuitive and elegant systems marketed today. 

IN
The MMI controls, like every other piece of fabric, stitching, and plastic, are perfectly assembled and are clearly sourced from a supplier focussed on high quality materials. That's an Audi hallmark, but it's especially vital in a car like an upper-trim, heavily optioned S3. In so many vehicles of this type - by which we mean luxxed up, performance versions of lesser cars – there are constant reminders of the donor vehicle's lower status. 

The S3 Technik with $5150 in options costs is more than $20,000 more expensive, 67% more expensive, than a basic A3. But the S3 does not feel like a $55,000 version of a $33,000 car. It feels like a $55,000 car. Sure, a Hyundai Genesis V6 AWD offers more space and stuff for the money, of that there is no doubt. But the Audi S3, a smaller car with far greater performance, doesn't feel out of its league in comparison with luxury cars that always do their punching in this weight class.

OR
There is one car that does stand out as the ideal S3 alternative. No, not the two-door-only BMW M235i, not the mighty-engined but disappointingly appointed Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG, and not the more affordable mechanical twin of the S3, Volkswagen's hatchback Golf. (An Audi sedan buyer wants an Audi sedan, right, not a VW hatch?) Rather, consider the aging Audi S4. 

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Historical Monthly & Yearly Audi A3 Sales Figures2014 Audi S4 Driven Review
2014 Audi SQ5 Driven Review
2015 Mercedes-Benz C400 4Matic Driven Review

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It offers a better back seat for humans, a significantly larger trunk for the stuff belonging to humans, an arguably superior 7-speed DSG and an available manual shifter, a soul-stirring supercharged V6, and superior exterior proportions. The S4's interior is dated in comparison to the S3, but the car rides better overall and may better suit the mature performance car buyer. Free from options - Ha! A German luxury car with no options? - the S4 costs right around $55,000. Observed fuel economy? Last summer, we saw 10 L/100km in the S4. This year in the 2015 S3, we averaged 9.7 L/100km.

Yet if the S4 is somewhat more mature, the S3 is more fun, more agile, more spirited, more obviously interested in letting its hair down. And the S3 is also configurable with these optional $800 19-inch wheels, which are pretty freaking perfect.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.

Auto News For Monday, May 18, 2015 - 2016 Camaro Debuts To Challenge(r) Mustang

Here are the six must-read, must-watch auto news stories, reviews, and videos for Monday, May 18, 2015. Your normal news editor, Steffani Cain, is off today, which is Victoria Day in Canada.

FUTURE
Leaked ahead of the debut on CNBC, General Motors introduced the sixth-generation of their Chevrolet Camaro on Saturday in Michigan's Belle Isle park. Turbocharged, four-cylinder power is part of the story.

INSIDE THE AUTO BUSINESS
Jose Munoz, Nissan's chairman in North America, simply wants dealers. Where they come from and the grandeur of their overall enterprise matter not. And Munoz knows what it's like to see dealers thrive. He comes from Nissan Mexico, where the automaker is an industry leader.

REVIEW
Car & Driver calls the 2016 Audi Q7 an SUV "worth waiting for." Wrote Jens Meiners: "The interior is so contemporary, functional, and aesthetically pleasing that it may set the new class benchmark."

TTAC
What did Porsche use in order to set a U.S. sales record in April 2015? Not their cars, which all declined, but rather, the Macan and Cayenne. Meanwhile, Infiniti's Q70 is putting up better numbers thanks to help from the Q70L. But "better" doesn't mean "high." Finally, which car is winning the U.S. sales battle, the Audi A7 or the Mercedes-Benz CLS?

RECALL
No change since Friday's raft of Toyota and GM recalls.

WATCH
The Tesla Model S is an impressive device. In P85 form, we were awestruck. As a P85D, there's really nothing like it. But - and you won't be surprised - the doorhandles still break, according to Consumer Reports own test car.

Chart Of The Day: Audi A3 Reports Record U.S. Sales In April 2015

Audi USA reported 3187 total A3 family sales in April 2015, a 48% year-over-year increase compared with the first month in which the latest generation of A3 was readily available (April 2014) and 106 sales better than the previous best month of March 2015.

The A3 – which takes into account the sedan and convertible with all powertrains and the S3 – was Audi's second-best-selling model in both April 2015 and the first four months of 2015. It accounted for 19% of all U.S. Audi sales in the first one-third of 2015 and in its record-setting month of April. 

Subtract the A3 from the Audi equation and brand-wide Audi sales were up just 1.1% in the A3's record-setting month. But with the A3 included, Audi sales jumped 7.5% to 16,827 units, the best April ever for the Audi brand and the 52nd consecutive month in which the brand reported record monthly sales.

Meanwhile, Audi Canada also reported record A3 sales last month. With 548 Canadian sales, the A3 accounted for 17% of Audi Canada volume. And what are we driving this week? Visiting GCBC Towers is a blue Audi S3, pictured above.

RECOMMENDED READING
Historical Monthly & Yearly Audi A3 Sales Figures
U.S. Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - April 2015 YTD
U.S. Auto Sales Brand Rankings - April 2015 YTD

Audi USA Sold More A3s Than A4s In October 2014

Are times changing, or was October nothing more than an optimal arranging of circumstances in favour of Audi’s smallest sedan?

Audi USA sold more A3s than A4 sedans in October 2014, a serious shift from a year ago when the old A3 hatchback was dead and Audi sold 3040 A4s.

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• Canada Vehicle Sales Rankings By Model - October 2014 YTD
• Canada Car Sales Rankings By Model - October 2014 YTD

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Before we assume this will be the new way forward for Audi in America, remember that the A4 is at the end of its rope. The next generation A4 has already been spotted in camo form, and while the current car clearly remains competitive in the marketplace, it is an older design.

The A3, on the other hand, was released in the United States in new sedan form earlier this year.

Additionally, the A4’s figures don’t take into account the Allroad (basically a jacked-up and cladded A4 Avant, which is no longer available in North America) and the A3 lineup’s second offering, a convertible, began reaching showrooms this fall. Include the Allroad in the A4’s total and the A3 trailed the bigger car by 292 units in October. The A3 Cabriolet, meanwhile, makes up 17% of all A3 inventory as we speak.

Nevertheless, it’s a meaningful moment in time, a snapshot of a downward-stretching “luxury” market that needs additional entry-level models to create greater volume. Along with the 2380 A3s Audi sold in October 2014, there were another 683 Q3 crossovers. Together, they accounted for one in five Audi sales last month.

The brand’s best-selling Q5 was up 6% to 3571 units, equal to 24% of all Audi sales. Top-end models – A6, A7, A8, Q7 – collectively rose 7% to 4671 October sales, 31% of the brand’s total. Equivalent lineups at Mercedes-Benz – E-Class, CLS-Class, S-Class, GL-Class – have produced 40% of the brand’s (significantly higher) sales through the first ten months of 2014.

Yet so often this year, the more interesting shift in the premium market has seen Audi consistently outselling Cadillac: in April, May, June, August, September, and October, and by 4681 sales year-to-date. Cadillac outsold Audi by nearly 25,000 units in the U.S. last year, when Cadillac sales jumped 22% and Audi rose 13%. One key difference between the two brands is the breadth of Audi’s lineup at the top and bottom of the range. While not Mercedes-Benz-like, Audi’s broad range makes the narrow scope of the Cadillac portfolio all the more apparent. Cadillac lacks products which could directly take on the TT, R8, A8, A7, Allroad, and Audi’s new entry-level cars, the A3 and Q3.

Together, those vehicles were responsible for 28% of Audi sales last month. At Cadillac, their non-existent rivals produced 0% of the brand’s October sales.

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• Historical Monthly & Yearly Audi A3 Sales Figures
• Historical Monthly & Yearly Audi A4 Sales Figures
• Historical Monthly & Yearly Audi A4 Allroad Sales Figures

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Cadillac’s missing parts creates a story for another day and an issue their new boss, Johan de Nysschen appears willing to take a look at only if it means Cadillac will make more money.

Back among German automakers, the A3 trailed Mercedes-Benz’s CLA by 216 units in October 2014 but leads the CLA by 1512 sales since the beginning of April, when the A3 arrived in real numbers. The GLA, in its second month, outsold the Q3, in its third month, by 1324 units in October.

When luxury automakers dive down to this price bracket, volume certainly matters. How much relevance Audi places on the A3’s A4-beating performance in October is another matter, of course, not just because of the A4’s age. With numerical assistance from a wagon, the A4 was actually the more popular product last month. Imagine that, a wagon, of all things, helped the A4 rise to the top of Audi’s car leaderboard.

Regardless of their position in the rankings, the new A3 has undeniably been a far more successful car for Audi USA than the old hatchback. Audi has already sold twice as many A3s in the last seven months than the old model ever managed in a full calendar year.