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.

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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.

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
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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.

2014 Audi SQ5 Review - It Plays Tunes

The number of double-takes was odd, I thought. In the summer, with the top down in a red Camaro ZL1, rubberneckers are a dime a dozen. But the SQ5 is a subtly enhanced version of the Audi Q5, a small crossover that’s been around for more than five years; the top-selling premium brand utility vehicle in Canada in 2014. 

Sure, this one has optional 21-inch alloy wheels, valued at $1000, but are big wheels enough to cause the majority of passersby to turn for another look?

THE GOOD • Straight-line pace • Classy cabin • Still looks good • Handles like a sporty car • 8-speed auto is a marvel

THE BAD • Small cargo area • Blanked-out switches? C'mon • Wind noise • Handles like a sporty car... • ... most of the time

Ah yes, the noise, that’s what did it. Audi’s supercharged 3.0L V6 does have the tendency to bark melodically, particularly when Audi Drive Select is used to switch engine noise (along with engine/transmission and steering) to Dynamic mode, up a notch from Comfort and Auto. Added to that was the 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, which was used extensively at wake-the-neighbours volume. How civilized.

Less civilized is the amount of understeer and the way that understeer is encountered prematurely. Yet that’s only a surprise because of the dynamics manifested by the SQ5 most of the time – it’s not a high-riding SUV that you drive like an SUV. At all. 

2014 AUDI SQ5 TECHNIK Base Price * (CDN): $61,595 As-Tested Price * (CDN): $68,695 Engine: 3.0L DOHC 24-valve supercharged V6 Transmission: 8-speed automatic Horsepower: 354 @ 6000 rpm Torque: 347 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm Curb Weight: 4409 pounds Drive Type: all-wheel-drive Length: 183.0 inches Width: 75.2 inches Height: 65.3 inches Wheelbase: 111.0 inches Tires: Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT Tire Size: 255/40R21 Passenger Volume: 2860 litres Cargo Volume: 824 litres Max. Cargo Volume: 1623 litres EPA City: 16 mpg EPA Highway: 23 mpg NRCAN OEE City: 14.9 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 10.1 L/100km Observed: 18.7 mpg Observed: 12.6 L/100km * includes $1995 destination charge SQ5 Progressiv base price: $59,395 MPG fuel economy ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency. L/100km ratings from the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency's new 5-cycle testing for MY2015 vehicles.

Naturally, when taking corners like the TTS you forgot it wasn’t, the SQ5 plows sooner and with more disconcerting pressure on the outside front tire than you expected. After all, you forgot you were driving a 4400-pound, 65.3-inch tall utility vehicle, not a 3858-pound, 55.4-inch tall S4.

That you could forget something so obvious is a testament to the SQ5’s overall balance. Of greater interest to those who prefer the SQ5 over conventional Q5s like the 220-horsepower 2.0T and 240-horsepower 3.0L TDI because of the SQ5’s rate of acceleration, ride quality is firm but compliant over the worst roads, if slightly busy in routine driving.

But what acceleration it is. The SQ5 is less expensive than other hyper-quick SUVs, the AMGs and M-badged BMWs, less costly than the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, as well. Audi’s supercharged 3.0L, with 354 horsepower and 346 lb-ft of torque, is mated here to an 8-speed automatic, not the 7-speed dual-clutch from the similarly-engined S4.

Not at any moment do you feel as though the meat of the power band is located elsewhere, although Comfort mode does seem to use very economy-minded programming for the 8-speed auto, refusing to drop down a gear without a real kick in the pants. 

Audi’s famed Quattro all-wheel-drive means firm prods of the throttle always result in instantaneous forward motion almost regardless of surface. (We’d strongly recommend something other than 255/40R/21 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GTs if you’ll be driving in snow. Nothing kills the benefits of all-wheel-drive quite like skipping out on winter tires.)

The true brute force of the supercharged V6 is felt not from rest but at speed, however. Squirting around traffic to get to an off-ramp ahead, rather than behind, of a line of slow-moving CR-Vs and RAV4s is a task completed with shocking quickness.

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All the while, SQ5 pilots are ensconced in a typically classy Audi interior. There are letdowns. For starters, the interior doesn’t feel fresh, perhaps because of the overarching darkness. Even the optional aluminum inlays ($1100) don’t spice up the ambience. I wouldn’t say the SQ5 offers luxury-like silence, either, with wind noise being rather prevalent. 

There are a number of blanked-out switches in prominent locations, too, which always causes you to wonder what you’re missing out on after spending $68,695. Audi’s MMI is simple, though, with shortcut buttons spread around a central control knob, and everything feels so very expensive. As it ought to.

Rear seat space does not stand out, not for its snugness or its abundance of space. Yet cargo dimensions are a letdown. The Q5 is 183 inches long from bumper to bumper and 75.2 inches wide. That’s nearly five inches longer and nearly four inches wider than the Honda CR-V, but the CR-V offers 24% more seats-folded cargo capacity and 28% more space behind the rear seats. The SQ5 remains a flexible cargo carrier, but the sloping roof which helps to make all Q5s so handsome reduces the SQ5’s ability to take a young family away on vacation.

The SQ5 is not alone in this luxury crossover cargo conundrum: GLKs and X3s are also down on luggage capacity compared with America’s similarly-sized top-selling utility vehicles.

The Audi SQ5 is the fast Q5, an older and popular vehicle, and thus a common vehicle. It’s also tiny in the back and, not unexpectedly, quite a guzzler. We averaged 12.6 L/100km during the week Audi Canada allowed the SQ5 to visit our driveway, in keeping with its ratings, and appropriate if it were a pickup truck. Fortunately, Audi adds a healthy dose of standard equipment to the SQ5’s performance credentials, the kind of stuff we often see on premium brand option sheets: panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, three-zone automatic climate control, keyless access, twelve-way power seats with driver memory.

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• Historical Monthly & Yearly Audi Q5 Sales Figures
• 2015 Porsche Macan S Driven Review
• 2014 Audi S4 Driven Review
• 2013 Tesla Model S P85 Driven Review
• 2014 Cadillac SRX AWD Driven Review

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One could make an argument that with this amount of power, unavailable in the Q5’s direct rivals, and this level of equipment, the SQ5 is making an overture to the value-conscious corners of our brains. Meanwhile, the SQ5 is also playing another tune, courtesy of Bang & Olufsen and a supercharged 3.0L, in order to tug on our heartstrings.