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A3 Sportback 1.9TDi SE...


Nelson_R32
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Just a quick review, as I've just got it after doing about 4 hours driving grin.gif I've had an A3 Sportback 1.9TDi since Monday afternoon to go on a course in Bristol so now I've got an A3 still fresh in my memory I'll give you some comparisons on the A4 169144-ok.gif

Looks

The Sportback was a standard SE finished off the with the Aluminium Roof Rails which I feel are a must-have option as they add just a little more character to the car. The A3 is also probably the only Audi to wear the SFG and look good from every angle.

A minus though - The sloping roofline wastes allot of additional load space. Its a shame they didn't use the chance to turn the Sportback into a true A3 Avant rather than a slightly bigger one.

Interior

After 10 hours driving the car in the last 60 hours, I found the interior an extremely pleasant place to be. The quality of plastics used compared to the (more expensive) A4 are slightly suspect. But nevertherless the interior is as usual solid as a rock and I failed to hear one rattle from the car while driving it. As this was an SE model it came with the Interior Light Pack as standard which you all know I love cool.gif

Ride/Handling

I took a detour on the M4 (Henley On Thames) to test the Sportback on some twisty roads around there. The biggest improvement I notice over my B7 is the better steering feel, which makes cornering a much more involving and pleasurable experience. The car is also much easier to throw around despite bring the same weight. With the ESP off I was able to get the back end out quite a few times 169144-ok.gif The ride was just right amnd despite being SE Suspension I could happily live with, although when on Motorways/dual carraigeways the suspension failed to absorb imperections in the road as well as it should.

Performance

The engine in this car was the 1.9TDi 105bhp engine mated to the 5 speed manual transmission. Despite the engine being underpowered on paper and a hefty 1400kg kerb weight the car rarely felt underpowered, this is most likely because the 5 speed box meant the gearing was slightly longer. The only time the car felt underpowered was when gathering pace joining Motorways. The 5 speed gearbox was excellent and extremely precise with a much better throw than the B7.

Overall

As I already knew, an extremely competant car and very little to fault it. If you do town driving and are in the lower-end of the market for an Audi this model/engine combination is the perfect choice. However, if the budget can stretch I would recommened plumping for the slightly more drivable 2.0TDi version grin.gif

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