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Audi A3 Turbo
Or: Don't Judge a Book by its Cover
I don't think I've ever seen a car deceive the eye the way the new A3 turbo does. Take a good look: It seems to be a solid, modest,ordinary and well, boring european vehicle. This impression could not be further from the truth.
The germans often make their cars this way, to look like sheep and go like tigers. I guess it says something about their character, but I digress. The main competitor of the A3 turbo: Golf GTi , pales in comparison mainly because it weighs an extra 130kg. They use a similar 1.8 litre engine and produce something in the neighborhood of 150hp. Apparently it's not how much power you have , but rather what you do with it.
And this Audi does a lot. The coils and shock absorbers work very well and even the wildest driver could not even start a ride bumpy enough to irritate his own behind. The weight is divided evenly , a feature which makes the ralley version very competetive as well as it does the road car. The engine is very reliable and unlike other turbos it doesn't jitter or osciliate. The final candy is the short sporty stickshift.
It's not that the A3 turbo is perfect. Its inner design is a little spartan and somewhat lacking in the luxury department. Another flaw seems to be entirely intentional. Any competent engineer could have squeezed at least 50 more horses out of the engine but whoever designed that A3 decided not to. I wonder why.
If you're looking for a car to show off, to make a statement or just look rich and successful , then you should stay away from the A3. But if your only interest is a solid,safe,steady and powerful driving experience, then the Audi A3 turbo is thumbs up for you.
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