Road Trip Review: 2016 Audi A3

Bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes it’s just bigger. We had the opportunity to make some road trips with the Audi A3 recently, and despite the relatively compact dimensions and relatively modest performance resume of the car, we were treated to a truly Audi like experience.

In all honesty, we weren’t expecting it to be quite as comfortable on longer hauls as it was. This is probably because we’re completely spoiled and are used to taking the larger models on our longer road trips, but we found, surprisingly enough, for our needs the A3 was actually perfect. The front seats are the same as other Audi non-sport seats, which is to say, really comfortable and supportive.

All interior surfaces and driver ergonomics are 100% Audi in every sense of the way. Everything in the car has the full Audi attention to detail. There is plenty of room for 6 footers in the front, and though that does gobble up some back seat leg room, not as much as you might imagine. The same 6 footers might complain a little back there, but smaller adults and children fit perfectly well.  The trunk is actually quite roomy, with a nice wide opening.

On the road, the A3 is truly a treat. It may be the smallest of the sedan offerings in the USA, but once you get on the road, it’s clear it learned a few tricks from its larger siblings. For a modestly suspended car, the A3 actually manages to handle extremely well. Because of the MacPherson strut front suspension, steering feel is livelier than it sometimes is on the multi-link cars. That also means you’ll feel more bumps and road irregularities through the beautifully crafted steering wheel than in the larger cars.

Such is the penalty for what is possibly Audi’s most pure chassis. Other than the variable clutches in the Haldex differential governing rear axle cooperation, the A3 chassis is as basic and dare we say primitive a chassis that Audi offers, and that’s not a bad thing. What it means is the car feels amazing to drive when you really want to drive it. The chassis balance is superb, with the usual amount of understeer at the limit, but an easily rotatable chassis that provides excellent feedback, and responds perfectly to driver input.

For the A3 sedan, Audi bumped up the output of the 2.0TFSI engine fitted transversely beneath the stylish hood. With an output of 220hp, and a healthy 258 lb/ft on hand, the A3 hurls itself to 60 in a scant 5.8 seconds. On a long highway slog, 0-60 is completely irrelevant, but those 258 lb/ft come in handy any time you want to shoot a gap to merge, or just to get around slow left lane hogs. Acceleration at speed is completely effortless, with only a little buzz from the engine.

For whatever reason, we weren’t sure we were going to like taking a long trip in the A3. Turns out, it was every bit as comfortable as some of the larger Audi models, and is in some cases easier to maneuver in traffic. It’s a playful runabout that has no problem crossing several state lines in a single day.