Peter8V758L

I had a class A hitch installed on my last car from the local U-Haul location, and they did a professional job for a reasonable price.

The problem is, I am trying to find a compatible hitch for my 2015 A3 Cabrio, and the websites only contain compatibility information for the sedan. Also, I suspect the fact that it's a quattro may make a difference as well.

The A3 cabrio is too new for any of the local shops to be familiar with it or to have done an install yet, so I'm hoping somebody here has either had a hitch installed on their US-spec A3 cabriolet, or can provide further assistance.

I've tried the U-Haul and Draw-Tite hitch websites to no avail.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

BenGieCruz

etrailer has one for the A3, I would just contact them before purchasing, even though their Q&A's says it really is for the new sedan model.

hilld

Can you have your local U-haul dealer order one in and see if it will fit on the cab in addition to the sedan. You might have to be the test subject.

The A3 quattro sedan should be the same back there.

Kevin70

If no one offers one and there are available mounting points any decent trailer shop can make you a hitch that will fit for not much more than a pre made hitch.

Peter8V758L

Thanks guys. I guess mine will have to be the "test" installation. I'll order a hitch from the U-Haul dealer and hope the one for the sedan fits the cabriolet. My brother had a similar problem with his 2015 Q3 not having a hitch available, but he figured out that the hitch for the old VW Tiguan was a perfect fit as they are based off the same platform. The new Tiguan uses something different, so he had to locate old stock, but he did the install himself with no troubles. Had to cut out a bit of the lower rear fascia to allow the hitch to clear, but otherwise he said it was fairly straightforward (and he's a doctor, not a mechanic lol). Will update this thread once I have some news to share.

Kevin70

Did you contact AoA?

I did about the sedan I rcently ordered. They responded in about a day. You could ask if a hitch for a sedan will fit your car.

Peter8V758L

Checked with AoA they were clueless, but maybe i'll try them again.

Kevin70

I received this response. They referred to the manual but I could not find that information.
The email address this came from was AudiCareCorrsp@audi.com

I also used their online chat prior to receiving the email and received the same answer.

" Thank you for contacting Audi of America in regard to towing a trailer with the 2015 Audi S3. We are pleased to hear from you and are delighted to hear that you are considering the S3!

In response to your inquiry, it is possible to tow a trailer with the Audi S3. You would, however, want to keep in mind that the vehicle was designed primarily for the transportation of passengers and that towing a trailer will affect the durability, economy and performance of the vehicle.

The Owner’s Manual for the 2015 Audi A3/S3 indicates that a trailer for this vehicle would be limited to a typical class 1 or class 2 trailer. A class 1 trailer would be rated to 2,000 pounds, while a class 2 would be rated to 3,500 pounds. Audi, also, only recommends the use of a trailer hitch with a removable ball mount that attaches to the vehicle chassis at a technically sound location. It must also be installed in a way that does not interfere with the bumper system or the exhaust and brake systems. It is recommended that the hitch be removed from the vehicle at times when it is not towing a trailer. This will prevent damage to the vehicle in the event that it should be hit from behind.

I hope I was able to answer your questions to your satisfaction. If you should require any additional assistance, please, feel free to contact the Audi Customer Experience Center at (877) 615-2834. The Customer Experience Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If I am not available at the time of your call, please provide the reference number listed at the top of this e-mail to any of my peers so that they may assist you directly."

Peter8V758L

Well, my second call to AOA was a complete waste of time. They knew nothing. So, I decided to just go ahead and call my local U-Haul center and have them order a hitch receiver for a 2015 A3 Quattro. I didn't specify the cabriolet (and happily they didn't ask), because their website (and other hitch manufacturers) only list the 2015 A3 Sedan. I figured it was likely to use the same mount, and if not, at least it wouldn't cost me anything but a couple hours of my time to find out. Well, as luck would have it the hitch receiver fit perfectly on the cabrio. The total cost with installation, tax, and a rubber cap for the hitch receiver, came to about $200. BTW, the 1 1/4" receiver alone costs $149 if you want to do it yourself, but fishing the bolts and torquing them properly was tricky, and the professional installers took about 90 minutes to do it, and they had all the right tools plus a special rig to hold the receiver bracket in place while the car was on the lift. The installers thought it would take about 45 minutes, but of course nothing is as straightforward as it appears, yet they still only charged me for the original estimate of 1/2 hour of labor when I phoned in the order a few days ago. Also, no cutting of the rear valance, or other alterations were necessary. The receiver sits just below the rear diffuser below the bumper. I'll post some pics when I get the chance, but it's very unobtrusive and you'd hardly notice it if you weren't looking for it. Now I can take my bike with me when I drive out to Cape Cod, which will save me over $100 in bike rental fees for the week. I go every year, so the savings adds up. Best of all, I didn't have to resort to a trunk-mounted rack, which can damage the paint, not to mention impede opening of the trunk and operation of the convertible top. My hitch mounted rack tilts backward so you can get to the trunk of your car without removing the bikes or the rack itself, and of course the roof can be opened and closed with the rack and bikes in place.

Peter8V758L

Some pics of the installed 1 1/4" Class 1 trailer hitch as promised...