Mathemagician

I really like the A3, but I just drove the new 2010 GTI and came away very impressed. I want a manual, so with the A3 I would have to get FWD anyway now. For you A3 owners out there, other than brand cache and looks (which both definitely matter) are there other reasons to "pay up" to get the A3? You can get a GTI with leather sport seats, touch screen ipod interface, Dynaudio stereo, and Xenons for around $29K MSRP. A comparable A3 is probably close to $35K. Is it worth it and why?

LWNY

Build quality? GTI is built in Mexico, no? A3 is built in Germany or Belgium. Even if GTI originated from Europe, it is still built on VW standard, which is different from Audi's.

They might have started on the same platform, but their designs went separate ways, by 2 separate companies (Audi & VW is not like GM or Lexus with its badge engineering)

The MkVI platform is likely better than the MkV (if you are comparing apples to apples, like GTI MkV to MkVI), but will it not have more problems in its first year?

Mathemagician

Actually, no. The GTI is built in the Wolfsburg plant. There may be an actual build quality difference between the two - good question - but the GTI is at least made in Germany. My general impression of Mk VI GTI fit/finish was very positive, though. Who knows about reliability at this point...

TheWalrus2

A friend of mine picked up his 2010 VW GTI last Saturday. I went with him to check out the car and I was really, really impressed. The chiseled front end looks much more modern than the A3 at this point. The A3 is still a great looking car, but it's just a little dated after 5 years.
The GTI with the 18" rims, red stitching, wrap-around sport seats, etc. feels special. The A3, even in S-line guise, doesn't call out to me in the same way. And the price can't be beat! GTI with leather, sunroof (in "autobahn package"), xenons, upgraded stereo with a 6-spd manual comes in at $30K on the nose. The A3 has the amazing panoramic sunroof, but is several thousand dollars more expensive.
That price difference is due to two things: 1) Brand positioning and marketing. Audi is more of a "premium" brand, and the prices reflect that. 2) Target demographics: the GTI is aimed at a younger crowd, so it's priced appropriately.

Bottom line, if you want a manual transmission, that means A3+Quattro is out of the question. At that point, the GTI is a superior package. If you're going for DSG+Quattro, then the A3 with that great panoramic sunroof is really compelling for a few thousand more.
Clearly, Audi is going to have to take the new A3 up a level to reduce the overlap with the GTI.

-James
Seattle, WA
2006 BMW X3 3.0i (manual, sport, premium, etc.)

Picking up my friend's GTI last weekend.

LWNY

I never really like the Golf based models with their fat C pillar. Maybe that's VW's way of making the car look like a hatch instead of a wagon. Also, the A3 has a higher beltline, giving it a more hunkered down look like the TT. The new GTI has the side window lower than the hoodline, which gives it more glass, at the expense of the A3/TT look.

The GTI and A3 are just different cars designed by different car companies, each with its own philosophy. There is no central planning, as you imply, by marketing for different demographics (like there is in GM or Toyota, where some GM/Toyota group decides what should go into a Chevy/Pontiac/Olds/Cadillac or Toyota/Lexus). There are marketing decisions as to which cars to bring to the US, hence no low end A3 or high end VW like the Scirocco of any type.

jackfrost

For about $8,000 more you get into an Audi with panaramic sunroof, better fit and finish, better warranty 4yrs 80,0000kms, Quattro, Xenon & uber cool LED lighting, courtesy car, and get the dealer to include the Audi Care package in the deal and your laughing. VW or Audi hmmm.....? Don't let the 2010 VW redisign get the best of you. The VW doesn't have any better features and at least you know the Audi has been on the road for 4yrs and any design glitches, faults, bugs etc.. have been addressed not so for the VW.Besides the Audi just got a refresher for 2009.

Mathemagician

I really like the A3 and my question is sincere - I'm torn between these two cars. , You make some good points, but several are just misinformed. First, I don't see much of a fit/finish difference, but I'll acknowledge that the Audi is an Audi and the GTI is not. The warranty difference is legit, too. Finally, if the LED's are important to you, that is also Audi only at this point. However, the rest gets murkier:

1) Quattro is not available on the A3 with a manual, so that difference is a non-factor for me
2) Xenon is on the GTI as a $700 option. You can easily include it on a nicely equipped sub-$30K GTI
3) Audi Care? All GTI's come with the maintenance package included - you don't have to "negotiate" it in (or pay for it) like you do on the A3
4) Courtesy car is dealer-dependent (although I agree you're not always going to get it at the VW dealer)
5) No better features? How about a touch screen ipod interface included on EVERY GTI, even a stripper model and a $450 Dynaudio audio system option.

Now there are a few things on the A3 that aren't available on the GTI (LEDs, power seats, and a Panorama roof are notable). I also think the overall design is sleeker. But the GTI impressed me FAR more than I thought it would. It's going to be a tough call between these two for a lot of buyers.

jackfrost

In the end its whatever car turns your crank or money will be the deciding factor for you. Most people buy something for personal reasons only not from what others might say or think. An Audi is an Audi a VW no matter which model it is it is still a VW. If you buy the GTI thinking its like an Audi A3 it just isn't even though the A3 might share the same basic platform but the similarities end there. The car inside and out is completetly different it's not a Pontiac/Chevrolet Cobalt rebadge where everything is basically the same except for the badge. To pretend that the Audi A3 is just a GTI for more money it isn't. I know some people will say it is but I challenge you to put both cars side by side and compare them. Audi has also based the TT on the same platform and the end result is still a very different looking car. Audi is top notch when it comes to platform sharing. The exterior body of the A3 is longer and wider than the VW you can't switch doors, hatches, door handles etc... between the Audi and the GTI but you certainly could with GM products. The interior is completely different. Under the hood you may notice certain components that are the same but that is about it. You will notice things that are also shared between VW, Audi, Porsche, Skoda etc..It's like saying should I buy a $50,000 VW Touareg or a $65,000 Porsche Cayenne? It's the same SUV because they also share the same platform but I can save $15,000. I suppose you can buy the VW Toureg and you can keep telling yourself it's a Porsche Cayenne but is it??. What will you tell your neighbours that your VW Touereg is really a Porsche or perhaps Cayenne owners really don't have Cayennes but they have VW Touaregs. How confusing???? If you really believe it's the same SUV you can also tell yourself that the GTI really is an Audi A3 and vice versa. I think your best to compare the GTI with a Subaru Impreza, Volvo C30, Mitsubishi Evo etc... Just my 2 cents worth.

prs4

Well, comparing the VW Touareg with the V8 Cayenne will not fly with anyone. But if you compare the price of a V8 Touareg with the price of a V6 Cayenne you will notice they are within a couple of grands. Still, the VW is a much better vehicle for the money (better fit and finish, V8 from the Audi A8 & stronger off road vehicle). Of course their tuning is really different. I opted for the Touareg when I tried both.

Coming back to the A3 vs the VI GTI, I would say that the new GTI is very similar to the A3 (platform, engine, basic susp. componets, electrical component). Nevertheless they are both very different vehicles when driven. When I tried both back in 07, I decided to purchase an A3 S-line DSG, mainly because it was more elegant looking and the fit and finish was better. The feel of the GTI was better, but I could always install a PSS9 Bilstein susp.and change the advantage the GTI had. Just my 2 cents.

Keep in mind they are both great cars. You will not go wrong if you chose one over the other.

LWNY

Don't forget the Bently Continental GT shares the same platform as the Phaeton. You don't see Bently owners being ashamed of having their car in public because people would think it is a VW.