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2008 Audi A3 Review

STYLING | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

four-door versatility wrapped in a sleek package.
Kelley Blue Book

Seductively styled inside and out
Car and Driver

a sporty, small wagon that doesn't sacrifice luxury or performance
ForbesAuto

less space than a small station wagon
ConsumerGuide

Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com seemed pleased with the 2008 Audi A3's familiar features molded into a hatchback body style. While Edmunds refers to “Americans' general dislike for hatchbacks and wagons,” several reviews noted that as a premium brand, Audi managed to make the A3 looks upscale and refined.

MyRide.com notes its “well-balanced, pleasing dimensions.” Cars.com likes the "coupelike silhouette" created by the 2008 Audi A3. Kelley Blue Book agrees, noting that the A3 "has a purposeful, sporty look, emphasized by wheels and tires that fill the wheelwells." ForbesAuto notes that the 2008 Audi A3 "shares its platform and some mechanicals with Volkswagen cousins the Rabbit and Jetta. But it has a sleeker roofline and unique styling cues."

Face to face, the familiar "single-frame tapered grille" is apparent on the A3 Audi and "dominates the front end," according to Cars.com. From the back, Kelley Blue Book feels the "sloping rear window adds to the aggressive appearance, but the trade-off is less interior cargo space."

The Audi A3’s interior drew more mixed comments. “The A3’s interior, especially with the aluminum trim, still looks cheap,” writes Cars.com. “The black trim provides a more upscale appearance, but despite the attractive look and feel of the steering wheel, stalks, and gauges, the overall interior atmosphere doesn’t match the A3’s stablemates.” Edmunds felt that “few luxury touches are evident in the down-to-business interior,” but says separately that the A3 Audi’s interior “styling is classically German, with straightforward buttons and controls.”

The 2008 Audi A3 is essentially the same car Audi introduced back in the 2006 model year, TheCarConnection.com recalls. The smallest wagon in its lineup, the A3 Audi is derived from the Volkswagen Rabbit but sports tighter styling, a big Audi four-ringed grille up front, and a sleeker roofline. Not really good looking in a conventional sense, the 2008 Audi A3 is striking enough to make you do a wide-eyed double take if you saw one on the street. Inside you'll find the best interior that Audi currently makes, excluding the one found in the TT. It's dark and austere, as you expect from an Audi, but also ergonomically flawless and exquisitely made.

Conclusion

The 2008 Audi A3 will turn heads from the street, but its interior is a little stark.


Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

If you're in the market for a wagonlike vehicle with sporting pretensions and can spend $30,000, there are some interesting choices outside of the 2008 Audi A3. A traditional wagon such as the BMW 3-Series or the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen might not have all-wheel drive, but each has more cargo room than the more compact Audi A3--and in the Jetta's case, a coming diesel option. Look to Japan and the Infiniti EX has all-wheel drive as an option, but the base car is a rear-driver spun from the hot-handling G35 sedan, one of our favorite luxury sport sedans.

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See the Audi A3 in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

Comments (1 total)

  1. Audi 2009

    By  Truck trader | Posted: Feb 12th 2009, 02:59:01 AM

    A friend of mine bought a new A3 in early 2008, and had serious engine problems with it. After asking around he heard many similar stories about the A3, which I found both unusual and quite disturbing! - Anyone else heard of problems? Is this 2009 model any different?

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