Audi A3 - Family Favourite Gets A Mid-Life Makeover
So there we go. British Summer Time is done and dusted for another year. The clocks have gone back, and we’re now in Greenwich Mean Time. If you’re pining for more daylight, we shall return to BST on Sunday, March 30th, 2025.
This gives me the opportunity to ask you a question, which is handy when the conversation starts to dry up in the pub.
William Willet floated the idea of moving the clocks forward in 1907. He was a builder and wanted to make more use of the lighter mornings. World War One was when BST was finally introduced so that the munitions factories could stay open longer and use less fuel.
But here’s the fact which you can use to amaze your mates. Mr Willet is the great-great-grandfather of a singer who fronts one of the world’s most popular bands. Who is the singer? The answer is at the end of this article…
Talking of putting the clocks back, doing it on my MINI Cooper S is a nightmare. It takes ages to scroll through various options on the driver display. Thankfully, the latest Audi A3 does it all for you. This sort of sums up the A3 because it is one of the most family-friendly cars you could possibly wish for. Okay, it’ll perform admirably as a commuter shuttle, but it comes into its own as a family hatchback. You can also get the A3 as a saloon, although as a family option, it isn’t as sought after in the UK.
A Fourth Generation Refresh
Audi wants to keep the A3 on the boil so they’ve given this 4th generation model a mid-life refresh. It is no surprise that Audi hasn’t tinkered too much with what has been a massive success for the German manufacturer. Most of the updates can be found inside the cabin. The exterior gets a slightly altered grille, headlights and bumpers, but that’s about it. Under the bonnet of the standard A3 - the one I tested - you can choose from petrol or, shock, diesel. A PHEV is in the pipeline and will be the logical choice for business users so you’d be advised to hang on. There are also sporty S and RS versions.
Prices
The entry-level A3 kicks off at £29,515 (Nov 24) in Sport trim. You can also go for S Line and Black Edition. The latter trim is the one in the photos and bumps up the starting price to £35,155 which is just edging towards making the A3 somewhat expensive.
Powertrains
The 1.5-litre petrol engine has a couple of options: either 114bhp (30 TFSi) or 148bhp (35 TFSi). The 6-speed manual or 7-speed auto ’box is available with both engines. If you prefer an oil burner, there’s only one option in terms of power - 2.0 litres and 148bhp with an automatic gearbox. The diesel A3 will get you a predicted 57mpg while both of the petrol engines will return around 50mpg. I’d stick with petrol unless you do a high mileage or regularly travel fully loaded.
The 148bhp A3 is a great all-rounder. Travelling from 0-60mph takes 8.4 seconds (8.1 for the S Tronic model), although it’s one of those cars that feels quicker. I’d go for the S Tronic gearbox, which adds around £500 to the price but works seamlessly and fits the character of the car.
Driving Experience
The A3 is good to drive. In the entry-level Sport trim, you have a car which is quite softly sprung. The small-ish wheels probably have a lot to do with this. I had the Black Edition trim, which gives you bigger wheels and a more firm suspension set-up but still feels composed on our dreadful roads. The 19-inch wheels also look good. The only slight downside for this is that you end up with quite a bit of tyre noise, which on long motorway journeys can be a bit irritating. The brakes can be slightly tricky at town speeds, though perhaps smooth progress is something that comes with familiarity.
Choices
As for which trim to go for, I’d be inclined to stick with the entry level Sport trim as you get everything you really need , including sat nav, 3-zone climate control, heated front seats and a stack of safety kit. The LED headlights are great but take a look at opting for the matrix ones which are brilliant.
Interior
The interior has been given a makeover. It’s always looked good with a premium feel but it was quite dark and, dare I say, a tad drab. Audi has sorted that. The new lighting and dashboard materials have certainly lifted the gloom and impression of quality. It’s a nice place to be. The perforated door linings with lighting behind them look really cool and the 10-inch touchscreen and 12-inch instrument cluster also look good and work well.
Audi deserves praise for reversing the trend of removing buttons. Hurrah! The A3 means you can hit physical buttons to adjust stuff like heated seats, temperature, fan speed, air con, front and rear demisters etc. Perfect.
As for interior space, an average family will be perfectly at home. Two adults will also be fine in the back. You can squeeze three onto the back seat, but the poor soul in the middle has a large transmission tunnel to deal with.
A Non-SUV Choice
Overall, you’d have to say that the Audi A3 is right on the money as a family hatchback. It looks good, has a premium feel, drives really well and is economical. It will continue to be a huge success for Audi and tempt people away from the never-ending surge of the SUV.
Oh, and the answer to who is the great-great grandson of William Willet, the man who came up with the idea of British Summer Time. That would be Coldplay front-man, Chris Martin.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Audi
