2012 Audi A3 20t Quattro Premium Wagon Awd Reviews

2012 Audi A3

two.0 TDI Premium Plus
ii.0T Premium
$27,270
2.0 TDI Premium
$30,250
2.0T Premium quattro
$xxx,850

Wondering which trim is right for you?

Our 2012 Audi A3 trim comparison will help you decide.

Turbocharged gas or diesel 4-cylinder engines
Available all-cycle bulldoze
Available dual-clutch transmission
Optional Open up Heaven sunroof
Coupelike silhouette

2012 Audi A3 review: Our practiced's have

The verdict:

Versus the competiton:

I cannot believe fourth dimension flies past so quickly. My babies are now in second and fourth grades. Diapers are long gone; preschool is just a brief memory, and there's not a wisp of baby fat anywhere on their lean bodies. And I tin now drive a small machine again.

Despite its small size, my whole family unit enjoyed the 2012 Audi A3 TDI; it was fun to ride in, even more fun to bulldoze and handled most of our stuff.

The A3 is a small hatchback. The Colorado daughter in me would require a ski rack, merely all other twenty-four hours-to-day activities were handled with major zilch.

The major nil is courtesy of a two.0-liter make clean diesel fuel engine paired with a Due south-Tronic dual-clutch automatic manual. I mention this slice of machinery because information technology'south amazing. When shifting, there is no lag and no kicking — simply seamless power. Information technology's quite addicting.

The 2012 Audi A3 has a starting MSRP of $27,270 for a gas-powered four-cylinder. My examination car, an A3 TDI, starts at $30,250. Add in a navigation arrangement and the Premium Plus, eighteen-inch Sport and Common cold Conditions packages (along with a couple other accessories) and my test car's price zipped to $38,050.

The Audi A3 TDI looks like an itty-bitty wagon. It's got four doors and a rear hatch, and it'south beautiful. But watch out, this automobile is faster than the toddler who you swore was hither half a second agone.

The five-seat A3 is easy to get into and out of for everyone. It should be noted that there are some foot wells in the rear that volition have some getting used to. The real hurdle will be for parents of kids who need help getting into their child-safety seats. Your backs may ache and your heads may be bonked due to the A3's depression door height, but proceed your eyes on the horizon, my friends. Anytime this will be a not-outcome, but will you exist able to hang in there with the A3 that long?

The cargo expanse is piece of cake to access, and the hatch doesn't go also high so it's piece of cake to reach when open — even for shorter folks. My son, age 10, actually liked opening and closing the hatch and loading and unloading stuff out of the back because it was so easy for him. The cargo flooring's height is perfect for him to load his own hockey handbag in and out of the back. Hallelujah! The less I have to bear upon that matter, the meliorate, and he but started playing a few months ago.

The A3 TDI has a turbocharged two.0-liter diesel fuel 4-cylinder engine that makes 140 horsepower and an awe-inspiring 236 pounds-feet of torque. Information technology gets an EPA-estimated 30/42 mpg city/highway.

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Peachy, Excellent): Fair
Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Groove-On

The A3 TDI'due south interior feels like a cockpit considering everything is close together, bolstered and dark. It'south not necessarily a bad thing, but information technology feels more than sporty and enclosed than open and airy.

In the forepart, the middle stack was elementary to employ, though the Multi Media Interface's screen looked a little like it was added aftermarket because it was the only detail that had polished black plastic. When I looked closely at the stereo organisation, I noticed in that location was no CD player. I mourned my advancing age and how technology confounds me; then I tuned in an AM radio station and moved on. Had I wanted to heed to my gadget though, it was easy to do past plugging it in using a USB cord in the glove box.

I liked how all the dials, knobs and switches felt solid and sturdy. The front row'southward cupholders were smallish but usable. In the backseat, the cupholders popped out of the end of the armrest. This is not a new configuration from Audi and works fine for older kids, but if you take youngsters these cupholders may crusade some frustration and may even get damaged equally I'm not sure they would fare well over time in everyday battles.

I had plenty of legroom in the front row, and the kids were surprisingly comfortable in the back. The rear seats were deep, enabling families to be comfy in the A3 despite its small size. There isn't an abounding amount of rear legroom, though, so forward-facing kid-safety seats are all-time for this automobile.

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Off-white
Cargo/Torso Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

The 2012 Audi A3 has been named a Top Rubber Option past the Insurance Constitute for Highway Safety. A machine must receive the top score of Good in front end, side, rear and roof-force crash tests to earn this safety nod. The A3 hasn't been crash-tested past the federal government.

A3 has 2 sets of lower Latch anchors in the 2nd row, and they're some of the best anchors e'er designed. They're covered past removable plastic clips and sit down in a perfect plastic housing — right out there for you lot to utilise with ease. That said, rear-facing convertibles and infant seats will be a stretch (or rather, a cram) for well-nigh. They will fit, but front seat space will be compromised. My 6-pes-tall hubby was not on board with how far forward the seat had to exist moved to suit the safety seats. I was OK in the driver'due south seat, simply I am 5 feet 5 inches tall.

Standard safety features in the A3 include forepart-wheel bulldoze, four-bike-disc antilock brakes, an electronic stability system with traction control, active front head restraints and half dozen airbags, including curtains for both rows. Rear seat side-impact airbags are optional.

Go more than safety data about the 2012 Audi A3 TDI here.

Consumer reviews

93% of drivers recommend this car

Rating breakup (out of 5):

Comfort 4.six
Interior design 4.5
Functioning 4.v
Value for the money iv.5
Exterior styling 4.8
Reliability iv.six

Virtually recent consumer reviews

Great diesel fuel mileage

June 7, 2020

By Jacs429 from Pa

Owns this car

A peachy size wagon. Nifty on fuel, wonderful handling. Audi has extended warranty for diesel engines. Alcantara interior is and then stylish and easy to clean

Prove full review

Fuel efficient & reliable 2012 Audi A3 Wagon

April 20, 2020

By Grampa Duck from Knoxville, TN

Owns this automobile

To a higher place all apply a good fuel additive to clean your injectors and a good oil additive. I am using Opti-lube. It is pricey, merely protects the motor and what non. I accept not used them enough for an informative report and so will update yous later. Lots of plastic in the interior and in engine compartment to break. So far I have a cleaved battery box latch and the rear seat release mechanism is toasted. I have to reach in and grab the lesser of the arm residuum and pull it forwards to get it to release and pull down. It is about Besides MANY hundreds of dollars to replace so I volition just keep it that manner. It is no hassle to open so why sweat the small stuff? The heated leather forepart seats are then comfortable!!! Knobs, buttons and rollers are like shooting fish in a barrel to apply and understand. The manual helps more than most of them do right of the glove box. Information technology is written for an unproblematic child then an adult should dearest it. Interior lights at night are a pleasing white to light blueish and headlight, running and fog lights are merely right to help you meet the route. Pull switch out and all the way to the right to utilize the fog lights. Radio is easy to use, simply old schoolhouse. Have not tried to sync phone notwithstanding. Speakers are Bose and then very nice! Sounds similar a chip of heaven. Auxiliary jack is hidden past a sliding door under the center arm rest. 2 12 volt cigarette lighter style plug ins alive here also for charging or power source for your accessories. I plugged a cassette player into the auxiliary jack and a DC to AC voltage converter to power the player and whatsoever other Air-conditioning appliances. Information technology lives in the glove box and the cords are tucked into the trim then are hidden from sight. The converter has the USB port I need for my phone that this auto does Non have. Cassette player lives just in forepart of the automated stick shifter. I am taking out the front and rear springs, coil over struts and shocks and putting in a VW Rabbit comfort suspension for but nether a $yard. That will go rid of the experience-every-pocket-size-to-major bump in the road especially in curves where it can throw-you lot-effectually-pretty-badly and replace it with the grandma/granddaddy boat ride you'd expect to detect in a 2015 VW Golf or 2014 Jetta SportWagen. Beingness I am the granddad, I am hoping it will be a cushier road driving feel. Price for car with new break (I volition keep the stock one incase I want to do some racing) is $12,000 with but over 35250 miles on it. Information technology got caught up in diesel gate so has much of the motor/emissions under a warranty until 2024 or 120,000 miles whichever is longer. For me it will be 120,000 miles. The tires are new stock tires with a full size spare I will replace at some betoken with a 17"upgraded rim and tire at a price of $345. The ride is very quiet with stock suspension. Wind dissonance is quiet as well. It does not get blown around much at all. Information technology gets up and goes when yous need it to and does not bog downwardly going up hills at all. I was amazed past this every bit it is the 140HP motor. It gets 32.9 MPG urban center and merely nether xl MPG HWY. With Opti-lube and apartment roads I expect to get the 42 MPG HWY the sticker says it will get. Actually, the i on this auto said 29/37. Information technology was supposedly castrated past the emissions corrections through diesel fuel gate updates but I approximate they did something correct with this one? It has both stickers so both updates were done for sure. This car looks and drives like a new i salvage the two broken plastic pieces and no new car odour. Oh, it has a couple of hair-line scratches in the black paint that shows every speck of dirt, mud and pollen as well as the black leather inside. I will have to breast-stroke it in one case a week and buy a rechargeable vacuum for the interior. I swore I would never own a blackness car for these reasons, but this car was just too great a deal to pass up. I am told it will cost me a small fortune in maintenance costs but only time will tell. I am a real stickler for doing required maintenance and using all the correct fluids. I can do some of the maintenance myself. Overall I am really happy with this car and its price. I was looking to purchase new automobile or maybe a rental but this car jumped out and bit me. Information technology is all almost luxury, fuel efficiency and is comfy for an all twenty-four hours drive. I hope it is the last machine I will ever buy. It is newer and has the word Sports in information technology and so costs $16 more a month to insure than my Ranger did. Time is on my side. Oh well...add smiling here!!!

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