2009 AUDI A3

Looks good but constant minor issues

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 3

My 2009 Audi A3 driver side door does not work with the fob. The other doors work fine. The shop says the door lock actuator needs to be replaced total cost $750! The low oil light keeps on popping up. I have not gotten an estimate and will wait until my 105k maintenance. The car looks and drives well. Also, the MPG is pretty good even on Premium gas. However my old and ancient Camry seems to have less constant minor issues.

Not Reliable...Never Again!

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 1

Just after warranty, the manifold went bad. The injectors went bad. After five years of ownership the main engine seal and the oil separator went bad ($2,000) and the fuse housing under the hood melted ($675). I have been driving for 32 years and I have gotten bad gasoline with this car twice. Never before in 32 years has that occurred. The car is over engineered and too temperamental. VW's I've owned were also unreliable. If you have plenty of money and time to spend at the shop, you may consider this a fun car.

a year and 30k miles in my A3

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 3 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 3

I bought my 09 A3(2.0T w/S-tronic) in July 2012, with 51k miles, now has 81k miles. MPG has actually gotten better, and I routinely get over 30 commuting to work(22 miles one way). Had to replace the electronic throttle, but other than that, I've spent $2.5k on regular maintenance--tune up, oil changes, brakes, tires. The seatbacks came unglued, so i simply super-glued them back together, with no issues. The armrest also came undone, but to replace the top portion, it will cost me $200, so that will also be super-glued back. I will consider the 2015 A3 when it arrives, though i'll also be cross-shopping with the Volvo V60(soon to arrive), and the new GTI.

A GTI in a suit

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 4

I needed to replace my 11 year old TT roadster with a larger car. I was looking at 2-3 year old A4 Avants but they were too expensive. Last week I bought an A3 used with 30k on the odometer. I just finished a 1000 mile road trip in 100+ degree heat at an average speed of 85 mph without a single problem. Great power from the 2.0 turbo that emits a wonderful snarl when you floor it and the dual clutch transmission is an able dance partner in the twisties. The dual zone AC kept the cabin of my black on black skyroof equipped A3 cool and comfortable while we cruised through the Mojave desert and the engine temp needle never budged past the middle of the dial. Great little car!

2008 A3 2.0T (DSG)

Performance: 2 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 3 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 3 Reliability: 2 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 2

uses way too much oil! I am afraid to drive it a considerable amount of distance.. I check the oil one day, and although remarkably dirty,its full. The next day I drive it 100 miles give or take.. when I get home I have NO OIL, and there was no alert telling me that the oil is low!!I have taken it back to my Audi dealership 3 times and it is going back for #4. One more chance!otherwise this is a great car. I'd rather not sell it because of the poor treatment that I receive at the Audi dealership that I use. Come on Audi. Once we buy your car - we are family! Service Managers need to treat us better!! Audi drivers want performance,high quality, and 6 star treatment!!! thanks!

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Before I purchased my A3, I had been longing for an Audi for quite some time. Dealer made the new A3 more financially attractive than a low-mileage A4 from the prior model year. I have not regretted my decision and now have ~17,000 mi. on the car. No major mechanical problems. No quality issues except for poorly tracking sun-roof shade. The engine is peppy. There IS turbo lag, contrary to what some critics have said, but the torque band is band is broad and smooth once it is engaged. DSG works nicely and allows driver to drive all speeds in manual fashion. Lovely steering wheel. Intuitive gauge placement. Supportive seats, although more side bolstering would be nice. Love the QUATTRO.

Fun Fast Practical - One Package

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Satisfaction on a car purchase is all about previous experience and expectations. Previous: I've owned BMW's (328is, 528i). Mercedes (E350), Lexus (GX470). Love the tightness of a German car, combo sport and luxury. Need: I drive 15k/year, mostly highway with some 2 lane windy roads. My 528i had 160k miles, facing $5k on brakes, airbag sensor, struts, etc. I was also getting about 23mpg. Wanted something fun, fast with good mpg and room for family (wife, 2 girls). Enter A3: This car is about as perfect (based on my expectations/needs) as one can get. It is tighter than the BMW's, fast and fun. 30mpg - driven hard. Sunroof, stereo, leather seats, bluetooth all create luxury feel.

First import for my garage

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Coming from a Chevy-only-world I could not be any happier. Power, style, handling, it's all there in spades. The combination of redesigned 2.0T-TFSI, DSG transmission and Haldex AWD is amazing. It is so fun to drive I find myself taking the long-way home almost every day. And the hatch makes it extremely practical. My dog loves cruising around, grinning at everyone through the back window. And the folding back seats have made room for a new grill, small patio set and almost everything I need to haul. On top of all this the A3 is top-rated for safety and sips so little gas I have no concerns with non-stop spirited driving.

3rd audi

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Went to my local dealer and drove a 2009 A3 2.0 quattro with bluetooth, open sky, and satellite radio. Even though I thought I wanted a manual again I got such a good deal plus really wanting quattro I bought the 09. The DSG transmission is growing on me. I have always maintained my Audi's and never had any reliability issues other than normal wear and tear items. The A3 is well built and is versatile. It is a perfect car for running errands in town but also does well on longer trips.

Great sporty car

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I loved this car. I just turned it in this weekend for my 3rd Audi in three years. I needed a bigger car for the family so I went with an A6. I have owned BMW's, VW's, Mercedes, Ford's, Chevy's, & Toyota's. Audi's are by far the best as far as I am concerned. I custom ordered it from Audi with the options I wanted (convenience pckg, open sky, cold weather, s-line). It has great pep for a 4 cylinder turbo. I added H & R sport spring and bilstein shocks to it and wow was this car a fun car to drive. I love Audi's design of the new '09's and the LED's speak for themselves.

Don't buy

Performance: 2 Comfort: 2 Fuel Economy: 2 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 1 Exterior Design: 3 Build Quality: 1 Reliability: 1 Comfort Rating: 2 Performance Rating: 2 Interior Rating: 1 Reliability Rating: 1

So much for German engineering; they have not discovered aluminium. All the interior design is in plastic with silly parts that break and are not covered by the warranty. I used the back seat arm rest once and it broke; I plugged an ipod in the cigarette lighter and it broke; the two moon light roof hatches broke; the bolt that holds the spare tire broke, etc. In addition, the car gets a check engine light every six months (and deal with the service people.) It's the only brand that charges for rental car while on service, contrary to what they said at purchase.

Entry Level Luxury

Performance: 4 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 4 Build Quality: 4 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 4

A well conceived vehicle. Lots of utility with a great mix of style, luxury, comfort, sport and utility. Perfect for people who live in large urban cities.

Best deal for your money

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 4 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5

I live in San Francisco and the A3 is the perfect size to park anywhere. Gives great gas mileage and takes off quick without the whiplash. I love the smooth transmission. One down fall would be the temperature controls. The knobs take awhile to adjust the temp. You have to turn it click per click or hold it a while to go from cold to hot. But other then that I love my Audi A3.

Loving It For 2 Months Now

Performance: 5 Comfort: 4 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Picked up an '09 A3 2.0T Quattro DSG in January. Now that it's broken in & I've started pushing it, I'm very impressed with the performance. The auto shift is flawless & returns decent fuel economy (about 22mpg in city so far), but when pushed (or in Sport mode), this car can go. Punch it when you need to pass & you're smoothly up to 80+ before you know it. Exterior & interior fit/styling have been excellent w/ no issues to-date. The only minor flaws I've come across are the floor mats (not very wear or stain resistant), how the bright yellow passenger airbag off indicator stands out from the rest of the dash lights, & the lack of small storage compartments for coins or other.

Great car

Performance: 4 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 4 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Bought '09 A3 quattro s-line with DSG. Options not chosen are sport package and audio package. Too much money for 6-disc and sport sport package includes things I do not want to pay for. Great car, but 6-disk should come standard for $40K. Quattro is seamless. Performance is very good but so far gas mileage is not what I expected - but only have 5500K so far. Hope it gets better with time. Quality of materials is good but fear that paint is not up to Canadian winters (or summers). Already have chips and scratches. No USB connections.

Fun and Style

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

Purchase my A3 six manual with convenience pkg, cold weather, sky, Sport pkg, titanium pkg. I think is worth every dollar spent. Fast, solid and very comfortable to drive. Got 2000 miles and I love it so far, is fast, great in snow, cornering, steering and brakes, sound Bose system is superb, is the best car I ever bought. Who needs memory seats? How many times you use them? Is built right !

Great car, poor execution of technology

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 5 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I just picked up my car last week. Having driven VW for over 15 years in the 80's and 90's, I knew exactly what to expect. The engine is amazing, the S-tronic (DSG) transmission is fabulous, mileage has been great right out of the box. I am left scratching my head trying to figure out how a $34K car can be missing so many things that were on my $23 Kia three years ago! Auto headlamps, auto-dimming rearview mirror, integrated garage door opener, remote starting available (it's not!). Also, no memory positions for seats & mirrors. These are items that you shouldn't even have to talk about in 2009! A great car; highly recommended IF you can deal with these oversights from Audi.

Dream Drivetrain Finally Available

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 5 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5

I've had my eyes on this car since it first made it to the US for the 2006 model year, but was always frustrated by the lack of availability of the 2.0T with quattro. I was looking for a great car to downsize and go more fuel-efficient without having to sacrifice. When I found out that the 2.0T was going to be available with quattro for 2009, I placed an order in June and have had my car for 2 months now. Couldn't love it more. It is a blast to drive and makes you want to drive more. The engine is peppy and very refined for a 4-cylinder turbo. The handling is firm and sporty. The ride is remarkably composed for a small car and firmly planted. Oh, and it looks great inside and out.

Great Improvements Made for 2009

Performance: 5 Comfort: 5 Fuel Economy: 4 Fun To Drive: 5 Interior Design: 5 Exterior Design: 5 Build Quality: 5 Reliability: 4 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 5 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 4

We've had our A3 for about 3 weeks and love it. We custom ordered it in June. The car is similar to previous 2008 models except almost all the suggestions from previous years have been implemented. It now has modern interior materials/buttons, sporty front end like the A4. Mirror turn signals, and AUX input for the iPod, nicer computer in dash etc. The stereo also plays MP3 discs. Ours has bluetooth as well which is now part of the S-line pkg. For those thinking of getting a GTI, please drive the A3 too. It is not that much more money but is a much better car. There are also a couple of new colors which some people might prefer.