Audi A3 (2003 – 2008) Review
Audi A3 (2003 – 2008) At A Glance
Classy hatchback with a premium interior. Wide choice of engines including efficient TDI models. quattro models corner sharply. S3 can be a blast to drive.
All engines still belt cam. Oil pump problems with 2.0 TDI.
Outside, its chunky good looking and Audi-like. First with the new corporate two-tier Audi grille, like the Nuvolari concept car. Inside, you get a fully adjustable driving position and an interior that quietly shouts quality. Getting comfortable takes no time at all and, unlike some former Audis, you dont feel the need to re-adjust yourself afterwards.
Reviews for Audi A3 (2003 – 2008)'s top 3 rivals
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Audi A3 (2003 – 2008) handling and engines
Turn the key, move off and the controls are light but with plenty of feel. Especially the new electro-mechanical steering that gives plenty of positive yet unintrusive feedback. Gearchange quality of the six speeders (2.TDI and 2.0FSI) varies from car to car, but the five-speeders on the 1.6i and 1.9TDI were fine. And the groovy walking stick-like handbrake gives you something to point out to a passenger new to the car.
First off, we drove the new 2.0 TDI 16v that pumps out an unstressy 140bhp and 320Nm torque. It scoots along very well, with plenty of punch, and doesnt mind being revved and held above 4,000rpm. Pick the right gear, brake in the right place, choose the right line and it settles into serious bends superbly. Bit of tyre squeak if you push it, of course. But no drama. Its a far finer handling car than an A4.
The new 2.0 16v Fuel Stratified Injection petrol engine offers a smoother alternative to a diesel. It puts out 150PS yet still delivers an impressive 40.9 mpg on the combined cycle, about 11 mpg behind the 2.0 TDI, but a fraction better than the 1.6. This comes at a price, though, because to get the good figure you have to use 98Ron petrol which, in the UK at least, means Shell Optimax. But if smooth four cylinder power and decent economy is what you want, it delivers.
The 1.9TDI PD 105 is the old 100bhp engine brought a bit more up to date with revised pumpe duse technology. It works very well. Much better than the disappointing TDI PD 100 and with bags of low speed torque. It will cost a lot less than the 2.0 TDI PD 140 but is far from a poverty choice.
The surprise of the cars we drove was the last one: the entry level 1.6 petrol. It really is a nice, sweet car with enough power for most people, decent ride, roadholding and handling and good 5-speed manual shift quality. Not quite as much grip as the bigger tyred, more powerful A3s and, like the 1.9TDI, a very slight over-centre feel to the steering sometimes, but nothing to complain about. Base model it may be, yet its still a fine car.
We didnt get to drive the all-singing, all-dancing 3.2V6 Quattro, which effectively replaces the old S3. A stop-press announcement told us power has been upped to a full 250bhp, ten more then the Golf R32. It will have the Haldex clutched Quattro four wheel drive system of the TT. And also gets the new Dynamic Shift Six Speed gearbox that does away with a clutch pedal by means of a clever new liquid twin clutch which is the first big advance in conventional automatic gearbox technology since the torque converter. Unlike everyone elses dry autoclutches, it cannot burn out. You can even hold the car on the brakes with your right foot flat to the floor and as soon as you slip your left foot off the brake the gearbox optimises its response a bit like Formula 1 launch control.
AUDI S3
Now you'd think that a 265PS four-wheel-drive hatchback hiding behind Audis aggressive barbeque grille would be anything but sweet.
But this is a sports car thats as happy to pootle through town as it is to claw its way round greasy corners at ridiculous speeds.
It may develop its serious 350Nm peak torque between 2,500 and 5,000rpm. Hoever, theres still enough to keep it perfectly happy trickling along at 1,000 1,500 rpm.
The gearing helps. You get about 25mph per 1,000 rpm in 6th and the ratios below that are all fairly close. So, unlike a turbodiesel geared at 35mph per 1,000 rpm, you have torque as well as power from quite low engine speeds. The gearshift is top notch as well. The S3 has shorter shifts and is very positive. Its very fast and I never mis-slotted. A nice touch is a digital speed read-out in the centre of the dashpanel as well as the dials.
On 18 wheels and 225/40 R18 tyres I cant claim the suspension absorbs pot-holes. It is stiff, but not stomach-jarringly solid. Get the seat position right and its also twinge-free after 300 miles in the saddle. And of course you can get people in the back and things in the boot, which you cant do with an Audi TT.
You have to fill it with at least 98Ron Super to get the full bag of beans. And it responded extremely well to 52.37 litres of Shell V-Power.
In fact it gave me one of the drives of my life.
Early start. Empty roads. Temperature hovering between 4 and 6 centigrade so little chance of ice. Like quattros of the past, if you pussyfoot round corners youll get understeer by the shovel full. So what you have to do is boot it by the right amount at the right time. Then all four claws grab hold of the hold of the road and pull you round.
I confess I tend to err in the side of caution with my entry speeds these days. Im no rally driver by a long way. But I got a lot of satisfaction out of the S3 over 46 very special miles and took three minutes off the quickest time Id ever done it in, despite keeping everything nice and legal in the villages and towns I passed through.
It has a nice little trick at the de-restriction signs. If you run up to them at 30 in second, then boot it hard, it puts the power down so well it almost snaps your neck in the two seconds or so it takes to get to 60. At which point I wont write any more in case it amounts to a confession.
After adding 90 miles of motorway cruise the petrol receipts showed a reasonable 24mpg, compared to 26mpg over 300 miles of mostly motorway. From my first fill I got about 32.5mpg, mostly driving at South East traffic speeds, so keep the speeds down and the EC combined average of 31mpg can be done.
The S3s power output and performance figures are very similar to those of the Mazda 3 MPS. But, though the 3 MPS is pretty good, you cant put the power down as confidently in that car, especially on greasy winter surfaces.
Another thing about the S3 is you have to look twice to realise it is an S3. No aircraft tailplane spoilers rising off the back. Its quite discreet. And looks good in the Sprint Blue pearl paint mine came in (though you can pretend its a Focus ST and go for Solar Orange if you want to).
So thumbs up then?
Definitely. Its like a sort of junior EVO without all the trappings and impracticalities. Its a sportscar you can use every day, and for the same sort of money as a TT 2.0T I know which way Id go.
Audi A3 (2003 – 2008) interior
It's extremely refined with excellent ride quality, so to get the grip you dont have to suffer constant jiggling. It proves handling need not mean discomfort. Apart from the suspension the reason for this is a 30% stiffer bodyshell than the old A4 with very fine, very precise shut-lines. The less a body twists, the better the suspension can work and the less likelihood of rattles.
What it isnt good at is parking. The back seat is even more claustrophobic than the original A3s. Legroom is tight. Centre rear passenger legroom in non-existent due to the high centre tunnel (its for small children only). And the view out back for reversing is almost as bad as a Calibra. You can get it right using mirrors and the park distance control. But it isnt an instinctively easy reverser. And I guess most owners will simply ditch the centre rear head restraint.
Model History
June 2003
First car based on PQ35 floorpan shared with Golf V and Leon II. 4,203mm long x 1,765mm wide. In UK from June 2003. 30% stiffer bodyshell with very tight shut lines. Family of VAG engines include 102PS 1.6; 116bhp FSI 1.6; 150PS FSI 2.0 16v; 185PS 2.0T, 105PS 1.9TDI; 140PS 2.0 TDI 16v and 250PS 3.2 V6 Quattro with revolutionary Direct Shift Gearbox as first seen on 3.2 TT. All engines confrom to EU4 emissions.
Multi-link rear suspension. Electro-mechanical power steering. Front wheel drive models all drive and handle smoothly and well. 250PS 3.2 Quattro priced at £23,665 for 6-speed manual; £25,065 for DSG.
February 2005
S line spec available at extra £1,000 for all A3 quattros and DGSs, including 200PS 2.0-litre turbo petrol FSI engine, 250PS 3.2 quattro and 140PS 2.0 TDI where quattro ans/or DSG is specified. S line features include 18-inch, RS 6-style 5 Arm alloy wheels, unique S line sports suspension, S line badging for the side panels and sill strips, leather and Speed cloth upholstered sports seats and a perforated leather-trimmed S line sports steering wheel.
July 2005
New look front with single frame grille. Sports suspension revisions. S line upgrade. Available to order from 29-4-2005 at OTR prices ranging from £15,515 to £24,130 for first deliveries in July 2005. From August 2005, A3 and A3 Sportback 2.0 T FSI models can be ordered in standard form with prices starting from £19,070 OTR, less than a Golf GTI 200T.
May 2006
New 2.0-litre four-cylinder TDI engine with piezo injection technology and Diesel Particulate Filter offered in addition to existing 140PS. Available with quattro and front-drive and with either standard six-speed manual transmission or optional S-tronic twin clutch automatic (formerly called DSG).
A3 priced from £18,930 OTR to £24,405 OTR.
170PS @ 4,200rpm, 320Nm from 1,750rpm to 2,500rpm
A3 2.0 TDI: 0-62mph in 8.2 secs (2.0 TDI quattro 7.8 secs), top speed 138mph (2.0 TDI quattro 136mph), combined mpg 48.7 (2.0 TDI quattro 44.1), C02 output 157g/km (2.0 TDI quattro 173g/km)
A3 and A3 Sportback 2.0 TDI models OTR prices
A3 2.0 TDI 140PS £18,105
A3 2.0 TDI SE 140PS £20,105
A3 2.0 TDI Sport 140PS £20,105
A3 2.0 TDI S line 140PS £21,655
A3 2.0 TDI quattro Sport 140PS £21,505
A3 2.0 TDI quattro S line 140PS £23,055
A3 2.0 TDI 170PS £18,930
A3 2.0 TDI SE 170PS £20,930
A3 2.0 TDI Sport 170PS £20,930
A3 2.0 TDI S line 170PS £22,480
A3 2.0 TDI quattro Sport 170PS £22,355
A3 2.0 TDI quattro S line 170PS £23,905
August 2006
New 1.4 TFSI replaces 1.6 FSI on standard, SE and S line trim priced from £16,365 OTR. First deliveries in October. 125PS @ 5,000rpm (v/s 1.6 FSI 115PS @ 5,800rpm), 200Nm @ 1,500rpm (v/x 1.6 FSI 155Nm @ 4,000rpm). 0-60mph in 9.3 secs, top speed 126mph, combined mpg 43.5, CO2 154g/km (v/s A3 1.6 FSI 10.9 secs, 122mph, 42.8mpg, 158g/km)
Proposed Congestion Tax exempt 1.9 TDI with 119g/km CO2 output announced 21-8-07. Officially 62.7mpg combined. £16,660 OTR as 3-dr or £17,160 OTR for the five-door Sportback. First deliveries in October 2007. A3 1.9 TDI with five-speed manual transmission – 105PS @ 4,000rpm, 250Nm @ 1,900rpm, 0-62mph in 11.4 seconds, 120mph, 62.7mpg, CO2 119g/km.
December 2006
New four-cylinder 1.8-litre Turbo FSI petrol engine with 160PS @ 5,000 - 6,200rpm and 250Nm @ 1,500 - 4,200rpm for A3 models. Available with manual and S tronic transmissions. A3 1.8 TFSI priced from £18,100 OTR, 0-62mph in 8.0 seconds, top speed 136mph, combined MPG 38.6, C02 174g/km.
January 2007
New S3 quattro. UK OTR price £27,000. Specially developed 2.0 Turbo FSI engine features alloy head, new turbo charger with enlarged turbine and compressor rotor and modified intercooler. 265PS@6,000rpm, 350Nm from 2,500rpm to 5,000rpm. 0-60 mph in 5.5 seconds, top speed limited to 155mph, combined mpg 25.7.
Six-speed manual gearbox with reduced shift travel, quattro four-wheel-drive. Sports suspension incorporating greater aluminium content and revised spring and damper settings, power steering settings modified for optimum feel and response. Exclusive 18-inch alloy wheels with 225/40 tyres and S quattro body styling with trademark aluminium-look door mirror surrounds, enhanced sports interior. Fast, but not fierce. May be followed by 350bhp £35,000 RS3.
May 2012
Audi revised its recommendation for timing belt replacement on the 200PS 2.0 TSI engine to be 75,000 miles or 5 years whichever comes soonest.
What to watch out for
Radiator leaks a common problem after 18 months. Can lead to head gasket failure and failure of head itself. If buying used, check expansion tank.
Black metallic paint doesn't seem to be very robust and at 18 months can show a few scuffs and was marked very quickly by bird droppings (cleaned off almost straight away but still left ghost marks.
Fresh spate of ignition coil failures on 2005 build 2.0 FSIs.
Dual mass flywheel and clutch problems possible after around 40k miles. If still under 3 year warranty Audi will replace FOC, as is a known problem. Failure of alloy transmission casing also not unknown.
On 2.0 TDI diesels, timing belts can fail at between 60k and 70k due to tensionert failure, so wise to ignore Audi's 112k mile belt change and change belt, tensioner and all pulleys at 4 years or 60k miles whichever comes first.
On 6-speed twin shaft manuals the gearchange from 1st to 2nd can become stiff. First stage dealer cure is to replace the transmission oil. If that fails, it needs a synchro ring replacing. So if your box stiffens up, make sure it is attended to before the warranty expires. Some 2006/2007 build cars with 6-speed boxes suffered from a planetary gear fault due to incorrect assembly. Cars fixed quickly by TSB when in dealers for servicing or other problems. Fairly high incidence of exploding manual transmissions due to this fault and puncturing transmission casing. Same fault also occurs on the SEAT Leon, Skoda Octavia and Golf V. If not VAG serviced then the fault may not have been fixed by TSB.
Failure of Zexel or Valeo a/c compressors is common, usually a year or two out of warranty and dealers can quote £1,304 for new compressor, condensor and expansion valve. Sometimes goodwill of about £300 offered. But cheaper to buy a new Sanden compressor for £287 and have it fitted by an independent a/c specialist for about £150. Internet forums, particularly in USA are full of postings concerning failures of Zexel and Valeo compressors, seems a case of "when not if".
SP warning light can indicate Fault Code "Boost Pressure Sensor G201". This is embedded inside Teves Mk 60 ABS systems and requires replacement of ABS control unit/pump. Seems to be age-related, occurring mainly in 3 - 5 year old cars. Does not necessarily lead to an MoT failure. VAG policy seems to be to pay 100% for fully VAG serviced cars up to 48 months old. Older than that, 35%. Non VAG serviced, smaller contribution towards £1,500 cost of replacement. More on the problem and independent rebuilds of the unit at: BBA Reman or ECU Testing . Before doing anything it's worth finding a completely emptry stretch of road and trying a few hard stops that bring the ABS into play. That can sometimes free off a stuck brake pressure sensor.
22-01-2011:If ESP/ABS amber warning light comes on intermittently and will not re-set, you might not actually have the ATE Teves Mk 60 ABS/ESP problem. First check circuits and start at the ABS fuse and holder (no 9 on a Golf, on scuttle edge by driver door). Pull it out, have a look and if okay replace it. The warning light may then go out. Sometimes they slip out a bit and become wobbly, which is enough to set off the warning.
As with Golf V, some 2007 build cars with 6-speed boxes suffered from a planetary gear fault due to incorrect assembly. Cars fixed quickly by TSB when in dealers for servicing or other problems. Fairly high incidence of exploding manual transmissions due to this fault and puncturing transmission casing. Same fault also occurs on the Audi A3. If not VAG serviced then the fault may not have been fixed by TSB.
Mechatronic unit problems with DSG/S-tronic can cause an initial delay when setting off followed by a sudden surge. A replacement Mechatronic unit usually cures this.
VAG diesels will run to starship mileages if you buy the right one and maintain it properly. Doing both of these things is not as easy as it might seem. The pre-PD diesels were reliable but are all getting too old now. The economy was excellent but they lack the power of the PD units. The best PD units are mid-period 1.9s with solenoid injectors. Avoid the later piezo injector engines and avoid the 2.0 PD at all costs because of the likelihood of oil pump drive failure - especially in N-S installations. The earliest PD engines had a rather complex and flaky fuel cooling system which is also better avoided. The best vintage PD is probably an '04 1.9 130 (AWX) - the 150 HP units are not as reliable and don't actually go much better. All PD engines require oil to VAG spec. 505.01 (fixed servicing) or 507.00 (variable). Camshaft wear will be the result of variations from this spec. - although the fully-synth 507.00 is fine for both, but a little more expensive. There is a general consensus, which I share, that variable servicing is not good for engine wear unless operated under the most favourable conditions - which few are. Change the 507.00 oil in the AWX engine every 7k miles. The latest CR engines run very nicely and are smoother than the PDs (but without the "shove") but I am beginning to hear of far too many (piezo again) injector failures and HP pump failures. Best avoided for now unless under warranty. The beauty of the PD system is that the highly stressed pump plunger followers are oil rather than fuel lubricated. It makes a considerable difference. Mechanical PD injector failures on 2.0 TDI PD 170s becoming increasingly common by late 2011. Due to the ridiculous longlife oil service regime.
28-01-2012:Manufacturer recall to replace Siemens Piezoelectric injectors of 2006 - 2009 2.0 TDI BMN engines. All the injectors from the the 2.0 TDI PD engines that use piezoelectric Siemens injectors and Siemens ECUs are affected by this problem. The most problems are on the Passat BKD 2.0 TDI 140HP. No problem from 2009 and the introduction of the common rail 2.0 TDI engine (CEGA).
06-05-2012:Timing chain issue with early 1.4 TSI. During the preceding two weeks journalists from Auto Bild in Germany met with VW to discuss the extent of a chain failure. In the meeting, VW managers admitted that they have identified a problem with a defective component supplied by a third party company. The engines affected have been identified by VW but there is no general recall. Journalists from Autoweek have also started to investigate the extent of the problem in the Netherlands. Clarification of which engines are affected is urgently needed but has not so far been forthcoming.
16-06-2012:Injector replacement under TSB improved fuel economy of TDI 170 by around 5mpg.
17-01-2013:Injector replacement on 102k mile 2007 TDI under TSB seemingly led to DPF failure. First noticed engine oil level rising. Dealer replaced injector seals. Problems continued and verdict was that DPF had failed. Has happened on a number of TDI after injector replacement.
16-07-2013:Problems with cooling fan motors not operating on the 1.8T engine can be caused by excess moisture building under the fuse box on the battery, causing it to short due to corrosion. Reader advice is to replace fuse box and spray liberally with WD40. The diagnostics will not pick this up since no sensors are involved.
27-10-2013:Both timing chains of 3.2 VR6 prone to stretching and jumping cogs, throwing out the timing. Due to the amount of dismantling involved, replacing is a £3,000 dealer job, cheaper at a specialist.
13-11-2013:56k mile 07 Audi A3 1.8 TFSI Sport S-tronic reported as jerky from rest since new. Worsenend and dealer re-set software, but still very difficult to manoeuvre at slow speeds because of the sudden, jerky take-up of drive however carefully throttle is feathered. Audi have explored it further and are now proposing that we replace the mechatronics unit with a new one that has redesigned vNew Mechatronics unit prescribed at cost of £1,733 less 50% goodwill, so £866 incl. VAT.
01-03-2014:V-belt tensioner bracket on 83k mile 2008 Audi A3 1.9 TDI sheared. Engine then needed a new V-belt, timing belt and waterpump (would have needed the timing belt and waterpump anyway).
26-03-2014:2007 A3 2.0 TDI suffered Dual Mass Flywheel failure at 46k miles.
17-04-2014:Failure of engine of 70,000 mile 2008 A3 2.0 TFSI (belt cam version). After a non-franchised service an unexplained drop in the oil pressure at the cam adjuster caused the engine timing to come out so that the piston rose through the bore and struck the valves causing damage to the piston, barrel and bore. The cam belt was apparently intact. The car had been subect to a TSB recall on 5-6-2011.
12-11-2014:Dual Mass Flywheel beginnig to rattle on 84k mile 2006 Audi A3 2.0TDI DSG and setting off not always smooth.
06-05-2015:Starting problems of 2007 Audi A3 2.0TDI DSG diagnosed as beginning of DMF failure. Quoted £800 just to separate transmission to investigate.
20-07-2015:75k mile 2006 Audi A3 3.2 DSG quattro suffered complete loss of drive going up hill. Engine revved. Coasted to stop, all gear lights flashing and transmission fault light on. Then all 4 wheels locked and no gear function. Having difficulty finding a transmission specialist who can help in the South west. Recommended trying replacing the fuse as a purely temporary measure.
16-03-2016:Change to 3rd gear of 2008 Audi A3 2.0TDI PD BMN 170 starting to crunch at 117k miles.
26-06-2017:Report that 2003 Audi A3 2.0TDI needed two replacement dual mass flywheels in a year.
