Instrumented Test
The first A3 TDI hit the streets for 2010 as Audi’s second diesel-powered offering for the U.S. market, the 2009 Q7 SUV being the first. Those models paved a wide road for ensuing diesel Audis: The four-ring brand currently offers Americans six diesel models, more than any other carmaker. Following a diesel blitz for the 2014 model year, Audi added its A6, A7, and A8 sedans as well as its Q5 crossover to the diesel lineup.
Each of the marque’s A-badged models currently has a diesel take rate of roughly 10 percent, and the compression-ignition crossovers sell in even greater percentages. The A3 was recently redesigned, however, and it's now Audi’s freshest diesel model.
We were impressed with the gasoline-powered, all-wheel-drive A3 in a 2014 comparison test, where it beat a BMW 228i and a Mercedes-Benz CLA250. That A3 was comfortable, gorgeous, and quick. The front-wheel-drive diesel A3 tested here was comfortable, gorgeous, and . . . fuel-efficient.
“Quick” definitely does not belong among the primary descriptors of the A3 TDI—at least relative to its stablemates. Requiring 7.9 seconds to reach 60 mph and 16.2 to complete the quarter-mile at 86 mph, the diesel trails the comparison-test-winning gasoline A3 2.0T by 2.5 seconds to 60 mph and by 2.2 ticks and 14 mph in the quarter-mile. (The 292-hp, 4.4-second S3 that shares the same platform and basic body is on a whole other level.) Despite a quick-shifting transmission, the TDI’s powertrain runs out of tangible push as you climb above 3500 rpm or so (redline is 5000), but the car feels spritely off the line, which is handy around town.
The A3 TDI’s performance stats are obliterated not only by those of the gasoline model, but also by BMW’s entry-level diesel, the 328d, which is the most comparable diesel in our market, even if it does have a base price $6455 steeper than that of the $33,495 A3 TDI. In our testing, the 328d—also two-wheel drive (the rears versus this Audi’s front-drive setup), and also propelled by a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel four—turned in superior times of 6.8 seconds to 60 and 15.3 in the quarter-mile.
At least the 211-pound-lighter A3 TDI nips the BMW in our braking and cornering tests, registering a fade-free stopping distance of 160 feet from 70 mph and pulling 0.92 g on the skidpad, despite moderate understeer. You’re not going to put on a Fast & Furious–style stunt show in this car, but three-stage stability control (on, sport, off) is a welcome feature. Plus, the A3 TDI is quite good to drive, with tightly controlled body motions and very good steering accuracy and feel.
But people generally buy diesel cars not for feats measured on the test track but for computations made following visits to the filling station. In that respect, the A3 TDI fared extremely well, averaging 38 mpg over 965 miles in our care (excluding, as is our policy, the partial tank consumed during performance testing). That’s 2 mpg better than the EPA’s combined rating but 1 mpg shy of our observed mileage in the aforementioned 328d. Still, 500 miles between fill-ups should be no trouble whatsoever. (For our first drive of the 2015 A3 TDI, Audi officials challenged us to drive 845 miles from Albuquerque to San Diego on a single tank. We didn’t quite make it, but we got close.)
At speeds beyond what any hypermiler would do, the A3 lets a disappointing amount of noise into the cabin. We measured 72 decibels at 70 mph, two louder than the 328d and five noisier than the A3 2.0T. At idle, the diesel A3 was four decibels louder than the A3 2.0T and just a bit quieter than the 328d. Even the $25K Volkswagen Golf SportWagen TDI is quieter than the A3 TDI, which isn’t something prospective Audi customers will be happy to learn. All that said, diesels are significantly quieter than they were a decade or two ago.
Fortunately for Audi, there’s no Volkswagen or sub-$50K BMW that can hold a candle to the A3’s lovely interior and its sharp-looking suit of sheetmetal. As we noted in bestowing the most affordable Audi its crown in that 2014 comparison test: “The A3 says: You’re not in the cheap Audi, just the small Audi.” A huge sunroof brightens the cabin, whose rear quarters are somewhat confined in headroom but are nonetheless better than average in this segment. The navigation system, part of a $2600 option package, is easy to use and is displayed via a large screen that looks trick as it ascends from a thin slot in the dashboard. (Although we wonder what the screen motor’s operating status will be, say, 10 years down the line.) Premium Plus, the only other option package on our car, brought items such as 10-spoke wheels, heated front seats, and passive entry for $2550. Tack on $550 for the deep Mythos Black paint, and our A3 came in at $39,195.
That’s not the cheapest way to get 38 mpg, but it may be the classiest. As long as you’re not in a big hurry.
