Given the premium positioning of the 2011 Audi A3 compact hatchback, you won't be cross-shopping it against mass-market Asian brands. But as a refined, versatile German import, the A3 offers both brand cachet and a feature few other compacts have: a fuel-efficient clean diesel TDI engine.
The A3 TDI is rated at 30 mpg city, 42 mpg highway, with a combined 34-mpg rating that is likely lower than what owners will actually achieve. Its 140-horsepower, 2.0-liter diesel four is paired with an excellent S-tronic six-speed automated manual transmission, reprogrammed specifically for the TDI's low speeds and prodigious torque.
At the other end of the gas-mileage graph is the A3 Quattro, one of the few all-wheel-drive compact hatchbacks that doesn't say Subaru on the back. It is rated at 21 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, for a relatively dismal combined 24 mpg. If you want all-wheel-drive, by the way, you have to get the 200-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine and S-tronic gearbox.
In between those two extremes are the front-wheel-drive A3s with the gasoline engine, either with the S-tronic automatic or a six-speed manual gearbox. The performance of the diesel and gasoline engines is remarkably similar, though the diesel pulls while the turbo gas engine revs.
The A3 is now an old car, due for replacement within a couple of years, so the styling is hardly cutting edge. The big alloy wheels give it a nice stance, and the lines are timeless for a five-door hatch (the only body style). The A3 still looks good; it's just not crisp any longer.
The 2011 Audi A3 is as comfortable and stable at speed on the highway as it is crisp and direct pottering around town. If you add the magnetic suspension option, the ride quality improves from stiff to supple. The electric power steering lacks feedback, though.
The A3's interior shows its age far less than the styling. It's simple, well-made, and surprisingly intuitive. Interior room isn't the biggest in the class, and the black interior doesn't add much of an open feel, but the materials are first-rate and feel luxurious in a car this small.
Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/review/1062121_2011-audi-a3
Audi Dealers
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Audi e-tron Spyder Diesel Plug-In Hybrid Turns Up At Le Mans
Last year we saw the R8 e-tron supercar take to the track and this year another Audi e-tron has made its presence felt at Le Mans, the seductively stylish e-tron Spyder concept car first revealed at the 2010 Paris Auto Show.
As its name suggests, there’s an electrified drivetrain under the pretty mix of sheet metal and carbon fiber. This particular e-tron concept packs an advanced diesel-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain, which the automaker says is good for a fuel economy of about 107 mpg on the European combined cycle.
The setup consists of a 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel engine rated at 300 horsepower driving the rear wheels and two electric motors rated at 63 kW (85) each that drive the front wheels. A lithium-ion battery, located in the front section of the car, stores up to 9.1 kWh of energy. With 400 volts of three-phase alternating current, the battery takes about one hour to charge up at an electrical outlet.
Despite all the technology, the whole thing weighs in at around 3,200 pounds. This relatively light curb weight (for a hybrid) was achieved thanks to an aluminum body built around Audi’s spaceframe principle. A number of elements are also made of carbon fiber to help shed further weight.
According to Audi, the e-tron Spyder will do 31 miles on electricity alone, although in this mode top speed is limited to a paltry 37 mph. With all systems go, however, the concept car will accelerate from 0-62 mph in just 4.4 seconds and easily reach a limited top speed of 155 mph. The estimated driving range is 620 miles, though this is with a mix of spirited and conservative driving.
Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1061452_audi-e-tron-spyder-diesel-plug-in-hybrid-turns-up-at-le-mans
Thursday, June 2, 2011
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