I have an A4 sedan and some time next year we are planning on starting a family. We were discussing the possibility of either trading in the A4 for an A4 avant, or an A3. I am personally leaning towards an A3, but she thinks it's too small. I beg to differ.

Plus, my A4 is stick, and she can't drive stick. I really don't think the A4 is that fun to drive in tip... and the idea of getting an A4 with tip just doesn't wow me... but an A3 with DSG would be pretty fun by comparison...

So the point being, I get a car that is fun to drive, and she gets a car that she can drive also...

Any of you have kids and use the A3 as a utility family hauler?

Pro's/ cons?

Canned response from the past:

Passenger space

Front headroom
A3 38.1 inches
A4 38.4
BMW 325 37.4
MINI 38.8
Mazda3 (hatch) 39.1
Volvo V50 38.9

Front shoulder room
A3 54.3
A4 55.1
BMW 325 55.4
MINI 50.9
Mazda3 54.9
Volvo V50 55.2

Front legroom
A3 41.2
A4 41.3
BMW 325 41.5
MINI 41.3
Mazda3 41.9
Volvo V50 41.6

Rear legroom
A3 34.8
A4 34.3
BMW 325 34.6
MINI 31.3
Mazda3 36.3
Volvo V50 34.4

Rear shoulder room
A3 52.8
A4 53.4
BMW 325 55.1
MINI 44.7
Mazda3 54
Volvo V50 54.1

Luggage space
A3 13.1 cu ft
A4 (avant) 27.8 cu ft
BMW 325 (sedan 12 cu ft
MINI5.2 cu ft
Mazda3 17.1 cu ft
Volvo V50 (non-awd) 27.4 cu ft

Length
A3 168 inches
A4 180 inches
BMW 325 178.2
MINI 143.9
Mazda3 176.6
Volvo V50 177.7

Width
A3 69.5
BMW 325 70.1


Wheelbase
A3 101.5
A4 104.3
BMW 325 108.7
MINI 97.1
Mazda3 103.9
Volvo V50 103.9

Weight
A3 3329lbs
A4 3748lbs
BMW 325 3627lbs
MINI 2679lbs
Mazda3 2826lbs
Volvo V50 3331lbs

Turning radius:
A3 35ft
A4 36.5ft
BMW 325 36.1ft
MINI 34.8
Mazda3 34.1
Volvo V50 34.9

Economy
A3 city (DSG+2.0T) 25
A4 city (Tip+2.0T) 22
BMW 325 (auto) 21
MINI S (auto) 23
Mazda3 2.3 (auto) 25
Volvo V50 turbo (auto) 22

A3 highway 31
A4 highway 32
BMW 325 (auto) 29
MINI S (auto) 32
Mazda3 (auto) 31
Volvo V50 (auto) 30

0-60mph
A3 (DSG+2.0T) 6.7
A4 (Tip+2.0T+QTR) 7.5
BMW 325 (auto 2wd) 7.2
MINI S (auto) 7.7
Mazda3 2.3 (auto) 8.6
Volvo V50 turbo (auto) 7.0

There tends to be a dearth of 0-60 numbers for automatic equipped cars in the bottom ranges, simply because auto makers don't want weak performance results to muddy the image of their cars. I had to take some data from 3rd party testing on the Mazda and Volvo. It is also unclear how Volvo measures the volume of the luggage area.

The A3 is smaller in the cargo area than the B7 sedan and definitely smaller than my B6 Avant. If you haul a child with the stroller and stuff, the A3 cargo area will be tight.

I have two kids, but they are 5 and 8 years old, so no more stroller, diaper bags, etc. When they were younger, the Avant fit the bill nicely, but in all honesty, if they were younger and I needed the extra stuff, the Avant would be my choice.

Actually, the B7 2.0T sedan with tip is not bad. I would have preferred the manual, but it's the wife's car, and she preferred auto. I like driving it because I actually think it handles better and feels more planted than my A3 (it has S-Line suspension and Quattro whereas I have stock non-sport suspension and FWD on the A3 along with piss poor tires). Plus, it has paddle shifters like the A3, even though the tip responds no where near as quickly as the DSG, so it's not all boring.

So, in a nutshell, hauling older kids in the A3 is a breeze since you don't need junk for them. But, if you have an infant and need a good sized stroller to use with that baby carrier, you'll wish you had the extra room of the Avant, IMHO. Plus, if you go to Costco to buy diapers, forget the A3 if you're bringing the baby and the stroller.

In fact, if we're going on a trip of any appreciable length and we need to bring luggage, the A4 is what we'll use instead of the A3. Likewise, if we're going to Costco, the A3 stays home.

I know you're asking for reasons to convince your wife to go with the A3, but room is not the angle I would take.

Just my $0.02 having had all three cars along with my two kids.

Sorry, I know it sucks.

now if I can just get her to learn to drive stick.

that way, you get the paddle shifters, sportier ride, better wheels and tires, and better looks.

and I'll mod it if I can't find one with the stuff I like on it.

wish I still had it sometimes.

This is what it looks like when we spent a week in the car on a road trip. Me, my wife, and our young son.

<img src="http://www.bibax.com/pictures/audirack/box2.jpg">

A graco stroller and pack and play fit in the way back, fine, at the same time, with plenty of room for a diper bag, and some toys.

It only gets tight when we go on a longer trip (we've gone on a few with him in the car.) In that case, I throw the box on the top and load the car up.

I kept my F250 Crew cab truck. The A3 is pretty small. I haven't tried golf clubs yet but I think I will need the seat down.

The A3 is perfect as a commuter car, errand car (w/ wife and 6 yr old), and fun car.

when we get the second one.

My wife also wanted to get auto when we bought our B6 Avant but has learned driving with a stick in just 2 days. Now she says she'll never drive an "automatic" again.

As far as the cargo space goes the A3 may be little too small when going out for a long vacation or hauling stuff from a dept store or Home Depot. Note that A4 Avant was designed as a real station wagon with flat folding seats, easy loading cargo floor, special cargo net and very useful roof rails. A3 is just a compact hatchback with side windows.

Last but not least, Avant comes standard with quattro, a safety feature which maybe be another important factor for you in the near future ;-)