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im thinking of getting a brand new a3 2012 audi and dont have any info about the car.

what im looking for is what are the pros and cons of the car?

should i get a stick or auto?

any thing that is a comming issue with the car?

is the navi worth the money?
or an aftermarket one is better?

what type of mods are worth it?

are there a large market for aftermartket peroformance parts?

whats the best price to get it for?

is there a four wheel drive or all wheel drive version?

what kind of engine management are available for this car?

plus anything else you might want to add would be great.

thanks guys.

There's nothing wrong with the car though it may or may not fit your needs. Anything more that may be offered here in response to your questions will be subjective. I suggest that you drive the car and as your opinions count far more than ours.

949, welcome aboard!

What kind of car do you currently drive? Why are you getting rid of it? Why are you considering an Audi?

well, i sold my car because i wanted something new. i sold it because maybe something that didnt say i look like an adult driving a kids car. but the ones that look like kids cars are usually fun to drive and affordable. im not in a situation that i can afford an M3 or an AMG but something around $30k works for me. the a3 starts at 30 with some bare options. also i love wagons. they are perfect for what i like to do which is to have the availability to haul what ever i may need to drive around. wagons also make it seem roomier than sedans, even full size sedans.

i did drive the a3 but that never really tells more than what the car is like brand new. it was fun on the auto but i would like to try out a stick. i have grown up driving stick and thought i might be able to try auto this time. not sure if can tho. love the complete control i get from a manual tranny. also usually after a car is driven for a couple of years things will show up. reliability is also a concern of mine. i dont want to be fixing it all the time after the warrenty goes out. I did read a consumer magazine today and it said that this car is below average for reliability. do you guys know what they would be talking about??

another reason i like this car is because i have never owned an VW or audi. and i do enjoy looking at the style the A3 has. very nice curves and small. i dont really enjoy large vehicles. small cars with power and convienence is what i look for.

curious what everyones opinion is on the auto vs. the stick. the magazines have all said that the auto is great but nothing is mentioned about the stick version.

another question is, is it worth it to go awd or quattro?
is the gas going to suffer because of awd?

Again, your question begs a subjective response, "curious what everyones opinion is on the auto vs. the stick." There are fans of both 'types' of transmissions. It is a matter of personal choice. Both are good in thir own way.

VW [and by extension Audi] has made strides in recent years and today it's quality control is somewhere around mid-pack overall.

well, i sold my car because i wanted something new. i sold it because maybe something that didnt say i look like an adult driving a kids car. but the ones that look like kids cars are usually fun to drive and affordable. im not in a situation that i can afford an M3 or an AMG but something around $30k works for me. the a3 starts at 30 with some bare options. also i love wagons. they are perfect for what i like to do which is to have the availability to haul what ever i may need to drive around. wagons also make it seem roomier than sedans, even full size sedans.

i did drive the a3 but that never really tells more than what the car is like brand new. it was fun on the auto but i would like to try out a stick. i have grown up driving stick and thought i might be able to try auto this time. not sure if can tho. love the complete control i get from a manual tranny. also usually after a car is driven for a couple of years things will show up. reliability is also a concern of mine. i dont want to be fixing it all the time after the warrenty goes out. I did read a consumer magazine today and it said that this car is below average for reliability. do you guys know what they would be talking about??

another reason i like this car is because i have never owned an VW or audi. and i do enjoy looking at the style the A3 has. very nice curves and small. i dont really enjoy large vehicles. small cars with power and convienence is what i look for.

curious what everyones opinion is on the auto vs. the stick. the magazines have all said that the auto is great but nothing is mentioned about the stick version.

another question is, is it worth it to go awd or quattro?
is the gas going to suffer because of awd?

is the auto pretty smooth?
is it a double clutch?

A dual clutch transmission is available on the TDI A3. You really should take a test ride in the A3 and other cars that you are considering, Our opinions may (or may not) be meaningful/useful to you.

is the auto pretty smooth?
is it a double clutch?

i thought that all the new auto's are dual clutch because the salesman said it was when i talked to him.

im worried that some of these guys may not know what they are talking about now.

so your saying only the auto deisel version is dual clutch auto?

I don't know off the top of my head whether the gasoline engined A3 is offered with a DCT or a 'conventional' automatic. The TDI car is.


i thought that all the new auto's are dual clutch because the salesman said it was when i talked to him.

im worried that some of these guys may not know what they are talking about now.

so your saying only the auto deisel version is dual clutch auto?

I don't know off the top of my head whether the gasoline engined A3 is offered with a DCT or a 'conventional' automatic. The TDI car is.

The gasoline engine without a doubt has a dual clutch transmission (S-tronic). This is the only "automatic" offered with the A3.