iamthewalrus

And the current Jetta was significantly downgraded and enlarged to compete with Toyota and Honda in the US market. Drum brakes on some models, a less-sophisticated suspension, and increased length are all negatives for me. My concern is that the new A3 continues this trend and tries to compete with the Camry rather than being a compact, sporty, European hatchback.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Jetta
"Although no longer sharing any body panels with the Golf and having a longer wheelbase, this model is partly based on the same PQ35 platform. Volkswagen's target of increasing its North American sales removed the Jetta from the premium compact car market. This forced many cost-cutting measures to be made for the North American models, which include a lower quality trim material for the interior and the replacement of leather with leatherette as an optional seating upholstery. Leather is still available on Canadian-spec models. The North American version also loses the multi-link rear suspension of the previous generation."

http://www.newcartestdrive.com/revie...&ReviewID=5039
"To get the price down, Volkswagen reverted to some less expensive engineering, such as a rear torsion beam suspension and drum brakes in Jetta S and SE models. The vast majority of drivers will never miss the multi-link suspension and rear discs. Other cost-cutting measures involve interior materials, and these are more evident. The Jetta has always been known for high interior quality, and that's no longer the case. On the other hand, the styling is still quite attractive and interior room is improved."
"...As a previous-generation model, the SportWagen has the features the current Jetta has lost, including a nicer interior, an independent rear suspension, and a higher price. It also rides a shorter wheelbase, so it has less rear seat room."

ReadyKilowatt

This is exactly why I went with the A3 instead of a Jetta. The first clue was that low mileage 2010 models were priced higher than new on the lot. When I asked a salesman why he said something along the lines of "the 2010s had a much better rear end suspension than the new ones." When *random salesguy* who's supposed to be talking up how great the cars are opens with that to *random buyer* it sent up a massive red flag.

I'm not really looking for performance, but automotive engineering has evolved far enough now to put drum brakes in the museum of "the best we could do at the time" and move on.

ben721364

VAG/Audi is not in the business of rationing but of offering ar lines that it can sell at an acceptable profit. It will supply A3s if the market demands them. AIR, the A3 is the porrest selling Audi in NA except for the two 8 cars.