2006 Audi A3 2.0T Review

This is my 2006 Audi A3 2.0T and before you start commenting about how the author is supposed to be a poor college student know that this particular example has 135,000 miles under its belt. As I have been driving this car since 2012, I'll start out by giving a little history of my ownership. The vehicle was purchased new by my dad and had enjoyed a life of highway miles to and from his office. As my Mustang began to slowly die, my dad handed me down this gem to finish out high school and eventually take to college.

The first thing you need to know about this car is that its equipped with a 6-speed manual and Front-Wheel Drive. You might be thinking, "wait a minute, isn't this an audi? Where's the quattro?". Back in 2006 Audi still offered its A3 and A4 with front-wheel drive. At first, I was put off that I was essentially driving a VW GTI with audi badges but that isn't such a bad thing. The A3 is a much better looking car than the 4-door GTI and doesn't give up any of the practicality. All-Wheel Drive is great for the 5 days a year when conditions are that bad but all Quattro does in an A3 is ruin the driving experience by adding weight and increasing the ride height.

My 4+ years with the car has led me to conclude that this is the most versatile car in the world. Let me illustrate, in what other car can you move out of your college apartment and still knock the phone out of your passengers hand with a goose of the throttle? What other car can put a smile on your face during any drive, get 30 miles per gallon and seat 5 comfortably? I don't know of one. What makes this car so fun to drive is its throttle response and steering. Turbo-lag is virtually non-existent and putting the throttle down at 2000 rpm leads a shove in the back like no other car I've driven. After about 5000 rpm the engine runs out of steam but the diesel-like torque at low rpm is insanely addictive. This, combined with steering so light that I can use one-finger to turn the wheel in any situation, leads to a car that is not at home on a track but perfect to have fun on the streets. Time after time I'll search for a replacement but after a drive in the Audi I'm always left feeling "why would I need anything else"?

Scores:

Fun          9/10
Practical  9/10
Fast         8/10
Total      26/30