Audi A3: Comparison test against Mini Cooper S

The so-called "playbook for a new generation of leaders", and definitely no car magazine, Business 2.0 made a comparison test between the Audi A3 and the Mini Cooper S.

The A3's cabin, by contrast, is a whisper of Teutonic restraint. At the moment, Audi's perfectly executed and brilliantly designed interiors are arguably the best in the business. Heated leather seats, dual-zone climate control, auto-dimming mirrors, satellite radio, multifunction steering wheel, onboard navigation, and many other niceties lend the A3's cabin a feel comparable to that of a car costing twice as much. It's a more refined set of surroundings than the Mini, and a bit larger too. (Various versions of the A3 have been available internationally for a decade, but when Audi brought the car Stateside to compete with the Mini in the premium compact category, it tugged the tail a bit and sneaked two extra doors onto the body.) Good rule of thumb: If your kid is under 6 feet tall, go with the Mini; if over, get the Audi.

The A3, on the other hand, is a wonder. Audi dropped its new 200-hp turbocharged engine into the vehicle, and the power plant makes use of something Audi terms Fuel Stratified Injection, which basically means that gas is fired directly into the combustion chamber, allowing a precise air-to-fuel mixture and greatly improving efficiency and power. Next, Audi supplied the A3 with a revolutionary gearbox -- lifted from its racing fleet. Called Direct Shift Gearbox, it is a dual-clutch system that allows the transmission to preselect anticipated gears while the current one is engaged, and then shift instantaneously as required. The system is wildly complex, but the result is all that matters: The A3 shifts faster and more smoothly than any car I've tested. By marrying FSI and DSG (plus a few other things like electromechanical steering and electronic stability control), Audi has created an entry-level vehicle that speeds through its paces as well as most supercars. At any point on my ersatz racecourse -- even heading straight up the steeps -- I could mash the gas and the A3's torque chirped the wheels, shoved me deep into the driver's seat, and tumbled the hapless dog against the hatchback.

At the end, they couldn't choose a winner. That's definitely not like a car magazine!

GermanCarBlog, Audi A3

Source: Business 2.0 via Fourtitude

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