Audi A3 3.2 quattro S-line: Effortlessly good—but is it entertainment?

We found a review of the Audi A3 3.2 quattro S-line which seemed to surprise the author and his complaints, especially about the DSG transmission, left us wondering. Maybe he is more the driver of cars with 20 years old "technology". If so, please head over to Dodge or Buick. The tested Audi A3 3.2 quattro S-line is one of the greatest street machines you will find today.

It's not often a car surprises me but when it came to the A3 I was gob-smacked. I simply couldn't believe how much attention the baby Audi attracted. People would abandon their children and cast shopping bags aside so they could corner me in the parking lot before I drove off. They would stare at it in traffic and gawp as it drove by. It even attracted a small gathering of "youths" at a local restaurant, no mean feat considering I was in the drive-thru about 20 seconds when they descended upon me. If the A3 is an indication of what celebrity is like, I want no part of it, thank you very much.

That my test vehicle was an A3 3.2 S-line quattro had a lot to do with the attention, of course. Painted in Brilliant Red (a scarlet hue so vibrant the rear light lenses all but disappeared into the bodywork), boasting that aggressive S4-like front fascia and fitted with glorious (if optional) 18-inch, split-rim alloy wheels, the A3 simply looked spectacular. The subtle S-line badges and the black appearance of the sky-view glass roof only added to its allure, helping it to stand out even further from the everyday dross.

Even without all the S-line glitz, the A3 is still an aggressive little pit bull of a car with a muscular stance and a fearsome expression.

nside you'll find the best interior that Audi currently makes, excluding the one found in the TT. It's dark and austere, as you expect from an Audi, but also ergonomically flawless and exquisitely made. The $34,000 S-line model comes loaded with toys like a six-CD changer with Bose speakers and a perforated leather steering wheel with audio controls.

So what's wrong with it? Well, nothing and everything. It's not what it does that's bad but how it does it. For example, the A3 3.2 S-line scorches to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds but its perfect traction and smooth V-6 make it about as interesting as a documentary on Renaissance art. The DSG gearbox is a wonder, changing gears so quickly and smoothly you'll want to shake the hand of the guy who came up with the idea of sticking two gearboxes and two clutches in the one transmission. But once you're done gasping in awe, you realize that the satisfying sensation of cogs swapping and gears meshing is actually completely gone.

And when you find a corner to throw the A3 into, it clings to road with humorless vigor and offers only the basic amount of feedback through the steering wheel. Push it harder at it eventually begins to run wide but it's a progressive occurrence and a lift of the throttle is all that's needed to straighten it out. Competent? Staggeringly so. Fun? Absolutely not.

Related news: GermanCarBlog, Audi A3

Source: The Car Connection

Watch more TV. The German Car TV.

Read more