2015 Audi A3
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2015 Audi A3 comes either as a four-door compact sedan with seating for five or a two-door convertible called the Cabriolet, with seating for four. There is one main trim level, Premium, which can be enhanced with the Premium Plus and Prestige option packages. Both the sedan and convertible can be equipped with either four-cylinder engine, denoted by 1.8 TFSI or 2.0 TFSI. The sedan also gets the option of the 2.0 TDI (diesel) engine. Trim levels for the sedan and convertible have essentially the same equipment, with the exception of the convertible's folding fabric top.
The base Premium trim levels comes standard with 17-inch wheels, automatic xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, automatic wipers, cruise control, a sunroof, an eight-way power driver seat (with four-way power lumbar), a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, leather upholstery, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, the MMI electronics interface (with center console controls and dash-top rising screen) and a 10-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite and HD radio, and an SD card slot. The Cold Weather package adds heated front seats, side mirrors and windshield washer nozzles. Eighteen-inch wheels and an iPod interface are available separately.
The Premium Plus includes all those optional items as standard and adds keyless ignition and entry, dual-zone climate control and an eight-way power passenger seat (with four-way power lumbar). The Premium Plus Convenience package adds power-folding side mirrors, auto-dimming mirrors (including interior) and ambient interior lighting. Also for Premium Plus is the Driver Assistance package that adds a blind-spot monitoring system, a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors and an automated parking system.
Optional on both Premium trims is a navigation system, which also includes a larger display screen, an enhanced touch-activated controller, voice controls and a color trip computer display. The Premium version automatically includes the iPod interface, while the Premium Plus version gets Audi connect (WiFi hotspot, various Internet-based smartphone applications).
The Prestige includes all of the above optional equipment, plus LED headlights, an "S line" exterior appearance package and a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. The Advance Technology package adds adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning system and a front collision warning and braking system.
For Premium and Prestige A3s, a Sport package is available that adds front sport seats, steering wheel shift paddles and adjustable vehicle settings known as Drive Select. A3 sedans can also be equipped with rear side airbags.
Safety
Every 2015 Audi A3 comes standard with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, front knee airbags, front side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and automatic seatbelt tightening and window closing (Audi Pre-Sense) in the case of a potential frontal collision. Rear side airbags are optional for sedans.
Standard with the Prestige and optional on the Premium Plus is the Driver Assistance package, which includes a blind-spot warning system, a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, and an automated parking system. Optional on the Prestige is the Advance Technology package that adds lane-departure warning, frontal collision warning and frontal collision mitigation (with automatic braking) systems.
In government crash tests, the 2015 Audi A3 sedan was given a total of five stars (out of five possible) for overall crash protection, with four stars for frontal crash protection and five stars for side crash protection. During Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing, the A3 sedan received the highest possible rating of "Good" in the small-overlap and moderate-overlap frontal impact tests. It also earned a "Good" rating for the side impact, roof strength and whiplash protection (head restraints and seats) tests.
Driving Impressions
Compared with other small luxury vehicles, the 2015 Audi A3 feels more grown-up: an honest-to-goodness luxury car instead of a fancy compact. With the standard 17-inch all-season tires, the ride is composed and comfortable, the cabin is quiet and the turbocharged engines provide a solid wallop of low-end power that provides confidence around town and on the freeway. Superb fuel economy helps as well.
If you opt for the 18-inch summer tires (as on the Edmunds.com long-term A3 2.0 TFSI), you'll find that the ride is still livable on most roads but sometimes harsh over major bumps and ruts. The summer tires also contribute to more noise in the cabin, as does the diesel engine, which is rattly when idling in traffic but quiet once you're up to speed.
