A3 Sportsportback - 2.0TFSI or 3.2 Quattro

[devdog]

Any advice on which is likely to be the best option. It will be used on a mixture of urban and country roads in darkest surrey.

[brisel]

Can you elaborate a bit more about what you want from the A3?

Both will go like feck, but here's my humble opinion as someone who owns a 3.2 R32 but has spent plenty of time in GTIs and 2.0TFSIs.

3.2 Quattro:

Sounds better
Lots more top end power. Still pulls hard well above a ton
Quattro gives more secure handling especially in reduced grip conditions
Fewer about - more exclusive
Depreciates very quickly indeed
Few gains to be had from remaps etc
Expect 22 - 27 mpg on average
Band G emissions

2.0 TFSI:

A Golf GTI in much smarter & more subtle clothes
Better residual values
Very little turbo lag
Front wheel drive only
Less top end grunt. Who needs it in Surrey anyway? Roads are too damn busy
Lighter than the 3.2 so will feel more agile & nippy
Tuneable - remaps can give 40 - 60 bhp extra for a few hundred quid
26 - 32 mpg on average
Er, probably a lower emissions rating!

[catso]

Ain't no replacement for displacement (or sound), get the 3.2 if you can afford the extra fuel......

[Dr G]

For the reasons brisel suggested I'd go for a 2.0 TFSI quattro and a simple remap.

We don't often retail the 3.2s unless they're very very cheap.

[bones33]

I have a Sportsback Sline 170 TDi and it rocks. Its our family car and i get to drive it on the weekends. I love this car and have been totaly transformed to audi from it.

[devdog]

Thanks for all the replies

I forgot to mention SWMBO insists on the auto so I guess the 2.0TFSI is still the one.

Also the car will be on contract hire - the difference bewteen the two (S tronic) seems to be about £60 per month.

cheers

Edited by devdog on Friday 25th January 13:17

[wrighty78]

devdog said:

Thanks for all the replies

I forgot to mention SWMBO insists on the auto so I guess the 2.0TFSI is still the one.

cheers

I took the Allroad in for a service last Friday (ouch!) and got a A3 2.0T S-line Quattro courtesy car for the day. Drove approx 120 miles in it - country roads and motorways, dry and wet.

Impressions were that it was an absolute hooligan of a car: it felt like you really need to keep the revs up to get the most out of it and it lends itself to being "wrung out".

What surprised me most was that, even with the Quattro system, was how "under-steery" it felt.

Never driven the 3.2 but (coming from my current combo of Allroad and Z4C, and assuming the 3.2 has the usual big engine low-end-grunt characteristics) I think I would opt for the more relaxed bigger engine. But each to their own, and as hot hatches go the 2.0T was a cracker.

As a warning though, I got nowhere near 30mpg out of it - more like 25 at a rough estimate - so query whether there is really much difference in fuel economy. But that might be down to the extra weight of the Quattro gubbins. And it only had 3k miles on the clock, so it might loosen up.

No idea whether any of that helps... but drive both and let us know what you decide.

[FUBAR]

wrighty78 said:

As a warning though, I got nowhere near 30mpg out of it - more like 25 at a rough estimate - so query whether there is really much difference in fuel economy. But that might be down to the extra weight of the Quattro gubbins. And it only had 3k miles on the clock, so it might loosen up.

No idea whether any of that helps... but drive both and let us know what you decide.

Ive got a chipped 2.0TFSI A4 Quattro...chipped to 260bhp. I get 27mpg average, up to 31 on a run.... had a 1.8T A3 service loaner out that felt bonkers but best mpg I got out of it was 25...odd?

[Silverbullet767]

Isnt the 3.2 lump supposed to ruin the handling?

Or is my knowledge based on crap facts?

[jamesson]

Never driven the 2.0 but I have a 3.2 and get high 20s in terms of MPG. As for handling, it does tend to understeer and feels a bit nose heavy, but generally I find its handling to be more than acceptable.

The 3.2 is definitely worth it for the noise and grunt in my book, but I concede others might disagree. Best to drive both and pick whichever suits you best.

[bigburd]

Get an oil burner!

[brisel]

Silverbullet767 said:

Isnt the 3.2 lump supposed to ruin the handling?

Or is my knowledge based on crap facts?

The V6 IS a big lump & makes the car nose heavy when compared to a 2 litre TFSI.

The 3.2 does reclaim some ground by being equipped with the Haldex quattro/4 Motion/whatever. Fit a better Haldex controller and the handling improves significantly.

The DSG 2.0 TFSI goes like a dream. The DSG seems to be the perfect match for that engine configuration. If it was available with Haldex AWD as well I'd get one.

[daytona600]

brisel said:

The DSG 2.0 TFSI goes like a dream. The DSG seems to be the perfect match for that engine configuration.

I would strongly disagree with that. But each to their own. Definitely try DSG before you buy.

[Niffty951]

Been there made that decision. Admittedly it was the actually the Golf R32 I ended up with but same engine.

Seriously buy the 3.2 its a beautiful engine! So smooth, so much more grunt where it matters, so much better sounding and suprisingly barely any less economical if your a spirited driver. Both cars return about 16-18mpg driven properly but not loony speed.

Regards

Ben

p.s. If it was my money I'd get the R32 over the Audi because of resale value and it makes a better noise.

[brisel]

Niffty951 said:

Been there made that decision. Admittedly it was the actually the Golf R32 I ended up with but same engine.

Seriously buy the 3.2 its a beautiful engine! So smooth, so much more grunt where it matters, so much better sounding and suprisingly barely any less economical if your a spirited driver. Both cars return about 16-18mpg driven properly but not loony speed.

Regards

Ben

p.s. If it was my money I'd get the R32 over the Audi because of resale value and it makes a better noise.

Hmm. My mpg in my R32 dropped from high 20s to 18 when was really caning it on open roads. Well worth it though

Otherwise Ben is spot on.

Do see if you can spend a fair bit of time with the DSG/S-Tronic. It does seem to a bit like Marmite - you either love it or hate it. I loved it but then I haven't used it for thousands of miles of open roads where some might want to chose their own gears. Whatever their speed.

[devdog]

Thanks again for all your helpful observations - Things have now moved on and the budget has increased so I have will start another thread !

cheers
Jim