Quality

Quality has long been an Audi bugaboo, usually associated with electronic maladies. Since we cannot predict what’s going to happen with the 2006 A3’s wiring, we base our recommendation on what we can see and feel, and it appears as though this is one rock-solid little ride.

Starting with the interior, the materials quality is excellent. The soft-touch single-piece dashboard imparts the sense that Audi’s bean counters didn’t cut corners, and the matte-finish plastics have a rubbery feel to rid the A3 of any unpleasant clickety-clackiness. Our test car’s sport seats were covered with nice leather that was just a bit rough to the touch, and the Sport Package also includes real aluminum door and console trim. Everything inside the Audi A3 makes you feel like you got your money’s worth until you click the seatbelt home in its buckle. The sound it makes is cheap and tinny, a shame since you hear it every single time you drive the car.

Despite seatbelt buckles that sound as substantial as your average McDonald’s Happy Meal toy, our A3’s interior build quality was terrific. The door grips squeaked a bit when squeezed, the lower gauge bezel was a bit wiggly under pressure, the sunroof shade seemed thin and vulnerable to tears and sagging, and the center console hinge sounded like it might bust as soon as the warranty expires. Regardless, nothing was egregiously loose or crooked or ill-fitting.

Outside, the Audi A3’s fit and finish was almost as good as the interior. The hood and tailgate were both a tad misaligned, and the rubber window seals had already faded and discolored in spots on our low-mileage test car, but otherwise nothing was amiss. Let’s hope that, over time, Audi’s electrical gremlins have also taken an extended holiday.