2014 Audi A3 S Line Package

THE TORQUE POST

I got the opportunity to drive the 2014 A3 with the optional S line package on it. I must say, that the I had mixed feelings about the car.

The first few meters I thought that I had found a gem, but that soon evaporated. Where to start with the negatives? Let me start with the Gearbox. It is the most dim-witted gearbox I have ever come across. In normal mode, it decides it wants to stay second gear at the stop street and then take off in third gear then randomly downshifts to first and then takes off at a million miles an hour…

Drop it into sport mode and hey presto it works like a normal car! Anyway, back to the bad, the turbo has got to have the biggest lag in the history of turbos, but when it kicks in it works like an absolute dream.

Another thing that absolutely bothered me in the cabin was the road noise and the engine noise. The cabin is way too loud and does become a bit annoying at times especially when overtaking someone.

There are good parts to this car as well. It has the most amazing bucket seats that counteract the lean in the corners and the steering wheel is chunky and provides good grip. The car is plastic fantastic but at least all of the plastic is soft touch and doesn't detract from the upmarket feel of the cabin.

It does suffer from a lack of space in the cabin, but you can comfortably fit in two kids and two adults into the cabin and the above-mentioned seats will make for a comfy road trip.

Back to the engine, I found something good to say about it. Once you are over the turbo lag, the power plant becomes quite gutsy and will pull the car along quite nicely.

Right, in all in all it's not a bad car, but for the brand of the car, it is quite a letdown.

Rating:

3 out 5

TL;DR

Good: Seats, engine (when it's going)

Bad: Turbo lag, noise, lean, gearbox