What do you LOVE about your Audi A3 e-tron?

[dlinkA3]

@dlinkA3 , please stop spreading negativity in this thread.

I am sorry that you feel that way, but everything that I have posted has been true. Our local dealership has tried to support us, but Audi USA has not. Audi Deutschland was much more helpful, but they can not override Audi USA. We like our A3 Sportback e-tron, but have not received the service, nor support that we expected.

I will continue to post so that other owners know the pitfalls and can prepare for them. Truth is more important than effusively gushing over a vehicle while ignoring reality.

 

[SirChargesAlot]

I am sorry that you feel that way, but everything that I have posted has been true. Our local dealership has tried to support us, but Audi USA has not. Audi Deutschland was much more helpful, but they can not override Audi USA. We like our A3 Sportback e-tron, but have not received the service, nor support that we expected.

I will continue to post so that other owners know the pitfalls and can prepare for them. Truth is more important than effusively gushing over a vehicle while ignoring reality.

It's not about how I feel. You are posting about your negative experiences in a thread that's intended for people to share positive experiences. Go kick rocks.

 

[dlinkA3]

It's not about how I feel. You are posting about your negative experiences in a thread that's intended for people to share positive experiences. Go kick rocks.

This is NOT A FORUM TO PRAISE Audi. It is a forum for owners to share their experiences, ask for assistance, and report issues. This is NOT a marketing ploy to paste gold stars on a manufacturer!

 

[SirChargesAlot]

This is NOT A FORUM TO PRAISE Audi. It is a forum for owners to share their experiences, ask for assistance, and report issues. This is NOT a marketing ploy to paste gold stars on a manufacturer!

The only issue I see in this thread is that you are posting off-topic. Please be respectful to others and allow them to discuss a topic without derailing.

Heads up that I have reported your off topic posts to the moderators. I would love for you to join us in discussing the things you like and enjoy about this car in this thread and If you don't like anything about the car, please refrain from posting in this thread and use any other topic appropriate thread to post or start one of your own.

Lots of love and hugs coming your way. Everything is going to be OK my friend. Hang in there.

 

[SirChargesAlot]

OK, now, in the spirit of staying on topic... I gotta say that I absolutely LOVE this Cosmos Blue Metallic paint! I feel like every time I look at it, it's giving me a different character depending on the lighting conditions. Beautiful, just beautiful!

Did you all know that there are not many more than a total of 5,000 units of the A3 e-tron sold in the USA over the lifetime of this car?! Who knew we bought a rarity. Feels right sitting next to my Deep Blue Pearl 2004 MK4 R32

 

[dlinkA3]

The only issue I see in this thread is that you are posting off-topic. Please be respectful to others and allow them to discuss a topic without derailing.

Heads up that I have reported your off topic posts to the moderators. I would love for you to join us in discussing the things you like and enjoy about this car in this thread and If you don't like anything about the car, please refrain from posting in this thread and use any other topic appropriate thread to post or start one of your own.

Lots of love and hugs coming your way. Everything is going to be OK my friend. Hang in there.

You make send your “opinions” to the moderators, but I am only posting the truth of our experiences with the 2017 A3 Sportback e-tron, which we have owned since February 2017. I do not appreciate your attempt to muzzle the truths which I have posted.

If this group becomes a simple marketing tool for Audi, and not a forum for owners to seek assistance for problems, then I will gladly leave it. I have gained much insight and assistance from fellow A3 Sportback e-tron owners. I have done the same in Tesla Model 3 forums and will continue as an advocate for all owners!

 

[dlinkA3]

The only issue I see in this thread is that you are posting off-topic. Please be respectful to others and allow them to discuss a topic without derailing.

Heads up that I have reported your off topic posts to the moderators. I would love for you to join us in discussing the things you like and enjoy about this car in this thread and If you don't like anything about the car, please refrain from posting in this thread and use any other topic appropriate thread to post or start one of your own.

Lots of love and hugs coming your way. Everything is going to be OK my friend. Hang in there.

I have been a member of the Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association since 1991, and have actively created dozens of pamphlets, brochures, flagging, and created our website, and LinkedIn group. I am well informed about BEVs and several of the PHEVs from many manufacturers. I needed to be informed to be able to assist all the attendees who came to our events, plus Ride & Drives, so that they were able to choose the best PEVs available at the time.

This is not an anti-Audi experience for me, but an attempt to better inform consumers of what they “might” experience and how to get support from Audi USA.

 

[Nuje]

You make send your “opinions” to the moderators, but I am only posting the truth of our experiences with the 2017 A3 Sportback e-tron, which we have owned since February 2017. I do not appreciate your attempt to muzzle the truths which I have posted.

If this group becomes a simple marketing tool for Audi, and not a forum for owners to seek assistance for problems, then I will gladly leave it. I have gained much insight and assistance from fellow A3 Sportback e-tron owners. I have done the same in Tesla Model 3 forums and will continue as an advocate for all owners!

Arghhh - read the thread title:

What do you LOVE about your Audi A3 e-tron​

It's one thread. No one is trying to make this forum "a marketing tool for Audi" (via a car that is no longer in production....? Not sure I follow the logic there ).

Posting off-topic content in most forums is considered poor form; and when it's whining and complaining in an appreciation thread, it can often be viewed as trolling.

You're more than welcome (I would imagine) to create a "What do you LOATHE about your Audi A3 e-tron". Fill that one with all ya got.

As for my on-topic content: The color! Misano Red Pearl - pretty sure this was the "signature" color (appeared in a LOT of press photos) for the 2016 model that we have, and while not being a big fan of a red car before....we absolutely love it!

Not to mention the quality of the paint job on the Audi. I have a Mk7 Golf Sportwagen (same MQB platform - shares a LOT of the same running parts) and where there have been little paint doinks from flying stones or whatever on both cars, you can see just how much more robust the paint on the A3 is.

 

[icee]

It's getting into the 100F weather in my neck of the woods and I'm loving is how the running the AC doesn't destroy the ICE's mpg while on the highway. I'm used to "older" cars where the AC drags on the engine and throttle response on top of the 15% reduction in fuel economy.

So to be able to still get just about 40mpg with the AC on while traveling at 68 to 70mph is wonderful!

 

[cmc]

It's getting into the 100F weather in my neck of the woods and I'm loving is how the running the AC doesn't destroy the ICE's mpg while on the highway. I'm used to "older" cars where the AC drags on the engine and throttle response on top of the 15% reduction in fuel economy.

So to be able to still get just about 40mpg with the AC on while traveling at 68 to 70mph is wonderful!

Yes electric AC compressor is a very nice feature that I'd really want in any future vehicle.

Conversely on a very cold day I can just run the ICE and get heat essentially free (since it waste heat) without having to obsess over the battery range impact. And the ICE is not some lame gutless unit. They took the trouble to make it halfway decent, turbo and all. It's not as powerful as the one in the GTI but not gutless either.

 

[a3etron4me]

Yes electric AC compressor is a very nice feature that I'd really want in any future vehicle.

Conversely on a very cold day I can just run the ICE and get heat essentially free (since it waste heat) without having to obsess over the battery range impact. And the ICE is not some lame gutless unit. They took the trouble to make it halfway decent, turbo and all. It's not as powerful as the one in the GTI but not gutless either.

I'm pretty sure that heating is electric only and seems to drain my EV battery quickly when I use it. My Prius, on the other hand, used ICE to heat and would turn it on when i turned on the heater. Perhaps others can confirm.

 

[cmc]

it has both, there is electric heater for EV mode and heater core with coolant from the engine... the car will blend the 2. of course if the ICE hasn't run long enough there will not be any cabin heat from the ICE and the electric heater would be activated. my other audi is a diesel and it too has a 1kW electric heater for really cold days. no cost cutting with this car which is one of its greatest strengths. the hood for example is made of aluminum (you can test with a magnet)... more expensive audis use steel.

 

[a3etron4me]

it has both, there is electric heater for EV mode and heater core with coolant from the engine... the car will blend the 2. of course if the ICE hasn't run long enough there will not be any cabin heat from the ICE and the electric heater would be activated. my other audi is a diesel and it too has a 1kW electric heater for really cold days. no cost cutting with this car which is one of its greatest strengths. the hood for example is made of aluminum (you can test with a magnet)... more expensive audis use steel.

Thanks for the detailed info! Good to know. Still learning things about the car after 6 years of ownership.

 

[icee]

it has both, there is electric heater for EV mode and heater core with coolant from the engine... the car will blend the 2. of course if the ICE hasn't run long enough there will not be any cabin heat from the ICE and the electric heater would be activated. my other audi is a diesel and it too has a 1kW electric heater for really cold days. no cost cutting with this car which is one of its greatest strengths. the hood for example is made of aluminum (you can test with a magnet)... more expensive audis use steel.

I found out about the aluminum hood when I was retrofitting the "fan type" jet washer spray nozzles on the car. It was dark in the garage and my magnetic light would not grab the hood.

"Fascinating..."

 

[Nuje]

my magnetic light would not grab the hood

Not just for this, but one of these solves all those (and many other) problems.

 

[cmc]

if you really want to appreciate how much thought and effort went into building this car check out https://procarmanuals.com/pdf-online-vag-ssp-627-audi-a3-sportback-e-tron-type-8v/

compared to regular ICE Audis costing more and having a lot less content I conclude that this car has got to be a "compliance car" and a money loser based on how intricate everything was engineered. of course the trade off is complexity and potential high cost of repairs but the engineering expended is quite breathtaking in fine Audi tradition.

 

[bros225]

I found out about the aluminum hood when I was retrofitting the "fan type" jet washer spray nozzles on the car. It was dark in the garage and my magnetic light would not grab the hood.

"Fascinating..."

I put Audi A7 "fan type" nozzles on my A3-etron. But you need a special star tool to adjust them. I ruined one by trying to adjust it with a small flathead screwdriver. The smallest star driver still seems too big. Do you know what tool is needed? Thanks!

 

[Jacks A3 ET]

The A3 Sportback e-Tron is a very clever PHEV system. But was Audi the prime engineering lead on this?
VW had exactly the same configuration 1.4 ICE plus EV sold only in Europe as the VW Golf GTE... 2014 to 2017. And they still sell this PHEV Golf GTE today, and a Passat with the same PHEV design.
I see that Audi was testing a true EV in the Sportback a few years earlier - then announced the Sportback for Sale as a PHEV as we have - I think starting in 2014 in Europe. So kind of a Chicken & Egg question as to what came first. But Audi was playing with EV prototypes' as early as 2009. I think back then VW was pushing "Clean Diesel's" and we know what happened to that ..!

 

[cmc]

the A3 etron and golf GTE are mechanically identical... if I had to guess I'd say it was Audi that did the engineering. newer versions (not sold in US) have minor ICE and battery upgrades... oh and completely renamed. https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/audi-a3-sportback-tfsi-e-13237

also the entire PHEV architecture continues on in the Q5, A6, A7, A8 with different battery sizes and different ICEs (also a 7 speed DSG if i am not mistaken)... but these are just details; the architecture laid down originally on the A3/GTE was applied to the other models. I feel grateful that I decided to pounce on one while it was still available here in the US. excellent, excellent car and I suspect a real steal in terms of its content.

 

[icee]

I put Audi A7 "fan type" nozzles on my A3-etron. But you need a special star tool to adjust them. I ruined one by trying to adjust it with a small flathead screwdriver. The smallest star driver still seems too big. Do you know what tool is needed? Thanks!

I believe I used a torx screwdriver bit that was in my Husky Home Depot set. I can't recall the exact size I used.

BIG WARNING: Do not adjust the nozzle past the upper or lower limits of the nozzle! I broke one of mine as all it took was less than 1/8th turn past the limit for the little plastic drive part to snap right off. I didn't feel any resistance that would indicate, "Yeah, you're done". Just ~SNAP~