Looks pretty Bowfer, although a bit Mazda6? Just pray that Alan Partridge doesn't get one.
Eeef, I would definitely be interested in the 170 A3 Quattro. Having driven a few different Audi's in the last 9 months (my Sportback has done 60,000 miles since November) I have become a huge fan of the system.
Bowfer I wouldn't worry too much about the weight penalty, or the effect it has on 0-60 times etc. Imagine nailing the throttle out of damp 2nd gear bends (or even slightly off camber dry ones for that matter) and just getting full drive all the way - you'd need more than a 100kg weight advantage to make that back.
The strange thing is, at least as far as front wheel variants go, VW Golfs seem to handle better than their equivalent stablemates from Audi. This is based on the GTi vs 2.0T FSi S-Line, and also on the 2.0 GT TDi vs the 2.0TDi Sport.
Since they share the same chassis I can only assume that the engine is sited lower down, or that the damping rates have been changed - the Golfs certainly have a more "nuggety" ride quality.
Also, and I appreciate I may get shot down for saying this, I quite like the "everyman" quality of the Golf, whereas I find the Audi is a bit too much in the "sheep in wolf's clothing" vein.
I know there's little to choose in pricing, but I've had a few Golfs over the years and always found them unpretentious and "what you see is what you get" stylee, which appeals for some odd reason.
Certainly if I end up having to wait too long for the 170 TDi Quattro, I'd rather have the Golf 4Motion than the equivalent Audi - some kind of Q-car thing I s'pose.
Is there any difference between the Haldex systems on the two cars?