Hello audi-sport
I thought I'd write a mini review for my 2015 Audi A3 e tron that I bought in January 2020.
It’s quite a rare car with only 2,600 on the road in the UK (according to How Many Left). I found this one advertised for sale on Autotrader less than 3 miles from my home, so I had to check it out.
A3 e trons are well specced from the factory. They get LED lights all round, climate control, touch MMI with Google Maps satellite navigation, 17 inch alloy wheels, sports interior and more.
My car also has:
Performance
Driving the A3 using just electricity is an amazing experience. As you would imagine, it’s almost completely silent, with just a faint hum from the electric motor and a small amount of road noise from the tyres.
The 6 speed DSG gearbox effortlessly changes gears, getting to 60mph from standstill in around 12 seconds, although the instant torque makes it feel quicker.
When in sport mode, the 1.4 petrol engine and electric motor work together to produce 204bhp, making it quite a quick family car. 0 to 60 in sport mode is just over 7 seconds.
Despite Audi’s marketing material showing the A3 e tron with big wheels and low suspension, you could only spec non-sport suspension from the factory (Volkswagen allowed Golf GTE owners to spec dynamic chassis control, but an equivalent option wasn’t offered by Audi). The standard suspension made the car handle like a barge as you could feel the extra weight of the batteries and electric system.
I added an Eibach Pro spring kit which transformed the handling and looks. From certain angles it even looks like an S3 as the front bumper is almost the same, with the grills being the main difference. It also has the S3/S line side skirts, but only the standard rear spoiler.
Miles on electric
On a cold winter day, I get approximately 12 miles from a fully charged battery. At first, I thought there was an issue with the batteries as Audi claim up to 30 miles from a charge is possible, but I soon discovered lithium batteries perform better when the outside temperature is over 15 degrees.
Fast forward to spring and summer. The electric range on a warm day is around 20 miles. This is a much more usable range. In fact, I haven’t added any petrol to the car since I bought it, with the majority of my journeys using only the electric motor.
Apparently, the A3 e tron has a sealed fuel tank to prevent the fuel from going stale. There’s a button on the driver door to open the fuel flap (but I haven’t used it yet).
What next
I’d like to add some OEM 19 inch alloy wheels, but this would reduce the electric range, so I might go for 18 inch wheels instead.
I also think the rear of the car doesn’t match the aggressive looks of the front (those LED headlines are mean). The e tron rear bumper is the opposite of sporty, so an S3 bumper is on the cards. I'd have to work something out with the exhaust cut outs as well.
Summary
You should definitely try an A3 e tron if you get the chance. Plug in electric hybrid cars might not be the future (with pure electric vehicles taking that crown), but the more conventional looks and impressive performance make it a clear winner for me.
Thanks for reading.
I thought I'd write a mini review for my 2015 Audi A3 e tron that I bought in January 2020.
It’s quite a rare car with only 2,600 on the road in the UK (according to How Many Left). I found this one advertised for sale on Autotrader less than 3 miles from my home, so I had to check it out.
A3 e trons are well specced from the factory. They get LED lights all round, climate control, touch MMI with Google Maps satellite navigation, 17 inch alloy wheels, sports interior and more.
My car also has:
- an upgraded Bangs and Olufsen sound system
- the driver assistance pack (lane assist, street sign recognition and folding mirrors)
- reversing camera
- heated seats
- adaptive cruise control
- tinted rear windows
Performance
Driving the A3 using just electricity is an amazing experience. As you would imagine, it’s almost completely silent, with just a faint hum from the electric motor and a small amount of road noise from the tyres.
The 6 speed DSG gearbox effortlessly changes gears, getting to 60mph from standstill in around 12 seconds, although the instant torque makes it feel quicker.
When in sport mode, the 1.4 petrol engine and electric motor work together to produce 204bhp, making it quite a quick family car. 0 to 60 in sport mode is just over 7 seconds.
Despite Audi’s marketing material showing the A3 e tron with big wheels and low suspension, you could only spec non-sport suspension from the factory (Volkswagen allowed Golf GTE owners to spec dynamic chassis control, but an equivalent option wasn’t offered by Audi). The standard suspension made the car handle like a barge as you could feel the extra weight of the batteries and electric system.
I added an Eibach Pro spring kit which transformed the handling and looks. From certain angles it even looks like an S3 as the front bumper is almost the same, with the grills being the main difference. It also has the S3/S line side skirts, but only the standard rear spoiler.
Miles on electric
On a cold winter day, I get approximately 12 miles from a fully charged battery. At first, I thought there was an issue with the batteries as Audi claim up to 30 miles from a charge is possible, but I soon discovered lithium batteries perform better when the outside temperature is over 15 degrees.
Fast forward to spring and summer. The electric range on a warm day is around 20 miles. This is a much more usable range. In fact, I haven’t added any petrol to the car since I bought it, with the majority of my journeys using only the electric motor.
Apparently, the A3 e tron has a sealed fuel tank to prevent the fuel from going stale. There’s a button on the driver door to open the fuel flap (but I haven’t used it yet).
What next
I’d like to add some OEM 19 inch alloy wheels, but this would reduce the electric range, so I might go for 18 inch wheels instead.
I also think the rear of the car doesn’t match the aggressive looks of the front (those LED headlines are mean). The e tron rear bumper is the opposite of sporty, so an S3 bumper is on the cards. I'd have to work something out with the exhaust cut outs as well.
Summary
You should definitely try an A3 e tron if you get the chance. Plug in electric hybrid cars might not be the future (with pure electric vehicles taking that crown), but the more conventional looks and impressive performance make it a clear winner for me.
Thanks for reading.
