The 2012 A3 is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury wagon, available in 6 trims, ranging from the 2.0T Premium Manual to the 2.0T Premium quattro S tronic.

Upon introduction, the 2.0T Premium Manual is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 200-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 30-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard. The 2.0T Premium quattro S tronic is equipped with a standard 2.0-liter, I4, 200-horsepower, turbo engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

The Audi A3 comes with one of two engines: Audi’s (and parent company Volkswagen’s) familiar and sprightly 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 or a 2.0-liter TDI turbodiesel. The TDI isn’t nearly as quick, but it compensates with an EPA-estimated 42 mpg on the highway and 34 mpg in combined driving. One downside, however, is that Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system is not available with the TDI — something to consider if you live in an area prone to inclement weather or if road-holding prowess is a priority.

Standard equipment on the Premium includes 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, foglamps, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery and a 10-speaker sound system with CD player, an auxiliary audio jack and satellite radio. The Bluetooth Value package adds an 8-way power driver seat (includes 4-way lumbar adjustment), a multifunction steering wheel and Bluetooth.

The Premium Plus comes standard with the Bluetooth Value package and adds different wheels, LED running lights, xenon headlights, steering wheel shift paddles (with automatic transmission) and aluminum interior trim. The Audi Navigation System Plus package adds a navigation system, a dash-mounted Audi Multi Media Interface (MMI) and the choice of either a six-CD changer or an iPod interface. The Convenience package adds automatic headlights, automatic wipers, rear parking sensors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a Bose premium sound system.

Optional on both cars is the Cold Weather package, which adds heated front seats, heated mirrors and heated windshield washer nozzles. Also available are a panoramic sunroof, a Sport package including 18-inch wheels, summer tires, rear side airbags, a sport-tuned suspension and sport seats. The Titanium Sport package (available on the Premium Plus) adds special exterior and interior trim to the Sport package.

As performance test result, an A3 2.0T with the 6-speed manual reached 7.2 seconds from 0~60 mph, a reasonably quick time among similarly powered entry-level luxury cars. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 21 mpg (City), 30 mpg (Highway) and 24 mpg (Combined with the manual), and for S tronic’s result is 22/28/24.

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