If you could pick just three words to sum up the A3’s interior, they would be “quality, simplicity and technology”. The materials are all soft to the touch, but solid in their construction, and everything is laid out in a simple, logical way. Every A3 has a central display screen (which comes in two different sizes depending which trim you go for) and a rotary infotainment controller between the front seats, allowing menu-driven access to all major functions. The on-screen graphics are sharp and smooth, although the iDrive system fitted in all
BMWs is easier to use while driving. These menus allow the dashboard to be remarkably free from clutter and needless extra buttons. You can option a 'Virtual Cockpit' display, which removes the dials and replaces them with an interactive screen. It looks fantastically futuristic, but it's also pretty expensive. All-round visibility is excellent, and it's easy to get comfortable behind the wheel.
There’s an impressive head and legroom and a wide range of adjustment on the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and there’s also enough room for a pair of six-footers to fit comfortably in the back. However, a large transmission tunnel in the floor limits the foot space for anyone in the narrow middle seat. The Sportback has 380 litres of space in the boot. Drop the split-folding rear seats, and this rises to 1,220 litres. The seatbacks don’t sit completely flat, but at least there’s no step in the floor, and the boot’s wide opening, square shape and low sill make it easy to load and unload. There are also some neat touches, such as the cargo floor that can be installed at two heights, the way you can prop the floor upright when putting items in the cubbies underneath, and the lights built into the sides of the boot to illuminate it. There are more spacious family cars around, though, and buggies and other long items will not fit in as easily as they would in cars like the
Skoda Octavia and
Peugeot 308.
The A3’s suspension comes in a range of flavours. The SE Technik model’s is the softest, and therefore, the best. The ride is comfortable enough to suit pretty much any buyer, yet the car still feels very sharp in the corners, with excellent suppression of body roll, lots of grip and steering that’s weighty and direct. S line models come with a lower suspension than the others, which makes the ride much harsher and should be avoided. Sensible S line buyers will deselect this suspension in favour of the softer setup, which is available as a no-cost option. Those with no sense will specify the optional S line suspension, which is even lower and gives an even more punishing ride.