The 2009 A3 is a 4-door, 5-passenger luxury wagon, available in 6 trims, ranging from the 2.0 T to the 3.2 quattro with S tronic.

Upon introduction, the 2.0 T 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 3.2 quattro with S tronic is equipped with a standard 3.2-liter, V6, 250-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

“The A3’s for-2009 evolutionary face-lift includes the de rigueur LED daytime running lights (when equipped with xenon headlamps). The front-wheel-drive Audi carries a price premium of about four grand over the GTI, and the four-wheel-drive system adds another two grand. Our fully loaded test car was priced at a hard-to-swallow $41,700, but the diminutive Audi had no problem swallowing four adults and $265 worth of groceries. Even with all the extra weight, San Francisco’s most ardent leadfoot couldn’t coax a squeak from the Audi’s front tires climbing and hill-hopping the city’s steepest inclines. The same silence wasn’t exhibited by his passengers, of course.” – Automobile Magazine