"Luxury" should mean more than the height of comfort with sports car aspirations. Expect nothing less from a Bavarian automaker like that of our Four Rings.
Returning to northwestern Washington State for a new model year in its celebrated Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims, the Audi compact sedan and cabriolet duo makes this grade and then some. It's already capturing the attention of luxury car enthusiasts, too, with hallmarks like an available S line® exterior design sloping seamlessly to a pinnacle in its Singleframe® grille, accented by striking Xenon plus headlights that give way to optional full LED headlights and taillights in select trims. But looks are one thing. Step into the driver's seat of the new Audi A3, and you'll see both how it pulls ahead of competitors like Infiniti QX30, Mercedes-Benz CLA, and Acura ILX, as well as how it excels those like the BMW 2 Series in value.
Remotely start and approach with your available Audi advanced key, and your excursion begins. Your choice of one of two engines comes to life. For one, there's a 186-horsepower, four-cylinder 2.0 TFSI® that puts out a spirited 221 pound-feet of torque, plenty for the commute or road trip. Secondly, you can find a higher-octane 220-horsepower variant, shelling 258 pound-feet of turning and pulling power to make the drive back to JBLM a pleasure cruise. Both engines are turbocharged, too, delivering the powerful feel enthusiasts crave. Factor in the selection of either a six- or seven-speed S tronic® DCT (dual-clutch transmission), and you can expect both smoother, faster upshifts than an automatic and excellent fuel economy as well. The latter is up to 26 mpg in a city like Olympia, 35 mpg up the highway in the greater Tacoma area, and 29 mpg combined between Puyallup and Bonney Lake, in fact, depending on trim and drivetrain.
Of course, that's not to mention that you can look forward to agile, confident, responsive handling, thanks to a lightweight, fully galvanized steel unibody, an aluminum hood and front subframe, MacPherson strut front and four-link rear suspensions, and available quattro® all-wheel drive. Plus, with an estimated 130-mph top track speed and the ability to rocket from zero to 60 miles per hour in as little as 5.8 seconds, you can bet on some excitement in the mix.
On the road, you'll find Audi cars like the new A3 exemplary of what it takes to keep you and yours secure from your driveway down the highway and back home again. To wit, electronic stability and traction control systems, working together with a secondary collision brake assist function, help keep the ride on even footing. But it's with a host of standard and available driver-assist features that our automaker delivers truly wraparound protection.
First, tech like Audi pre sense® front combines visual and audible forward collision warnings to help you avoid an accident, taking the initiative with automatic emergency partial braking when necessary. Second, elements like Audi pre sense basic can shut your windows and the optional panoramic sunroof and tighten the front seatbelts to help mitigate the effects of one. All the while, options like Audi side assist with rear cross traffic assist can help you be better aware of your surroundings, alerting upon a vehicle entering your blind spot and using sensors to keep an eye on what's going on behind you. Those like Audi active lane assist can even ease staying on track with helpful corrective steering, while available Audi adaptive cruise control simplifies maintaining a set distance from vehicles in front of you, braking and accelerating as needed and using a stop & go function to accommodate variable traffic flows. An optional high-beam assistant lights the way with other motorists in mind, and a Parking system plus, bringing together front and rear acoustic sensors and a rearview camera, provides better visuals for backing up or slipping into that premium space at your destination.
But perhaps of all, the car's highly awarded for its abilities here, earning a TOP SAFETY PICK rating from the IIHS when equipped with available LED headlights and a five-star rating from the NHTSA for the ability to withstand a crash. That's peace of mind you'll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.
But a new Audi sedan isn't without a lap of luxury, and the latest A3 is no exception. Leather seating surfaces, for example, heated up front, power-adjustable for both the driver and passenger in twelve ways, and with four-way power lumbar adjustment, put you at ease for the ride, while a dual-zone automatic climate control and optional LED interior lighting set the ambiance.
Before you stretches a technological command center, too. An optional MMI® Navigation plus infotainment system with voice control, for example, makes it a snap to set a course. You can even find an MMI touch system with handwriting recognition available, simplifying data entry to written commands, and with an optional Audi smartphone interface with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, you can extend your smartphone's features to the dash for access and control along the way likewise.
Topping it all is an available Audi virtual cockpit, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that brings together audio, available navigation, and Google Earth metrics and more, with traditional Classic and minimalist Infotainment display modes. Optional Audi connect® connected services can also integrate weather and traffic info, among other important trip details. But no outing can proceed without the entertainment to make it memorable. To that end, you can find both an available in-vehicle 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot to keep you in touch with civilization and a nine-speaker Audi concert audio system with HD Radio, SiriusXM support, and a two-port USB music interface with for connecting media devices. Upgrade to an optional 14-speaker, 705-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system, and that road trip mix you've been saving becomes your retreat's soundtrack.
There's much more where these advancements came from, and our 1701-B Alexander Avenue East showroom -- and a test drive to remember -- is just around the corner. Take the short drive out to visit us here in Fife, WA today, and one of our knowledgeable Audi experts will take you for the full tour!
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