OFFICIAL: The 2015 Audi A3 Is PRICED! Under $30K For The Four Rings

OMG!

Audi targeted the Mercedes-Benz CLA in price and scored a direct hit. Not only is the Audi A3 sedan $30 cheaper than the Mercedes-Benz CLA after destination charge ($30,795 for the Audi vs. $30,825 for the Mercedes-Benz) but if you factor in the features the A3 sedan provides as standard, the Mercedes-Benz CLA would cost $36,995 and it still would not have Audi's Pre-Sense collision detection system.

The A3 sedan will be the car that gives Audi a HUGE sales boost in the United States. It will provide a significantly higher quality interior than the Mercedes-Benz CLA, better driving dynamics, and best of all, a much lower price when optioned the same as the Mercedes-Benz CLA.

Wrong, the A3 will simply eat A4 sedan sales, those shopping for a CLA arent looking for understated luxury like the A3, they want to be seen, noticed, and pull up at the lounge and have the status of a 60k plus car

I agree, @Car4Life.

A3 is a nice car but way more subtle than the CLA.

The problem with the A3 is that the Jetta GLI does all it does for less and looks snarkier. This will eat A4 sales. The CLA is for people who have no taste, aspiring ballers, aspiring rappers, and low-level drug dealers pure and simple.

Then apparently I and all my friends must have no taste (because we definitely aren't in the latter categories) because we're all seriously considering CLAs, and you know what, you can say "no taste", but Mercedes is laughing all the way to the bank with those numbers. Just because you may not like it, does not mean that there is a good solid market for it.

@MattDarringer, the last part of your comment was just plain ignorant. Thats like me saying the A3 is for people who don't like to get laid...

Agreed! What a diatribe full of hate and resentment from Mr. Mattdarringer.

Both cars are nice but I give Benz more credit for creating a new car that looks different from other Benzes while still having that family resemblance.

No taste drug dealers really... Lol. You must know very little about what you are talking about. Unless you are a big time drug dealer most "entry level drug dealers" drive around in crappy cars because they have no credit and really arn't making enough money to afford a new car. It's always nice to see when people don't agree they resort to name calling. Here in America the rings still don't equal the 3 pointed star. The bigger problem for audi with the exception of the A7 and r8 is they could all be badged like clothes xs, s, m, l. There's really no distinction among the a3 - a8 unless you are right on top of the car. Moreover lower level Audi's are too similar to the upper scale VW. It's a blessing for parts sharing but a curse that often times the Audi will be overlooked for the VW.

I've seen both the A3 and the CLA in person The A3 is gorgeous, the CLA awkward and clumsy at best. I am only 5'11" and getting into the back seat of the CLA is nearly impossible. Not sure of the rear seat room in the A3 but I expect it to be larger simply due to the roof line. The interiors are likely to be way different too, leather will be std on the Audi and is always extra on a Mercedes. This car will sell very well and A4 owners will buy that car for its size and possibly to not drive the entry level car. The CLA will sell to the market its seeking, folks that want the prestige of the star vs a $35k "other" car...

I'm not saying the A3 isn't a good car. It may be more practicle than the CLA. Looks are always subjective. I think the cla looks better. The a3 looks clean and modern but looks like a mini version of the a8 or a6 or a4. The bottom line is people pay for names. It makes perfect sense to some it may be totally irrelevant to others. Mercedes knew what they were doing offer a cheap car with the badge. I've been in the cla and regardless of what anyone says it's not a crap car. It's not the benz we've come to expect but that wasn't the purpose of the car. I say mission accomplished.

germanlover - I agree with everything you've said. The star says pretty much all you need to say about the automobile world, and it alone will attract. I couldn't see them doing a crap car either and the one I sat in was nice, it was also $43K. I'm not sure I'd spend that kind of coin on this type of car. MB, Audi and now BMW with the new 2 Series are all upping the ante at the bottom end. Getting folks into a Benz as early as you can, well who's to argue with that strategy. If I was 28 w/$30K for a new car there is no question it would be at the top of my list.

Not sure this is anything not expected. The previous generation A3 started at about the same BASE price. Of course, you will never be able to get the A3 at that price unless four wheels and a steering wheel is all you want on it. By the time I drove off the lot with my A3 TDI, I was at a solid 40K. The CLA will do the same. The Germans are really good at this. Set a low price and watch it go up right in front of your eyes.

The people who are saying the A3 sedan will cannibalize A4 sales clearly don't have an understanding of Audi's product positioning.

The A3 is for younger, likely single, 20-something buyers that don't need much room in the back and don't want to spend as much as an A4. The A4 is for the slightly older, likely married, 30+ buyers who wants backseat space for kids and don't mind spending more than the A3 sedan.

There is a distinct market for both A3 and A4 sedans, which is why Audi created the A3 sedan to begin with.

the cla looks better/ more dramatic than this. this is just like a smaller A4