B4 Era S4 VS New A3 - Which Sedan Is More Likely To Become A Classic?

From the very inception the idea of the Audi A3 sedan was admittedly to recapture some of the magic of the B5-era A4/s4/RS 4 range. In the years since the last B5s were sold, the A4/S4/RS 4 have grown to a size roughly akin to the A6/S6/RS 6 of the B5′s generation.

Enthusiasts looking for something smaller or perhaps more affordable had been left out of the Audi lineup unless they went with the A3 Sportback (or 3-door in Europe). Now, the new A3 is about to launch and just how it compares to the much beloved B5 cars is on most Audi enthusiast’s minds. Certainly it was on the mind of one particular B5 S4 owner who happened upon a new A3 sedan.
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MattDarringer - 11/27/2013 9:17:48 PM

+1 Boost

They are the "same" car. The original A4 was all about getting Audi back into the sales game after the disastrous Audi 5000 unintended acceleration witch hunt, and the stunningly ugly, bustle butt 80 and 90. The A4 opened the door and made Audi viable in the USA again. The A3 sedan is the "same" in that its role is to get Audi's foot in the door in the emerging small premium segment that has the VW Jetta GLI, Buick Verano and Acura ILX seeing Mercedes add the garish GLA to the mix, and of course there will be a BMW 1 Series soon enough that is FWD.

The A3 sedan is very handsome in the same way that the first A4 is still the Bauhaus best of the lot. VWAG can do some real damage in the segment if they coordinate their efforts with their respective models Jetta GLI ($30K easily), Jetta Hybrid ($30K easily), Jetta TDI ($30K easily) and the A3 range.

MattDarringer - 11/27/2013 9:19:03 PM

+2 Boost

Also...the A3 makes the VW CC redundant. Why pay that much for a VW when a person can have an Audi instead?

Agent00R - 11/28/2013 1:57:48 AM

+1 Boost

Neither.

The A3 will be too common.

The B5 S4 was a complete piece of trash in terms of reliability. I've never heard anyone with a B5 S4 have a good experience. I bet more are left for spares than kept in proper working condition in a handful of years.

GermanNut - 11/28/2013 12:49:23 PM

+1 Boost

I don't know if the A3 sedan will become a "classic" in the traditional sense, but it will be the car that gives Audi's U.S. sales a huge increase. I think many people are underestimating the impact the A3 sedan will have on the compact entry level class.

The A3 sedan is cheaper than the Mercedes-Benz CLA yet comes with significantly more standard equipment. The A3 sedan's interior is significantly better than Mercedes-Benz's CLA (as every single review has mentioned). The A3 sedan will get better fuel economy than the Mercedes-Benz CLA and has backseats that are actually usable.

With Audi's huge sales momentum in the U.S. coupled with its trendy, young and progressive image - the stage if set for Audi's A3 sedan to rule the segment.

I could easily see monthly A3 family sales being consistently over 2,000 units or nearly 25,000 units per annum.

Agent00R - 11/28/2013 11:39:49 PM

+1 Boost

@GermanNut

Don't both the A3 and CLA start at $29.9k?