Test drive Audi A3 1996 - 2003 hatchback

May the computer help us!

Audi A3 electronic systems are helped out in Russian conditions
 
It is one thing - a short test drive, and quite another - daily operation of the car. When by will, you eat all the charms of our lives - from weather cataclysms, to the nightmare of fuel at gas stations. Probably, Russia is one of the few countries in the world, for the conditions of which no manufacturer is 100% prepared 100%. Well, can an engineer suggest that a driver is able to go on summer rubber in ice? Or know in advance - what exactly will the crooks -sellers dilute gasoline? A3, however, it should be recognized, so far it copes with all this ...
 
In the first snow
 
The day when I crossed the wheel of Audi A3, I will not forget, perhaps, for a long time. Snow fell in Moscow. As always - plentiful, as always - unexpectedly. Believe me, dear reader, I really did not have time to change the full -time summer rubber Dunlop - I was in a hurry to meet a colleague at the airport. I also got there through dry asphalt, on which these tires are very good. But on the way back, when a real blizzard began, I had to experience a lot of unpleasant minutes. The decreased temperature instantly made the tires with wooden and rolling on them was the same as on classic skis: the ski is necessary as air. And then I have to pay tribute to Audi. Electronic security systems - stabilization, anti -boom, distribution of brake efforts between the wheels - practically saved my life when a oncoming car took me into my lane. Blunger on the brakes - despite the slippery slurry with the propelled asphalt stands under the wheels, the car has preserved a direct trajectory thanks to a clearly -minded ABS. The next action is gas pressing with a simultaneous lapel from the obstacle. And again, the electronics helped out - she gave the command to give just so much traction to the wheels so that they retain at least some contact with the road. The stabilization system insured with the reverse movement of the lamb. U-f-f! He brushed sweat from his forehead and with bitterness stated that the driver of the Russian car, who was driving behind me, could not turn away ...
 
No, that will not do. The next day (of course, the snow managed to put) I went to the store for winter tires. To immerse four wide wheels (the equipment of our A3 includes the respecting tires with a dimension of 20560 R16) was not difficult. Just with one movement of the hand, he folded half the back of the rear sofa and easily removed the curtain covering the contents of the trunk from prying eyes. If it came to the second row of seats, I can not help but say how much space there is. As if at our disposal and not a three -door car, but a full -fledged five -door hatchback. Even people above average height do not feel deprived there. Well, as for the rubber, now the A3 is shod in Pirelli winter tires. Good tires, rather quiet and soft.
 
In general, in the shortest possible time, we prepared the editorial Audi A3 for winter. In truth, we had to do a little, since already from the factory the car came with a very effective climate control system, literally in a couple of minutes creating a summer in the car, heating the front and rear glasses, good brushes of janitors, practically deprived of arts (which means that And there will be nothing to freeze).
 
In general, the longer I drive A3, the more I like the salon. Especially the selection of the color scheme of materials and backlighting the dashboard. The arrows burn with corporate red, as well as the characters on the central console, the radio and two directed light bulbs, lit in the darkness on the ceiling to tint the dark plastic of the panels. So, the skin, which is inhabited by comfortable chairs, is also red. Moreover, the bright color does not cause rejection, but, on the contrary, creates inside the feeling of sports and exclusive.
 
Trouble with gas stations
 
This is not normal when the legends almost go about gas stations on which you can fill in high -quality fuel. Of course, we (and while driving is not only the author of these lines) we try to refuel in one proven place. Alas, this does not always succeed. So, one fine evening, when the car stood for a long time at the editorial office, one of us survived unpleasant minutes. As soon as he launched the engine, something incredible: the tachometer arrow undertook to jump from 800 to 1300 revolutions per minute, and 30 seconds did not want to stop in one position, and portions of the bronze and bad smelling smoke burst out of the exhaust pipe. True, soon the electronic injection system nevertheless adapted to what was in the fuel supply system, and then the car usually behaved. But the next morning, all this whistle on a cold engine repeated again.
 
By 99.9%, I am sure - the case is in the left 95th gasoline. Having exchanged opinions, we came to the conclusion that bad fuel was flooded either on the embankment of the Moscow River, or on the outside of the Moscow Ring Road opposite Kapotny. Now it remains to burn out diluted gasoline to the last drop and hope that he will not have time to drive a computer crazy and disable an injector and a catalyst. And on the next editorial glider, I personally will definitely demand to continue the publications dedicated to the quality of the fuel ...
 
When this material was prepared, about 5000 km of mileage was listed on the odometer.
 
Sergey Ilyinsky
 
 

A source: Newspaper "Automobile Izvestia" [No. 22 (45), 2003]