It’s hardly a chore.
The gearbox has a delightfully fluid and engineered precision. The gearlever slots engagingly into each gate of the box as you move up or down the gears.
Getting the tactile things right has always been an Audi speciality. Something they call haptics. It’s the way items feel that you use in the car, from the weighting of switches to the smooth leather of the steering wheel.
It’s in areas like this, as well as its ride and refinement, that the new Audi A3 has moved on a long way from that older model I parked behind.
The extra space liberated inside the new Sportback model has also come into practical effect.
My daughter wanted a party in the garden during the summer – which required an industrial scale garden marquee borrowed (very kindly) from a friend.
The poles, however, were on the long size: 8ft on the long size. But, no matter, with the front seatback forward, and placed at an angle, the 16 poles slotted in…just!
On a more normal basis, the extra space in the rear – the Sportback has an additional 35mm over the new Audi A3 3dr – means transporting my daughter’s friends around is never a problem.
And the boot always copes with the supermarket shopping.
So not only is the new Audi A3 Sportback crisper, more refined, and more tax efficient – it’s also proving practical in everyday life too.
