Used 2017 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron Consumer Reviews
Used A3 Sportback e-tron for sale
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2017 A3 Sportback e-tron, so we've included reviews for other years of the A3 Sportback e-tron since its last redesign.
A3 e-Tron Prestige Review - Nice Car!
FozCat, 01/18/2017
updated 07/23/2018
2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron 1.4 TFSI PHEV Prestige 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 6AM)
26 of 28 people found this review helpful
Update Jul 2018 Just completed 25000 mile service, there was a battery software update performed at no charge during visit. The tires are wearing quicker than I would have expected (Contiental EcoPro?) but other than that no issues. Charging cable issue went away, and dealer can't duplicate the minor cold squeaking issue yet, but there are 20K miles of warranty left. Fuel economy was the same, just over 50mpg combined with 49% battery and 51% gas, we did several long 11 hour drives. Looking at the resale value, it has dipped quite a bit for the 3rd year, which what Edmunds predicted, my guess it would increase (less depreciation) as the price of gas goes up and people get rid of SUV's. Overall we are still satisfied with the car. Update January 2018 Have owned the car 13 Months and it now has 17000 miles. The car is charged nightly and averages a little over 52 MPG overall with the the MMI indicating a little over 51% gas motor/49% electric motor. The car has two issues that need too be addressed in a service appointment next week. First the front end creaks and squeaks over bumps, especially noticeable when slow. Second, there is an issue with either the charging cable or the charging system as intermittently the car will only partially charge after being plugged in, to about 1/2 charge. Overall, we still like the car and find it a good value, and cancelled out Tesla M3 reservation. Update July 2017 Have owned the car for 7 months and driven it 5500 miles. The car has been trouble free and the only warranty issue was the side assist computer was inoperative when I bought the car, and the dealer it fixed with no issue. With mixed driving and plugging in at home nightly and we are averaging over 60 mpg. On battery charge alone we average 18-20 miles. I would not recommend purchasing a level 2 charger for you home as the Audi supplied charger completely recharges in 8 hours. We found a very nice aluminum wall mount that fits the Audi Charger perfectly for $100 on Etsy. We really like the car, especially the adaptive cruise control and lane assist warning. It's very quiet and comfortable. The audio system is first rate. (B&O). The navigation interface (MMI) takes some getting used to. The car had a 6 month trial for the Audi Connect, and I let it expire. The car never loaded the destinations properly from the phone app, and I can't see paying $10 plus a month for google maps. Hopefully with the next version of the software the app and interface will get better. We have a reservation for a Tesla Model 3, and this was to be the bridge car. Welike the Audi enough to consider not getting the Tesla. Original Review Purchased a used A3 e-Tron lease turn in a little over a month ago with 3300 miles. This is my first Audi. It is a very nice car, and so far a good value, especially since the used price reflects the first owners receiving federal and state tax credits. The car is very quiet, comfortable, handles well and efficient. I only have limited access to plug in charging, so I charge it about 3 times per week. With a full charge I normally get 13-17 miles on pure EV mode and in hybrid mode average about 41MPG. The last tank combining 4 plug in charges and a full tank, it averaged just over 51 mpg with mixed hwy (75%)/city (25%) driving. Its not the EPA advertised 83mpgE, but is what I expected based on the reviews I read. I agree as other reviewers have said, if your daily commute is over the pure EV range, just put it in hybrid mode to maximize your plug in charges. The ability to select charge mode at the end a long trip to use EV mode for city commuting, a feature that I heard was discontinued on the 2017 model is also a plus. I also like the clean simpleness of the interior layout and minimizing of buttons, especially the placement of the radio on/off/volume/track select button on the lower console. This car has the adaptive cruise control and pre collision braking, both which are awesome and worth the extra price! The items which I am not so impressed with are the B&O sound system and Audi Connect. The sound system is adequate, but lacks the bass response that my other vehicles have (Bose). The e-tron does not offer memory seats/mirrors which was disappointing since it was the highest Prestige trim level. I still cannot get the Audi Connect App to fully work after talking with the courteous and helpful Audi phone people twice. It wont push directions to the NAV and wont display all the Audi Connect features, nor remotely turn on the A/C. The Nav screen is adequate, but frustrating at times to use the wheel interface to input destinations. Since this car is new tech for VW/Audi, I would recommend purchasing the extended warranty and prepaid maintenance plans. Overall, I am satisfied with the car.
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Thrilled I went with the e-tron...
John, 10/03/2017
2017 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron 1.4 TFSI PHEV Premium 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 6AM)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I leased this car 6 months ago and don't regret it, at all. I had an S3 prior and the savings each month for fuel total over $100. I fill up my e-tron once a month at a total cost of around $28 per trip to the gas station. That's Los Angeles gas prices, too. It's a very sought after vehicle (I work for a local Audi dealer) and I know this car holds it's value well. We can't keep them in stock. If you can get your hands on one, get it! You won't regret it. Plus there is the tax credit for getting one that's $1,500 in your pocket. I also have the clean air stickers too that added value to my car for spending a measly $22.
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2017 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron for sale near you
3 of 43 listings
- 1.4 TFSI PHEV Premium Plug-In Hybrid 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $12,89951 mi away
- 1.4 TFSI PHEV Premium Plug-In Hybrid 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $22,989167 mi away
- 1.4 TFSI PHEV Premium Plus Plug-In Hybrid 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $17,757191 mi away
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Best of both worlds!
Mike McKillip, 04/18/2016
updated 04/23/2018
2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron 1.4 TFSI PHEV Premium 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 6AM)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
My last two cars were a 2002 Lexus IS300 sport sedan and a 2008 Prius, and the Audi A3 Etron blends and exceeds the best of both those vehicles. Handling, acceleration, and comfort are excellent, and I have averaged 82 mpg over the first two years of ownership. I appreciate the car's simple, understated (non-dorky) appearance, which is something that seems hard to come by in the plug-in segment. The A3 Etron wasn't cheap to buy, but has been relatively cheap to operate. I buy a tank of gas every 4-6 weeks, and otherwise run around town on electric most of the time. The $4,500 tax credit was very nice, also. Overall, it's a great car, and one I will be happy to own and drive while I wait for the Tesla Model 3.
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Perfect? No. Good Balance? Yep.
Mark Cusac, 03/01/2016
updated 09/06/2019
2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron 1.4 TFSI PHEV Premium 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 6AM)
35 of 42 people found this review helpful
Update for 2019. We still have the Audi, but while the car itself hasn't changed, the automotive landscape around it has shifted considerably. This is my first Audi and first plugin. While there are some things that aren't perfect (I'm looking at you radio/climate system), overall this is a very pleasing car. Who buys this thing? Gas is cheap at the time of this review, so you don't buy an Audi plugin to save money, exactly. Who buys it then is someone who likes the handling and style of the Audi and is willing to pay a bit more for it, but still wants to do the environment a good turn. I doubt they'll sell a lot of these. Still, for me, this car fit the bill. And I'm overall quite pleased. I've had it 2 months and still have over half the original tank of gas in it. I'm averaging around 270 MPG. I do that by managing how I drive and making sure to arrange things to drive on electric as much as I can. This clearly is not something everyone will want to do. For shorter trips and my daily commute, I run all EV. For longer trips, I put it into hybrid mode from the start and let the car decide when to use the battery. Performance: hate to disappoint performance enthusiasts, but I've never floored the car. I bought it for a reason and I stick to that. I have hit it harder in EV mode when I pulled out and misjudged the distance of the car coming. It went to around 60% and I was frankly shocked at the acceleration. This is because when you're driving it 'normally,' it seems to be tuned so that it feels weak. But noooooo, noooo, it's not weak. Cornering-wise, this thing is beyond awesome, but that's coming from a guy who has driven non-Audis before. Hey, it helps my MPG to go around corners without braking, right? I have two main complaints, mainly with the controls. Why can't I switch radio stations without taking my eyes off the road? Seriously, there are like 18 radio controls and they all require me to look at one of two LCD displays. Sorry, but I miss being able to hit button #3 and know that I'll get a certain station. They un-invented that. Second, there seems to be no way to just let clean air vent into the car in the winter. For a plugin, this does make a difference. Using the heater costs me miles. When it's not THAT cold out, I'd rather just vent rather than have a choice between a) fogged windows and b) use my battery to get the vent temp up. If you're looking for a racecar, why are you even reading this? if you're looking for the best plugin hybrid, you should probably go see a Volt. But if you are looking for a way to do a good turn for the environment, to do it in style, and to have some pep when you want to let it loose, this car is worth a look. Is it a good value? Depends. Mine cost around $35K after the Fed rebate. This puts in territory of normal small luxury cars and normal plugin hybrids. I'm not sure I'm 'saving' money exactly with this car, but I am pleased I bought it. Update after a year and a half of ownership: I don't have anything major to change and still think it's a 4 star car. I found that by pulling some tricks and putting in some effort I can boost the mileage I get on electric. But that begs the question: why do I have to work harder to get the most out of my Audi? The reason, as far as I can tell, is that Audi sits in a performance mindset, and for them the electric motor is a way to boost performance, with mileage an afterthought. I mean, car has a sports mode that is easily accessible, but no eco mode at all. That's the main gripe, but overall it's a very versatile and economical car. 2019. Now that I can direct compare this to a Model 3 AWD, I can't see any reason why, for the same price range, one would get this Audi today. It was a good car for its time, 3 years ago. But if you want to go green? Tesla wins. If you want acceleration? Ha. If you want luggage space? Close one, the Tesla wins with seats up, though there may be some large objects that fit better in the hatch with the seats down in the Audi. Handling? I've pushed both cars as far as I feel comfortable and while they both are great, the Tesla wins without a doubt. The only benefit to the Audi is that it can do road trips a little bit quicker if you really limit breaks. I am fond of it, but the world has moved on without this car.
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Reliability Unproven
Jeff Perlman, 07/02/2016
2016 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron 1.4 TFSI PHEV Premium Plus 4dr Hatchback (1.4L 4cyl Turbo gas/electric hybrid 6AM)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
Our 2016 Audi A3 e-tron has had to go back to the dealer twice within a month for different issues. The first time the check engine light came on, it was a cooling pump issue. The second time it was an emissions control problem. The dealer supplied us with a much more costly A6 Quattro loaner each time, but we missed our car as it took nearly a week each time for the repairs to be done. Why? The dealer had to order parts from Germany. Apparently U.S. dealers have not received a lot of the parts needed to do anything beyond ordinary maintenance. Also, when the service department is busy, it can take two days just to find out what's wrong. I'm sure glad they have loaners.
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