Originally Posted by Blackraven

You guys are missing out if Audi USA is not selling the hatchback.

I say that because in most cases:
Hatchback > Sedan

A class > CLA class
A3 hatch > A3 sedan

Probably one exception would be the Cruze because the Cruze 5 hatchback looks off compared to the sedan.

Originally Posted by Infra

You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what platform sharing is. The interior has absolutely nothing to do with the platform. A platform consist of a template for common mounting points for the powertrain and body. To use a stark example, the Trailblazer and SSR shared the same platform. Do their interiors look the same?

$50k cars earn MUCH more revenue than they cost to build. What you're paying for is the overhead, or G&A, or R&D, or basically all the operating costs that go into building a premium brand image and incorporating new technology first. There's absolutely nothing about platform sharing that degrades a $50k car simply because it shares a platform with a $10k car. In fact, BOTH cars will benefit because BOTH cars are cheaper to manufacture, and therefore more money can be spent offering more features for both.

Automakers make decisions on what options to offer based on the tens or hundreds of dollars to remain cost-competitive with their peers. (Porsche alone seems to be immune to this. They sell LOTS of $100k+ Cayennes despite sharing a platform with the Q7/Touareg). Engineers are the most expensive group of employees they employ, so whatever can be done to reduce the labor cost spent on them, as well as the tooling cost resulting from their designs, benefits everyone involved.

Originally Posted by spwolf

generally yes.. but new A3 is pretty disappointing car IMHO, even hatchback. Old A3's were huge sucess cars for Audi, they are far better cars compared to the rest of the class.

Now? I sit in A3 and Golf and Golf has better materials... the other day A3 passed me and I thought it was A1 since it didnt look that good, and it was A3.. A3 used to be head turner car that everyone aspired to own in this class. A1 is just horrible little expensive car.

Originally Posted by spwolf

Not for MQB platform... what you are talking about is how Toyota did platform sharing before. What I am talking about is new MQB platform from VW Group that shares a lot more parts than any other platform before.

Toyota's next platform is going to do the same thing as well.

Both are doing it to maximize profits.

Originally Posted by bagwell

Now that I've seen the A3 in person - really excited about the S3.....hoping for $40K base (as S4 base is $48K).

Originally Posted by UpSideDown

A3 has never been a head turner car. But the new A3 looks much sharper and modern than the last gen. I see them every day on the road. And how can you mix it up with A1?