2006 AUDI A3 2.0T: More Like A-Plus; Audi's A3 scores well in its first term.(News)

Byline: NATALIE NEFF

Never has this small an all-purpose car warranted such a hefty price tag.

Perhaps that sounds like blatant overstatement, but we don't care because we love our little Audi. It has delighted us in every way while presenting so few problems in its first three months with us.

For starters, this least expensive Audi comes with the same high-quality interior you expect to find in bigger, pricier models.

"The interior is right out of the TT, just slightly modified,'' commented one staffer, "which means it's elegant and practical, and with no MMI [Multi Media Interface] in sight.''

Build quality feels just as good, with no squeaks, rattles or vibrations showing up after nearly 7000 miles.

But it's the powertrain that merits the most attention and praise. "The 2.0-liter turbo motor is just fantastic. Lots of pull throughout the rev band and coupled with the six-speed DSG, it is truly a great package.'' In fact, we love the Direct Shift Gearbox so much that it makes for a difficult transition to more conventional sequential manual transmissions, like BMW's SMG. The DSG is so smooth, intuitive, easy to use and efficient that nothing else without a clutch pedal comes close.