The Forgotten Audi A3 3.2 Quattro Is A Golf R32 In Disguise For Thousands Of Dollars Less

Time has been kind to the Mk5 Volkswagen Golf R32. Initially a divisive car due to its DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox and middling price-to-performance ratio compared to the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and Subaru WRX STI, Volkswagen’s last VR6-powered all-wheel-drive hot hatchback is now seen as the icon it always was, a next level up from the icon that is the GTI. As a result, nice ones are somewhat expensive, breaking well past the $10,000 mark. However, there is a cheaper alternative that we actually got in America — the often-forgotten Audi A3 3.2 Quattro.

Alright, so it might be a bit softer than the top-dog Golf of the aughts, but the A3 3.2 Quattro got a 3.2-liter VR6 engine, Haldex all-wheel-drive, and a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Oh, and it goes further. This fancy hatchback is built on the same bones as the Mk5 R32, making it a tempting, sneaky way to get something similar to hot hatch royalty for regular used-car money.

Welcome back to Beige Cars You’re Sleeping On, a weekly series in which we raise the profile of some quiet greats. We’re talking vehicles that are secretly awesome, but go unsung because of either a boring image or the lack of an image altogether.

Cast your mind back to the mid-2000s, and you’ll likely remember that “downsizing” was not in the vocabulary of any automaker’s engine department. Bigger really was better, with BMW stuffing a V10 into the M5, Mercedes-Benz popping a V8 into the SLK roadster, and Dodge shoving the 8.3-liter V10 from a Viper into a Ram 1500. However, the trend of multi-cylinder monsters wasn’t just confined to the upper echelons of the automotive kingdom.

Not content with the 2.8-liter VR6 engine available in the Golf GTI, Volkswagen decided to turn up the wick even further by putting a 3.2-liter version of the VR6 engine in the nose of its compact hatchback. With traction aided by Haldex all-wheel-drive, the Mk4 Golf R32 was a weapon successful enough to be brought back for a second act — the Mk5 R32 pictured above.

However, it also created a bit of an opportunity for Audi. See, it had its own Golf-based hatchback called the A3, and on paper, it was fabulous. Instead of using the old Volkswagen A4 platform (not to be confused with the Audi A4, the car), the second-generation A3 rode on the A5 platform that would go on to underpin the Mk5 Golf. With significant improvements in ride and handling, not to mention a litany of modern amenities, it was a true 21st-century German hatchback.

Oh, and did I mention it was available with all manner of toys? We’re talking a 10-speaker Bose audio system, a panoramic moonroof, GPS navigation, rear door sunshades, a 12-way driver’s seat, rear side window sunshades, stuff that was absolutely unthinkable in a hatchback at the time. With stout two-liter turbocharged four-cylinder power as standard, it made a great first impression, but it needed something more.

See, Volkswagen wasn’t about to be outdone by its mass-market sibling, Volkswagen. It turned up the wick on the 3.2-liter VR6 engine to 250 horsepower, mated it to a dual-clutch automatic transmission, and then powered all four wheels as an alternative to the BMW 130i. However, unlike the 130i, the A3 3.2 Quattro actually made it to America in 2006. The result was expensive, but as Motor Trend found out, it had performance in spades. As per the mag:

The 3.2 S-line Quattro takes all that is good about the 2.0T and kicks it up another couple notches: fifty more horsepower and considerably more grip. After a spin up and down our local hill, I came away wondering who, exactly, was still pining for a new GTI when this car was available six weeks ahead and ready to rock.

That’s zero-to-60 in 5.9 seconds, which, when combined with all the other attributes of the A3 3.2 Quattro, was enough to get some serious acclaim. Here’s Motor Trend‘s verdict:

the 3.2-liter A3 offered a pretty sublime driving experience. It’s got more than enough power on tap, it’s tight, comfortable, and the DSG transmission, as always, rocks. As entry-level models go-and I’m hesitant to call this car an entry-level model, because really it’s not precisely what the 3.2 A3 is when you consider other cars in its segment-this could be the best one out there. The only thing that could deter its supreme domination is the MSRP. Thirty-four grand may seem a lot to ask for a compact car, but if you have the will and the means I doubt you’ll do better.

So, if this really was a contender for the best hatchback on the market, even if just for a bit, you’d expect used examples to run you an arm and a leg. Nope. While R32s are already minted, the substantially similar A3 3.2 Quattro is much closer to sensible used car money. Sure, it’s a high-output German hatchback so it’ll eventually go wrong and not be quite so sensible, but the buy-in could be just right.

For instance, here’s a 2006 Audi A3 3.2 Quattro up for sale in Pennsylvania for $6,998. Even with 132,000 miles on the clock, that’s still less money than a comparable R32, and it comes loaded with equipment. This particular example could use a little cosmetic work as it’s missing its tow hook cover and front licence plate bracket, but the interior looks pretty clean, and trim bits should be reasonably easy to source.

This silver model isn’t the only one out there on a budget. Here’s a black 2007 A3 3.2 Quattro up for sale in Washington for $6,991. While it has a hit on its Carfax, and a whopping 151,086 miles on its odometer it’s spent its entire life in Washington state, so there’s a solid chance the underbody is properly clean.

Looking for one with less mileage under its belt? No problem. Even relative creampuffs are often cheaper than equivalent Mk5 R32s. Here’s a tantalizingly beige one up for sale in Chicago for $9,998, and while that may be a lot of money for an 18-year-old hatchback, it’s a fairly rare car with a reasonable 106,044 miles on the clock. Then again, this one appears to have a particularly questionable paint match on the passenger side, which suggests previous rust repair. It’s a Chicago car, after all.

Sadly, Audi only sold the A3 3.2 Quattro in North America from 2006 until 2009, likely because the number of people willing to fork over BMW 3 Series money for a six-cylinder hatchback was probably quite small. However, if you manage to get your hands on one of these gems, you’re getting the next-best thing to VW hot hatch royalty for thousands of dollars less. The posh Audi is now cheaper than the Volkswagen equivalent? Funny how that goes.

(Photo credits: Audi, Volkswagen, Autotrader Sellers)

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