Aud's splendid A3 outside Cerritos library

Red-hot?

"At least it isn't yellow," was my first response to seeing the finest in European architecture bedecked in racing red kind of like spray painting the Reichstag, or something.

But I soon got used to the outrageously colored Audi A3 S-Line, and began to warm to it. Much better than yellow, I initially consoled myself, and then, after finding more and more onlookers gawping, I really started to like it. Who needs black or silver anyway?.

Trick is, I've always hated BMWs and Mercs and their luxurious like decked in vibrant tones and Audi is no different. In fact, only thing on Audi's capable and very quick compact five-door that convinced me at first was the body kit, a very well judged and balanced exterior trim that makes sure it stands above the crowd without forsaking the prestigious for the outlandish.

But back on the red-car subject, for, as I write, our marvelous car delivery folk have just dropped off a spanking VW GTi, in red.  Mmm, this seems to be catching. GTis in my humble opinion, should always be white.

When the wife and I first pitched up in LA a good few years ago now, we wondered where all the red cars were.  Yes, we recognized the trend for silver cars after the fad for black a few years ago, that fact didn't stop us wondering until someone happened to mention the certain gang connotations that come with the glorious city of LA, with driving a car of said blue or red color a tad risky in places.

Which meant that I got a tearful and continually moaning wife on the cell phone every time she drove through Inglewood on her way to work in Manhattan Beach. 'Don't drive through Inglewood then,' I'd say, to her reply, 'But I like the mushroom-shaped trees.'

To which there is no reply.

Eventually, the wife did surmise that the loud, hollow pop noise she 'felt' in her side bumper on one such a trip was indeed a gunshot and eventually stopped driving through that particular stretch in Inglewood.  Whether or not it was a gunshot is a moot point (though it makes it a better story) and the idea may be apocryphal, but I'm sticking to it anyway.

Bold grille across the Audi range

So, that apart, the Audi is red-hot. Quicker than a steer from a branding iron.  Best thing was ripping it through the gears of the six-speed manual box, feeling it hit 5,000-5,500 rpms and really begin to fly.  You could easily hit 80 mph in third and still be climbing as the engine lends a glutteral roar to accompany the adrenaline pumping in your veins.  Happy days.

Other best thing - I know that's impossible - was the feeling of sticking it in third at low speed and accelerating around arching curves, feeling the front  wheels digging in to give what could be the best driving experience I've had in anything not called Lexus or BMW. It was that good, and nearly miraculous for such a compact, light car with front-wheel drive - thank the McPerson struts up front for that one.

Proud to park it anywhere

So it wasn't the monstrous 3.2-liter V6 S-line that is one of the meanest machines out there, but the 2.0-liter 197-horsepower turbo injection it shares with its sister Golf GTi, though less tuned in an aural sense than the one I've currently got parked out front.   The A3's steering is much looser than the GTi's, and I mean that in a good way. Lock to lock it's a snip to spin without losing any accuracy or feel. Its turning circle is great for turns in the road or for parking at the local grocer.

Outside the trim leaves design hints rather than impressing them upon the car, which is nice, and those 17-inch rims look great beneath the high-belted bodyline that seems to sit nicely between the  BMW wagon and those in the VW stable.

Strangely, it boasts one of the most advanced and fine-looking push-button sunroofs that extends over the length of the cabin, a $1500 add-on, yet the finery doesn't extend to powered or heated seats, which you might expect on the top trim.
 
Though being German, chances are it'll keep you very safe courtesy of its ABS, two-stage airbags up front with seat-mounted secondary protection and curtain bags.  It'll make you feel safe as well as snug in those supportive bucket seats that hold you tight in corners so you can concentrate just a bit more on that gorgeous sound emanating from the Bose soundsystem - which boasts two memory card or mp3 player hookups. Why doesn't every new car have this (soon to be a long-running complaint and indeed campaign)?  For good measure it included satellite radio package.

Easy to use but not touchscreen panel

Well equipped interior including cupholders front and back

Gas is reasonable at 23 and 32 town and highway, depending on your lightness of right foot - and all the dibbings including the $2,200 S-line package - a great deal for the leather, rims and trim/spoiler - as well as a whopping $3,300 for the manual box and the car's $1,100 technology package - light and rain sensor, Xenon headlights etc - takes the car up to $34,610 all in.

Which may or may not be a steep climb. But it's certainly one you want to do in the A3 - just be careful not to sink into the red.