I had forgotten what turbo lag felt like, that seemingly long wait for the turbo to spool up and the boost to go charging through the drivetrain to the wheels, usually at a time not of your choosing. Catch the A3’s 2.0-liter gasoline direct injection turbo motor off the boost, and you’ll quickly remember what this holdover from the 1980s feels like. Unlike those cars, however, it is much easier to eliminate the situations where it raises its ugly head. That’s because you can quickly drop down a gear or two with the slick six-speed manual gearbox, or modulate the resulting thrust once the turbos come on song with a precision of which drivers in the 1980s only dreamt. All of which means the A3 isn’t the temperamental beast so many turbocharged cars of yesteryear were.

The rest of the car is solid, wrapped in sleek bodywork that combines typical Audi styling cues with a bit more flair and dash than expected. Inside, the look is budget Audi TT with that car’s large round air vents jutting out from a clean, ergonomically friendly instrument panel. It’s not the most luxurious interior, by far, but it combines a number of related textures and materials in a way that does not at first suggest the interior would be easy to hose out, or cell phones and iPods would stay still on the panel’s surface under all but the most demanding conditions. As a young person’s car, it is in keeping with the demographic without being jarring or out-of-place.

If the A3 has any real faults, they are pretty well confined to overall feel and packaging. The car feels light and limber, which is not what you expect from an Audi. Usually there is a trace – or more – of ponderousness and weight to be found in the controls or responses. That’s not the case with the A3. It almost feels too light, though it never lapses into the quasi-effortlessness found in many Asian vehicles. Unfortunately, this driver was distracted by a dead pedal that was on a plane closer than the throttle pedal to the seat. This meant adjusting the seat for the optimal use of and comfort behind the pedals caused the left leg to be – literally – a bit too close for comfort, and caused pain in the knee during drives of any length. It is quite distracting, and might lead some to look for alternatives.

For an entry-level model, this isn’t the least expensive choice in this market. If you’re thinking of choosing between, say, either a Scion xB or tC and an A3, you’d best be ready for a nearly $10,000 price difference. An A3 starts at $24,740, and with the $720 destination charge, stickers for a reasonable $25,460. Start adding on the options, however, and the A3’s bottom line can pass $30,000 as quickly as the vehicle itself can pass a dawdling truck on the freeway.

Judiciously choosing options can keep the price reasonable, and still leaves one with a vehicle that is worth the money. The A3 isn’t so much a wagon as it is a small sedan with a backpack, which offers the greatest flexibility to a buyer set that has many needs and even more desires, but few options or opportunities when it comes to their sole vehicle. Those with more disposable income can opt for the panoramic roof, satellite radio, and move up to the 3.2-liter V6 and all-wheel-drive when they arrive, but this is one vehicle where it is safe to say that the base engine option is the best choice. True, you may have to slightly modify your driving habits to make the best use of the turbocharged four, but you get better all-around fuel economy, pretty decent performance, and less weight on the nose in return.