I drove a lot of cars before buying my son's Golf, including candidates to replace my Passat. The A3 seemed a bit quieter than A5 VWs (Any Sportwagen, including '10 + cars, and Jetta Sedans) at times. I think that it's due to more sound deadening and seals. The A3 is on the same A5 platform as those VWs. Compared to the A6 Golf, the Golf was much quieter at all times than any of the other cars. Engine noise, highway wind noise, and road impact/suspension sounds were all subdued. For me, it substantiated VW's claims of improvements on the A6. And the seats were easily the most comfortable. So we bought one.