Sory Steve - Don't agree with either point.
The last vehicle I drove with as little steering feedback as my A3 was a 1970 Bedford CA van!
If a Hillman Imp, a Daf 66, a Triumph Dolomite, Austin Maestro, Fiat Punto, Toyota Yais, Ford Mondeo and two Alfa 156s can manage to generate some feedback through the steering wheel, why can't the A3?
We're not talking about "sports car" feel, just some feedback to the driver of what the front wheels are doing and how close they are to breaking away.....
And on the second point (which I think is actually the root cause of the issue), I think you'll find that the A3 steering really is just assisted by an electric motor rather than the electric motor simply driving a hydraulic pump.
All of the new "electrically assisted steering" cars recently have had very poor write-ups of steering response.
The new electric systems are cheaper to fit than the old hydraulic systems and they're more economical bacause they only use power when you're actually turning the wheel rather than pumping fluid to maintain hydraulic pressure all the time, but they all get p155 poor write-ups in the press.
