If they had "no hydraulics" they would have been doing a "Sioux City" with differential thrust, since no amount of wagging the side-stick would do anything on an A-320 with no juice. But they still had the third (and final) system, hence they lived.
That's why my favorite airliner, both from front ride comfort and mechanical simplicity standpoints has always been the DC-9/MD-80/B-117 with those lovely servo tabs. Cables and Bernoulli work every time. As to Airbus, I try to avoid all "fly by wire" aircraft unless equipped with an ejection seat. Ever since that one flew into the trees at that (Paris?) air show years ago I said "Not for me". Relying upon computers or "Jesus Nuts" to keep me in the air has never been a source of comfort.