Compare the2022 Honda CivicVS 2022 Audi A3

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Civic are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The A3’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Civic Touring/Sport Touring has standard Low Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The A3 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Civic’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Civic and the A3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Civic its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 72 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A3 has not been tested, yet.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Civic 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the A3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Civic’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 17th in initial quality. With 76 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 9 places higher in reliability than Audi.

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Sedan gets better mileage than the A3:

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Hatchback gets better mileage than the A3:

Both the Civic and the A3 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All Civics have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Civic has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The A3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Civic has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The A3 doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better traction, the Civic Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the A3 (235/40R18 vs. 225/45R17).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Civic’s wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the A3 (107.7 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Civic is 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the track on the A3.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Civic a Mid-size car, while the A3 is rated a Subcompact.

The Civic has 12 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A3 (99 vs. 87).

The Civic Hatchback has a much larger trunk than the A3 Sedan (24.5 vs. 11 cubic feet).

The Civic (except LX/Manual) has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Honda Civic comes in sedan and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Audi A3 isn’t available as a four door hatchback.

The Civic Sport was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2 of the last 4 years. The A3 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Civic was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” for 2 of the last 25 years. The A3 has never been an “All Star.”

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2016 North American Car of the Year. The A3 has never been chosen.