Compare the2022 Honda AccordVS 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 Accord Sport 2.0T/Sport SE/EX-L/Touring 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 Accord deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Accord’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 Accord 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 Accord’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 Accord and the A3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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 Accord its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A3 has not been tested, yet.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Accord 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 Accord’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.

The Accord’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 51 more horsepower (252 vs. 201) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 221) than the A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Accord gets better mileage than the A3:

Both the Accord 1.5T 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 Accord 1.5Ts have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Accord uses regular unleaded gasoline. The A3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Accord has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the A3 FWD’s standard fuel tank (14.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Accord 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.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Accord 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the A3.

The Accord 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 Accord Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the A3 (235/40R19 vs. 225/45R17).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Accord Sport/Touring has standard 19-inch wheels. The A3’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Accord’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The A3 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Accord’s wheelbase is 7.9 inches longer than on the A3 (111.4 inches vs. 103.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Accord is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 3.6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the A3.

The front grille of the Accord Sport SE/EX-L uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The A3 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Accord uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The A3 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Accord a Large car, while the A3 is rated a Subcompact.

The Accord has 18.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A3 (105.6 vs. 87).

The Accord has 2.7 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 3.5 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 5.2 inches more rear legroom and 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the A3.

The Accord has a much larger trunk than the A3 Sedan (16.7 vs. 10.9 cubic feet).

The Accord (except LX/Sport 1.5T) 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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Honda Accord, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Accord was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 25 of the last 27 years. The A3 has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Accord 2.0T Sport was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2018. The A3 has never been an “All Star.”

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Accord as the 2018 North American Car of the Year. The A3 has never been chosen.

The Honda Accord outsold the Audi A3/S3/RS 3 by almost 46 to one during the 2021 model year.