Compare the2022 Audi A3VS 2021 Nissan Sentra

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics

Safety

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The A3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Sentra doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A3 and Sentra have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A3 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Sentra’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The A3 offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Sentra doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the A3 and the Sentra 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

Warranty

The A3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Sentra’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The A3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Sentra’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Audi A3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Sentra’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Audi 20th in reliability. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

Engine

The A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 52 more horsepower (201 vs. 149) and 75 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 146) than the Sentra’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the A3 FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Sentra SR (29 city/38 hwy vs. 28 city/37 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the A3’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Sentra doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the A3’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Sentra doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The A3 Quattro’s standard fuel tank has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sentra (14.5 vs. 12.4 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

The Audi A3 has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Rear drums are standard on the Sentra. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the A3 has larger tires than the Sentra (225/45R17 vs. 205/55R16). The A3’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sentra (225/45R17 vs. 215/45R18).

The A3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sentra S/SV’s standard 55 series tires. The A3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Sentra SR’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A3 has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Sentra S/SV.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the A3’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Sentra’s (36.4 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

Chassis

The A3 is 5.7 inches shorter than the Sentra, making the A3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Audi A3 amounts to more than styling. The A3 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the Sentra (.27 to .29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the A3 get better fuel mileage.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the A3. The Sentra doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Ergonomics

When different drivers share the A3, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Sentra doesn’t offer a memory system.

The A3 Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Sentra doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The A3’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Sentra’s parking brake has to released manually.

The A3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Sentra’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The A3’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Nissan only offers heated mirrors on the Sentra SV/SR.

The A3’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sentra offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The A3 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Sentra SV/SR.

Both the A3 and the Sentra offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the A3 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Sentra doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The A3’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Sentra’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi A3 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Sentra doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The A3’s optional Park Steering Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Sentra doesn’t offer an automated parking system.