Compare the2023 Audi A3VS 2023 Kia Stinger

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 Stinger doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A3 and Stinger 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 Stinger’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 Audi A3 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Stinger doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The A3 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Stinger doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the A3 and the Stinger have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The A3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the Stinger’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than Kia.

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

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A3 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Stinger requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi A3 higher (7 out of 10) than the Kia Stinger (3). This means the A3 produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Stinger every 15,000 miles.

The A3 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Stinger doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better maneuverability, the A3’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the Stinger’s (36.4 feet vs. 36.7 feet). The A3’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Stinger AWD’s (36.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Audi A3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 700 pounds less than the Kia Stinger.

The A3 is 1 foot, 1.3 inches shorter than the Stinger, making the A3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The A3 has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The Stinger has no towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 31% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

The A3’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Stinger’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the A3 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Stinger can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A3 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Stinger doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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

Insurance will cost less for the A3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the A3 will cost $960 to $9470 less than the Stinger over a five-year period.

The A3 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the A3 will retain 46.21% to 47.4% of its original price after five years, while the Stinger only retains 43.02% to 43.71%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi A3 will be $7541 to $25334 less than for the Kia Stinger.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A3 and the Kia Stinger, based on reliability, safety and performance.