Compare the2023 Audi A3VS 2023 Toyota Camry

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
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 Camry doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A3 and Camry 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 Camry’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.

Both the A3 and the Camry have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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.

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 Camry’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 Camry’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

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

Engine

The A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 39 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 182) than the Camry AWD’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 184) than the Camry’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 36 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 185) than the Camry XSE AWD’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Audi A3 is faster than the Toyota Camry 4 cyl.:

	A3	Camry
Zero to 30 MPH	2.6 sec	3.2 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.8 sec	8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4 sec	5.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95 MPH	91 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
A3
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	28 city/38 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	27 city/35 hwy
Camry
	FWD	Camry XLE 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/33 hwy
		Camry XSE 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/32 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/38 hwy
		TRD 3.5 DOHC V6	22 city/31 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights 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. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Camry doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi A3 higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota Camry (5 to 7). This means the A3 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Camry every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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 Camry doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

The A3 stops shorter than the Camry:

	A3	Camry
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	126 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	129 feet	133 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the A3 has larger tires than the Camry (225/45R17 vs. 215/55R17).

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 Camry LE’s standard 55 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The A3 offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Camry’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The A3 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Camry doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better maneuverability, the A3’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Camry LE’s (36.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The A3’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the Camry AWD SE/XLE/XSE’s (36.4 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

Chassis

The A3 is 1 foot, 3.2 inches shorter than the Camry LE/XLE, making the A3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the A3’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The Camry’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

The A3’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Camry TRD doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the A3 has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Camry doesn’t offer a power trunk.

Towing

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

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 17% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 20th.

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 Camry doesn’t offer a memory system.

The A3’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Camry’s parking brake has to be 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 Camry’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Camry doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The A3’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Camry and aren’t offered on the Camry Nightshade/TRD.

When the A3 with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Camry’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 Camry offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The A3 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Camry TRD doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

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 not available on the Camry TRD.

Both the A3 and the Camry 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 Camry doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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 Camry doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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