Compare the2023 Toyota PriusVS 2023 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 Prius 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Prius offers an optional Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The A3 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Prius Limited offers an optional Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The A3 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Prius has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A3’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Prius has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert to warn the driver of approaching traffic and automatically engage the brakes to help avoid a collision. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A3.

The Prius’ 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 Prius and the A3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 and rearview cameras.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Prius its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 36 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A3 has not been fully tested, yet.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Prius 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.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Prius for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A3.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prius’ warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Prius’ reliability 40 points higher than the A3.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 27 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 6th.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Prius uses regular unleaded gasoline. The A3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Prius 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.

The Prius stops much shorter than the A3:

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Prius’ wheelbase is 4.8 inches longer than on the A3 (108.3 inches vs. 103.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Prius is .8 inches wider in the front and 2.6 inches wider in the rear than on the A3.

For better maneuverability, the Prius LE’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the A3’s (34.4 feet vs. 36.4 feet). The Prius XLE/Limited’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the A3’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.4 feet).

The Toyota Prius may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 250 pounds less than the Audi A3.

The design of the Toyota Prius amounts to more than styling. The Prius has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .27 Cd. That is lower than the A3 (.3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Prius get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Prius 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.

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

The Prius has 4.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A3 (91.2 vs. 87).

The Prius has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more front shoulder room than the A3.

The Prius offers a 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 Prius Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The A3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Prius’ sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The A3’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Both the Prius and the A3 offer available heated front seats. The Prius Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the A3.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Prius Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The A3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Prius XLE/Limited’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The A3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Prius’ optional Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The A3’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The Toyota Prius outsold the Audi A3/S3/RS 3 by almost four to one during 2022.