Compare the2024 Audi A3VS 2024 BMW 3 Series Sedan

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi A3 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the A3 and 3 Series Sedan 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 3 Series Sedan’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’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

Both the A3 and 3 Series Sedan offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the A3 with Rear Cross-Traffic Assist also has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The 3 Series Sedan’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the A3 and the 3 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

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 A3 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 3 Series Sedan has not been fully tested, yet.

The Audi A3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the 3 Series Sedan’s engines use 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 rated the A3 first among small premium cars in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The 3 Series Sedan isn’t in the top three in its category.

On the EPA test cycle the A3 gets better mileage than the 3 Series Sedan:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A3 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 3 Series Sedan requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 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 BMW 3 Series Sedan (5 to 7). This means the A3 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 3 Series Sedan 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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A3 stops shorter than the 3 Series Sedan:

For better maneuverability, the A3’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (36.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Audi A3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 450 pounds less than the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

The A3 is 9 inches shorter than the 3 Series Sedan, making the A3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The A3 has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The 3 Series Sedan has no towing capacity.

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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Insurance will cost less for the A3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the A3 will cost $175 less than the 3 Series Sedan over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi A3 will be $7026 to $23022 less than for the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A3 and the BMW 3 Series Sedan, based on reliability, safety and performance.