Compare the2024 Audi A3VS 2024 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe

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 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the A3 and 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 4 Series Gran Coupe’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 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 4 Series Gran Coupe’s Cross Traffic Warning doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the A3 and the 4 Series Gran Coupe 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, lane departure warning systems, 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 4 Series Gran Coupe has not been tested, yet.

The Audi A3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the 4 Series Gran Coupe’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 4 Series Gran Coupe was rated third in its category.

On the EPA test cycle the A3 gets better mileage than the 4 Series Gran Coupe:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A3 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 4 Series Gran Coupe (5 to 7). This means the A3 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A3 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the 4 Series Gran Coupe; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the 4 Series Gran Coupe don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For better maneuverability, the A3’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s (36.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Audi A3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 700 pounds less than the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe.

The A3 is 11.6 inches shorter than the 4 Series Gran Coupe, making the A3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield, the A3 has standard extendable sun visors. The 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Insurance will cost less for the A3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the A3 will cost $1805 to $4625 less than the 4 Series Gran Coupe 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 $12371 to $18393 less than for the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe.

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