Compare the2024 Honda AccordVS 2024 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 Accord 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.

With its standard Collision Mitigation Braking System, the Honda Accord is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Audi A3, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Accord Touring has a standard Low Speed Braking Control 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 Accord’s 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 Accord and the A3 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, front wheel drive, 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 blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The Honda Accord has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The A3 is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Accord 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.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Accord for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda 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 almost 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Accord’s 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 Honda Accord Hybrid’s reliability 11 points higher than the A3.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 61 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 69 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Audi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 14 places higher in reliability than Audi.

The Accord Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 3 more horsepower (204 vs. 201) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 221) than the A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

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

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

The Accord has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The A3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Accord 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.

For better stopping power the Accord Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the A3:

The Accord stops shorter than the A3:

For better traction, the Accord Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the A3 (235/40R19 vs. 225/45R17).

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Accord’s wheelbase is 7.9 inches longer than on the A3 (111.4 inches vs. 103.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Accord is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the A3.

The Accord Touring Hybrid handles at .90 G’s, while the A3 Premium Plus Quattro pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The front grille of the Accord 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.

The Accord uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The A3 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Accord a Large car, while the A3 is rated a Subcompact.

The Accord has 18.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A3 (105.7 vs. 87).

The Accord has 2.7 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 5.6 inches more rear legroom and 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the A3.

The Accord has a much larger trunk than the A3 (16.7 vs. 10.9 cubic feet).

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the Accord offers cargo security. The A3’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

The Accord has a standard 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 Accord Sport-L/EX-L/Touring’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 Accord Touring has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The A3 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Accord’s standard Smart Entry allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Engine Start/Stop standard on the A3 only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

Consumer Reports rated the Accord’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the A3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Accord’s 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 Accord and the A3 offer available heated front seats. The Accord Touring also has standard 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 Accord Touring 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.

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

The Accord was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 25 more times in the last 26 years. The A3 has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Honda Accord outsold the Audi A3/S3/RS 3 by almost 15 to one during 2023.