Compare the2024 Volkswagen ArteonVS 2024 Audi A3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Arteon has standard Maneuver Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The A3 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Arteon. But it costs extra on the A3.

The Arteon SEL Premium has a standard Area View 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 Arteon 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the A3’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Arteon has standard rear cross-path warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A3.

Both the Arteon and the A3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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 and rearview cameras.

The Volkswagen Arteon weighs 435 to 600 pounds more than the Audi A3. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Arteon for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A3.

There are over 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Arteon’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 15 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Audi.

Engine

The Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 99 more horsepower (300 vs. 201) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 221) than the A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Arteon has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the A3 (17.4 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Arteon	A3
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	10.7 inches

The Arteon’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the A3 are solid, not vented.

The Arteon stops much shorter than the A3:

	Arteon	A3
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	119 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Arteon has larger tires than the A3 (245/35R20 vs. 225/45R17).

The Arteon’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A3’s standard 45 series tires. The Arteon’s tires are lower profile than the A3’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Arteon has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the A3. The A3’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Arteon SEL Premium has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the A3; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Arteon’s wheelbase is 8.4 inches longer than on the A3 (111.9 inches vs. 103.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Arteon is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than on the A3.

The Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 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.

Passenger Space

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

The Arteon has 9.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A3 (96.5 vs. 87).

The Arteon has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 5 inches more rear legroom and 1.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the A3.

Ergonomics

The Arteon 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.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Arteon to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The A3 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Arteon has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The A3 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Arteon also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Arteon’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 Arteon and the A3 have standard heated front seats. The Arteon SEL Premium 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 Arteon SEL Premium 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 Arteon’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 Arteon SEL Premium has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the A3.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Arteon has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the A3.

Recommendations

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