Compare the2024 Audi S3VS 2024 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi S3 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 S3 and 4 Series Gran Coupe have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S3 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the S3. But it costs extra on the 4 Series Gran Coupe.

Both the S3 and 4 Series Gran Coupe offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the S3 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 S3 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 and available blind spot warning systems.

The Audi S3’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.

The S3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 51 more horsepower (306 vs. 255) than the 430i Gran Coupe’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the S3 gets better fuel mileage than the M440i Gran Coupe xDrive (23 city/32 hwy vs. 22 city/30 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi S3 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.

The S3 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.

For better stopping power the S3’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the 4 Series Gran Coupe:

The S3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s 45 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the S3’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the 4 Series Gran Coupe’s (36.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Audi S3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 650 pounds less than the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe.

The S3 is 11.2 inches shorter than the 4 Series Gran Coupe, making the S3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the S3 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S3 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 S3 has standard extendable sun visors. The 4 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.