Compare the2025 Audi A3VS 2025 Volkswagen Jetta

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The A3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Jetta doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A3 and Jetta 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 Jetta’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 Audi A3 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Jetta doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The A3 has standard backup collision prevention system that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Jetta doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The A3 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Jetta doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the A3 and the Jetta have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

Warranty

The A3’s corrosion warranty is 5 years and unlimited miles longer than the Jetta’s (12/unlimited vs. 7/100,000).

Reliability

The Audi A3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Jetta’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the A3’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Jetta’s camshafts. If the Jetta’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 A3’s reliability 30 points higher than the Jetta.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 8 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 43 more horsepower (201 vs. 158) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (236 vs. 184) than the Jetta’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the A3’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Jetta doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The A3 has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta (14.5 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

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 Jetta doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	A3	Jetta
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.3 inches

The A3 stops much shorter than the Jetta:

	A3	Jetta
70 to 0 MPH	181 feet	191 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	129 feet	138 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the A3 has larger tires than the Jetta (225/45R17 vs. 205/60R16).

The A3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Jetta S’ standard 60 series tires. The A3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Jetta SEL’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the A3 has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Jetta S.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Audi A3 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Volkswagen Jetta has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The A3 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the A3 flat and controlled during cornering. The Jetta’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The A3 Premium Plus handles at .89 G’s, while the Jetta pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The A3 is 9.6 inches shorter than the Jetta, making the A3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the A3’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Jetta’s useful trunk space.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the A3. The Jetta doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the A3 has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Jetta doesn’t offer a power trunk.

Towing

The A3 has a 3461 lbs. towing capacity. The Jetta has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The A3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Jetta uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

If the windows are left open on the A3 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Jetta can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

The A3 has standard Keyless Engine Start/Stop that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Only the Jetta SE/SEL offers Keyless Access.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The A3’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Jetta’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

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 Jetta doesn’t offer headlight washers.

When the A3 with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Jetta’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The A3’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Jetta has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Jetta offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The A3 offers optional power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Jetta’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Both the A3 and the Jetta offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the A3 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Jetta doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Compared to the Volkswagen Jetta, the Audi A3 eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

The A3’s optional Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Jetta doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi A3, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen Jetta isn't recommended.

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