Compare the2025 Audi A3VS 2024 Subaru Impreza

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
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 Impreza doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A3 and Impreza 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 Impreza’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 Impreza doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The A3 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Impreza doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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 Impreza doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The A3 offers optional Parking System Plus to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Impreza doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Both the A3 and Impreza 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 Impreza’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the A3 and the Impreza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available blind spot warning systems.

Warranty

The A3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Impreza’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The A3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Impreza’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

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

Engine

The A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 49 more horsepower (201 vs. 152) and 91 lbs.-ft. more torque (236 vs. 145) than the Impreza’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 19 more horsepower (201 vs. 182) and 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (236 vs. 178) than the Impreza RS’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Audi A3 is faster than the Subaru Impreza 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	A3	Impreza
Zero to 30 MPH	2.6 sec	3.8 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.8 sec	9.4 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4 sec	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	17.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95 MPH	84 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	A3	Impreza
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.6 inches

The A3 stops shorter than the Impreza:

	A3	Impreza
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	129 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	129 feet	149 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the A3 has larger tires than the Impreza (225/45R17 vs. 205/55R16).

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 Impreza’s standard 55 series tires.

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

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 Impreza; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The A3 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Impreza doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The A3 Premium Plus handles at .89 G’s, while the Impreza RS pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The A3 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Impreza RS (26.3 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Cargo Capacity

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the A3’s available trunk can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Impreza doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

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

Servicing Ease

The A3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Impreza 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

When different drivers share the A3, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Impreza doesn’t offer a memory system.

The power windows standard on both the A3 and the Impreza have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the A3 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Impreza prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The A3’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Impreza’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Impreza can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Impreza Sport/RS offers Keyless Entry and Start.

The A3’s power window, power lock and power mirror switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Impreza’s power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The A3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Impreza’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A3 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Impreza 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 A3 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Impreza doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The A3’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Impreza and aren’t offered on the Impreza Base.

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 Impreza’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Audi A3 and Subaru Impreza 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 Impreza’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 Impreza 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 Impreza doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

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 Impreza doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

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

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