Compare the2025 Audi S3VS 2025 BMW 3 Series Sedan

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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the S3 and 3 Series Sedan 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 3 Series Sedan’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 3 Series Sedan.

The S3’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

The S3 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. A system to reveal vehicles in the 3 Series Sedan’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the S3 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. BMW charges extra for Cross Traffic Warning on the 3 Series Sedan and the 3 Series Sedan’s Cross Traffic Warning does not include automatic braking.

Both the S3 and the 3 Series Sedan 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 and rearview cameras.

The S3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 73 more horsepower (328 vs. 255) than the 330i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The S3 has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan 330e’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the S3’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the 3 Series Sedan:

For better traction, the S3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 3 Series Sedan (235/35R19 vs. 225/40R19).

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 330i’s standard 45 series tires. The S3’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the 3 Series Sedan’s optional 40 series front tires.

For better maneuverability, the S3’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (36.5 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The S3 is 8.5 inches shorter than the 3 Series Sedan, making the S3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The S3 has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The 3 Series Sedan has no towing capacity.

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 3 Series Sedan 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 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S3 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the S3 will retain 53.69% to 55.79% of its original price after five years, while the 3 Series Sedan only retains 51.33% to 52.95%.