Compare the2026 Audi A3VS 2025 Lexus ES

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 ES doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A3 and ES 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 ES’ 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 A3. But it costs extra on the ES.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the A3 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist with Automatic Brake Activation, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Rear Cross-Traffic Braking costs extra on the ES.

Both the A3 and the ES have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The A3’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the ES’ (12 vs. 6 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the A3 for 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the ES (3/30,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 25 percent more Audi dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the A3’s warranty.

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

The A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (236 vs. 184) than the ES 250 Luxury AWD’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi A3 is faster than the ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the A3 gets better mileage than the ES:

Both the A3 and the ES Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All A3s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The A3 has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (14.5 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi A3 higher (6 out of 10) than the Lexus ES (4 to 6). This means the A3 produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the ES every 15,000 miles.

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

The A3 stops much shorter than the ES:

For better traction, the A3 has larger tires than the ES (225/45R17 vs. 215/55R17).

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 ES’ standard 55 series tires.

The A3 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The ES’ suspension doesn’t offer rear gas-charged shocks.

The A3 Premium Plus handles at .89 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The A3 Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (26.3 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the A3’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the ES’ (36.5 feet vs. 38 feet).

The Audi A3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 350 pounds less than the Lexus ES.

The A3 is 1 foot, 7 inches shorter than the ES, making the A3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 ES’ useful trunk space.

The A3’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The ES doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

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

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 ES’ standard 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 ES doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The A3’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling the transmission and speed with the brake pedal. With its available fully controlled system, the driver just activates it and it parks autonomously, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The ES doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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