Compare the2026 Audi A3VS 2026 Nissan Altima

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 Altima doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the A3 and Altima 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 Altima’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.

With its standard Active Front Assist, the Audi A3 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Nissan Altima, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	A3	Altima
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-5 MPH
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-1 MPH
25 MPH Brights	-19 MPH	-7 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	-17 MPH	-5 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-11 MPH
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-5 MPH
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-9 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.5 sec	1.3 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-28 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	1.5 sec	No Warning

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Audi A3 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, outperforming the Nissan Altima which scored “Poor” - the lowest rating - in these critical safety features.

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 Altima 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A3. But it costs extra on the Altima.

Both the A3 and Altima have rear cross-traffic warning, but the A3 has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Altima’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the A3 and the Altima 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

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 Altima’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 Altima’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the A3 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Audi will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Altima.

The Audi A3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Altima’s 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 19 more horsepower (201 vs. 182) and 58 lbs.-ft. more torque (236 vs. 178) than the Altima AWD’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 13 more horsepower (201 vs. 188) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (236 vs. 180) than the Altima’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi A3 is faster than the Nissan Altima:

	A3	Altima AWD	Altima
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.6 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15 sec	15.9 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91.3 MPH	89.5 MPH	90.2 MPH

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the A3’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Altima doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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

	A3	Altima
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.65 inches

The A3 stops much shorter than the Altima:

	A3	Altima
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	131 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	129 feet	140 feet	Consumer Reports

For better traction, the A3 has larger tires than the Altima (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 Altima SV’s standard 55 series tires.

The A3 Premium Plus handles at .89 G’s, while the Altima SV AWD pulls only .84 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 Altima SV AWD (26.3 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the A3’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the Altima’s (36.5 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The A3 is 1 foot, 4 inches shorter than the Altima, 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 Altima’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 Altima 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 Altima doesn’t offer a power trunk.

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

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

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 Altima doesn’t offer a memory system.

The A3’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Altima’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the A3 and the Altima 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 Altima prevents the driver from operating the other 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 Altima’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 all of them 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 Altima can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Altima’s power window (except driver 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 Altima’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Altima doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The A3’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The Altima doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

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 Altima’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 Altima offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Audi A3 and Nissan Altima 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 Altima’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The A3 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Altima.

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

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 Altima doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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