Compare the2026 Audi A3VS 2026 BMW 3 Series Sedan

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi A3 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 A3 and 3 Series Sedan 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 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.

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 BMW 3 Series Sedan, which scored only a “Marginal” in these critical safety features.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the A3. But it costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

The A3 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 A3 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 A3 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

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

The A3 stops shorter than the 3 Series Sedan:

For better maneuverability, the A3’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (36.5 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The A3’s turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the 3 Series Sedan xDrive’s (36.5 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Audi A3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 500 pounds less than the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

The A3 is 9 inches shorter than the 3 Series Sedan, making the A3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The A3 has a 3461 lbs. towing capacity. The 3 Series Sedan has no towing capacity.

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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A3 and the BMW 3 Series Sedan, based on reliability, safety and performance.