2019 Audi A3 vs 2020

What's the difference?

Great looking and good to drive, if only the A3 35TFSI Sedan was better value for money, had more advanced safety tech and a little extra room.

Well, you might want to hold onto your money and wait. A new generation A3 is coming within the next 18 months and it should tick a couple more of those boxes – can you wait that long?

When the Audi A3 Sedan made its world entrance in 2013 it showed how a small car could be elegant, sporty and not a hatchback. The 40 TFSI S line plus looks almost like a last hurrah for the car before the next-gen A3 comes in 2020. You may want to wait for that if you’re concerned you’ll be driving a new car with the old look, or buy this one now and get good value for money. 

Comment call to action: Would you buy the current Audi A3 Sedan knowing that a new-gen one is just around the corner? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

In my view, the second-most-beautiful small, four-door saloon on Earth is the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan. But the top award has to go to the Audi A3 Sedan. And that's saying something, because while the A-Class Sedan has only just arrived, the A3 Sedan has been around since 2013 - and it still looks stunning.

Yes, there has been some cosmetic surgery – the grille has grown and the headlights have been redesigned, but mostly everything has been left as it was when it first appeared six years ago.

That's a good thing, because it's beautiful; from that sharp character line which leads down the side to the little boot lip, to the perfect proportions which make it look like a mini Audi A8 limousine.

And it is small. The dimensions show it to be less than 4.5m long, two metres across (counting the side mirrors), and only 1.4m tall. How does that affect practicality? Hold your horses, we're getting there.

The A3 35 TFSI Sedan's cockpit has a modern design with clean styling, but that seven-inch media screen is beginning to look small compared to the latest, larger ones now that have now become common. The 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster you can see in my images (sorry about the dirty windscreen) looks amazing, but it's an option.

A3s, no matter what the grade, have almost identical cabins as standard – so you're not missing out on much in the way of luxurious touches by choosing the entry car. They all have the same aluminium inlays and metallic treatment on the air vents. The seats are leather, but they aren't the same sports buckets you'll get on the higher grades.

The A3 sedan has barely changed its look since it arrived in 2013 but it has aged superbly with the help of a few updates over the years. I’m a fan of its proportions with the long bonnet, short boot deck and high waistline.

This special edition accentuates the sporty look more with larger 18-inch alloy wheels in a five twin-spoke design in contrasting grey, an S Line body kit including badged metal scuff plates and sports suspension which lowers the ride height by 15mm.

The A3 sedan's cabin has barely changed since its 2013 arrival. The only indication it's been around for so long is the small media screen which slides itself in and out of the dash, the rest of the interior is still modern and stylish. More than making up for that small screen is the 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster that this special edition brings as standard.  

Leather upholstery is also standard and our car's was 'Rock Grey' in colour - a safer bet than white unless you plan on never eating or even just sitting in the car. 

The dimensions show the A3 Sedan to be 4458mm end-to-end, 1416mm tall and 1960mm wide (with the wing mirrors folded out).

Beware, this A3 could be the ‘old one’ soon. The new-generation A3 will make its debut in 2020 and will have a different look.

The A3 35 TFSI Sedan has five seats, but I'd only want to sit in two of them – yep, the front ones. Rear headroom is limited by that roofline to the point that I can't sit comfortably in the back (but I'm 191cm), but even if it was good, I've got almost zero leg room behind my driving position.

Boot space is good at 425 litres (85 litres more than the Sportback's cargo capacity), but cabin storage isn't terrific with two cupholders in the front but none in the back (you'll need to option them), a small centre console bin and tiny door pockets in the rear, but decent-sized ones in the front.

As for power outlets – there are two 12V points (one in the front and another in the rear) and one USB port which is for charging only.

The answer is no, not very practical. Not for somebody my height with my life. I’m not being mean, it’s the truth. I’m 191cm tall and I can barely sit behind my driving position because legroom and headroom is that tight.

I have a four-year-old and it was hard enough fitting a top-tether car seat in there with the low ceiling let alone trying to strap him in which saw me kneeling in the gutter.

Room up front is better and while I don’t have a headroom issue it’s still a snug fit for me with my wingspan.

Cabin storage isn’t great with just two cupholders on board (in the front), while door pockets are small and so is the centre console storage bin.

The special edition does bring more in the way of utilities such as a wireless charging pad, and you’ll also find two 12-volt outlets (one up front and another in the back) and two USB ports (up front).

The A3 sedan’s boot is pretty decent in cargo capacity at 425 litres which is 85 litres more than the Sportback, but that hatch is more practical due to a larger boot opening and the load space offered with the rear seats folded.

The A3 40 TFSI S line plus sedan lists for $50,900 and the regular A3 40 TFSI Sport lists for $48,400.

Audi says the special edition comes with up to $11,000 extra value. What does that equate to in extra features? Here’s what the S line plus gets over the regular car: 18-inch alloy wheels, proximity key, power adjustable and heated front seats, auto folding mirrors, sat nav, 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster, wireless charging, LED headlights and tail-lights, plus the S line body kit.

That’s in addition to the regular features such as a 7.0-inch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, CD player, eight-speaker stereo, leather-clad steering wheel with dual-zone climate control and leather upholstery.

Is it good value? Heck yes, and it’s more affordable than a similarly specified BMW 1 Series or Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

Keep in mind, though, the Sportback version of the 40 TFSI S line plus costs $1600 less and has the same features. It’s also more practical, but not as pretty to me. Let’s talk about that.

The 35 TFSI Sedan has a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine making 110kW and 250Nm. You may have noticed that officially it is called the A3 35 TFSI CoD. The 'CoD' stands for 'Cylinder on Demand' and refers to this engine's cylinder deactivation ability to run on just two when cruising. The fuel saving advantages to this are obvious, but what if you don't do a lot of cruising? See the fuel section below.

It's pretty astounding that an engine this small can make 110kW, but still that's not a huge amount of grunt, and the 40 TFSI above it in the range, with its 140kW, would be my pick.

Now, what the heck does the 35 in 35 TFSI mean? And for that matter, the 40 in 40 TFSI? Well, in 2018 Audi began changing those numerals after the model name, swapping the 1.4 TFSI for 35 TFSI.

Previously the 1.4 indicated the size of the engine, but now the numerals hint at how much power it makes. So, 35 is the designation for an output of between 110 and 120kW; 40 is for 125-150kW; 45 is for those that make between 169 and 230kW and so on all the way up to 70, which is for an output greater than 400kW.

The lowest power an A3 Sedan comes in is the 35, but the Sportback has an even lower output entry grade – the 30, which is for Audis that makes between 81kW and 96kW. In the case of the A3 30 TFSI Sportback, if you're playing at home, it's 85kW.

Clear as dirt mixed with water? Thought so. Back to the story.

The 35 TFSI has a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, which isn't as smooth as a regular auto, but it shifts faster than one for a sporty driving feel.

The A3 40 TFSI S line plus is a special edition but the engine hasn’t been given any extra grunt. Under that bonnet is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder making 140kW/320Nm, shifting gears is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine has cylinder deactivation and when not under load it can run on two cylinders alone. Audi says that after a combination of open and urban roads the A3 35 TFSI should use 4.9L/100km.

At the end of my week with the A3 35 TFSI I used 10.2L/100km, but I have to say that higher figure is down to driving it almost the entire time in the city (and also with a bit of enthusiasm). Having driven the entire A3 range I know that balancing this with motorway miles will bring that figure down dramatically.

According to Audi the A3 40 TFSI S line plus’s fuel economy is 5.8L/100km and that’s over a combination of urban and open roads driving.

My own testing saw a higher mileage. So, after 192km of motorways and daily commutes into the city I put in 18.8 litres of premium unleaded, which works out as 9.8L/100km.

If your only two criteria for a new car are that it be good looking and great to drive, then stop reading and buy the A3 Sedan now. Seriously, even though the engine in the 35 TFSI isn't that powerful, the balance and feel of the car when it was in my hands was excellent.

I've driven the entire A3 line-up from the 1.0-litre 30 TFSI to the RS3 monster at the top of the range, and it only gets better as you step up through the grades and models, with each adding more power and agility. But even at the very entry level that DNA is there for a great driving experience.

Our car was fitted with sports suspension that oddly comes with the Style Package, and even with the low profile 225/40 R18 Bridgestone Turanzas the ride was still comfortable and compliant.

The low centre of mass helps keep life composed, too. After having tested so many SUVs lately which often have a bouncy, rolly ride, it was refreshing to steer something low and composed; one that handled flat around corners and didn't become unsettled with a sudden change of direction.

Leave any doubts that the A3 40 TFSI S line plus isn’t a real Audi at the door, please. This might be a bargain from a prestige point of view but the dynamic ability and driving experience are exceptional.

Yes, the steering is a bit light and numb, and sure the ride on those 225/40 R18 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres with sports suspension frankly isn’t all that comfortable, but those of you looking for an engaging drive with pretty good acceleration (0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds) will be happy.

The Audi A3 40TFSI S line plus has comfortable supportive seats, good visibility and dimensions which make it the perfect little prestige limo for city parking and navigating through narrow lane ways.

The A3 was given the maximum five-star rating when it was tested in 2013 and while safety has come a long way since then Audi has updated the car with more advanced safety tech over the years, but even then you’ll have to option equipment that’s standard on most new cars.

Coming standard is AEB, traction and stability control, ABS and a suite of airbags.

Our car was optioned with the $1500 'Assistance Package' which adds adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, city AEB, and auto high beam. Also, part of the pack is 'Traffic Jam Assist' which will steer and brake the car, and 'Emergency Assist' which will bring the car to a halt if it detects an inactive driver.

For child seats you’ll find two ISOFIX mounts and three top tether points across the second row.

Lift up the boot floor and you’ll find a space saver spare wheel waiting to save the day.

The A3 35 TFSI is covered by Audi's three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or 12 months. That type of coverage used to be the norm five years ago, but now as more car makers move to five-year warranties, we would expect Audi to do likewise.

A service plan is available – it's a three-year/45,000km program which cost $1680.

This low score is down to the short warranty and a lack of service-by-service capped-price plan that spans a longer time period.

The A3 40 TFSI S line plus is covered by Audi’s three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or 12 months which is the same coverage as rivals BMW and Benz but falling behind the duration of the mainstream industry.

A service plan is available – it’s a three-year/45,000km program and costs $1680.

The low score here is down to that short coverage. Come on Audi, make it five years.