2020 Audi A3 vs BMW 2 Series

What's the difference?

How does that well-known saying go: “More choice than an Audi model line-up”. OK, there is no old saying that goes like that but there should be because Audi model ranges seem to have more grades, variants and types than any other brand.

But wait, now there’s even more with the arrival of the A3 40 TFSI S line plus special edition.

There’s also an all-new A3 being readied just around the corner – it’ll make its debut sometime in 2020 and then you can expect it to be rolled out in its various forms in the next 12 months after that.

This explains why we’re reviewing a special edition here. Manufacturers throw more value behind what will be a last-gen car soon to affect an 'orderly run-out' at the end of that line. 

What’s so special about this special edition, then? Do you get anything extra over a regular A3 40 TFSI Sport which this edition supersedes? What’s the catch? How much more do they want? And will an A3 even suit your life anyway – is it practical, fuel efficient, fast? The answers are all here.

There’s occasional wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth over the question of whether a four-door car can be called a coupe.

Rover set tongues wagging close to 60 years ago with its P5 Coupe; to all intents and purposes a sedan with a lower, slightly swoopier roofline.

But in the 21st century, BMW has wiped the conversation aside and gone four-door coupe mad, even applying the tag to a couple of its X Series SUVs as well as a series of more conventional models.

So, rather than call in the coupe police, after they’ve visited Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, we’ll go with the flow and introduce you to the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, launching in two variants - the 218i (front-wheel drive, 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbo), and M235i xDrive (all-wheel drive, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo).