2020 Audi A3 vs Honda Civic

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.

The clue’s in the name.

A permanent fixture of the small-car scene for nearly 50 years, the Honda Civic has long been a strong urban runabout proposition, providing quality, efficient and progressive engineering at affordable prices.

For 2020, a minor raft of changes to the hatchback version strives to improve what’s been a roomy, refined and enjoyable alternative to the Toyota Corolla since 2017.

Here we take a longer look at the Civic RS – one of the more popular and sportier grades in this 10th-generation series – to see how effective the updates are, as small cars struggle to stay relevant against the onslaught of compact SUVs.