Audi A3 vs Lexus ES250

What's the difference?

Can a hatchback still be a fun and fashionable way to get around when the SUV has become such a status trend?

The facelifted Audi A3 certainly makes a case for it.

The refreshed 2025 A3 is, as Audi puts it, more competitive than before when it comes to not only value but also, you might agree, style.

Last year, before the update even arrived, the A3 sold almost as well as its Volkswagen Golf corporate sibling. In fact, it’s Audi’s third most popular model behind the Q3 and Q5 SUVs.

It’s also third in its segment of ‘Small cars under $40,000’, behind only the MG4 electric car and, you guessed it, the VW Golf.

As such, it also outsells its actual closest rivals the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, both of which are close to the A3 on price.

Now that it’s been given a bit more razzle dazzle, let’s see if the A3 can keep that momentum going.

It may be shrinking but sizable fish still swim in the mid-size luxury sedan pool, with the German ‘Big Three’ (Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class) joined by the likes of Alfa's Giulia, the Jaguar XE, Volvo S60, and... the Lexus ES.

Once the brand's low-key, relatively conservative option, in its seventh-generation the ES blossomed into a full-blown design showpiece. And now it's received a mid-life update with an additional engine choice, upgraded tech, and a refreshed look inside and out.

Has Lexus done enough to bump the ES up the premium sedan ladder? We joined the local launch drive to find out.