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Audi A3 vs Toyota Prius

What's the difference?

VS
Audi A3
Audi A3

$34,977 - $57,288

2022 price

Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius

$39,990 - $44,990

2021 price

Summary

2022 Audi A3
2021 Toyota Prius
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.5L

Inline 4, 1.8L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol/Electric
Fuel Efficiency
4.9L/100km (combined)

3.4L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Mild-hybrid interesting, but not a game-changer
  • Active cruise extra cost in premium version. Should be standard
  • Sportback looks don’t flatter the car

  • Polarising exterior
  • Dorky central instrument cluster
  • Not so engaging to drive
2022 Audi A3 Summary

If it was the original BMW 3-Series that invented the compact luxury car market segment all those years ago, then it’s probably fair to claim it was Audi’s A3 franchise that gave rise to the luxury small-hatch category.

On that basis, any new Audi A3 is news but, in the face of the SUV onslaught (including its own stablemate the Q3) the new small Audi has its work cut out for it.

With this update, there’s refreshed styling, a new interior layout and, for the launch of the new cars, two body styles, a conventionally styled sedan and what Audi calls the Sportback; fundamentally a five-door hatchback but with the German brand’s own flair plastered all over it.

As well as new connectivity and safety tech, the big news is the availability of a mild-hybrid driveline as well as a second powertrain option with more performance from a more conventional layout.

Interestingly, it’s that (mild) hybrid version of the A3 that represents the entry-level variant of the A3. A sign of the times? Perhaps.

As well as the two powertrains, there are two distinct chassis layouts, starting with a front-drive set-up and extending to the option of Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD) system.

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2021 Toyota Prius Summary

What to say about the Toyota Prius in 2021? A car that was once a technology trailblazer seems now to have become properly retro, even while it’s still being built and sold.

The awkward-looking wedge, an eco-punk icon, not only brought Toyota’s hybrid synergy drive to the masses, it also debuted the brand’s excellent TNGA architecture and set the scene for the company's absurd hybrid success, which now sees the RAV4 version topping the sales charts.

So, after all these years (25 to be precise), is the Prius’s time finally over? Or does this quaint hybrid hero still have more to offer? I took a top-spec I-Tech for a week to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2022 Audi A3 2021 Toyota Prius

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