Audi A3 vs Volvo V60

What's the difference?

Closing in on $60,000 for a small car isn’t cheap. Ask a car dealer and they might even say the hatchback is a good way to get someone into a showroom to eventually look at an SUV.

But I reckon you’d be doing the A3 a disservice to count it out. It’s always been one of those cars that does everything well, and with this current facelift manages to keep its practicality without becoming boring.

It looks good on the outside, it’s smart on the inside and it’s fun to drive while remaining sensible. Even if you get it in bright yellow.

The Volvo V60 Cross Country’s split-personality delivers urban civility and all-wheel-drive capability. Our city-slicker week with it confirmed the latter doesn’t compromise the former. It’s sleek and refined, well equipped for the money and safety is top-shelf. 

If you have multiple kids creeping up through their teens, you might need something a bit bigger, and ownership costs like fuel economy and servicing, while not tragic, could be better.

Overall though, a thoughtfully engineered, premium mid-size wagon that expertly balances form and function. 

Eye of the beholder and all that, sure, but the A3 looks cool from the outside. It’s got this angular design but manages it without being too aggressive or busy with other design elements, so it still has a ‘premium Euro’ feel to it.

Shooting pics of the car for this review, the harsh light accentuated its sharp lines. It looks sculptural rather than just some little blob. 

At the same time, thanks to the proliferation of sports design packs like the S Line, The A3 looks like it could be an S3, almost. Which makes sense, because the front bumper and rear diffuser as well as the roof spoiler are all partly inspired by RS models.

New for the A3 is the flat, 2D Audi badge, the model name on the B pillar and the new font for its name on the tailgate. 

The lights in the cluster are able to look narrower than before thanks to their customisable settings, which allow you to choose the light signature, while the grille has a flatter appearance and the air intakes are bigger. Even the wheels look like they’re from a sports car.

Whether you’d have the A3 in the Python Yellow of our test car is another thing. I don’t mind a loud colour but I reckon a bit of 'District Green', 'Ascari Blue' or 'Progressive Red' would be the vibe.

Also, any colour that isn’t white is a cost-option on the A3, all of them coming in at $1350, except Ascari Blue which is an Audi Sport colour and costs $1850.

Speaking of the vibe, inside the A3 feels properly nice. It’s not just a spruced up Golf in there. There’s proper Audi character to the car, though that means plenty of piano black trim to get smudgy.

Audi’s done a good job making the layout look sleek without resorting to locating all the controls in the screen. There are design elements in the cabin that aren't strictly necessary but are worth doing for the way they look.

Things like the way the vents flank the driver display or the trim inlay on the passenger side of the dash.

Full disclosure, I’m a long-time wagon fancier, appreciating their practicality and load capacity combined with easy, low centre-of-gravity driving dynamics. And the V60 Cross Country follows Volvo’s clean-as-a-Scandinavian-whistle design direction.

Soft curves, a gently tapering roofline and the occasional hard character line deliver a fuss-free exterior that’s contemporary and instantly recognisable as a Volvo.

Signature elements like the ‘Thor’s Hammer’ LED headlights, and tall, jagged tail-lights will be familiar to spotters of Swedish cars, and our test example’s classy ‘Thunder Grey’ paint finish enhances the understated, yet premium look.

The V60 Cross Country rides higher than the non-XC models available in other markets (197mm ground clearance vs 142mm) and adds a hint of toughness with dark wheel arch extensions, a chrome frame grille with black bars, high-gloss black side window trim and bright aluminium roof rails.

The interior is similarly understated, yet there’s plenty of visual interest thanks to the multi-layered dash, mixing soft-touch plastics and brushed metal elements with trimmed and stitched insert panels.

A portrait-oriented central multimedia screen and customisable digital instrument cluster add just the right amount of techiness, with a common-sense mix of digital and physical controls attached to various functions.

Speaking of which, the gearshift is “genuine Swedish crystal” made for Volvo by Orrefors. Not my cup of tea, but it’s distinctive.

With chubby, adjustable cushion and backrest bolsters, as well as customisable under thigh support, the front seats look racy but give nothing away in terms of comfort. The rear seats are also neatly contoured and the overall standard of fit and finish is top-shelf. 

Starting from what’s right in front of you as a driver, the steering wheel is the same as in bigger, more expensive Audis. That’s a good thing, because it’s nice to hold, has a good shape for the nine-and-three hand position and it’s not too thick. 

As well as the nice, clear buttons on the wheel, you’ve got some physical controls for the climate control and some of the vehicle functions like parking assist and stop-start under the multimedia screen.

For a car this size, the 10.1-inch central touchscreen is plenty big enough, and the fact it doesn't sit up high over the dash is great. It's like a perfect arm's length for your standard-sized adult (like me). I can reach the other side of the screen without needing to lean.

The fact there’s no head-up display is a bit of a let-down, but the now-standard 12.3-inch driver display is very good. It’s configurable yet clear, and means you can get detailed navigation information in front of you rather than having to look to the multimedia screen. 

The test A3 has genuine leather upholstery, which is $1100 extra. Not the most you’d pay for leather seats in a Euro, and the seats are comfortable. They're nicely bolstered, the drivers’ side is electrically adjustable and the leather doesn’t feel hard or rough to the touch.

Sitting behind my own seating position in the second row is a little tight, however. At 178cm, my knees almost touch the seat in front. There's also no sunroof, and even though there's just about enough light, that omission doesn’t help the cramped feeling.

There are, like the front, two USB-C ports and the air vents in the back, the latter separately adjustable to avoid arguments, though the cupholders in the armrest are in an awkwardly central position.

Behind that, under the 380-litre boot's floor is a space-saver spare tyre. That's better than some SUVs designed for family adventures that only offer up an inflator/repair kit. Keep that up, Audi. Good job. Well done. 

If you fold the rear seats, you get 1200 litres of space. Interestingly, those luggage space figures are the same as the BMW 1 Series.

At just under 4.9m long, a fraction over 1.9m wide and 1.5m tall the V60 Cross Country is a ‘large’ medium-sized wagon. And a lengthy 2875mm wheelbase means there’s a generous amount of space inside.

Plenty of breathing room up front but storage is a mixed bag. The (cooled) glove box is a decent size, there’s a lidded box (which doubles as a centre armrest) between the seats, and two big cupholders in the centre console with a sliding lid to cover them. Which is great if you want to hide odds and ends in there, rather than locate a couple of large cappuccinos.

However, in front of that, the wireless charging pad takes up a flat piece of real estate next to the gear shift and another small covered section further up rolls back to reveal an awkward little space that looks like a miniature swimming pool with a 12V socket at the deep end.

The lower front door pockets are long, although sliding even medium-size bottles in them is a bit of a struggle, however there’s a useful secondary space in the centre of the armrest.

Move to the back, and sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I enjoyed more than adequate head and legroom. 

Our kids, two of which are the same height as me, were rubbing shoulders with their slightly shorter older sister, so three across the rear is do-able for short-to-medium-length trips only. And the pronounced transmission tunnel in front of the centre position makes it the short straw option. 

That said, up to mid-teenagers will be fine for the full road trip experience.

There’s adjustable ventilation control at the rear of the front centre console and in the back of the b-pillars, while the fold down centre armrest incorporates a pair of pop-out cupholders. The door bins are decent and there are netted map pockets on the front seat backs.  

For in-cabin power and connectivity there are three USB-C sockets in the front (one media, two power-only) and another two in the rear, as well as that hidden 12-volt outlet in the front.

If you’re looking for a wagon, boot space is obviously a priority and the V60 provides 648 litres of volume with all seats upright, growing to 1431L with the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat lowered.

We were able to load in the large CarsGuide pram, with lots of room to spare, and our three-piece luggage set (36L, 95L and 124L) was also swallowed easily. 

A ski-port door in the centre rear backrest increases flexibility (but make sure those long loads are properly secured) and a fold-up cargo divider (with bag hooks on the back) is a thoughtful extra.

There are more shopping bag hooks on both sides of the boot, an extra netted space on the passenger side, a 12V socket and four flip-up anchors to safely tie-down loose loads.

The spare is an 80km/h speed-limited space saver and if you’re into towing, the V60 Cross Country is rated to haul an 1800kg braked trailer.

Also worth noting trailer-stability control is standard. Nice.

At $60,490, before on-road costs, the Volvo V60 Cross Country sits in the middle of three broadly comparable competitors - the Peugeot 508 GT Sportwagon ($65,657), Subaru Outback Touring ($55,990) and Volkswagen’s Passat Alltrack 162TSI Premium ($62,790).

A ‘civilian’ V60 is offered in other markets, in front- and all-wheel drive, powered by a variety of petrol and diesel engines. But the higher riding, all-wheel-drive Cross Country variant is the single choice here.

Hence the alignment with similarly priced ‘soft-roaders’ like the Outback and Passat Alltrack.

The $60K threshold is a pretty significant one, and at that money you have every right to expect a lengthy standard equipment list. And the V60 XC delivers.

Aside from the safety and performance tech covered separately, this five-seat wagon features a head-up display, 9.0-inch central multimedia screen (with touch or voice control), 12-inch driver display, leather-accented trim, four-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and start, Apple CarPlay, 10-speaker 220W audio (with digital radio), multi-adjustable electric front seats (with two-position memory on both sides) plus heated seats (front and rear).

Then there’s ‘Google built-in’ for four years (Google Assistant, Google Maps, Google Play and more), adaptive cruise control, auto LED headlights, 19-inch five-spoke alloy rims and a power tailgate. A solid package for the money. 

Our test example had several options lavished upon it in the shape of a 15-speaker, 1410W Bowers and Wilkins premium audio ($4200), perforated Nappa leather-accented interior trim ($3150), front seat massage function ($1100) and tinted rear windows ($750).

At an as-tested price of $78,690 the V60 starts to rub shoulders with premium players like the Audi A4 Avant 45 TFSI Quattro S Line MHEV ($78,200), but even then the value equation stacks up well.

The A3 is powered by a 1.5-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 110kW and 250Nm.

It drives the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and it can hit 100km/h in a claimed 8.1 seconds.

It’s also got a 48-volt mild hybrid system to help with efficiency, though you’d need to be told about it to notice. It also helps with the A3’s (smooth) stop-start system.

The V60 is powered by a 2.0-litre, all-alloy, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 183kW (from 5400-5700rpm) and 350Nm (between 1800-4800rpm). 

Drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission then a computer controlled Haldex AWD system built around a high-pressure hydraulic pump and multi-plate transfer clutch pack.

The B in the car’s designation stands for ‘Battery Charging System’ because it features a starter/generator unit in place of a conventional starter motor.

The set-up recovers kinetic energy from vehicle braking and stores it in a small 48V battery.

The system is then able to pull power from the generator, assisting the engine with a 10kW/40Nm boost, especially when starting off from rest and under acceleration.

It also helps power the standard stop-start function and deliver relatively modest fuel consumption and emissions reductions.

But the main benefit of this type of ‘mild-hybrid’ arrangement is improved drivability, which we’ll get to in the ‘Driving’ section.

The A3’s 50-litre fuel tank needs to be filled with RON 95 premium fuel and it’ll drink a claimed 5.3-litres per 100km on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

Theoretically you’re topping 900km a tank there, but given how fun this car is to drive you’d have to be well behaved to get even close.

For reference, whenever I was on a normal, day-to-day drive on test the A3's trip computer was returning figures in the mid to high sixes.

Volvo’s official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 7.4L/100km, the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four emitting 168g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a week of city, suburban, and some freeway running we averaged 10.1L/100km, which is acceptable rather than spectacular for a 1.8-tonne five-seat wagon.

Worth noting the standard stop-start system is one of the best, thanks to the efficiency of the 48-volt starter/generator, its operation is seamless.

Minimum fuel requirement is 95 RON premium unleaded and you’ll need 60 litres of it to fill the tank.

Using the official number, that translates to a range of around 810km, which drops to just under 600km using our real-world figure.

First things first, the A3’s exterior and S Line pack are a clue to the way the car drives. It’s probably not the perfect car if you like a cushy, soft ride. 

Its suspension errs towards the stiffer side of things, and certain bumps can feel more significant than they need to. But even on particularly bad roads or tram tracks in the city the dampers do a decent job of soaking up the harsh stuff.

It also means there’s more road noise than you’d like on some older highway surfaces, but only in a way that might get annoying if you’re on a road trip with the stereo off for some reason.

The upside of that is its steering feels well weighted and accurate. Plus, the way it handles and corners feels like a bit more grunt would make this a proper driver's car.

It’s not too intense, and there’s enough feedback to make it feel like the A3 shouldn't be a city-dweller only when it comes to driving.

Of course, it’s a hatchback, so you've got the advantages that come with less weight and a lower centre of gravity. 

It doesn’t have enough weight to push into understeer more than you’d like on a tight corner. But it also doesn’t feel so light that you’re not sure how it’s going to behave under sharp braking.

The A3’s drivetrain, despite looking underwhelming on paper, feels practical on the road. Sure, 110kW isn't anything wicked, but its 250Nm feel like they’re working in the right places - that being between 1500 and 3500rpm. 

It isn't blisteringly quick but even with the seven-speed transmission operating in default auto mode it usually feels like it's in the right place, let alone chipping in with 'manual' shifts via the paddles or shifting drive modes. The A3 has a choice of 'Normal' and 'Sport' shift settings.

You might be a little disappointed if you thought you’d be getting anything approaching a hot hatch, but for an entry-level model the A3 more than holds its own. It’s a solid platform that performs well without compromising too much when it comes to daily driving ability.

Volvo claims the V60 Cross Country will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds, and it feels every bit that quick behind the wheel.

This mid-size wagon might weigh in at a fairly chonky 1.8 tonnes, but its engine delivers peak torque (pulling power) all the way from 1800-4800rpm, which means there’s plenty of oomph lurking under your right foot across the mid-range.

Yet that urgency isn’t manic. The drive is civilised and commendably quiet, thanks in part to active noise control cancelling out unwanted frequencies.

Suspension is by double wishbones at the front and multi-links at the rear, the latter featuring a composite transverse leaf spring rather than more commonly used coils.

The result is impressive ride comfort, even over rutted and pock-marked urban roads.

Steering feel is good, the adaptive assistance system seamlessly adjusting the weight from agreeably light at parking speeds to appreciably heavier on the highway. And despite its increased elevation the V60 Cross Country remains balanced and predictable on a twisting b-road.

Braking is by (345mm) vented discs at the front, with (320mm) solid rotors at the rear and stopping power is strong, yet progressive. 

The configurable head-up display is a welcome inclusion and an 11.3m turning circle (not to mention a clear reversing camera and 360-degree view) makes parking and similarly tight manoeuvres a stress-free undertaking. 

Volvo has thoroughly thought through in-cabin ergonomics. The previously mentioned mix of physical and on-screen controls works well, and the availability of touchscreen or voice control for various functions is a big plus.

Walking through the screens and sub-menus in the central multimedia screen is quick and intuitive.

And even though we didn’t hit the great outdoors in this test, for those who regularly do, the V60 Cross Country’s clearance angles are, approach - 17 degrees, breakover - 18.4 degrees and departure - 22.4 degrees.

A quick game of automotive word association must surely pair safety with Volvo, and it’s no surprise the V60 Cross Country was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2019.

In the intervening four years ANCAP’s assessment criteria have become stricter, but that doesn’t mean this car has fallen off the pace when it comes to active (crash avoidance) tech.

For a start, its AEB system (with forward collision warning) operates from four to 250km/h, with pedestrian and cyclist detection in play up to 80km/h.

There’s also ‘Intersection Collision and Oncoming Mitigation with Brake Support’, ‘Steering Support’, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind-spot warning (with cross-traffic alert), ‘Front and Rear Collision Warning’ (with mitigation support), hill start assist, hill descent control and a reversing camera with 360-degree camera view.

Then, there’s rear cross-traffic alert (with auto brake), ‘Park Assist Pilot’ (for parallel and perpendicular spaces), tyre pressure monitoring, automatic rain-sensing wipers, auto adaptive headlights, ‘Emergency Brake Assist’ and ‘Emergency Brake Light’.

But if an impact is unavoidable there are six airbags on board (driver and front passenger - front and side, plus full-length side curtains).

Missing is the increasingly common front centre bag designed to minimise head clash injuries in a side impact.

There are three top-tether points for child seats/baby capsules across the second row, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

An active bonnet increases the distance between it and hard parts underneath to minimise injuries in a pedestrian impact, while multi-collision brake controls the car post-crash to lessen the chance of secondary collisions.

Audi offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is about par for a premium brand, but it also offers five years' free roadside assist and the ability to pay to extend the warranty.

Servicing is $2520 for a five year plan, but the extended two years of 'Audi Advantage' warranty is $3250 and comes with unlimited kilometres, roadside assist and covers two services.

The V60 Cross Country is covered by Volvo’s five year/unlimited km warranty, which is the current industry standard, with eight years roadside assistance as part of the deal.

Recommended service interval is 12 months/15,000km and Volvo offers capped-price servicing over three- or five-year periods. 

Three years comes in at $1750 (an average of $583 annually) and five years is set at $3000 ($600 annual average). 

Not over the top, but not exactly cheap, either. However, the set price means you can fold maintenance costs into a finance package if you’re purchasing the car that way.