Audi S3 vs Holden Barina
What's the difference?

Audi S3

$73,980 - $98,888

2025 price

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Holden Barina

$6,534 - $14,996

2018 price

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Aston Martin Vanquish

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz A45

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA250

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Summary

2025 Audi S3

2018 Holden Barina

By Emily Agar

By Matt Campbell

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Inline 4, 1.6L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

7.9L/100km (combined)

6.6L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Athletic and sporty in all the right places
Improved engine outputs
Gorgeous cabin space

LT looks cool
Good headroom
Decent boot

Dislikes

Tiny back seat
Missing some premium features
Lots of road noise

Not fun to drive
Underwhelming engine
Feeling its age

2025 Audi S3 Summary

In a world where car upgrades often feel like saying, “Can I upsize that?”, it’s refreshing to hop into the updated Audi S3 Sportback.

The flagship RS 3 may still be the holy grail of hot hatch dreams, but with boosted engine outputs and upgraded tech, the S3 is stepping up.

Is the S3 Sportback the smarter pick over pricier rivals? It delivers serious performance and polish without stretching into RS 3 territory. With fierce competition in the segment, let’s see what this contender brings to the table.

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2018 Holden Barina Summary

The Holden Barina is a nameplate that is arguably better known than many of the others in the company’s line-up. It has been around longer than Trax, Equinox, Colorado, Trailblazer, Spark… in fact, longer than everything but Astra and Commodore.

The current-generation Barina itself has been around for a while, too: it launched way back in 2012, and it’s fair to say the market has moved on a long way since then. But so has the Barina, following a refresh late in 2016 - and it remains one of the roomier offerings in the segment, and one of the keener-priced cars, too.

In fact, it managed to run eighth in terms of sales in the declining light-car segment in 2017… and yet, with nearly 4000 cars sold, there are still plenty of people interested in the Barina model.

So, does it still stack up?

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Audi S3 2018 Holden Barina

Verdict

The updated Audi S3 Sportback is a fun-sized dynamo with impressive outputs and athletic road manners. It’s missing a few premium features, but its compact size paired with a gutsy engine makes it a compelling option for drivers who don’t want to compromise on performance (just space).

Verdict

Would I recommend you buy a 2018 Holden Barina? In a word, no. There are better light cars out there for close to the money - cars that are more modern, more sophisticated, more refined, more efficient and better equipped.

At this point in time the Barina still has its place - if you just need a cheap set of wheels, I guarantee you will be able to score a good deal. But if it were me, and it was my money - but I had to buy a Holden - I’d be checking out the slightly smaller Spark (and saving a few bucks in the meantime) or trying to stretch the budget to the larger Astra.

Audi S3 vs Holden Barina What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi S3 vs Holden Barina
What's the difference?