Audi A3 Saloon Review

The A3 Saloon proves that small saloons don't have to be dull. With a sharpish design, it stands out more than its hatchback counterpart, plus the interior has the same quality appeal as larger Audi saloons. Classy and upmarket, it majors on refinement and comfort, making it ideal as a cheaper alternative to the Audi A5

Of course, the big question is why a saloon? Something we'll answer in this Audi A3 Saloon review. The A3 Sportback is a popular five-door choice for people wanting a high-quality hatchback. It's also practical. And given that small saloons have never been big sellers in the UK, it would seem an odd move to introduce an Audi A3 Saloon. 

But while not an obvious choice, the A3 Saloon has quietly carved out a niche for itself - and indeed it's not alone. Mercedes has the A-Class Saloon, and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe.

Switching from the hatchback to a saloon design has been successful. While small saloons have traditionally been about as attractive as a hospital dinner, this one isn't half bad. In fact, we quite like it; those sharp lines mean that at a glance, it's hard to tell it apart from an Audi A5. 

Indeed, this is where a big part of its appeal will come from. For owners of an Audi A5 - or even Audi A6 - who are looking to downsize and want something cheaper to run but has that upmarket feel, the A3 Saloon could just fit the bill, rather than go for the default small SUV.

True, it's not an especially sporty drive, but the A3 Saloon's forte is comfort and refinement, which you'll really appreciate on long motorway trips. Here, there's very little difference with an Audi A5, the A3 Saloon proving a relaxed and undemanding car on long journeys. It's what we'd describe as 'grown up'.

It's certainly packed with plenty of tech, and all models have the Audi Virtual Cockpit as standard, along with a top-notch 10.1-inch touchscreen. Audi has one of the best infotainment systems around with a sharp display and an intuitive layout. All models get MMI Navigation Plus as standard, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you're down with the kids.

And as for the rest of the cabin, Audi has a form with designing some of the best interiors around. The Audi A3 Saloon is no exception. The stylish design gives it a modern and upmarket feel, but it's also functional. Those in the back may find leg room on the tight side, but the boot is surprisingly big, and you even get folding rear seats.

If you're after a compact saloon with a bit of quality and lots of refinement, the Audi A3 Saloon will tick all the right boxes. Whether we'd choose one over an A3 Sportback is another matter.

Unless you're doing big miles, the 150PS 1.5-litre TFSI is the best engine to go for. It's a 1.5-litre petrol that's smooth and very easy to drive, especially if you opt for the seven-speed S tronic gearbox, which suits it really well.

The TDI is a 2.0-litre diesel with the same 150PS and is a mainstay of the Audi range. It's incredibly quiet and refined for a four-cylinder diesel, plus of course it's very economical with a claimed 55-59mpg.

The 116PS petrol is fine if you mostly drive in town, but the more powerful 150PS TFSI engine is the one that really suits the A3 Saloon. It feels more effortless, more refined and better matched to the car’s slightly more upmarket character.

As for which trim to pick, the entry-level Sport trim comes with most things you need and probably comes with the most forgiving ride thanks to the smaller 17-inch alloy wheels, but some buyers will prefer the sharper aesthetic of the S line and Black Edition cars.

The current A3 Saloon starts at £30,895 in Sport trim. Step up to S line and prices start at £33,175, while Black Edition starts at £35,980. Final pricing then rises further depending on engine and options.

Small saloons haven't traditionally been popular in the UK, mainly because they look terrible and aren't very practical. So you're not awash with rivals, the main one being the Mercedes A-Class Saloon, which goes down a similar path of comfort and classiness. 

However, Mercedes-Benz no longer takes A-Class Saloon orders as it's being discontinued. But there's also the larger CLA, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, Peugeot 508, and Skoda Superb.

Perhaps a little surprisingly, the A3 Saloon’s 425-litre boot is one of the reasons to choose it over the A3 Sportback. It's larger, on paper at least, than the hatchback’s 380 litres, but isn't quite as practical in use. That said, the boot is surprisingly versatile with a wide and square opening, meaning you can get a bulky pushchair in (and various children's scooters) without any issues.

Size-wise, it also places the A3 Saloon reasonably well against its key rivals. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe offers 430 litres, while the Mercedes-Benz CLA has 460 litres. Against that, the A3 Saloon’s 425 litres stands up well for everyday use.

Passenger space is also strong enough for this class. Up front, the A3 Saloon feels more generous than its compact footprint suggests, with a low but comfortable driving position, good seat adjustment and enough width that it never feels cramped.

Rear space is good rather than exceptional, but it's perfectly usable for everyday family life. Two adults can sit in the back in reasonable comfort, and there's enough legroom for normal journeys without knees ending up pressed into the seatbacks. Headroom is decent too, though the lower roofline means very tall adults will notice that this is still a compact saloon rather than something from the class above.

The Audi A3 Saloon is around 4,504mm long, 1,816mm wide (excluding mirrors) and 1,417mm high. Those figures help explain why it works so well. It's compact enough for town and parking, but grown-up enough inside to feel like a genuine small family car.

The Audi A3 Saloon’s infotainment is one of the areas where it feels convincingly premium. Sport trim might be the entry level version, but it brings MMI Navigation Plus with a high-resolution 10.1-inch touchscreen, Audi‘s Virtual Cockpit Plus 12.3-inch digital instrument display, Audi Connect services and wireless smartphone integration.

That means the A3 Saloon doesn’t force you into higher trims just to get the tech that most buyers will actually want. S line and Black Edition build on that with a richer visual presentation and extra ambient-lighting and styling touches, while the optional Technology Pack and Technology Pack Pro add items such as Sonos audio, a head-up display, matrix LED headlights, a panoramic roof and surround cameras.

The whole setup feels clear and well integrated, which suits the A3 Saloon’s mature character. The weakness is that some of Audi’s menus still take a little familiarisation, and the latest rivals now offer a flashier digital theatre experience. Even so, the A3 Saloon’s system still feels more intuitive and more complete than many mainstream alternatives.

Material quality is one of the Audi A3 Saloon’s key strengths. The dashboard, switchgear and main touchpoints all feel convincingly premium, and there's still more substance here than you get in a lot of compact rivals.

It's not a huge car, so some harder plastics lower down remind you of that, but the overall feel is strong. The A3 Saloon still manages to feel special enough inside to justify the Audi badge.

Your jaw probably won't be hitting the ground when you discover that the Audi A3 Saloon uses the same engines as the Audi A3 Sportback. That means there’s a choice of two petrol engines and one diesel. 

The 116PS 1.5-litre TFSI is the entry point and it's perfectly acceptable if most of your driving is local or urban. It keeps the A3 Saloon feeling smooth and refined enough, but it's not the engine that really brings out the car’s more premium character.

The 150PS 1.5-litre TFSI is the best all-rounder for most buyers. It's noticeably stronger, more effortless and better suited to the way the A3 Saloon likes to go about its business. 

The 1.5-litre TFSI engines also feature a cylinder-on-demand system along with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, which recovers energy when slowing down or braking. It actually gives the engine an extra 50Nm of torque under acceleration from low engine speeds and means the A3 Saloon can also coast with the engine switched off in many situations.

Finally, there’s the 150PS 2.0-litre TDI. While it won’t be for everyone, if you’re going to be doing a lot of motorway driving, then this is the one to go for. All besides the TDI can be equipped with a six-speed manual or the S tronic gearbox, the TDI is S tronic only. 

One option though that you can’t have with an A3 Saloon is a plug-in hybrid powertrain - if you want to waft along electric power alone for upwards of 80 miles, you’ll need to have a look at the A3 Sportback.

Want something with a bit more punch? Take a look at our Audi S3 review - a sporty, four-wheel-drive performance version of the A3 Saloon. 

The Audi A3 Saloon majors on serenity and refinement rather than sportiness, with a forgiving ride combining with quiet engines to make this feel reassuringly agreeable from behind the wheel. What it lacks in excitement, it makes up for in comfort.

And for many drivers, this will be a big plus in the Audi A3 Saloon. You know exactly what you're getting here - a comfortable and smooth-riding car that is undemanding to drive.

Go for an S tronic automatic, which we'd recommend whatever engine you choose, and you'll find lovely, quick and slick shifts that are barely noticeable, yet it responds well when you need power for that nippy overtake.

It's safe and reassuring through corners, whether tight country bends or high-speed slip roads. True, the steering, although reasonably well weighted, isn't exactly bursting with much in the way of feedback - there's little in the way of driver engagement here, but it's precise. The light steering is also great for those multi-storey car parks and parallel parking.

You can go for the sportier S line models, which get sports suspension and a 15mm lower ride height. This provides a firmer ride, not helped by the S line’s standard-fit 18-inch alloy wheels. It’s not uncomfortable, but we reckon the standard springs suit the A3 better.

It may be a saloon, but the high design of the boot means it's easy to judge where the back of the car is when parking, plus, of course, all models come with rear parking sensors as standard anyway.

Refinement is one area where the Audi A3 Saloon really excels. While it may not be that engaging to drive, it is incredibly refined on the move, feeling as good as Audi's bigger saloons like the Audi A6. 

Sit at 70mph on the motorway and regardless of which engine you choose, the Audi A3 Saloon is incredibly quiet with little road or wind noise, helped by a more streamlined design compared to the old version. This is also helped by the standard-fit acoustic windscreen.

The petrols are very quiet, while the 2.0-litre diesel is one of the best around, with smooth performance and very little noise. Most of the time, it's easy to forget it's a diesel, thanks to impressive sound insulation, plus there’s no noticeable vibration through the pedals or steering wheel.

The Audi A3 Saloon has a maximum five-star rating from the independent safety organisation Euro NCAP. The test results list the A3 with scores of 86% for adult occupant protection, 81% for child occupant protection, 76% for vulnerable road users and 74% for safety assist.

The current car also comes with a useful spread of safety and driver-assistance technology. Depending on version, that includes lane departure warning, parking assist, adaptive cruise control and the broader assistance features buyers now expect in a premium compact car.

The 150PS TFSI remains the most straightforward choice for most buyers, because it offers strong enough performance without looking excessive on fuel use – depending on the exact version, you should get up to 51.4mpg according to official figures. The diesel is the stronger option if you do a lot of motorway mileage, with an official fuel economy of up to 58.9mpg. The entry-level 116PS TFSI petrol will manage up to 54.3mpg.

The A3 Saloon comes with Audi’s standard three-year warranty in the UK, made up of two years of unlimited-mileage cover and a third year up to 60,000 miles.

Servicing should be straightforward enough through the wide Audi network, but the brand’s premium nature means it’ll be a touch pricier than some other brands.

For most Audi A3 Saloon models registered under the current system, the standard annual VED (Vehicle Excise Duty, or road tax) rate is £200 after the first year. That's the figure most buyers will care about as an ongoing running cost.

Pricier A3 Saloon versions will trip the threshold for the £40,000 expensive car supplement, which adds £440 a year for five years from the second tax payment. In practice, that means affected cars cost £640 a year in VED during that period before dropping back to the standard annual rate afterwards.

Higher trims can move into that territory quite quickly, and the extra tax makes a noticeable difference to ownership costs over those five years.

The current A3 Saloon range is built around Sport, S line and Black Edition.

A3 Saloon Sport is the straightforward entry point and already looks well equipped. Standard highlights include MMI Navigation Plus with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus with a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, Audi sound system, Park Assist with Parking System Plus and heated front seats. That means it already feels like a proper premium compact car rather than a sparse base model.

A3 Saloon S line is the trim many buyers will be drawn to. It builds on Sport with S line exterior styling, privacy glass, the multi-coloured LED Interior Lighting Pack, stainless steel pedals and Audi Beam that projects the logo onto the ground. It's the trim to choose if you want the sharper visual package without sacrificing the A3 Saloon’s everyday polish.

A3 Saloon Black Edition sits at the top of the regular range and adds the strongest visual identity. It builds on Sport and S line with the black styling package across the grille, side windows, bumpers and door mirrors, plus Audi rings in anthracite grey. It's the trim to choose if you want the fullest regular A3 Saloon package and the most assertive look.