Audi A3 Sportback review

The A3 hasn’t enjoyed the same lavish attention that Audi has festooned upon the latest version of the S3, which has transformed that machine into a more fun daily driver. But this remains a grown-up, sensible car to drive, which is no doubt what most grown-up, sensible people are after.

Still, turn-in is sharp, the ride is pliant and neutral, the driving position’s good and the quick steering encourages you to have a go at corners. Which you will, when you don’t have passengers. Throw all that together and you get a very fluid driving experience. It hints at sportiness without going the whole nine yards.

The brakes are the one major weakness: they prefer being stomped on, which gives you lots of modulation control on a fast road, but in town when it’s junction, junction, junction… they’re grabby and irritating. You’ll learn to put up with it, but still.

The 35 TFSI 1.5-litre 4cyl petrol that will be the default choice for many is a flexible unit. It can be hustled if you’re running late, but it will also tickle along economically too.

What’s the diesel like?

We were surprised at how rough the 35 TDI diesel felt in the A3 Sportback: clearly the money that once flowed to develop the best diesel engines in the business has dried up, for obvious reasons. Why would you go for the diesel now? It only manages around 4.5mpg more on paper and the 1.5 petrol matches or betters it for CO2. So not much company car incentive either. Not enough payoff for that £2k premium.

On the move, the diesel feels more sluggish under acceleration than the petrol, despite both units offering the same 8.1-second 0–62mph time. The front end feels heavier in corners, too, which makes the petrol the only worthwhile choice.

Come on then, let’s crunch the numbers.

Both the 35 TFSI and 35 TDI produce 148bhp (though the petrol manages 184lb ft of torque and the diesel 266lb ft). The petrol maxes out at 140mph and the diesel manages a speedy 141mph. CO2 emissions run from 119-127g/km in the petrol and from 128-137g/km in the diesel. Varies by trim, because different wheel sizes.

Official fuel economy is rated at 53.3mpg in the Sport 1.5 petrol, but goes steadily down to 49.6 in the Black Edition with the larger 19in alloys. Likewise the diesel runs from 57.6 to 54.3mpg. We’ve got close to the official numbers in all the A3s we’ve tried so far.

Audi has also added a 1.5 30 TFSI petrol to the range: 114bhp and 162lb ft are enough for 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds, and weirdly it’s more economical on paper as an auto than it is with Audi’s six-speed manual. 50.4 plays 53.3mpg, FYI. We’ve not driven that one yet, but the 35 TFSI seems worth the extra outlay.

And what of the plug-in hybrid?

Ah, yes. It gets the 35 TFSI’s 1.5-litre 4cyl engine but adds a 113bhp electric motor and 25.7kWh battery (of which you can use 19.7kWh) for 201bhp/258lb ft. Unsurprisingly it’s the quickest A3, seeing off the zero to 62mph sprint in 7.4s. Feels pleasingly sprightly too, even if the raw numbers don't really stand out.

The handover between electric motor and engine is fairly smooth, and the system works with the satnav to ensure electric power is used as efficiently as possible. A button in the centre of the dash allows you to switch between full EV or auto hybrid modes, which maximises electric running at lower speeds (ie around town) and minimises it at higher speeds (motorways). 

It works, too – on a 100-mile run setting off fully charged and taking in a mix of town and motorway traffic, we saw 80.3mpg. Audi claims 706.2-941.6mpg, but that's a wildly ambitious lab figure that might as well be plucked from thin air.

At the end of our test we still had 30 miles of electric range remaining, but there's a big flaw: Audi's auto hybrid mode is only effective if you use the in-built nav. So if you run Google Maps on Apple CarPlay or Android Auto – which won't supply the car with the right intel – it's going to hit you in the pocket. Oops.

Meanwhile paddles behind the steering wheel allow you to adjust the level of brake regeneration, but in its maximum setting it never feels that strong. Don’t expect one-pedal driving here like you find in some electric cars.

Is the A3 still better than a Golf? 

You might not immediately think of the Golf and A3 as direct rivals (even though they’re made from many of the same ingredients), but the fact there’s not much in it in terms of price means the Audi will surely be pulling people away from the VW showroom. It remains the car the Volkswagen merely aspires to be, with more purpose and gravitas to the driving controls. Posher image, too.

Is it better than a BMW 1 Series or Mercedes A-Class? The BMW is arguably more fun to drive, but doesn’t have the Audi’s range of talents; the Merc is certainly in a league below. For our money, the A3 Sportback leads the pack right now.