Compared: 2022 Audi A3 Sedan vs. 2022 Audi A4 Sedan
When it comes to this pair of small Audi luxury sedans, it's anything the A4 can do, the A3 can do better — almost.
Audi | A3 (top), A4
QuickTakes:
The 2022 Audi A4's assumed advantage over its smaller luxury sedan sibling, the 2022 Audi A3, is right there in the name: four is greater than three. However, in practically every other area, the subcompact A3 matches the compact A4. In some cases, it's even better. And that's not a knock on the A4. Nor is it a surprise: The 2022 A3 is nearly identical in size to the A4 of 14 years ago.
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The Larger A4 Has a Bigger Price and Additional Engine Option
The A3 has a starting price of around $35,000 in base front-wheel-drive (FWD) Premium trim. Adding all-wheel drive (AWD) is an additional $2,000. The mid-level Premium Plus starts at about $38,000, and the range-topping Prestige starts at just above $42,000.
Audi no longer offers a front-drive A4, so with traction at all four wheels the base trim starts around $40,000, and is more expensive than an A3 optioned with AWD. The A3 and the A4 use a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine making 201 horsepower.
The slightly larger Audi four-door offers an upgrade engine option tuned to produce 261 horsepower, starting with the A4 Premium 45 at nearly $44,000. The top-trim A4 rings in at around $52,390 and just over $53,000 for the more powerful engine.
Both Audi sedans come only with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
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Features Remain the Same Across Models With Subtle Differences
In base Premium trim, these two Audi luxury sedans are practically identical in terms of creature comforts. Both interiors are headlined by a 10.1-inch touchscreen in the center stack, providing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Both boast a power panoramic moonroof and pamper passengers with heated leather seating up front.
And in truth, each model's Premium Plus and Prestige trim levels offer many of the same niceties. Adaptive cruise with lane guidance comes with Premium Plus trim on both cars, and a head-up display is a staple of the Prestige trim in each.
There are a few subtle and sometimes curious differences. In the A3, the 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus — a digital instrument cluster display — is part of the Prestige trim, while it comes with Premium Plus A4s. Oddly enough, the subcompact A3 offers wireless charging, a feature unavailable in the larger sedan.
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The smaller and Quicker A3 Beats A4 Across the Fuel-Economy Board
The smaller four-door A3 beats its counterpart across the board with EPA fuel-economy estimates of 29/38/32 mpg city/highway/combined with FWD and 28/36/31 mpg with AWD. The A4 scores an estimate of 26/34/29 mpg, while the sportier trim pays for its performance with 24/30/26 mpg.
All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.
