In-depth reviews

Audi A3 Sportback hatchback - Reliability & safety

We don't anticipate any nasty surprises but it's a shame some safety kit isn't standard

Carbuyer Rating

4.2 out of 5

Owners Rating

2.0 out of 5

Read owner reviews
Reliability & safety Rating

4.0 out of 5

Despite being an all-new model, the A3 is based on underpinnings and engines that are evolutionary rather than revolutionary, so we wouldn't have expected any major reliability upset, although Driver Power owner verdicts appear to contradict this. In terms of safety, however, the A3 does reasonably well – it scored five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests, but it's a shame some safety kit sits on the options list.

Audi A3 reliability

The A3 came 70th out of the top 75 models in our latest Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, with a below average score for reliability. Owners were most impressed with its engines and gearboxes. However, interior comfort and the infotainment system weren't highly praised.

Audi as a brand didn’t excel in the Driver Power survey, coming in 22nd place out of 29 manufacturers, behind all of its direct rivals except for Mercedes in 23rd. Reliability across the board for Audi was slightly better than average, with around 19% of respondents reporting a fault in the first year of ownership.

Safety

The A3 is a key seller for Audi, so the company will be pleased it has been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP score. The A3's Volkswagen Golf sister car already achieved a top safety result, with impressive scores across the board, and the A3 received 89% for adult occupant protection.

New safety features also make their debut in the A3, including Car2X technology that can communicate with local vehicles and infrastructure (where supported) to warn the driver of hazards, traffic and even how long it will be until a traffic light turns red or green.

It is a shame, however, to see how much safety kit is an optional extra. For the Technik trim, a lane change system is £500, while a Driver Assistance Pack with parking sensors, traffic sign recognition and adaptive cruise control is £2,100.

Which Is Best?

Cheapest

  • Name
    30 TFSI Technik 5dr
  • Gearbox type
    Manual
  • Price
    £25,140

Most Economical

  • Name
    40 TFSI e Sport 5dr S Tronic
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £35,195

Fastest

  • Name
    S3 TFSI Quattro 5dr S Tronic
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £39,045

Charlie writes and edits news, review and advice articles for Carbuyer, as well as publishing content to its social media platforms. He has also been a regular contributor to its sister titles Auto Express, DrivingElectric and evo. As well as being consumed by everything automotive, Charlie is a speaker of five languages and once lived in Chile, Siberia and the Czech Republic, returning to the UK to write about his life-long passion: cars.

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