Compare the2023 Volkswagen ArteonVS 2023 Audi A3

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Arteon has standard Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The A3 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Arteon SEL Premium has a standard Area View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The A3 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Arteon has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A3’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Arteon has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the A3.

Both the Arteon and the A3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Arteon the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 220 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A3 has not been tested, yet.

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Arteon for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A3.

There are over 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Arteon’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 15 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Audi.

The Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 99 more horsepower (300 vs. 201) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 221) than the A3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Arteon has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the A3 FWD’s standard fuel tank (17.4 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Arteon has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the A3 Quattro’s standard fuel tank (17.4 vs. 14.5 gallons).

For better stopping power the Arteon’s brake rotors are larger than those on the A3:

The Arteon’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the A3 are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Arteon has larger tires than the A3 (245/45R18 vs. 225/45R17).

The Arteon SEL/SEL Premium’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the A3’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Arteon has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the A3. The Arteon SEL/SEL Premium’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the A3.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Arteon’s wheelbase is 8.4 inches longer than on the A3 (111.9 inches vs. 103.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Arteon is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than on the A3.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Arteon a Large car, while the A3 is rated a Subcompact.

The Arteon has 9.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A3 (96.5 vs. 87).

The Arteon has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 5 inches more rear legroom and 1.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the A3.

The Arteon SEL/SEL Premium has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

Consumer Reports rated the Arteon’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the A3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Arteon has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The A3 doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Arteon also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Arteon’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The A3’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

Both the Arteon and the A3 have standard heated front seats. The Arteon SEL Premium also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the A3.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Arteon SEL Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The A3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Arteon’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The A3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Arteon SEL Premium has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the A3.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Arteon has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the A3.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volkswagen Arteon and the Audi A3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Volkswagen Arteon outsold the Audi A3/S3/RS 3 by 25% during the 2021 model year.