Battle of the Beasts: A Comparison of the 2022 Audi A3 and the Mazda 3

The starting price of the Audi A3 Sportback 35 TFSI is $46,900, and it includes on-road costs. In comparison, the starting price of the Mazda 3 X20 Astina hatch is $42,690, and it does not include on-road costs. This provides Mazda with an immediate advantage of $4,210.

If we had been comparing the sedan versions of these cars, the Audi would have come in at a significantly higher price of $49,400 because of the way the German manufacturer structures its pricing for the A3 series, whereas Mazda prices the three hatch and the three sedan in the same range.

The magnificent 19-inch Audi Sport alloy wheels seen here cost $1500, and the Glacier white metallic paint cost $1250; both of these options were standard on our Audi test vehicle, which came with a couple of grand’s worth of additional features as standard equipment.

This could raise the as-tested price up to $49,650 before on-roads fees, but the fact that there is currently no wireless smartphone charger on the market results in a $260 reduction, bringing the as-tested price down to $49,390.

However, the gorgeous Soul Crimson Crystal metallic paint that was on our test car comes at an added cost of $595, bringing the total price to $43,285 in addition to any applicable on-road costs. In the meantime, the Mazda comes with nearly every little thing as regular, as there are no choices or possible packages in terms of the tools.

The brand new Audi A3, in both its front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive iterations, has been awarded a perfect five-star ANCAP safety rating with a date stamp of 2020. The all-wheel drive versions of the 40 TFSI Quattro and the S3 remain unrated.

It received a score of 73 out of 100 for security assistance, 89 out of 100 for the safety of its adult occupants, 81 out of 100 for the safety of its child occupants, and 68 out of 100 for its vulnerable street clients.

The Mazda 3 received a perfect score of five stars in all categories of safety testing conducted in 2019 by both Euro NCAP and ANCAP.

It received a score of 98 percent for the safety of adult occupants, 89 percent for the safety of child occupants, 81 percent for the safety of vulnerable street consumers, and 76 percent for the safety of those providing assistance.

Many people considered the cabin of the previous version of the Audi A3 to be the standard to which all other compact cars should aspire. Even while it is still quite good, this new one is most likely not going to be as dominant as its predecessor was.

This is something that has been observed across the board by the majority of premium manufacturers and across the majority of market categories, as manufacturers pack in extra choices and technology.

That’s not to say that the cockpit of the A3 isn’t a comfortable place to spend some time, though.

Some displays are gorgeous and crystal clear, good ergonomics and an honest combination of soft-touch materials and surfaces.

The cabin of the three is, much like the cabin of its partner crossover, the CX-30, brilliantly conceived and made, with attention to detail as well as fit and finish that is more than a match for premium-branded choices, like the Audi.

The A3 is built on the tried-and-true MQB platform developed by Volkswagen Group, which, for this most recent iteration of the vehicle, has undergone even further development and improvement. It is already excellent in the related Mk8 Golf, but what if it had a more expensive badge?

Well, as we observed on the Australian media launch drive, the A3 is a cushy, mature car to drive and has the sensation of driving a downsized premium automobile, despite the fact that it is not fantastic. This was something that we noticed about the A3.

Even though it uses a less refined torsion beam rear suspension system in comparison to the Audi’s multilink rear, as soon as you set off in the Mazda, its fluid steering and properly damped experience give the impression that a lot of work has gone into making the three really feel a cut above the mainstream set. This is the case even though the Audi uses a multilink rear suspension system.

When travelling at speed, the Mazda provides more protection from the noise of the road and the wind than does the Audi.

It has already established itself as a standard within the mainstream segment, and it is more than capable of competing with compact German automobiles such as the Audi and others.

The outer mirrors of the A3 come standard with heating components that help clean the mirrors off so the driver has greater vision. Only the Mazda 3 Turbo comes standard with heated mirrors from Mazda.

The Audi A3 comes standard with a two-zone air conditioning system, which enables the driver and front passenger to select temperatures that are entirely distinct from one another. As a result, individuals who have varying tastes regarding temperature won’t have to make any sacrifices.

This ensures that the driver and front passenger enjoy the highest possible level of comfort.

The Mazda 3 Select, Preferred, Premium, and Turbo are the only trim levels that provide the option of dual-zone air conditioning.

Rear vents are standard on the Audi A3 and the Mazda 3, respectively. The Audi A3 comes equipped as standard with air conditioning vents for the rear seats, which serve to keep passengers in the back seat area cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Only heat vents are available in the back of the Mazda 3, and not air conditioning vents.

The Park Steering Assist feature that may be added to an Audi A3 as an option can either parallel park or back into a parking place on its own, with the driver just needing to regulate speed using the brake pedal. There is no provision for an automatic parking system in the Mazda 3.