Audi A3 Saloon review

When shopping in an Audi showroom, you don’t look at estate cars; you look at Avants. And you don’t look at hatchbacks; you look at Sportbacks. However, with the Audi A3 Saloon, the brand’s approach is much more Ronseal.

In fact, if anything, the name rather undersells it, because the swoopy roofline and extended tail give this four-door version of the A3 hatchback (sorry, Sportback) its own distinct identity.

There are currently two petrol engines and two diesels to choose from, but the range will later be expanded to include a plug-in hybrid variant and a high-performance S3.

Meanwhile, in terms of size, price and intent, the A3 Saloon’s closest rivals are the Mercedes A Class Saloon and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé, with mainstream variants aimed at those buyers and company car drivers who don't have the need – or perhaps the budget – for something bigger. 

In this review, then, we’ll look at how the three cars compare. But we’ll also see if the Audi A3 Saloon is good enough to let you downsize from something like an Audi A4 or BMW 3 Series without really losing much.

We’ll consider everything from how the cars drive, to how practical they are and how much they cost to run. And if at the end you decide any of them are right for you, be sure to check out the deals available through our New Car Buying service, because we could potentially save you thousands without you having to haggle.