The interior of the Audi A3 wasn't up to class standards. It wasn't me making that bold claim; it was the Audi executives and product people standing up in front of us to present the refreshed 2025 version of the car. Those same executives told us that the company wanted to fix the problem. To "give it more charisma" and to increase quality. I went to Munich, near the company's home of Ingolstadt, to find out if a cabin refresh that you can't see in photos will make the 2025 Audi A3 better than the car it replaces.

In order to provide you with an honest and unbiased review, Audi Canada flew and accommodated me and a bunch of other auto journalists to Munich, Germany to test drive the new A3 family for a day on public roads. For detailed insight into testing procedures and data collection, please review our methodology policy .

2025 Audi A3 First Impressions

The goal was to add quality, but the A3 refresh started on the outside with a new nose. The grille loses its chrome frame as it gets wider and taller, the side intake vents grow larger, and new headlights flip the DRL signature from bottom to top. It's meant to make the car look wider and lower, and it does that job well, even if it worsens the underbite look of the front of this little Audi. The changes in the back are even smaller, though they do include a new rear bumper and what the company says is a distinctive diffuser. We're not convinced about that distinctiveness.

The interior is nearly identical at first glance. Look long enough, and you might clock that the steering wheel airbag is smaller and rounder and that the gear selector is much smaller. The improvements to so-called charisma and quality come by way of new materials. Nicer-looking decorative fabric inlays and a new chrome blade help with that. As does the new ambient lighting system that lights up the door panels through a series of 300 laser-made cuts in the fabric panels. Audi's decorative inlays look and feel like suede, but the material is Dinamica. The synthetic material isn't new, but it now contains recycled polyester. The other fabric choice is made entirely from recycled polyester.

Exterior Dimensions

Driving Impressions And Performance

The steering is numb as far as letting you know if cornering forces are building or what's happening at the pavement, but responsive in that it is quick to turn in. Even against the backdrop of the sharper and more capable S3 I drove the same day.

It might even be more fun to toss into corners than the S3; less grip from the tires and a softer, more forgiving suspension setup let the car dance around a bit without worrying about exceeding smart sightlines or braking distances. Or the speed limits. But it will never feel exciting.

It will never talk to you about what's going on at the road surface. It's a progressive steering rack, delivering speed-dependent assistance and a more direct ratio when you crank it into a corner, but the rack doesn't make changes apparent enough that you'll notice. Instead, it just turns in nicely, while feeling confidence-inspiringly stable at ultra-high speeds.

Braking And Acceleration

Audi offers the A3 in North America with a 2.0L turbo-four under the hood, but the Euro-spec testers on-hand had about 75 percent of the displacement and a similar shortage of horsepower. Despite that, the driving experience should be similar. Our quicker car will still steer and stop the same, it'll just be faster. Despite only making 150 horsepower, the A3s I drove felt quick and responsive. This is still a small car, and isn't particularly heavy despite Audi's quattro AWD system, so 150 horsepower is enough. Enough for 200 km/h on the Autobahn and fun corner carving on German back roads. 200 should be a blast, and the familiar 2.0L (VW Group uses it in a load of models) does its job mostly quietly and competently.

Audi, along with its fellow German automakers, still design their cars for the unlimited speed sections of the Autobahn, but the country's quirky speed limits might be an even bigger challenge for a braking system. The brakes need to be able to haul the A3 down from 200 km/h in a hurry, but they also need to be able to hold up to secondary highways where the limits change from 50 to 100 to 50 sometimes multiple times per kilometer. The A3's brakes are up to either task, stopping in a hurry and with excellent stability when a Punto decides it wants to be in the left lane and not fading or shuddering in repeated hard stops.

• Acceleration 0-60 MPH: 6.0
• Braking: 60-0 MPH: N/A

Performance Specifications

Audi A3 Fuel Economy

The EPA hasn't revealed official fuel economy figures for the latest A3, but without any performance changes you can expect the same 29 mpg city, 37 highway as the model that's being replaced. As far as my observed figures, the combination of a shorter test distance than normal, Autobahn speeds, and a smaller engine make comparisons pointless.

Interior Design And Comfort

The Audi A3 is a small car with a huge cabin, and that goes double for our Euro-spec testers that didn't have the standard in the U.S. and Canada panoramic roof. Even with the huge roof, though, all but the tallest drivers and passengers should have space in the front in every dimension. They'll have space in the rear, too, though this is a compact car, so legroom isn't in abundance.

It used to be a cabin with too many cheap-feeling materials. Those are gone, with the A3 feeling much more upscale than the model it replaces as a result.

At night (or in a parking garage), the interior's new light-up panels are even cooler, delivering a lighting effect that makes the A3 feel extremely special. A steering wheel airbag that's positively tiny and the redesigned gear selector doesn't really add purpose, but they do look expensive. Now-standard wireless charging is another perk, and Audi says its phone box helps boost your signal, valuable in both urban and rural areas.

Interior Dimensions

Technology And Ease Of Use

Audi has updated its cabin tech, making the company's highly customizable Virtual Cockpit digital dash standard and upgrading the MMI system behind the 10.1-inch center screen. The dash allows the driver to pick from a massive array of different gauge layouts. It also lets you have the entire dash as a map. Including Google Earth satellite imagery. The display is crisp, and the map flows smoothly, making it great for navigation in new cities. The center screen's MMI system adds an app store, allowing for subscription and permanent apps to be added. You can also pick to add an app for only a limited time, which is a strange option, but it is a cool option to have. The system is easy to use if not always intuitive. Also new this year, wireless charging and the Audi phone box that boosts signal strength are standard.

Cargo And Storage Space

Though they’re big enough for people, you're probably more likely to use the back seats for hauling cargo, especially given the size of the A3's trunk. It's not that it's small by class standards - it's quite typical - it's that this is a small class of vehicles. A big door opening makes using the space easier. A four-point net mounted to the trunk floor liner is perfect for stopping your bags or other small items from pinballing around the trunk when it's time to enjoy the A3s handling. The split-folding rear seat goes quite close to flat, if not all the way, and that frees up even more useful space for your stuff. Of course the hatchback version of the car was also present at the event, offering even more cargo space as well as more headroom in the back. Another Euro-only tease, along with the diesel models I tried not to look at.

2025 Audi A3 Vs. Its Competitors

With the death of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan, the BMW 2 Series is the most obvious competitor to the A3. But beware that the 2 Series comes in two very different forms: The rear-biased coupe, which is like a smaller version of the near-supercar M4, and the Gran Coupe, which is a much closer competitor to the Audi A3. Especially in 228i form, whereas the M235i goes after the quicker Audi S3.

How The 2025 Audi A3 versus 2024 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe

• 	Audi A3	2024 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe
  Model	A3	228i Gran Coupe
  Engine	2.0L I4 Turbo	2.0L I4 Turbocharged
  Transmission	7-Speed Automatic	8-Speed Automatic
  Horsepower	201 HP	228 HP
  Torque	221 lb-ft	258 LB-FT
  Driveline	AWD	awd
  Fuel Economy	32 MPG Combined	28 MPG Combined

BMW traditionally aims its cars harder at a fun-to-drive experience, while Audi leans into the technology side. Still, both offer some cutting-edge tech, and both are on the sharp end of the compact sedan field when it comes to driving enjoyment. While Audi hasn't yet priced the 2025 A3, the 2024 model starts at $35,800. That's far enough under the BMW 228i's $38,400 starting price that it's unlikely the Audi will end up more expensive than its fellow German.

Performance

BMW offers more power from its 2.0L turbo-four, making 228 hp versus 201 in the Audi. That extra power makes it quicker, it also makes it more thirsty. BMW says the 228i should get 24 mpg city, 34 highway, against the 29/37 we expect the A3 to achieve (based on 2024 numbers).

Comfort

Despite the coupe-like roofline, the BMW offers more headroom for front and rear passengers, though Audi does nip it for rear legroom. The Audi has less trunk space, though, by enough to make a significant difference. With a fresher cabin and newer tech, the A3 should deliver a better experience for the driver and passenger than the BMW, especially for buyers who want the optimal entry-luxury experience.

Technology

Audi's virtual cockpit display helps it win out on the tech front, but these two have some big differences. BMW might not offer apps on demand like Audi, but it does offer a very effective "Hey, BMW" voice control system that helps make many on-screen or even on-button commands unnecessary.

Audi said its goal with the 2025 A3 was to add charisma and improve quality. I'm not sure it feels any more charismatic than the car it replaces, but it certainly feels more worthy of its price tag. The 2025 A3 has just enough fun features, like those illuminated door panels, to feel special, and the cabin materials now feel like you're getting your money's worth. Add that to the excellent ride and handling the A3 offered already, and the brand's smallest model in North America is suddenly a much more appealing package. Last year, the A3 felt small and fun, but cheap. Now it feels small, fun, and refined.