Mercedes-Benz A-Class vs. Audi A3: German battle
June 04 2021,
In the luxury subcompact segment, the fight is fierce, especially between German manufacturers who are always looking for the element that allows their products to be ahead of the direct competition.
That's what you see when you pit the Mercedes-Benz A-Class against Audi's A3. In fact, each one tries to offer something that the other lacks, in order to differentiate itself. This couldn't be more striking than with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which, during its latest redesign, was given the tools it needs to confidently take on any competitor.
Including the Audi A3. Let's see why the Mercedes-Benz representative is a few steps ahead.
Year of design
The first thing that jumps out at you when you look at the history of each model is that there is a five-year difference between the arrival of one and the other on the market. In today's automotive world, that's an eternity. So the A3, redesigned one last time for 2014, seems a decade, maybe two, behind the current A-Class, introduced in 2019.
This is especially noticeable when you look at the dashboard. Mercedes' consists of a massive screen that splits into two and gives you one of the most advanced multimedia systems in the industry, MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience). Audi's is classic in its presentation and the multimedia system is outdated.
Hatchback
The Mercedes-Benz lineup is more complete in every respect, including body configurations. The A-Class family includes a hatchback, something the Audi lineup lacks. Need I remind you of the relevance of offering this type of variant with a small-sized model? It gives the buyer who needs space an alternative.
The drive
In the past, the driving pleasure of the three German manufacturers was mainly found in BMW and Audi, to the detriment of Mercedes-Benz. This is no longer the case. The oldest German manufacturer has managed to keep its DNA of great comfort and add a second identity in the form of exquisite sportiness. You only have to get behind the wheel of any AMG version to understand this.
Mercedes-Benz has nothing to envy in this respect.
For these reasons, and many others, the choice of the A-Class over the Audi A3 is dictated by simple common sense.
