2020 Audi A3 vs Honda Civic

What's the difference?

When the Audi A3 Sedan made its world entrance in 2013 it showed how a small car could be elegant, sporty and not a hatchback. The 40 TFSI S line plus looks almost like a last hurrah for the car before the next-gen A3 comes in 2020. You may want to wait for that if you’re concerned you’ll be driving a new car with the old look, or buy this one now and get good value for money. 

Comment call to action: Would you buy the current Audi A3 Sedan knowing that a new-gen one is just around the corner? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

The Civic RS may look like it was designed to keep up with racy Golf GTIs through twisting mountain passes – and it can certainly hold its own thanks to assured handling and roadholding – but it actually shines best as an urban family runabout proposition.

The key points to remember are that the turbo engine provides enough low-down punch for rapid round-town driving while returning reasonable economy, the suspension’s ability to soak up the rough stuff should help calm and soothe away the most trying commute, and the cabin’s focus on functionality and simplicity (fiddly multimedia screen aside) serves to enhance rather than distract from the job at hand.

With nearly half a century’s experience building Civics, it’s clear that Honda hasn’t forgotten how to build an excellent town car. Like we said in the beginning, it’s right there in the name.

The A3 sedan has barely changed its look since it arrived in 2013 but it has aged superbly with the help of a few updates over the years. I’m a fan of its proportions with the long bonnet, short boot deck and high waistline.

This special edition accentuates the sporty look more with larger 18-inch alloy wheels in a five twin-spoke design in contrasting grey, an S Line body kit including badged metal scuff plates and sports suspension which lowers the ride height by 15mm.

The A3 sedan's cabin has barely changed since its 2013 arrival. The only indication it's been around for so long is the small media screen which slides itself in and out of the dash, the rest of the interior is still modern and stylish. More than making up for that small screen is the 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster that this special edition brings as standard.  

Leather upholstery is also standard and our car's was 'Rock Grey' in colour - a safer bet than white unless you plan on never eating or even just sitting in the car. 

The dimensions show the A3 Sedan to be 4458mm end-to-end, 1416mm tall and 1960mm wide (with the wing mirrors folded out).

Beware, this A3 could be the ‘old one’ soon. The new-generation A3 will make its debut in 2020 and will have a different look.

Two things are immediately apparent about the Civic hatch’s brash aesthetics. Firstly, it’s big for a so-called small car, reflecting the model’s US-focus and with the upshot making for a pleasingly spacious cabin. And secondly, Honda’s designers seemed uncertain as to when to put pencils down. It’s a melting pot of fussy styling.

For some, the sleek fastback-style four-door sedan is a little more elegant, but both shapes stand out as truly individual. Sadly, with a move to cleaner and more geometric lines nowadays, gen-10 Civic is unlikely to age quite as gracefully as several earlier iterations.

That said, the RS’ large, turbine wheels fill the guards nicely, while that vast interior is right on the money, now that the fiddly touchscreen interface has partly given way to hard buttons for faster and more intuitive access to multimedia, ventilation and vehicle-control settings.

Sure, the Civic’s handsome dash architecture is swathed in a sea of monotone plastic, but it’s of hardy and consistent quality, is well-crafted (save for one persistent rattle in our test car) and is created to prioritise function over form, from the perfectly-placed screen and considered ventilation outlets, to the easy reach of most switchgear (barring the USB ports below and behind the buttressed centre-console layout.

Few cars at any price present a greater choice of, or more effective, storage solutions. Enormous cavities to lose things in seem to proliferate everywhere.  

The RS’ stitched leather trim contrasts well to the matt metallic highlights decorating the dash and door cards, adding a dose of athletic intent. It’s fair to say, then, that – unlike the exterior styling – the Civic’s interior may weather the years better.

The answer is no, not very practical. Not for somebody my height with my life. I’m not being mean, it’s the truth. I’m 191cm tall and I can barely sit behind my driving position because legroom and headroom is that tight.

I have a four-year-old and it was hard enough fitting a top-tether car seat in there with the low ceiling let alone trying to strap him in which saw me kneeling in the gutter.

Room up front is better and while I don’t have a headroom issue it’s still a snug fit for me with my wingspan.

Cabin storage isn’t great with just two cupholders on board (in the front), while door pockets are small and so is the centre console storage bin.

The special edition does bring more in the way of utilities such as a wireless charging pad, and you’ll also find two 12-volt outlets (one up front and another in the back) and two USB ports (up front).

The A3 sedan’s boot is pretty decent in cargo capacity at 425 litres which is 85 litres more than the Sportback, but that hatch is more practical due to a larger boot opening and the load space offered with the rear seats folded.

The overall feeling in the Civic is that it’s low, wide and roomy. A big small car, if you will.

Getting in and out is easy, broad yet enveloping seats provide ample support up front and reasonable comfort, even for three (at a squeeze), out back, and that’s backed up by ample space for legs, knees and shoulders. Taller scalps might scrape the rear ceiling, though.

Back up front, that big central touchscreen does demand familiarisation – and the fact you need to confirm an action every time you restart the car is annoying – yet the basics are spot-on, from the excellent driving position and super-clear dials, to the abundant ventilation, logical control layout and the aforementioned storage bonanza.

The USB and 12V ports are a stretch away behind the two-level lower-console layout, but there’s nothing difficult or intimidating here otherwise.  

That said, while the forward view is commanding and confidence-inspiring, shallow side and rear glass makes reverse parking tricky and the rear camera essential.

Speaking of the back of the Honda, a long, flat cargo floor offers very competitive luggage space (at 330 litres). With only a lipped sill to lift bulky things over, loading is effortless, although not everybody will appreciate the gimmicky cargo cover blind that needs to be pulled across like a sunshade. A space-saver spare lives below the floor.

Note that if you’re coming from the two earlier-generation (2006 and 2011) Civic hatches sourced from Britain, you may be disappointed to find that Honda’s ‘Magic Seats’ aren’t fitted, since the older cars were based on the Jazz supermini and had their fuel tanks beneath the front seats to enable the base and seat-back ensemble to fold down into a cavity for extraordinary floor-to-ceiling space.

Still, reflecting its focus on the key US market demographic, few rivals this side of a Kia Cerato feel, or are as accommodating as, our Thai-assembled Honda.

First thing’s first. Don’t be misled by the Civic’s evocative ‘RS’ badge. This is no hot hatch of the wild Ford Focus RS variety; that’s the ballistic Type R’s lot in life.

Instead, like a Civic in Lululemon, the RS is the automotive equivalent to an athleisure outfit, striving for a sporty yet stylish and easy fit.

To that end, the $33,540, automatic-only RS continues with the 127kW/220Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo engine (rather than the 104kW/174Nm 1.8-litre naturally aspirated unit powering the lesser VTi and VTi-S), but introduces larger alloy wheels (up from 17 to 18 inches) shod with top-shelf Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres (a massive thumb’s up), reshaped bumpers, a new rear diffuser, different grille and fresh colours.

Stepping inside, the RS adopts auto high-beam headlights (of superb spread but tardy response since sometimes they don’t switch off in time, so dazzle on-coming traffic), physical buttons (including a volume knob at last) for the 7.0-inch touchscreen and dual-zone climate-control systems, and updated seat and dash trim inserts. Still looking fresh.

Only turbo Civics offer Honda’s ‘Sensing’ safety package that brings autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop/go functionality, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist and steering assist, thus almost matching direct rivals like the Corolla and Mazda3 that standardise most of these from base-model up.

There are a couple of driver-assist omissions, though. More on that in the Safety section below.

Other RS goodies include leather upholstery, heated front seats, a powered driver’s seat, LED headlights, a multi-angle reverse camera with inside-lane view to avoid cyclists (brilliant), privacy glass, DAB+ digital radio, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, a (smashing) premium audio system and keyless entry/start with walkaway locking. Handy.

The RS undercuts the $35,590 Hyundai i30 N-Line Premium and $35,090 Mazda3 G25 GT (though lesser-equipped grades are available in both), matches the $33,490 Kia Cerato GT Turbo but trails the $32,240 Ford Focus ST-Line with Driver Assist Pack and $32,135 Corolla ZR – but the latter makes do with the standard 2.0-litre engine and the ZR Hybrid for an extra $1500 is substantially down on oomph against this lot.  

The spare is a space-saver while all RS colour choices are either metallic or pearlescent, with no cheaper flat paint alternative.

The A3 40 TFSI S line plus is a special edition but the engine hasn’t been given any extra grunt. Under that bonnet is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder making 140kW/320Nm, shifting gears is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Diesels aside, Honda famously eschewed turbos for decades, relying instead on multi cams, variable-valve timing and other high-tech advances to get the most out of its (mostly brilliant) petrol engines.

For Australian buyers, the tenth Civic broke the rule, and with it brought a terrifically flexible 127kW/220Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo that maintains the urge of old Hondas at the top end, without the need to rev the daylights out of it at lower engine speeds.

Driving the front wheels via an ultra-smooth continuously variable transmission, off-the-line response is pleasingly immediate, and the power just keeps on coming on, making for a slick and rapid machine.

In fact, there’s enough torque on tap for the driver to avoid the engine droning typically associated with CVTs in most instances, except when mashing the pedal right down for, say, fast overtaking.

That droning comes about because the single-speed CVT is tuned to keep the engine revving at a pre-determined spot (usually close to the red line) to achieve access to maximum power. 

That’s about the only time when the 1.5-litre turbo ensemble hits a sour note, as it's also accompanied by an uncharacteristically un-Honda gruffness. But, like we said, it’s avoidable for most urban scenarios, and soon just blends in with the rest of the RS' driving experience.

According to Audi the A3 40 TFSI S line plus’s fuel economy is 5.8L/100km and that’s over a combination of urban and open roads driving.

My own testing saw a higher mileage. So, after 192km of motorways and daily commutes into the city I put in 18.8 litres of premium unleaded, which works out as 9.8L/100km.

Another key benefit to going turbo in the RS’ case is commendable fuel consumption. We managed a trip-computer-indicated 7.9L/100km around our mostly-urban driving loop, against the official combined average of 6.4L/100km. That’s just 1.5 litres shy of the claim.

Honda states that standard 91RON unleaded petrol is fine, and with the 47-litre tank, over 734km between refills is possible.

Leave any doubts that the A3 40 TFSI S line plus isn’t a real Audi at the door, please. This might be a bargain from a prestige point of view but the dynamic ability and driving experience are exceptional.

Yes, the steering is a bit light and numb, and sure the ride on those 225/40 R18 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres with sports suspension frankly isn’t all that comfortable, but those of you looking for an engaging drive with pretty good acceleration (0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds) will be happy.

The Audi A3 40TFSI S line plus has comfortable supportive seats, good visibility and dimensions which make it the perfect little prestige limo for city parking and navigating through narrow lane ways.

Honda has tuned the 1.5-litre turbo/CVT combination to great effect around town, since it offers seamless acceleration and (mostly) quiet operation in almost all urban environments, for un-intrusive point-to-point motoring. It’s a slick city-friendly machine.

Perhaps it’s the quality Michelin Pilot tyres talking, but the RS’ steering, handling and roadholding behaviour really seemed to have improved over the already-competent pre-facelift version released over three years ago.

From the first turn of the wheel, the Honda feels connected to the road and nicely measured in response, yet is also light and agile enough to be easy to manoeuvre through tight spots and between gaps in traffic. The turning circle is also small for effortless parking.

Out away from the confines of the Big Smoke, the car continues to feel secure and surefooted, taking fast curves with a flat and solid attitude that encourages keener drivers to step things up if feeling inclined to. Brakes feel natural, progressive and reassuringly strong. 

The biggest stride the Civic’s taken, however, is in its ability to absorb all sorts of bumps back in the urban jungle, smoothing over bad roads with a high degree of isolation.

And this is despite the switch to larger (18-inch) alloys. You can probably attribute the sophisticated multi-link rear suspension system, elevating the Honda to the pointier end of the class in terms of dynamics.

About the only criticism is the level of road-noise intrusion at even moderate urban speeds, but even this is still within the class average. That said, Honda ought to ride in the latest Mazda3 or Volkswagen Golf if it really wants to see how quietness should be done.

Still, overall, the RS impresses with its maturity and refinement.

As stated earlier, only the turbo Civics in Australia score Honda Sensing, and that currently covers most of the driver-assist safety offered right now in the small-car class. Yet all Civics, regardless of turbo status, score a maximum five-star ANCAP rating, awarded in 2017.

Sensing includes camera and radar-based AEB, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection (but not for bicycles like some other rivals), adaptive cruise control with stop/go and slow-traffic follow functionality, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, steering assist and auto high beams.

However, unlike the Mazda3, Corolla, and various others, the Civic misses out on Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Front Cross Traffic Alert (FCTA), which automatically brakes the vehicle at up to a certain speed when nosing or reversing into traffic.  

Other safety items are six airbags including curtain items covering second-row outboard occupants, stability and traction control systems, and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist.

For younger travellers, there are two ISOFIX points and three top tethers fitted.

The A3 40 TFSI S line plus is covered by Audi’s three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing is recommended every 15,000km or 12 months which is the same coverage as rivals BMW and Benz but falling behind the duration of the mainstream industry.

A service plan is available – it’s a three-year/45,000km program and costs $1680.

The low score here is down to that short coverage. Come on Audi, make it five years.

Like all Hondas, the Civic RS offers the industry-standard five year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assistance, so it trails Kia’s leading seven-year coverage.

It also calls for servicing once every 12 months or 10,000km whichever comes first, and features capped-price servicing known as 'Honda Tailored Servicing', that lasts for five years or 100,000km.

As of May 2020, each standard service costs $297 (except the 80,000km one, which is $328).

That’s more than Toyota’s regime, which for Corolla ZR is $180 for the first four years/60,000km.