Audi A3 vs Toyota Corolla Cross

What's the difference?

Closing in on $60,000 for a small car isn’t cheap. Ask a car dealer and they might even say the hatchback is a good way to get someone into a showroom to eventually look at an SUV.

But I reckon you’d be doing the A3 a disservice to count it out. It’s always been one of those cars that does everything well, and with this current facelift manages to keep its practicality without becoming boring.

It looks good on the outside, it’s smart on the inside and it’s fun to drive while remaining sensible. Even if you get it in bright yellow.

The Corolla Cross is the SUV that was so obvious it’s a wonder Toyota didn’t do it sooner. Sure, it might not look much like a Corolla but this SUV has the same appeal of being a small, safe good-value for money car but with even more practicality than the hatch and sedan that shares its name. 

The Corolla Cross is also great to drive - better than most of its rivals such as the Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Qashqai, Honda HR-V or Haval Jolion.

The sweet spot of the range would have to be the GXL Hybrid with 2WD, it's the best value and the most fuel efficient in the line-up.

Eye of the beholder and all that, sure, but the A3 looks cool from the outside. It’s got this angular design but manages it without being too aggressive or busy with other design elements, so it still has a ‘premium Euro’ feel to it.

Shooting pics of the car for this review, the harsh light accentuated its sharp lines. It looks sculptural rather than just some little blob. 

At the same time, thanks to the proliferation of sports design packs like the S Line, The A3 looks like it could be an S3, almost. Which makes sense, because the front bumper and rear diffuser as well as the roof spoiler are all partly inspired by RS models.

New for the A3 is the flat, 2D Audi badge, the model name on the B pillar and the new font for its name on the tailgate. 

The lights in the cluster are able to look narrower than before thanks to their customisable settings, which allow you to choose the light signature, while the grille has a flatter appearance and the air intakes are bigger. Even the wheels look like they’re from a sports car.

Whether you’d have the A3 in the Python Yellow of our test car is another thing. I don’t mind a loud colour but I reckon a bit of 'District Green', 'Ascari Blue' or 'Progressive Red' would be the vibe.

Also, any colour that isn’t white is a cost-option on the A3, all of them coming in at $1350, except Ascari Blue which is an Audi Sport colour and costs $1850.

Speaking of the vibe, inside the A3 feels properly nice. It’s not just a spruced up Golf in there. There’s proper Audi character to the car, though that means plenty of piano black trim to get smudgy.

Audi’s done a good job making the layout look sleek without resorting to locating all the controls in the screen. There are design elements in the cabin that aren't strictly necessary but are worth doing for the way they look.

Things like the way the vents flank the driver display or the trim inlay on the passenger side of the dash.

The Corolla Cross looks nothing like a Corolla hatchback or sedan from the outside. Although, if I look at the rear of the Corolla Cross and squint I can convince myself it has a similar taillight design to the Corolla sedan.

Personally I’m a bit disappointed in the exterior design of Corolla Cross. The styling already appears dated even though this is a new SUV which was only unveiled to the world for the first time in 2021.

That’s not to say the Corolla Cross is not good looking, it is. I like its tough face and boxy wheel arches - in many ways it’s like a mini RAV4. The problem for me is that like the RAV4 it feels as though the Corolla Cross has already been with us for years and years.

Inside, there are far more similarities to the regular Corolla. The Corolla Cross’ dashboard, steering wheel and centre console are almost identical to those in the sedan and hatch.

This isn’t the plushest cabin you’ll find among the rivals. Even the top-of-the-line Atmos which costs 50 grand doesn’t look very premium or special inside, but like all Toyotas the materials feel high quality and superbly put together.

The real similarities between the Corolla Cross and the Corolla are the mechanical underpinnings with both the SUV and the car versions sharing the same platform.

The Corolla Cross is a small SUV at 4460mm long and that means it nicely in the Toyota family tree above the C-HR which is 4395mm end-to-end and below the RAV4 which is 4615mm bumper-to-bumper.

Starting from what’s right in front of you as a driver, the steering wheel is the same as in bigger, more expensive Audis. That’s a good thing, because it’s nice to hold, has a good shape for the nine-and-three hand position and it’s not too thick. 

As well as the nice, clear buttons on the wheel, you’ve got some physical controls for the climate control and some of the vehicle functions like parking assist and stop-start under the multimedia screen.

For a car this size, the 10.1-inch central touchscreen is plenty big enough, and the fact it doesn't sit up high over the dash is great. It's like a perfect arm's length for your standard-sized adult (like me). I can reach the other side of the screen without needing to lean.

The fact there’s no head-up display is a bit of a let-down, but the now-standard 12.3-inch driver display is very good. It’s configurable yet clear, and means you can get detailed navigation information in front of you rather than having to look to the multimedia screen. 

The test A3 has genuine leather upholstery, which is $1100 extra. Not the most you’d pay for leather seats in a Euro, and the seats are comfortable. They're nicely bolstered, the drivers’ side is electrically adjustable and the leather doesn’t feel hard or rough to the touch.

Sitting behind my own seating position in the second row is a little tight, however. At 178cm, my knees almost touch the seat in front. There's also no sunroof, and even though there's just about enough light, that omission doesn’t help the cramped feeling.

There are, like the front, two USB-C ports and the air vents in the back, the latter separately adjustable to avoid arguments, though the cupholders in the armrest are in an awkwardly central position.

Behind that, under the 380-litre boot's floor is a space-saver spare tyre. That's better than some SUVs designed for family adventures that only offer up an inflator/repair kit. Keep that up, Audi. Good job. Well done. 

If you fold the rear seats, you get 1200 litres of space. Interestingly, those luggage space figures are the same as the BMW 1 Series.

The Corolla Cross is a more practical version of the Corolla sedan and hatchback. 

The Corolla Cross’s boot is a lot larger than the hatch’s and while the cargo capacity is smaller than the sedan’s, the wide, tall tailgate opening will mean you’ll be able to fit in bulkier objects.

Boot size depends on which Corolla Cross you choose. The GX and GXL non-hybrid versions have the biggest boots at 436 litres (VDA), while the Atmos non-hybrid is 425 litres.

As for the hybrids, the GX and GXL front-wheel drives also have 425 litre boots, while the GXL and Atmos all-wheel drives have 390-litre and 380-litre luggage capacity respectively.

The reasons for the big difference in capacities between non-hybrid and hybrid Corolla Cross variants are the hybrid batteries which are located under the rear seat and eat into the boot area, while those with all-wheel drive have a second motor at the rear which takes up space.

Room inside is good for a small SUV. Headroom in the second row is excellent, while legroom was just passable for me to sit behind my driving position. I am 191cm tall though, so that’s almost a worst case scenario.

It's fair to say an SUV of this width won't fit three child seats across the back seat, but there are three top tether points across so you can choose which two positions to use. There's also two of the sturdier ISOFIX points in the outboard positions for appropriate baby seats.

Cabin storage could be better, with cupholders in the second-row door armrests, but no actual door pockets and only the Atmos comes with a fold-down centre armrest with two cup holders. There are the usual two cupholders in the front centre console as well, but it's surprising there's no dedicated bottle holders in the doors like most new cars these days.

Up front there are door pockets, a hideyhole under the dash for a phone and a small centre console storage area under the centre armrest.

I do like that the seats are large and accommodating even for me, and the positions of the controls and switches are spot on. 

We can talk about looks later, so let’s see much it costs to buy a Corolla Cross.

First thing to know is there are three grades in the Corolla Cross range. 

The most affordable versions of the Corolla Cross are those with just the petrol engine, not the petrol-electric hybrid options further up the range. The non-hybrid GX lists at $33,000, the GXL is $36,750 and the top-of-the-range Atmos is $43,550.

It’s a good time to point out that if you want a Corolla Cross with a non-hybrid drivetrain then you’ll only be able to get it as a front-wheel drive, not all-wheel drive..

The hybrid variants are available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. 

So the GX Hybrid front-wheel drive is $35,500. The GXL Hybrid is $39,250 for the front-wheel drive and $42,250 for the all-wheel drive. The Atmos Hybrid is $46,050 for the front-wheel drive and $49,050 for the all-wheel drive.

Got it? You may have noticed the GX Hybrid doesn’t come in all-wheel drive, so yes, you’ll have to step up to the GXL if you’d like it.

Do you need all-wheel drive? It’s not at all vital, but if you’re travelling regularly on gravel roads or snow then all-wheel drive tends to provide much better traction than front-wheel drive.    

Coming standard on the GX are LED headlights and 17-inch alloy wheels, fabric seats, climate control, proximity keys, an 8.0-inch touch screen, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, a six-speaker stereo and digital radio, a reversing camera plus advanced safety tech covered in detail in the Safety section of this review.

The GXL gets all that and adds roof rails and rear privacy glass, leather upholstered seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, a 10.5-inch display with built-in sat nav.

Now the Atmos, which sounds like a bathroom cleaner but it’s the very fanciest Corolla Cross with its panoramic moon roof and 18-inch alloys, a power tailgate and power driver's seat. Those front seats are heated, and so is the steering wheel. There's a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and wireless phone charging.

The Corolla Cross is well-priced compared to its rivals.The Haval Jolion has almost identical pricing across its range but the Corolla Cross goes one better for value by offering a hybrid variant in every grade, not just the top-of the-range as the Haval does. The Honda HR-V is another rival and while it's pricing is close to the Corolla Cross its two-grade line-up doesn't offer much choice. 

The A3 is powered by a 1.5-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 110kW and 250Nm.

It drives the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission and it can hit 100km/h in a claimed 8.1 seconds.

It’s also got a 48-volt mild hybrid system to help with efficiency, though you’d need to be told about it to notice. It also helps with the A3’s (smooth) stop-start system.

How would you like your Corolla Cross to be powered? By petrol-alone or with a combination of petrol and electricity as per the hybrid variants?

The non-hybrid Corolla Cross has a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine which makes 126kW and 202Nm. Remember, too, it only comes in front-wheel drive.

The hybrid variant combines a 112kW/190Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with an 83kW206Nm electric motor. And if you choose the AWD then there’s a second motor at the rear axle making 30kW.

Both the non-hybrid Corolla Cross and the hybrid have a CVT automatic transmission. Nope, no manual gearboxes here.  

The braked towing capacity for the range is 750kg. Interestingly, without trailer brakes, most of the range is rated even lower, with the non-hybrid GX and GXL rated at 725kg, the non-hybrid Atmos at 735kg, and the hybrid GX at 745kg. The hybrid GXL and Atmos get the full 750kg, regardless of trailer braking.

The A3’s 50-litre fuel tank needs to be filled with RON 95 premium fuel and it’ll drink a claimed 5.3-litres per 100km on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle.

Theoretically you’re topping 900km a tank there, but given how fun this car is to drive you’d have to be well behaved to get even close.

For reference, whenever I was on a normal, day-to-day drive on test the A3's trip computer was returning figures in the mid to high sixes.

If you want to save fuel the hybrid is absolutely the way to go with the front-wheel drive using 4.3L/100km and the all-wheel drive consuming 4.4L/100km according to official combined figures.

I drove the GXL all-wheel drive hybrid from Sydney’s CBD to the city’s northern beaches during horrendous peak hour traffic and the trip computer reported an average of 5.3L/100km being used. That’s not bad at all.

The Corolla Cross Hybrid doesn’t require plugging in to an external power source to charge the batteries. Instead the batteries are charged through regenerative braking. That is, you step on the brake pedal and the deceleration energy is converted into electricity and sent into the battery.   

The petrol variant doesn't quite have double the thirst of the hybrid at 6.0L/100km, which is still fairly efficient. 

First things first, the A3’s exterior and S Line pack are a clue to the way the car drives. It’s probably not the perfect car if you like a cushy, soft ride. 

Its suspension errs towards the stiffer side of things, and certain bumps can feel more significant than they need to. But even on particularly bad roads or tram tracks in the city the dampers do a decent job of soaking up the harsh stuff.

It also means there’s more road noise than you’d like on some older highway surfaces, but only in a way that might get annoying if you’re on a road trip with the stereo off for some reason.

The upside of that is its steering feels well weighted and accurate. Plus, the way it handles and corners feels like a bit more grunt would make this a proper driver's car.

It’s not too intense, and there’s enough feedback to make it feel like the A3 shouldn't be a city-dweller only when it comes to driving.

Of course, it’s a hatchback, so you've got the advantages that come with less weight and a lower centre of gravity. 

It doesn’t have enough weight to push into understeer more than you’d like on a tight corner. But it also doesn’t feel so light that you’re not sure how it’s going to behave under sharp braking.

The A3’s drivetrain, despite looking underwhelming on paper, feels practical on the road. Sure, 110kW isn't anything wicked, but its 250Nm feel like they’re working in the right places - that being between 1500 and 3500rpm. 

It isn't blisteringly quick but even with the seven-speed transmission operating in default auto mode it usually feels like it's in the right place, let alone chipping in with 'manual' shifts via the paddles or shifting drive modes. The A3 has a choice of 'Normal' and 'Sport' shift settings.

You might be a little disappointed if you thought you’d be getting anything approaching a hot hatch, but for an entry-level model the A3 more than holds its own. It’s a solid platform that performs well without compromising too much when it comes to daily driving ability.

Toyota has a reputation for reliability and value, but one admirable attribute which should be added to this is also driveability. Nearly every new Toyota SUV I’ve driven in the past three years including the Kluger, C-HR and RAV4 has been an impressive all-rounder on the road.

The Corolla Cross feels a lot like the C-HR and RAV4 to drive in that it handles well, but has a comfortable ride with a secure planted feel on the road.

I drove both the all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive hybrid versions and the petrol variant at the launch and found that while both felt much the same there were two stand-out differences.

The first being the acceleration difference. The hybrid is far quicker off the mark than the petrol version. According to Toyota's claims, the actual 0-100km/h time for the hybrid is 7.5 seconds while the petrol variant can do it 9.0 seconds.

The other way these two Corolla Crosses differ is the smoothness of the hybrid powertrain and the way it moves silently at lower speeds in traffic in EV mode.

Both petrol and hybrid Corollas are easy to drive with steering that’s accurate and light. 

Are there any bad points to the driving? The small back window means rear visibility is restricted although the reversing camera is good. The wing mirrors also appear to be overly large and also obstruct vision slightly, too. 

Other not-so-good points are the relatively noisy petrol engine in all Corolla Cross variants, and the CVT transmission in both also causes the engine to drone.

The Corolla Cross hasn’t been given an ANCAP crash test rating yet, but the advanced safety tech every grade comes with is impressive.

All Corolla Crosses come with AEB that can detect pedestrians and cyclists, and impressively can function between 5-180km/h. There’s also lane keeping assistance, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise control.

If you step up to the GXL you’ll get auto braking which works while you’re parking and the Atmos gets auto parking.

The impressive airbag tally is the same across the Corolla Cross range, with a total of eight. These include a front centre airbag and driver's knee bag, but there's no side airbags for back seat occupants.

Audi offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is about par for a premium brand, but it also offers five years' free roadside assist and the ability to pay to extend the warranty.

Servicing is $2520 for a five year plan, but the extended two years of 'Audi Advantage' warranty is $3250 and comes with unlimited kilometres, roadside assist and covers two services.

The Corolla Cross is covered by Toyota’s five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is currently average across the industry. The battery is also covered by that five-year/unlimited km warranty. 

Extended coverage of up to seven years/unlimited kilometres is available if the owner services the vehicle according to the warranty and service book.

The hybrid battery coverage can also be extended to 10 years with an annual health check inspection.

Services are a convenient 12months/15,000km and pricing is capped for five years at $230. That’s outstanding.