2020 Audi A3

The Audi A3 is available in two trims: Premium and Premium Plus. Pricing starts at $34,295 including destination for the Premium and rises to $37,295 for the Premium Plus.

An S Line subtrim is also on offer with either model; it comes standard with a more powerful engine, all-wheel drive, and a sportier aesthetic look. It costs $3,200 over an ordinary A3.

The A3 comes with a choice of two four-cylinder engines. Both are turbocharged and displace 2.0 liters, but the optional unit is worked over to put out more power.

The extra power in the optional motor lets 0-60 mph happen in 5.5 seconds, compared to 6.4 seconds for the standard motor.

Both engines pair with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. If you want your A3 equipped with Audi's famed quattro all-wheel-drive system, you have to buy the 228-horsepower engine that's part of the $3,200 S Line option.

Practicality is inherently compromised with a trunk. This becomes exacerbated in a car this small: the A3's cargo space is a paltry 12.3 cubic feet, or 10 cubic feet in S Line form.

However, isn't terrible for the class – it matches or exceeds the trunk space of other tiny sedans – but goes to show why hatchbacks rule the roost in places like Europe, where small cars dominate the market and the most popular A3 variant is the three-door hatch. Our indifference to small cars means we don't get this variant, but at least the rear seats on the sedan fold down for an added bit of space.

The A3 seats five, and its compact front-wheel-drive packaging mean space is surprisingly plentiful. It's even more roomy than some significantly larger rear-wheel-drive luxury sedans, and is far, far better than the gym locker-sized back seat of the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. Headroom in the A3 is also generous thanks to the formal, upright roofline.

Standard driver-assist technologies are few in the A3. The most notable are automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning, which are included as part of the Audi Pre Sense suite of features.

Besides alerting drivers to imminent accidents and automatically stomping on the brakes, Pre Sense will also tighten the seat belts, raise the windows, and turn on the hazard lights if an accident is anticipated.

The Side and Rear Cross-Traffic Assist Package ($600) that's available on the Premium model comes with rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, and front and rear parking sensors. All of this is standard equipment on the Premium Plus.

An automated parking system, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control are bundled in the Driver Assistance Package ($1,200), which is only available on Premium Plus models.

All Audi A3 models come standard with a 7-inch screen featuring Audi's MMI infotainment setup. Rather than a touchscreen, users must manipulate a large burled-knob rotary controller that figures prominently in the center console; you spin and click the dial to scroll through menus and make selections.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility come standard, as does SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth, and HD radio. Whatever your preferred music platform, all tunes are belted out by a 10-speaker audio system with 140 watts. You can plug in your phone with an aux adapter or one of the two USB ports found upfront.

If you want more, the Premium Plus models up the ante with their $2,000 Navigation Package. This grouping of goodies includes an upgraded infotainment software with navigation, handwriting recognition technology, and a fully digital instrument cluster with a 12.3-inch screen and multiple customizable menus. It also includes a six-month trial with Audi cloud services.

The base A3 Premium is no bare-bones four-door, equipped as it is with dual-zone climate control, heated seats wrapped in leather upholstery, keyless start and entry, and a panoramic roof. On the outside, it wears 18-inch wheels and high-gloss titanium trim, and lights the way with xenon headlights.

Sportier front seats with bigger bolsters are $800. Also costing $800 is the Final Edition Package, which includes those seats as well as puddle lights and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

Compared to the Premium, the Premium Plus adds LED headlights, a 14-speaker Bang and Olufsen audio system, an auto-dimming interior mirror, two USB ports for the rear seat, and a 12-volt outlet in the trunk.

Options are mostly identical to what's available on the Premium, save the addition of the Navigation and Driver Assistance Packages previously discussed.

Compare A3 Trims Side-By-Side