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• Boot capacity matches its rivals
• Good amounts of headroom and legroom front and rear
• Middle rear seat space could be better

How much space is there?

This is a roomy car, and we could get comfortable in both rows of seats. The boot is a fair size for a hatchback of this ilk and you can order an electric bootlid on some models, letting you waggle your foot under the bumper to operate the tailgate. Handy if you’ve got your arms full of shopping or babies. It’s disappointing to see that Audi hasn’t bothered to line the compartment left by the lack of a spare wheel, though – it could be a highly useful underfloor storage space, but anything left down there will rattle about like nobody’s business on bare metal.

Throughout the rest of the cabin, storage space is adequate, with all doors being capable of carrying medium-sized drinks bottles. There’s a well-sized glovebox and a small storage area under the central front armrest. Cupholders between the front seats double-up as additional storage and there’s plenty of space in the centre console for a smartphone.

Unlike the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and its space-saving column shifter, the A3 uses a sort of toggle switch for gear selection on automatic models. This doesn’t really free up any room in the centre console, which is a shame.

The front seats are comfortable, offering plenty of adjustment in all directions, including extendable squab for better under-leg support. Front seat headroom is good, while sculpted backs on the front seats help rear legroom, and there’s now a little more rear elbow room and shoulder room than in the previous A3. Foot space for the middle seat rear passenger is limited, as is the norm in this sector.

Boot space and storage

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Boot capacity measures in at 380 litres, matching the BMW 1 Series and bettering the Mercedes-Benz A-Class by 10 litres. Official figures are only one thing, though, and we found the A3’s boot narrower and less useful than either of those two cars.

A low load lip helps and, in addition to bag hooks on either side, there’s also a 12-volt power socket. With the rear seats folded, the capacity grows to 1,200 litres, so once you avoid bookcases, the occasional trip to Ikea should be fine. Base models get 60:40 split folding rear seats, while all others get a 40:20:40 setup. 

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Be aware that not all A3s have the same boot size. The need to accommodate all of the electrical gubbins means the plug-in hybrid version’s boot space drops from 380 litres to 280 litres with the seats up. With the rear seats folded it makes do with 1,100 litres.

While the faster, top-of-the-range S3 version does introduce some compromises. The Quattro all-wheel drive system robs the S’s boot of some space to the tune of 65 litres. While the mainstream A3 offers a double-height loadbay with a second compartment under the boot floor, the S3 Sportback sacrifices this area for the additional hardware required to drive the rear wheels in slippery conditions.

Safety

• It gets a full five-star Euro NCAP rating
• Assistance systems work well without being overly nannying
• Voice control standard on all models for less distraction

The Audi A3 shares a lot of technology with the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf which achieved a five-star score – and it’s no surprise that the A3 has done so as well. Two rear ISOFIX points include neat covers that don’t need to be removed (and then lost), and the front passenger seat also has fixing points.

As a minimum, all A3 models will have the company’s pre-sense front collision warning system, along with automatic braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection. The lane departure warning works well, giving a subtle nudge to the steering wheel if you start to drift off the centre of the lane.

Both it and cruise control come as standard across the line-up. Adaptive cruise control and Cruise Assist are optionally available and are part of the Driver Assistance Pack that also adds a camera-based road sign recognition and parking assist system.

Watch the Euro NCAP crash test video