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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ม.ค. 2018
- The Audi A3 is meant to be one of the poshest hatchbacks you can buy. But under the skin, it's almost identical to a Volkswagen Golf. So which is the best to drive, and which is the best value for money? I find out in this in-depth twin test.
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Anyone wanna see a head-to-head between the Golf and the BMW 1-series?
"But what if you wanna transport a nuclear warhead?"
Waffle Wong Yee Ket good one
Waffle Wong Yee Ket I remember that episode 😀
Jeremy Clarkson's top gear
I remember that video Jeremy clarkson top gear
The only way you'll fit 3 in the back of the 135i is if you saw their legs off....... With a hammer
I’ve owned both cars, but the 1.6 tdi version of them both and this review is bang on !! Everything said in this video is exactly what I thought about both of the cars. Personally I prefer the Audi just because the interior felt better for me than the golf and the head lights look so much better, when you unlock the Audi and the lights turn on automatically it looks a lot more of an expensive car and the brand “Audi” turns more heads than the golf
I’ve always thought the a3 interior looks abit plain
I agree tbh
So much plain if u know what I mean
i like simplistic interiors more than all the stuff going on in modern interiors, in real life it also looks a lot better than in videos
Audi typically spices things up the higher in the series you go (like the A6-A8's are the top trim vehicles most often whereas the A1-A3 plus the TT can often be fairly spartan in comparison). They offer the S-line and a number of different packages to upgrade the looks or interior if need-be and it can be quite nice, though usually if you have the money for it, you just buy an S or RS. Nobody buys a base model Audi A3 expecting glamour , although I will say I saw the new Audi A4's have a rather nice interior with quality fit and finish. It was surprising, I originally thought it was an S4 because of it. Just my .02 cents
Pictures don't do it justice,I have the A3 sline the interior is nice with ambient lighting in the cupholders speakers,footwell door handles, nice place to be.infact the cockpit was voted the best compared to its rivals.
I was desperately waiting for such comparison!!! Thank you carwow
I'm usually not sold on sportbacks but the current Audi A3 sportback is gorgeous
VW vs VW
:) in fact it is true. play both at home
I prefer VW.
I knew that reference
You can’t say, you are a car guy if you say something like that!
The guy said it also "is the same under the skin". What's the problem with 2 German garbage?
You are really good at reviewing cars. Keep up the great work. Always see your videos. So thought I should stop by and appreciate Ur awesome work. They are simple, practical, informative and to the point. Looking forward to any more videos from you. Keep up the good work. God bless!!!! Cheers!!!👍
The facelifted Mk7 Golf is such a nice car. I wish we got all the trim levels and engine options Europe/UK gets! Sadly we lose the Golf entirely next year. So I bought one.
It makes me sad knowing you can get a 1.0L 3cyl in a £20k car
archechme minimum should be a 1.3/1.4. When you're paying that much. Only 1.0's which have some go, are the Ecoboosts in the Fiestas, the rest have little to no power.
HG504 I have a seat Leon 1.2tsi and have driven a 1.0 ecoboost fiesta to see what the hype was about and IMO it was no where near as good as the 1.2tsi so I imagine the 1.0tsi will be a good engine too tbh.
a 1.4 4cyl turbo would be amazing like in the old A3 from about 2007.
archechme there is, the new 1.4TSI 150bhp, still has 4 cylinders 😎
It does indeed, but that's only available on the GT spec car, which starts at about £25k.
That would be a hard decision to make, but I would go for the Golf too because of the engine. Good review!
Couldn’t agree more Mat! Very good video! Cheers
I had the choice between the Golf and the Audi, and I went straight to the Golf. It comes with more as standard, the quality of the interior is only slightly downgraded, but I really think the placement of gadgets and ergonomics feels better in the Golf. I'm not a fan of media screens that obscure the view and poke out above the dash; they're very distracting, plus when I bought my car, the Audi equivalent had an annoying dial to next to the gear stick to navigate the Media system, whereas the Golf had the touch screen. Hell, even the shape of the rear view mirror and air vents bugged me. The Golf just feels more grown up, whereas the Audi is looks more funky, but less practical.
3:20 Why does VW insist on making the volume knob indicator icon turn with the dial instead of staying stationary in the upright position? That’s something that always triggers OCD in people. You can use the volume knob on the steering wheel instead, but why don’t they fix it so it’s not pointing every which way in use?
Mat, please do a Q2 VS T-roc comparison!
Honestly I love pop out infotainment screens. When I'm not using it I don't want to have it sat there as a distraction or being in my line of sight. Plus it looks really cool.
I had a 2 door car -as opposed to a 4 door- few cars ago because it was better looking, I'll give you that. I found it very impractical particularly when parking, most parking spots are not wide enough and fully opening the doors so they would stay open was always a problem. Many times I've dented neighbouring cars or damaged my own doors. Nowadays is only 4 doors cars for me, also easier for the dogs to jump in and out, the boot is for groceries not for animals.
They both look really cheap in red.
You're not wrong about that
Like your mom?
And another one!
sucksqueezebangblow nah
dontbothermewithchannels wtf
I had an A3 back in 2013 when the current version came out, Like Matt said, its starting to look a bit dated now (Virtual cockpit aside), and the infotainment screen is a bit sluggish and limited now (not to mention expensive if you want an upgraded sat nav thats still not as good as a £100 tomtom from 2010) . With newer inclusions like Apple Car Play / Android Auto it really needs to have a touch screen these days.
Have spent quite a lot of time in both cars, yes, the audi is better as far as materials, switchgear and solidness goes, but the golf probably wins it when it comes to driving position, overall comfort and controls just being in the right place, but I cant help feel like VW deliberately cheapened the feel of some of the dials and switches just to maintain Audi's premium in that respect.
You also need to factor in that pretty much every useful feature is an optional extra in the Audi where as a lot of it is standard in the VW, which begs the question of why it cant be in the Audi other than for greed.
I like both cars for different reasons, but understand why the VW came out top in this review.
See i had a 7gtd on a 65 and now on a b9 a4 sline which is 19. Went in a colleagues s3 on a 64and it felt a noticable downgrade esp the rear doorcards compared to my car, i still remember the golfs dash as being absolutely ridiculously rock solid. Had an astra k and an xe inbetween and both were shoddily built hollow and flimsy in places so maybe its rose tinted glasses remembering the golf. If i was to get inside one now not sure if it would hold up as well. Miss it though all the car you ever need.
Head to head: Volkswagen Golf vs... a more expensive Volkswagen Golf with a better badge.
golf is an overpriced seat leon, audi s3 is an overpriced golf lol
@@Tonyx.yt. except seat is shit quality..
The interior of the audi is still way better. That alone is worth the upgrade to me
You can change the VW dial size when in nav mode by holding the OK button on the wheel...
I like the MK7 Golf. Especially with that 1.5 engine.
You could get a certified pre owned top of the range golf for the price of a low spec A3. Plus I would get a well equipped golf and just save the money.
SashaUAE2020 or I could keep my 17 or 9 years old A4 and save everything. Or sell them both, make 20k and ride the bus. Great point.
I drive a Golf and I always feel like I'm missing something more, something better.
Khaled Hossam the golf is the sportiest VW, whereas the A3 is a woman's town car... that's what it looks like to me. would rather have the golf any day of the week.
Not really Alex, the Scirocco is the sportiest VW.
The Golf and the A3 are the same thing and I'm looking to upgrade to an A3.
Alex Gunner women's car? The a3 comes in different specs.. I wouldn't call a rs3 a women's car
Do a comparison between VW golf, civic hatchback and Mazda 3 please
If your not getting the s line version of the a3, Then there’s no point getting an Audi A3, the s line version looks 100000000x better
Should’ve either used the Golf 1.0L in this test or the A3 1.4L
I lived for 14 years with a Golf MK3 don’t complain about the latest one please , all I have to say is reliable, but this stacks up for both cars since their parts a almost the same
love your reviews
Mat, I love your reviews, they are among the best on youtube!!! But why don't you do some Mazda reviews? I think they are beautiful cars that deserve a lot more attention.
I didn‘t expect Audi to sell such a low powered car.
pSyk they sell low powered cars for younger drivers and new drivers
They sell these low powered cars because they build them to a price to compete with mainstream compact cars like the Golf, I30, etc. Its a joke honestly. To get an A3 that matches the power output of a well equipped Golf, you have to spend thousands more. It’s an insult to people’s intelligence and if you fall for the marketing fluff they spew out then you’re an imbecile.
It's got the same engine choices as the Golf. People can easily remap the ECU.
Audi is not a super sport brand, its just like any other brand in Europe, it has low range cars, and high range
It has absolutely nothing to do with that wtf. By your logic a 60 year old driver should have a v10 Audi R8 since he's more experienced? A car is not just for racing.
Why do they even make 3-door versions? seriously.
Blark Dexture lighter and smarter looking.
Mark Denyer Yeah, but 3-door hatchbacks are not ideal if you have children
Not everyone has children..
Mark Denyer I clearly said 'IF' and i know not everyone has children. I'm not a dumbass
Blark Dexture because some people ,like me ,like 3 door cars maybe?🤓🤓🤓
Before I saw this video in full I picked the Audi TFSI but after seeing it in full I'm going for the Golf. Lastly what about the Audi 1.4 TFSI how would that be?
carwow, what about golf gte and a3 etron, especially can’t find any decent review for etron, any plans to review those?
I would go for the Audi A3 because it desirable, fantastic looks and fun to drive. Though, I would go for a bigger engine than the 1.0-litre three-cylinder option.
totally wasnt expecting that result.. i really thought you were leaning toward the audi the entire review haha
Just a small sugestion. For the voice overs please get a better mic or try to calibrate the audio with the one from the video. Thanks!
Mat c'mon do the acceleration thing every video, that was a good review the acceleration bit made a difference!!
I would get the Golf
GTIGolf’18 did you?
David C. Yes he has a 2018 Golf GTI Euro spec
@@davidc.7838 his profile pic says so lmao
Out of these two I’d would opt for the golf due to the engine. However I’d opt for a bigger engine and go with audi. Interior is also a massive factor. I have an A3 s line and still love the cabin.
I'd go for A3 2 litre. It has 150bhp.
I still love my a3 sline 2010 👌
I’m considering getting the new Audi A3 yet to be announced but if the golf is similar in price then what is better to get overall ?
Absolutely agree in that the five door A4 looks much better than the three door 👍
As an Aussie I find it weird when Brits describe the Golf as a 'family hatchback'. Over here families don't really buy hatchbacks as they're considered too small for that job. In the past families bought large sedans (saloon cars I think you call them) while today they generally buy SUVs (less bending while fastening the child seat restraints).
Ryan Burr
Golf Audi Sizes are bit bigger than the Min hatches such as VW Polo, Vauxhall Corsa, Seat Ibiza. Hence these are good fit for family regular. Being in Golf and polo you see big difference, polo is tight just enough to fit in whereas Golf has much more space leg head room easily fits 3adults providing they are all not over 5ft 10 and weighing 150+pound! Family of 3 at the back one being over 6ft and the other partner under 6, child/kid under under 5 is easily fitting for golf.
I love the golf especially the gti clubsport
I still fancy that MB star badge
Prices do vary - but in general, the Golf is slightly cheaper and better equipped - personally don't think the Audi badge is worth a premium and to me, the interior is no better than the Golf. As others have said, the Seat Leon is a great alternative too - generally a bit cheaper than the Golf, although interior is a bit cheaper. Have owned both Golf and Leon - both excellent buys.
That Audi with tiny engine and so little power is sad. If you decide to buy a Audi, buy a proper one.
Mr 4nder50n buy the V12 TDI Q7, it’s really all you need.
@@sergiupuscasu2496 Definitely not. Such a monstrosity of a car for me and my wife? I'd rather not, rather get and a4
@@wakkitep I was being sarcastic. Obviously you should never ever buy any Volkswagen diesel engine newer than 2005, as it'll collapse over time, and cost a fortune to repair. Thankfully, I will use a Japanese or Korean car as my first, since they are notoriously reliable, and cheap to maintain over the long period. I also wish you good luck for the future when the A4 will start to fall apart for no apparent reason at 60k miles.
@@sergiupuscasu2496 Hard to known sarcasm over the internet haha. Yeah I probably won't get an A4 because I'm all for Japanese cars. But just saying that if I get ANY car, it certainly won't be an SUV. However I don't think it will break down for no apparent reason at all. The reason would be apparent and won't manifest if you maintain it correctly :P
@@wakkitep the VW car will start to break down slowly after 60k miles. Some minor issues will occur. Later on, those minor issues will trickle to more issues, and finally major issues. Especially that most Volkswagen-group car owners drive their cars like maniacs, and barely maintain them. So they already have a bad reputation on the streets where I live.
Currently have a 2006 3.2 AWD sportback, and I'd gladly buy another, but all Audi wants to bring into the USA are trunkbacks and tall, tippy SUV trucks. Hoping for a Golf R wagon.
Another great video Matt! Your videos give the very best consumer advice out there!
buying audi without 2.0 or 3.0 engine is like having a gun without ammo...
It should say: buying an Audi without Quattro is like buying a gun without ammo.
Most people get the 1.6TDI engines or the TSI 1 litres. Literally no one bothers buying the 2 litres on a small car like that. In an A6 yes but even an A4 is fine with a 1.4 litre TSI engine
ANotoriousPickle yep, why would you tucking pay for the brand if its bot a quattro
Chatta290 you’re boring
ANotoriousPickle a3 and Golf got both haldex. Real quattro Starts with the a4
We want an rs4 2018 review!
Excellent analysis
Great video !!! Thanks
Will you review a Vw T-Roc?
A good head-to-head would be a Golf-v-A3-v-Octavia-v-Leon. All the competing cars built on the MQB platform.
Underrated comment. Shame they still y haven't done this.
I would say the A3 Sportback looks like an estate car and prefer the A3 in 3 doors looks more sporty but at expense of practicality.
Can you do a golf gtd review ? thanks for the videos!
Can you do the new Passat Alltrack?
Even though the A3 has the prestigious feel of an Audi i would go with Golf, i mean come on... It's a family hatchback you don't buy a family hatchback so you can looks cool, in general of course I'd choose Audi over Volkswagen but you buy these type of cars for its practicality & value for money
Nuhan Hidayat You might feel differently when you make a lot of miles and value a better interior
Mattias Verduijn actually the golf is more comfortable for more miles if you look at his Volkswagen Golf Review. The golf is actually way more comfortable doing more miles than the Audi
Is the golf equivalent to the Audi A3?
As I’m considering getting the new 2019 Audi A3 that’s due to be announced soon I hope
When you can i would like to see a comparison between the VW group virtual cockpits for example a think SEAT also puts the dials small and the map fullscreen ;)
the 3 door A3 has much nicer proportions than the 5 door. Personally I'd go for this unless I needed the rear doors (which I dont).
Same, 5 door hatchbacks just look wrong. If you have a family get an estate.
I prefer the golf interior alot more actualy. The a3 interior looks too minimalistic.
@@VdonnyV Maybe it does. But what kind of heavy duty stuff do you do inside your car to favour the more robust and durable interior. Do you cook inside ur car?^^ Assuming you own a car, you do keep it clean yeah? Does your wife drive your car?
@@VdonnyV yeah that's true quality is always better. However being me I'd take the the good looking one because I keep my stuff clean and maintained. Id rather go quality over looks but if I think something looks really good I pick it instead... But it was a tough one because I liked the Audi's buttons and the AC controls
@@VdonnyV I also liked the placement on the AC controls being a little higher up rather than in the golf which are a bit lower maybe annoying to adjust with the gearstick in the way but on the other hand you adjust it only once and don't fiddle with it much (the AC controls)
I agree the golf looks much prettier
Both are dreadful inside
Any advice on the A3 etron ? Looking for one now and have a few months to shop still. Like idea of 84mpg... leaving an i3 Rex with 120mpg
I would take the Seat Leon FR for sure!!
vw golf is very hard to be beaten even by an audi.
Correct......and the new golf is even better
I prefer golf 5 door.
You could do a VW Golf/Polo vs New Seat Ibiza
I need to know if the center consoles shake before making my purchase.
Actually you can change the size of the digital dials on the golf. You just press ok from the steering wheel. It can only be changed when the navigation is in the middle of them though.
The volkswagen golf is hands down the best all rounder and it is pretty fun to drive i have the new face lift one with an automatic gearbox it’s such a good car
Just very pricey, a lot of people are reduced to getting the Polo for affordability which is just not the same experience.
couldn’t be more boring. a friend has the gti. and i had a jcw mini. the golf just makes you go to sleep interior exterior and driving
The Golf’s DSG gearbox just doesn’t work right. Often it revs high when doing just a normal accelerating and sometimes it thinks couple seconds what to do. Other then that, the Golf is a great car.
Hi ! Could you do a comparasion between the vk Polo 2018 & Audi A 1?? It would be nice to see :D
if i cared for the brand image then i'd look at bmw or mecerdes offerings. for vw vs vw+, ill choose the golf.
Where’s the “shake the centre console” test like you did with Stinger Mat? Hmm?
yeah, I wonder why he didn´t do it there.. Oh yeah, I know the reason: its a German car, so it just HAS to be premium, right? -.-
5:18
that 1 millisecond "shake" without the camera focusing in on it? Seriously, i really like Matt and his reviews and he usually has a good and open minded opinion on all cars, but that Stinger review was just rubbish and totally biased towards Audi
Can't order a new 3 door A3 in the UK anymore, as Audi have dropped it. You should have mentioned that.
Does sport mode make alots of sound outside? I know a Peugeot have a sport mode for inside the car but really quite on the outside
Do the leon vs the golf
Good review ... but wrong about the A3 interior, quality is excellent but design is extremely dull. Correct decision though with the Golf and I think it now has more exclusivity than the A3. They're common as muck now.
we got the 1.0 a3 5 door last year. Very refined vehicle, even on 18 inch wheels and semi performance tires. The interior is great, not even a squick or rattle ANYWHERE. Very refined brake system, and very efficient. Quite zippy of the line up to about 80-90 km/h. Actually probably hs more than 115hp - i will test it on a dyno after we hit 10 k kilometers. The audi feels and drives premium. Actually we also want to get a golf SW for pulling baby stuff, but I don't think the level of Audi will be matched. One thing: all the 1.0 Audis get a torsion bar, at least here....
And those vents are real and blow cold cold air nicely. Also the knobs in aluminium, great illumination, perfect steering wheel, nice punchy radio and refined infotaiinment that reads sms and emails, has google maps, weather, news, even football updates from the world cup - but you need to insert a sim card. oil intervals every 15k, service every 30k...go drive one, especially in S tronic gearbox in sport mode, switches gears quick and smooth. you get what you pay for...
you will not like the start stop thing, too jerky and slow, our is always off anyways as i don't like the strain on the starter motor..
When will manufacturers realise that a smaller engine doesn't mean more efficiency? The smaller it is the harder it has to work and the more fuel it burns.. ugh.
It's more about less emissions that drives the downsizing trend. Fuel economy remains the same problem, the harder you go the more fuel you burn.
Naude Retief I guess so.. But doesn't more fuel burn = more emissions? Haha I'm a simple guy...
manufacturers know exactly what they're doing :). it is the buyers who should be aware of all these marketing tricks.
adidicea true!
It's about driving style. You notice it on automatics more and especially on buses. If you drive very gentle on the throttle then you get better fuel economy with the smaller engine, but it means driving slower in general. If you want to get performance (speed) out of a car then the bigger engine works out more economical, due to the reasons you've stated.
In buses they disable kickdown so the engine can't rev high to maximise fuel economy (which means new buses are quick sluggish, apart from hybrids which have the electric motor as a boost).
Rather spend even more for a Golf GTI 👌PERFECT Sport & Looks
The Audi still has same infotainment system. I prefer golf in general
Is it always autumn in Carwowland? :)))
A Golf looks much more premium with the piano lacquer (had to translate this from german, it's gthe black glossy finish of some of the surfaces in Highline and special edition models). I do have this interieur configuration and it leaves an impression. People who get in for the first time are like "wow, didn't expect it to look so premium in here!"
honestly all i see is that the red golf looks like the red angry bird and the black 5 door a3 looks like the black angry bird
I wish that we could get the A3 hatchbacks in the States. It is so frustrating.
John Labus get the Kia Stinger
buy one used lol. I have an 09 A3 hatchback with the 2.0 turbo and quattro. Bought it for 10k with 52k miles. Absolute joy to daily drive
Does the A3 have a plastic sump like the Golf? Both of these are really below average 3 year lease options or your average rental car in budget.
Good haircut, Mat. And in other news ... what's the predicted resale drop with each car?
resale drop is a BS because yes you can sell the a3 at slightly higher pricue but you also pay more for buy the car
In this case it’s the golf that actually looks better in 3-door
Seat Leon if you want a hatchback, Octavia if you need more space. Don't be a fool and overpay these. You can get sporty versions of the aforementioned cars for the same money that you pay for regular versions of these two.. if you don't mind the badge they wear..
For many, the lack luster interior quality and low rent feel of the Leon is a deal breaker. We are willing to pay for a nicer interior. You don't and that's fine.
Do you really think a couple of soft surfaces are worth that much? I'd like a nicer interior as well, the problem is, it's worth a couple hundreds of euros and they charge you thousands for that. It only means one thing, they're charging you for the badge. Over 90 percent of components of those cars is identical, you pay thousands for literally a couple of touches..
the front lamps in audi looks like in corsa
Brought the Audi A3 Saloon Special Editions 2.0 TFSI Quattro Black Ed with the same load capacity as the sportsback. In my opinion the saloon looks miles better.
I second that. Sedan / Saloon / Limousine looks more premium.
8:42 3,2,1, Go! ... Nothing happens.
No mention of the A3 with the 1.4 TFSI 150 PS cylinder on demand engine.
soon the 1.4 tsi get replace with the 1.5 tsi
Ha ha, I meant to put the 1.5 TFSI
I got the Audi A3 35 TFSI and it’s amazing
Matt, where are these roads? I live right by where you did this video and the roads look great but have never found anywhere like this?
george foster This is not a public road, this is a private testing track.
Please review the 2018 Mercedes Benz X-Class, I'm waiting to hear all the interesting things you'll have to say about it :D
I actually prefer the vw's interior . The Audi looks bland
Well its supposed to, its a poor man’s audi
I personally don't even like the BMW 2 series interior. But dam it looks WAY better than this A3's.
@Dilo Nomas en mi país lo que cuesta un A3 te llevas un VW golf GTI o Jetta GLI
@@olegoleg1838 Really there's not much of a price difference where I come from.
I'd buy the Golf if going for a hatchback but the Audi if going for a saloon.
2:43 I thought you were flipping the bird. You do need a good view for that (as does the recipient) though.
Will you be reviewing Seat Arona at all?