Audi A3 Sportback e-tron vs. Volkswagen Golf
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron and Volkswagen Golf contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron and the Volkswagen Golf.
When we compare the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron's and the Volkswagen Golf's specifications and ratings, the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron has the advantage in the areas of fuel efficiency and base engine power. The Volkswagen Golf has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, and interior volume. Based on this comparison of the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron's and the Volkswagen Golf's specifications and ratings, the two cars are fairly comparable.
Pricing: A used 2018 Audi A3 Sportback e-tron ranges from $15,849 to $25,998 while a used 2018 Volkswagen Golf is priced between $13,701 to $21,284.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron’s base engine makes 204 horsepower, and the Volkswagen Golf base engine makes 170 horsepower. The A3 Sportback e-tron is rated to deliver an average of 36 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 426 miles. The Golf is rated to deliver an average of 29 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 449 miles.This gives the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron the advantage in fuel efficiency and the Volkswagen Golf the advantage in maximum range. The A3 Sportback e-tron uses electricity, premium unleaded, and the Golf uses regular unleaded.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Volkswagen Golf has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front shoulder room, rear head room, rear shoulder room, rear leg room, and cargo space. The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron has the advantage in the area of front head room. The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron and Volkswagen Golf are comparable in regards to front leg room.
Safety Ratings: The Volkswagen Golf has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
39500
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
N/A
Category Starting MSRP Range:
N/A
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
20910
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Compact Cars)
20571
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Compact Cars)
14395 - 39785
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
22583
Price Range:
15849 - 25998
Category Avg Price:
N/A
Category Avg Price Range:
N/A
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
15
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
70676
# Good or Great Deals:
7
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
17405
Price Range:
13701 - 21284
Category Avg Price:
(Compact Cars)
17195
Category Avg Price Range:
(Compact Cars)
9985 - 30573
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
23
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
71059
# Good or Great Deals:
10
Audi A3 Sportback e-tron Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
Not available
Safety:
Not available
Volkswagen Golf Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
8.835605 / 10
Reliability:
8.151849 / 10
Retained Value:
8.354966 / 10
Safety:
10.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Audi A3 Sportback e-tron
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
5.8
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
N/A
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
N/A
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
0.001
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Volkswagen Golf
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
6.1
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Compact Cars)
5.2
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Compact Cars)
3.1 - 8.5
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
0.198
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
1.2551422732238027
Typical Category Recalls:
N/A
Category Range for Recalls:
N/A
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
5.892339565764715
Typical Category Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
4.1
Category Range for Recalls:
(Compact Cars)
0.5 - 16.6
Audi A3 Sportback e-tron Rankings
Not yet available
Volkswagen Golf Rankings
Ranking
4 out of / 13Ranking
6 out of / 13Ranking
7 out of / 37Ranking
7 out of / 37Ranking
10 out of / 17Ranking
12 out of / 37Ranking
13 out of / 37Ranking
14 out of / 37Ranking
25 out of / 37Ranking
25 out of / 37Ranking
26 out of / 37Ranking
32 out of / 37Available Body Styles
Wagon
Available Body Styles
Hatchback
Available Drivetrain Options
Plug-In Hybrid
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Audi A3 Sportback e-tron Trim Levels
1.4T Premium, 1.4T Premium Plus, 1.4T Prestige
Volkswagen Golf Trim Levels
TSI S, TSI SE
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
6 years / 72000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
6 years / 72000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
3 years / 36000 miles
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
204 hp @ 5000 rpm
Torque:
258 foot-lbs @ 1600 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.056 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
170 hp @ 4500 rpm
Torque:
184 foot-lbs @ 1600 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.058 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
1.4 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
34 / 39 / 36
Range (city/hwy):
373 / 426 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Electricity, Premium Unleaded
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
1.8 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Manual
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
25 / 34 / 29
Range (city/hwy):
330 / 449 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Regular Unleaded
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Android Auto:
Standard
Apple CarPlay:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Navigation System:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Standard
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Parking Sensors:
Available
Roadside assistance:
Available
Roof Rack:
Available
Wifi:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Android Auto:
Standard
Apple CarPlay:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Available
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Navigation System:
N/A
Power outlet:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Voice Recognition:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
Available
Roof Rack:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Forward Collision Warning:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Available
Lane Departure Warning:
Available
Lane Keeping Assist:
Available
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Available
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Forward Collision Warning:
Available
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Available
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Available
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.7 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.2 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
54.8 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.5 inches
Rear Leg Room:
35.4 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
52.9 inches
Cargo Space:
13.6 cubic feet
Cargo Space, 2nd-row seat folded down:
Not yet available
Cargo Space, 3rd-row seat folded down:
Not yet available
Overall Interior Volume:
102.6 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.4 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.2 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
55.9 inches
Rear Head Room:
38.1 inches
Rear Leg Room:
35.6 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
53.9 inches
Cargo Space:
17.4 cubic feet
Cargo Space, 2nd-row seat folded down:
53.7 cubic feet
Cargo Space, 3rd-row seat folded down:
Not yet available
Overall Interior Volume:
110.9 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3616 lbs
Width:
77.4 inches
Height:
56.1 inches
Length:
169.7 inches
Wheelbase:
103.5 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
2945 lbs
Width:
70.8 inches
Height:
58.2 inches
Length:
167.6 inches
Wheelbase:
103.8 inches
Ground Clearance:
5.4 inches
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
17.0 x 7.5 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
225/45R17
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
15.0 x 6.0 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
195/65R15
Exterior Colors
Black
Brilliant Black / Mythos Black Metallic
Blue
Cosmos Blue Metallic
Gray
Monsoon Gray Metallic / Nano Gray Metallic
Red
Tango Red Metallic
Silver
Florett Silver Metallic
White
Glacier White Metallic / Ibis White
Exterior Colors
Black
Deep Black Pearl Metallic
Blue
Night Blue Metallic / Silk Blue Metallic
Gray
Platinum Gray Metallic / Tungsten Silver Metallic
Red
Tornado Red
Silver
Not available
White
Pure White
Interior Colors
Black
Black
Brown
Chestnut Brown
Gray
Rock Gray/Gray
Beige
Not available
Interior Colors
Black
Titan Black
Brown
Not available
Gray
Not available
Beige
Beige
