VW Golf vs Audi A3
What's the Best Lease Car?
VW Golf or Audi A3 - What's the Best Lease Car
The VW golf has long been the car of choice for people leasing or buying a family hatchback. This is because it’s a solid all-round car that ticks all the boxes. As well as being reliable, it manages to do everything well.
Over the last few years however, the Audi A3 has become one of the Golfs main rivals. The two cars actually share some of the same parts, but which is the best? In our side by side comparison below, we will compare lease prices, sizes, style, engines and more. VW Golf vs Audi A3? Let the battle commence!
VW Golf vs Audi A3 Lease Deals
First off, the Golf is cheaper than the A3. The Audi has more badge value, so it’s obviously going to cost more. However, depending on the version of the Golf you want to lease, the prices can be quite even. But all in all, the VW will cost you less money per month than the Audi (around £38 a month).
To get the prices, we made use of the car lease comparison tool on our site. At the time of writing this, you can get:
A 5 door Audi Sportback for £220.99 ex vat monthly (that is the 35 TFSI SE Technik 5dr S Tronic version by the way).
In comparison, you can presently lease a 5 door Golf for £182.99 ex vat monthly (1.0 TSI 115 SE 5dr).
The offers above are both 4 year contracts. You can view our Audi A3 lease deals here and our VW Golf lease deals here.
Audi A3 vs VW Golf Size, Dimensions & Practicality
Both cars have a good amount of space inside. You will not have an issue getting two adults in the back of either. Looking at the cars stats, we can see they are very close in terms of boot space. Both have 380 litres with the seats up. With the seats down, the Golf has a little more space in the boot. When it comes to headroom in the front, the Audi shades the Golf with 3 extra mm. But the Golf beats the A3 with rear headroom by 12mm.
Size & Dimensions (5 door) | VW Golf | Audi A3 |
---|---|---|
Length | 4258mm | 4310 |
Width (not inc mirrors) | 1799mm | 1785mm |
Height | 1492mm | 1425mm |
Wheelbase | 2620mm | 2631mm |
Headroom Front | 1018mm | 1021mm |
Headroom Rear | 967mm | 955mm |
Boot Space (seats up) | 380 Litres | 380 Litres |
Boot Space (seats down) | 1270 Litres | 1220 Litres |
Fuel Tank | 50 Litres | 50/55 Litres |
Turning Circle | 11.1 Metres | 10.7 Metres |
Style
Lets move on to the looks and styling of both cars. There’s no debating the Golf looks great. But out of the two cars, the Audi A3 definitely has the better looks. It’s more classy, has that extra bit of style and features more fancy details. We think this will justify any extra costs. A3 hands down on style.
Interior
On to the interior. The quality is top notch in both cars. Each’s dashboard feature high quality, soft plastic that feels and looks classy. After this, the two cars differ. If you prefer function over style, the Golf’s interior will be right up your street. If you prefer style over function, the A3 cabin wins hands down. It just feels a bit more special. What about the infotainment systems? We would have to give this one to the Golf, just. It looks better because the A3’s feels a little out of date. However, it is worth saying that the Audi’s is much easier to use when driving. This one really does come down to preference.
What are they like to drive?
On to the most important part, what are they both like to drive? The A3 is easy to drive and see out of. Steering is pretty much perfect, neither too light, or heavy. It’s really nice on corners. The Golf feels quite similar to drive, however, the lower models such as the 1.6 Diesel have standard rear suspension. You will need a more expensive model to get the better rear suspension. It’s worth noting that all A3’s get the best suspension. Overall though, we prefer the Audi over the Golf to drive.
Which has the best engines?
In the two models in our price comparison above, there isn’t that much of a difference between the two engines. Both the are quite quick, but the Golf is a 1.0 litre engine and the A3 a 1.5. The engines on both cars are nice and smooth with good economy. If you wanted the Golf 1.5 Evo you would be looking at around £208.99 ex vat a month. This makes the A3 deal above a really good one. It is worth noting, the A3 is presently on offer.
The Winner!
This may seem like a cop out, but we are calling this one a draw. Why? Because we think it comes down to preference as well as budget. If you were to ask which car we would choose, it would be the Audi. We love the way it looks and it feels classy. But you can’t go wrong with either. To sum up, if you have the money, and the cars looks (and feel) is important, get the Audi. If you want a hatchback with cheaper monthly payments, get the Golf.
Please note the prices above are correct as of 28/03/2019. They may not be the same by the time
Thanks for reading,
The Team @ Plan