2022 Audi A3

Car and Driver (opens in a new tab) says that after skipping the 2021 model year Audi's entry-level car is all-new for 2022 with sharper styling and modernized interior tech, automated emergency braking as standard and more advanced driver assistance in option packages, and a 10.3-inch digital gauge display that can be upgraded to a 12.3-inch unit. MotorTrend (opens in a new tab) adds a standard 10.1-inch touchscreen running Audi's latest infotainment system.

Audi's newsroom (opens in a new tab) says the A3 gets standard leather seating with contrast stitching and two new interior color options, Santos Brown and Parchment Beige, with the S3 sitting 0.6 inch lower than the A3. EPA rates the 2022 A3 at 31 to 32 mpg combined and $1,950 to $2,000 a year in fuel.

NHTSA lists six recall campaigns for the 2022 A3, shared with the S3. Three concern the rearview image: 21V825000, a software error that may keep the image from displaying at the start of reversing, 22V806000, an infotainment unit that can be damaged when the car is shut off and leave the camera display inoperative, and 22V823000, a blank or unresponsive image in reverse. The others are 22V224000, child-seat anchor sleeves marked with the wrong symbol, 22V515000, front seat-belt tensioners whose retention force may be inadequate in a crash, and 22V652000, a front passenger air bag folded incorrectly, for which dealers replace the module. Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA, with electrical system at 4, air bags at 3 and power train at 2, several naming more than one component.

Kelley Blue Book (opens in a new tab) lists used 2022 A3 prices from $20,800 for the Premium sedan to $23,000 for the Prestige at a dealership, with trade-in values of about $15,950 to $19,300 and private-party values of about $19,650 to $21,800.

EPA rates the 2022 A3 at 31 to 32 mpg combined and $1,950 to $2,000 a year in fuel. The 2022 BMW 2 Series rates 26 to 29 at $2,650 to $3,000, the Mercedes-Benz CLA 23 to 29 at $2,650 to $3,350, the 2023 Acura Integra 30 to 33 at $2,350 to $2,600 and the Volkswagen Jetta 33 to 35 at $1,800 to $1,900. On EPA figures the A3 is the most efficient of the three luxury rivals and close to the Integra and the mainstream Jetta.