Which Audi A3 engine option is better – Petrol or Diesel?

By Stuart Johnston

Audi’s A3 range has seen a typical example of down-sizing and tailoring models to suit demand. Back in 2014 you could choose from over 30 models, including two different diesel engines. Now the range has been cut to 14 models, all of them petrol.

Audi’s A3 hatchback has been around since the late 1990s and is currently in its third generation. The latest-generation A3 was launched in 2012 in Europe, arriving here a short while later, when over 20 different models were available.

By 2014 this range had grown to nearly 30 different models, including the Sportback (five-door A3), sedan, cabriolet and a number of sporty S3 derivatives. Amongst these model options were two diesel-engined choices. You could opt for a 1,6-litre TDI producing 77 kW and 250 Nm, or the 2,0-litre diesel which offered 110 kW and 320 Nm.

Downsizing petrol engines

The big change for Audi came here in late 2016 with a styling revision to the third-generation A3 and a whole new range of engines. Notable amongst these new engines was the new three-cylinder petrol engine. This produced 85 kW and 200 Nm, with a manufacturer-rated fuel consumption of 4,5 litres/100 km.

At a stroke this tiny new petrol engine made the1.6 TDI redundant, but Audi retained the 2,0-litre TDI in its line-up for die-hard diesel fans. The output of this engine was then rated at 105 kW. For the top five Audi A3 articles in AutoTrader, click here.

An all-petrol line-up in early 2018

Although there was no official announcement, Audi dropped the 2.0 TDI model from its range here in the first quarter of 2018 and by May 2018 it no longer featured on price lists. Presumably this was a result of low demand.

The so-called “Dieselgate” scandal that affected the Volkswagen Group after 2015 (when Volkswagen AG admitted to fudging its official emissions figures) led to a backlash against diesel-powered cars, particularly in Europe. How much impact this had in South Africa is debatable. To read more about the scandal that rocked the global motor industry, click here.

Apart from now offering only a petrol-fueled A3 range, the A3 model line-up has been effectively halved since the current generation was launched. You can now choose between just 14 A3 models, in either five-door Sportback, four-door Sedan, or two-door Cabriolet form.

If you particularly want an A3 diesel, you will have to buy a used model. For a choice of over 800 used Audi A3s on AutoTrader, click here.

So, should I still choose a used diesel model if buying pre-2018?

It is never a good sign when a model is dropped from the range, because although manufacturers will honour warranties and provide spares back-up for a reasonable period, as time goes buy there is less demand for these spares and they are more difficult to source. It all depends how long you want to hold on to your car.

We also believe that while the old 1,9-litre TDI engine employed by the Volkswagen Group (and thus in early Audi A3s) was a great, reliable engine, the later diesel motors have been less reliable, as engineers sought more and more complex ways to make diesels more fuel efficient and cleaner as far as emissions are concerned.

The range of Audi petrol engines is excellent

On the other hand, the Audi range of petrol engines, consisting of the 1,0-litre, 1,4-litre and 2,0-litre TFSI turbocharged four-cylinders is superb. Earlier Audi petrol engines are also excellent. For us, it would be petrol all the way, particularly in a well-used model.