Used Audi A3 Sport cars

The Audi A3 Sport is one of the most cost-effective versions of Audi’s mid-size hatchback and saloon model, giving you a lot of features as standard, at a relatively low price. 

The Audi A3 is the German brand’s popular mid-size hatchback. Its rivals include the BMW 1 Series and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, plus ‘non-premium-brand’ cars such as the Ford Focus and the Peugeot 308. The A3 is among the best of the bunch, offering sufficient space for most families in an upmarket interior. It gives you a pleasant driving experience and is surprisingly good value for money.

The current, fourth-generation version of the A3 has been on sale in the UK since 2020, but you’ll also find plenty of third-generation cars, which were sold new from 2013 to 2020. Besides the five-door hatchback body (which Audi calls Sportback), the latest A3 is also available as a saloon. (Third-generation models were available in three-door hatchback and convertible forms, too.) There are plenty of options within the A3 range: you can choose from petrol, diesel or plug-in hybrid power, manual or automatic gearboxes, and front- or four-wheel drive.

Despite the name, the Sport model isn’t actually the sportiest model in the Audi A3 range. As of  mid-2023, it’s actually the entry-level trim if you’re buying a new A3, and the most affordable way into the range. However, in the A3’s history there used to be other trim levels – including Technik and SE – that sat below the Sport in the range. In that context, the Sport offered a sportier look with bigger wheels, more supportive sports seats and extra equipment.

While many available trims in the A3 range tend to come and go over time, there are three ‘core’ models that persist. In the current Audi A3 range, the Sport is the most affordable if you’re buying new. Thankfully it doesn’t lose out on standard features in exchange for that affordability – it comes with sat nav, climate control, cruise control, parking sensors and much more. Indeed, it has the same features as most other models, but those cars also have bigger wheels and different packages of styling details that add to their cost. There have been many other A3 models over the years, particularly in older versions, including SE, Technik and Vorsprung. At times when there has been a more extensive model line-up, Sport ranked somewhere in the middle.  

All current-generation Audi A3 models have the same features included as standard. Where they differ is in their package of exterior and interior styling details. Sport is the one of the more visually discreet models, and the others look rather more assertive. It has 17-inch alloy wheels, rather than 18- or 19-inch ones, and subtle styling details with matt black and matt silver finishes.