Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series
A side-by-side comparison of the used Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series — which should I buy?
The Audi A3 starts cheaper (Audi A3 from £6,495, BMW 1 Series from £7,980), with illustrative finance from £172/mo and £186/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 94% and 82% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- A3 from
- £6,495
- 1 Series from
- £7,980
- In stock
- 6 vs 10
| From live stock | ★ Best value overall Audi A3 6 in stock · from £6,495 | BMW 1 Series 10 in stock · from £7,980 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £6,495★ lowest | £7,980 |
| Median price | £11,768 | £11,399★ lower |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £172/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR)★ lower | £186/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 53,241 mi★ lower | 60,785 mi |
| Median year | 2017 | 2019★ newer |
| Median CO₂ | 69 g/km★ cleaner | 122 g/km |
| Typical power | 194 bhp★ more | 134 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol Electric Hybrid | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Automatic | Automatic |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 94%★ more reliable | 82% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 3 / 6★ more | 3 / 10 |
| View all 6 A3 → | View all 10 1 Series → |
Motoring Today score
Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.
| Score | Audi A3 | BMW 1 Series |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 63/100 | 63/100 |
| Reliability | 63 | 62 |
| Running costs | 80 | 71 |
| Safety | 44 | 49 |
| Family & practicality | 74 | 76 |
| Insurance | 48 | 56 |
A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer specifications across the Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | Audi A3 | BMW 1 Series |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 0–83 mpg | 30–83 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 8–224 g/km | 89–226 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 14–46 | Group 12–39 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 53% pillar avg | 60% pillar avg |
| 0–60mph | 3.7s | 4.6s |
| Power | 100–394 bhp | 93–321 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 4313 mm | 4324 mm |
| Width | 1966 mm | 1984 mm |
| Height | 1425 mm | 1421 mm |
How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Audi A3 or the BMW 1 Series cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Audi A3 starts lower: the Audi A3 is available from £6,495 (median £11,768) and the BMW 1 Series from £7,980 (median £11,399).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Audi A3 vs the BMW 1 Series?
- Illustrative finance starts from £172/mo (HP, 60 months, 21.9% APR) on the Audi A3 and £186/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) on the BMW 1 Series. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the Audi A3 or the BMW 1 Series?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Audi A3 stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the BMW 1 Series — so the Audi A3 is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Audi A3 or the BMW 1 Series?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Audi A3 averages a 94% first-time pass rate and the BMW 1 Series 82% — the Audi A3 edges it on this measure.