Yahoo Autos Fuel Economy and Driving Range
Fuel Economy Rating:
About average for the class, the A3’s EPA estimates are nothing to write home about. Still, the A3 outperformed expectations during our testing. All-wheel-drive models are significantly less efficient than those with front-wheel drive.
What’s New for 2018?
Save for a slight reduction in the front-wheel-drive convertible’s highway fuel economy rating (from 34 to 33 mpg), the A3 lineup’s fuel economy remains the same as it was last year. We haven’t yet tested an A3 convertible on our highway fuel-economy loop, so we can’t confirm whether the EPA’s alteration is warranted.
2017 Audi A3
Every car in this set uses a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, so it’s no surprise that the ratings are similar across the board. We’ve seen compact sedans deliver much better numbers, but this class aims to mix power and efficiency. We think Audi and its competitors have struck a good balance, with every car in this lineup topping 30 mpg on the highway. A3 sedan buyers who opt for all-wheel drive will forfeit 2 mpg in the city and 4 on the highway. The A3 cabriolet is 1 mpg less efficient than the sedan across the board when comparing front-wheel-drive models. All-wheel-drive convertibles earn 2 mpg less in the city and 1 mpg less on the highway than the all-wheel-drive sedan.
Fuel Economy Ratings Compared
We’ve devised our own fuel-economy test in an attempt to replicate how most people drive on the highway. Our procedure entails a 200-mile out-and-back loop on Michigan’s I-94 highway. We maintain a GPS-verified 75 mph and use the cruise control as much as possible to mimic the way many drivers behave during long trips.
An all-wheel-drive A3 sedan we tested beat its EPA highway rating by 3 mpg during our test, the best margin of any car tested here. Despite that, it was still less efficient in our hands than a BMW 230i with all-wheel drive; it was also less efficient than a front-wheel-drive Volkswagen GTI, which was equipped with the same engine as the A3 but paired with a six-speed manual versus the A3’s six-speed automatic.
Test Results: Highway Fuel Economy
Test Results: Highway Range
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