We like the current Audi A3; it’s sporty, compact, and stylish. But its fiercest competitor is a close relative, the VW Golf, a car that makes it hard to justify the big price of the little Audi. Since the debut of the current, sixth-generation Golf—essentially a highly successful face lift of the Golf MkV, a.k.a. Rabbit—the A3 looks somewhat dated. The current A3, after all, was launched seven years ago, just like the Golf V. A few minor freshenings have kept the Audi ahead of the now-gone Golf V in terms of style, but the Golf VI is so well executed that Audi needs a new car to keep up.

CarandDriver.com