Is the Audi A3 ULEZ compliant?

Most petrol Audi A3s from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.

What insurance group is the Audi A3 in?

The Audi A3 sits in insurance group 23 of 50. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.

Is the Audi A3 reliable?

Our reliability score for the Audi A3 is 69 out of 100 (about average), derived from DVSA MOT records, with a first-time MOT pass rate of about 85% at the reference age.

What economy does the Audi A3 get?

Expect roughly around 4 miles per kWh for a typical Audi A3, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.

What are the common problems on the Audi A3?

On the Audi A3, the issues that come up most by mileage include Tyres & wheels, Suspension and Brakes. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.

How many Audi A3s are on UK roads?

About 452,622 Audi A3s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Is the Audi A3 reliable?

The Audi A3 scores 69/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 48% of the cars we track. That is computed from 7,750,446 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Audi A3 cost?

A 2023 Audi A3 with around 30,219 miles is worth roughly £15,900 today (typical range £14,350–£17,450). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Audi A3 depreciate?

A new Audi A3 typically loses about 35% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Audi A3?

The Audi A3 sits in insurance group 23 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Audi A3?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Audi A3 are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Audi A3 cost to run?

Expect around 52 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Ranked #14 car in the UK · Hatchback · 22,834 units sold last year

Audi A3

The Audi A3 is the premium benchmark in the family-hatch class, sharing its platform with the VW Golf but wrapping it in a plusher, better-finished cabin. The current (2020 on) car offers 30/35 TFSI petrol, 35 TDI diesel and a 40 TFSIe plug-in hybrid, plus the hot S3 and RS3. It's the default for buyers who want a Golf with more badge appeal and interior quality - cross-shop the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class, plus the Golf itself for value.

Body: Hatchback
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Petrol / Diesel / Mild Hybrid / Plug-in Hybrid
Range: 84 mi
Insurance: Group 23

The short version

55/100

Forecourt score

Value 82 · Reliability 31 · Insurance 47

The Audi A3 holds its value well and is cheaper to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is average, 69 out of 100, ahead of 31% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 82% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20). Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Mild Hybrid · 1498cc

Power

150 ps

Drivetrain

FWD

Cam drive

Dry belt

Quoted MPG

47 mpg

The volume A3. 1.5 EA211 evo with 48V mild-hybrid and the S tronic auto. The Golf 1.5 eTSI's posher sibling. Belt-driven.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock30,219 mi

0Expected: 30,219180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£15,900

Range £13,400 – £18,650

medium confidence

When new (2023)£30,500Age-based value£19,825Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region+£21Market calibration-£2,846Forecourt price£17,000Private sale£14,850Part-exchange£13,050

Buythis 3-year-old

Past the steep drop — most of the depreciation is behind it.

At 30,219 miles it’s about the ~35,923 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Audi A3 loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 30,219 miles you entered above — worth about £15,900 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 10,073 miles a year.

5-year total

£20,009

Per year

£4,002

All-in per mile

£0.40

Fuel per mile

13.4p

If a company carAround £350/mo Benefit-in-Kind tax at the 40% rate (£175/mo at 20%) — 30% band

Depreciation£4,176

Fuel / energy£6,748

Servicing£2,570

Road tax£975

Insurance£5,540

If you're a company-car driver

At 30% BIK, a 40% taxpayer would pay about £350/month in company-car tax (£175/month at 20%) — on top of the running costs above. Full BIK table below for context.

Best age to buy — around 4 years

A 4-year-old example loses roughly £1,250 a year — under half the £5,450 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 82%

Reliabilitybetter than 31%

Fuel economybetter than 87%

Cheap to insurebetter than 47%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

30/35 TFSI / S3 / RS3

Audi's premium hatch — A-Class / 1 Series rival. Sister to Golf, Octavia, Leon (MQB Evo). RS3 is the 5-pot hot hatch — Audi's distinctive inline-5 turbo continues. Cross-shop Mercedes A-Class, BMW 1 Series, VW Golf (sister, cheaper).

New price: £38,000
Annual fuel / energy: £1,500
3-yr depreciation: 47%

Watch for

·Some DSG clutch wear (campaign-fixed)
·MMI freezes pre-facelift (improved 2024+)
·RS3 is the last 5-cyl on sale globally — cult buy

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 22/06/2026) · Petrol 153.3p/L, Diesel 172.5p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 23 of 50 (mid — around the UK average) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£1,108/ year

Roughly £92 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£2,526	£3,158	£4,105
Age 26-32	£1,319	£1,551	£1,892
Age 33-39Selected	£975	£1,108	£1,307
Age 40-49	£828	£920	£1,067
Age 50+	£738	£820	£968

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage10,073 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 10,07330,000

Routine service

£290

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£280

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£195

Standard rate, post year-one

Electricity

£680

4 mi/kWh, 27p blended

Insurance

£1,108

Age 33-39, group 23

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Mild Hybrid variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.
All petrol variants meet Euro 4 standards and are ULEZ compliant.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,553 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£120

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£360

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£780

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£1,350

per year · high risk

Tyres

195/65 R15 · 205/55 R16 · 215/45 R17

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£300

set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre

Mid-range

£440

set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre

Premium

£620

set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Adaptive / matrix LED headlights	£900	£400	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Advanced driver-assistance pack	£1,500	£450	30%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%
Premium sound system	£800	£200	25%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 30,219 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 7.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 7,651,220 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450medium severityParts high

Recorded in 10.6% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 7,651,220 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 7.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 7,651,220 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 7.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 7,651,220 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 7,651,220 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

EmissionsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£800medium severityParts high

Recorded in 3.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 7,651,220 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Audi A3, from its 2020 assessment.

5/5

TEST YEAR2020

Rating expired (test protocol superseded)

The passenger compartment remained stable in the offset frontal test.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 7,750,446 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

87.3% at 3yr → 70.1% at 25yr

A 3-year-old A3 passes its MOT 87.3% of the time; by 25 years that has slipped to 70.1%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

1%of 30-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 770 vehicles registered in 1996.

Survival by registration year

1% of 1996 cars still on the road

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every A3 currently MOT’d in the UK. From 737,359 vehicles.

Petrol 49.9%
Diesel 45.0%
Hybrid 4.7%

Common MOT failures by mileage

The defect categories this A3 fails on most often, and how the failure rate climbs as the miles add up — from the same DVSA test records.

Category	0-30k	30-60k	60-100k	100k+
Tyres & wheels	5%	5%	6%	7%
Suspension	—	2%	6%	11%
Brakes	1%	2%	4%	7%
Lighting & signalling	1%	1%	3%	7%
Driver's view	1%	1%	2%	3%
Emissions	—	—	1%	3%

Share of MOT tests in each mileage band with at least one defect in that category. The peak band for each is highlighted.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a A3 at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

0 yr41,092
1 yr25,774
2 yr34,311
3 yr35,923
4 yr45,329
5 yr54,185
6 yr63,255
7 yr71,976
8 yr80,748
9 yr89,223
10 yr97,565
11 yr105,352

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records (ages with at least 10 tests shown).

Reliability

69/ 100

Average

Composite of MOT pass rate, defect prevalence and cohort survival from 7,651,220 tests — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

85%first-time pass rate

48th percentile — Below catalogue average

Based on 652,866 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01S tronic (DSG) gearboxes need their fluid and filter service on schedule - skipped changes are the main cause of expensive failures, so check the history.
02Options drive desirability: Virtual Cockpit, bigger screens and driver-assist packs are worth seeking out; a sparsely-specced A3 is harder to sell on.
03Earlier 1.5 TFSI cylinder-on-demand engines could feel hesitant or juddery at low revs; a software update resolved most cases.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Audi A3, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

The Audi A3 is frequently targeted by thieves (UK 2025 data). Keyless entry on later cars makes relay theft the usual method.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.
A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Audi A3 into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Diesel from September 2015 meets Euro 6.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

UK charging network

119,080 public chargers across the UK

As of 2026-04-01, the UK has 119,080 publicly available EV chargers, up 12.6% on the prior year (13,281 added in 2025). 23% of those are rapid (50 kW+) or ultra-rapid (150 kW+), so the network can support both home and on-route charging.

3-8 kW

50%

Standard

8-50 kW

27%

Standard plus

50-150 kW

12%

Rapid

150 kW+

11%

Ultra-rapid

Source: Department for Transport / Zapmap · Released 2026-05-21 · DfT statistics

Company car tax

What HMRC's Benefit-in-Kind charge looks like if you ran this Audi A3 as a company car, by tax year and income-tax band. Calculated from a CO₂ of 128 g/km and a WLTP electric range of 84 miles, using £35,000 as the P11D value.

Tax year	BIK %	Tax @ 20%	Tax @ 40%	Monthly @ 20%	Monthly @ 40%
2025-26	30%	£2,100	£4,200	£175	£350
2026-27	31%	£2,170	£4,340	£181	£362
2027-28	32%	£2,240	£4,480	£187	£373
2028-29	32%	£2,240	£4,480	£187	£373
2029-30	32%	£2,240	£4,480	£187	£373

P11D value is approximated from the latest new price; the exact figure on your tax code will depend on options fitted. The 4% diesel surcharge applies only to non-RDE2 (pre-2021) diesels — we assume RDE2 compliance for current models. Bands and rates from HMRC's Autumn Budget 2024 confirmation through 2029/30.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Audi is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~115

Large network

Premium mainstream

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Audi is 2.6% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

Length

4,300 mm

Width

1,790 mm

Height

1,460 mm

Kerb weight

1,350 kg

Boot

380–1,250 L

Fuel tank

48 L

How many are still out there

Of every Audi A3 ever registered in the UK, this is what's actively on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, or gone for good.

Total ever registered

482,717

Currently taxed & on road

452,622

94% of all registered

SORN (off road)

30,095

6% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

+0.4% vs 2024

351,117452,622

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Jul 2026

Common questions

Audi A3, answered

Is the Audi A3 ULEZ compliant?: Most petrol Audi A3s from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
What insurance group is the Audi A3 in?: The Audi A3 sits in insurance group 23 of 50. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.
Is the Audi A3 reliable?: Our reliability score for the Audi A3 is 69 out of 100 (about average), derived from DVSA MOT records, with a first-time MOT pass rate of about 85% at the reference age.
What economy does the Audi A3 get?: Expect roughly around 4 miles per kWh for a typical Audi A3, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.
What are the common problems on the Audi A3?: On the Audi A3, the issues that come up most by mileage include Tyres & wheels, Suspension and Brakes. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.
How many Audi A3s are on UK roads?: About 452,622 Audi A3s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

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Same underpinnings

Built on the VW MQB platform

Volkswagen Group's modular transverse-engine platform underpinning a huge range of cars from supermini to mid-size SUV. Introduced 2012 with the Golf Mk7. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Volkswagen Group Modularer Querbaukasten · Volkswagen Group

Common questions

Audi A3, answered from the data

Is the Audi A3 reliable?: The Audi A3 scores 69/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 48% of the cars we track. That is computed from 7,750,446 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Audi A3 cost?: A 2023 Audi A3 with around 30,219 miles is worth roughly £15,900 today (typical range £14,350–£17,450). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Audi A3 depreciate?: A new Audi A3 typically loses about 35% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Audi A3?: The Audi A3 sits in insurance group 23 of 50 — the middle of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Audi A3?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Audi A3 are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Audi A3 cost to run?: Expect around 52 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.