Cheapest Audi vs BMW vs Mercedes-Benz in South Africa

Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are all highly sought-after brands in South Africa, but the cost of entry varies significantly between each one.

By far the cheapest of the three luxury badges is Audi, which offers the A1 hatchback at a starting price of R523,200.

BMW then comes in second with the new 1 Series clocking in at R713,395, leaving Mercedes as the most expensive of the trio with the A-Class setting the bar at R826,024.

With such a large price gap separating the three German carmakers, it’s worth asking the question of what each model has to offer, and whether the BMW and Mercedes can justify their premium over the Audi.

Performance

The cheapest A1 is the 30TFSI, while the same is true of the 1 Series 118 and the A-Class A200.

The 30TFSI is powered by a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, while the 118 uses a 1.5-litre turbo plant, and the A200 splits the difference with a 1.3-litre turbo mill.

A breakdown of each unit’s performance can be seen in the table below:

The Audi’s smaller engine pays off with regards to fuel consumption, and its top speed and acceleration aren’t far off its peers despite the gap in power.

It’s also worth noting that all three hatchbacks are front-wheel drive and make use of a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Features

The first thing to note about the three cars is that the A1 is a B-segment hatchback, while the 1 Series and A-Class are larger C-segment models.

This means the BMW and Merc are 300mm to 400m longer than the Audi resulting in more interior space and a bigger boot, as the latter can only take 335 litres of luggage while the former has room for 380 litres and 355 litres, respectively.

Standard equipment across all three nameplates includes LED daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather multifunction steering wheel, artificial leather/cloth upholstery, air conditioning, six speakers, a digital instrument cluster, an infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, tyre-pressure monitoring, and six airbags.

Since the Audi is the cheapest, a lot of equipment you’ll find on its rivals is kept as optional extras such as LED headlights, automatic climate control, cruise control, onboard navigation, rear parking sensors, and a reverse camera.

It also has the shortest warranty with 1-year/unlimited-kilometre coverage.

All of the optional kit on the A1 is included in the price of the 1 Series and A-Class, along with push-button start, front parking sensors and, in the case of the BMW, a 360-degree camera.

The two more expensive entries also have their own list of extras such as a sunroof, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, a heads-up display, and electronically adjustable seats.

The BMW and Merc also have a longer 2-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, but all three cars end with the same 5-year/100,000km maintenance plan.

Audi A1

BMW 1 Series

Mercedes-Benz A-Class