Road Test: Audi Q3
Audi is on a roll with their latest offerings of smaller “entry level” models. We’ve already discovered how nice the A3, S3 and TT are, and our latest test with the smaller Audis is with the baby SUV, the Q3. We love the larger Audi SUVs, the Q5 and Q7, and the Q3 is very much like those in terms of build quality, but in a much more compact form.
Don’t forget, when Audi talks compact, that doesn’t mean the driver suffers. Front seat comfort is excellent, and the Q3 has plenty of leg, hip shoulder and head room, even for larger drivers. All surfaces in the car are perfectly finished.
The Q3 is every bit as well built as the bigger cars, with fit and finish exactly as you’d expect for a car wearing the Audi badge. You would be hard pressed to find any exposed fasteners in the cabin, all edges are finished, attention to detail is astounding.
The Q3’s driving dynamics are also as we’ve come to expect from Audi. The Q3 shares drivetrain with the previous generation A3/TT/Golf/Tiguan family, with macpherson struts in front and a 4 link arrangement in the rear. This suspension is simple, but effective. As the Q3 is not tuned for “sport”, it is very comfortable on rough roads, as well as on the highway. It can, if you wish, get playful on tight twisty roads, but the tall SUV profile tires begin to protest, and take the fun out of what is a stable and confidence inspiring chassis.
Power delivery is good, with the tried and true 2.0TFSI engine grunting out 200hp and 207 lb/ft for smooth acceleration. Q3 won’t blow your mind with acceleration, but it’s adequate for daily driving.
Audi recently updated the Q3’s nose to match what is known to be the new face of the brand, with a slightly wider and more angular grille. The new Q7 already has this same design applied, and the new A4 and TT wear a similarly shaped grille, with different applications of trim.
Inside, even though the current Q3 has been around a few years, it’s nevertheless modern and stylish. It doesn’t have center console mounted MMI controls, instead using an array on the dash. This isn’t a huge problem, since it’s not a long reach from the driver’s seat. Functionally, the MMI in the Q3 is the same as the other cars, right up to the wireless internet connection.
Under the shapely skin is a transversely mounted 2.0TFSI engine mated to a 6 speed traditional automatic transmission with Tiptronic, and hooked to the rear axle via the tried and true Haldex differential. We have lots of experience with this drivetrain in the TT and A3, and can say that even though it is not 100% mechanical like the Torsen differential equipped quattro systems, it is nevertheless worthy of the quattro namesake. Unlike some systems employing clutches or other kinds of systems, there is no perceptible time where the rear axle is felt to be disconnected from the front, which is largely what makes the quattro drivetrain so good.
The smaller SUV segment is becoming one of the most desired vehicle lately, and we’re psyched that Audi not only brought the Q3 here, but it seems to be selling very well. We certainly find that we’d love to have one for our own. Rare is the time when we need a huge car, and we found that we could fit most of what we needed to bring along on any adventure with the Q3. Everything else would go on the roof in our Thule box
Admittedly not the most modern or high tech platform in the Audi lineup, the Q3 makes a great daily driver, commuter, family car, or toy hauler. The ride is very comfortable, as are the seats. The car’s fit and finish are true to the Audi way, with everything perfectly presented.
As nice as the basic Q3 is, we can’t help but wish we had the option for a sportier model here in the USA, maybe not the bombastic RS Q3, though that would be nice, but even an S version. Perhaps with the next generation, which should be just around the corner.
Standard Features:
Safety | Security
- Driver and front passenger airbags, front thorax side airbags and Sideguard® head curtain airbags
- Front passenger occupant detection for airbags 1
- Power central locking system with safety unlock feature if airbags deploy
- Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and brake assist
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Offroad mode and traction control (ASR)
- Anti-theft alarm system with immobilizer
- Tire-pressure monitoring system
- Safety belt reminder for driver and front passenger
- Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) in rear seats
- Electromechanical parking brake
- Hill descent assist
Exterior
- Gloss Black Singleframe® grille
- Full LED headlights
- Automatic headlights
- LED taillights with dynamic turn signals
- Power-adjustable, power-folding, driver-side auto-dimming heated exterior side mirrors
- Front all-weather lights and rear fog lights
- Dual exhaust outlet (driver’s side)
- Aluminum trim around exterior windows
- Aluminum roof rails
- Power tailgate
- Tailgate spoiler
- LED turn-indicator lights integrated into the exterior side mirrors
- Heated windshield washer nozzles
- S line® exterior appearance
- Rear privacy glass
Interior
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Three-spoke multifunction steering wheel
- Tilt and telescopic manually adjustable steering column
- Folding and sliding front center armrest with height adjustment
- Power windows with one-touch up/down operation and pinch protection
- Panoramic sunroof
- Dual front sun visors with lighted vanity mirrors
- 12-volt power outlets
- Eight beverage holders (four cup and four bottle)
- Auto-dimming interior rear view mirror with digital compass
- Ambient LED interior lighting
- Illuminated locking glove compartment
- Stainless-steel door sill inlays with S line® logo
- Stainless-steel trunk sill
- Leather-wrapped shift knob
Seating
- Leather seating surfaces
- Twelve-way power front seats, including four-way power lumbar adjustment
- Heated front seats
- 60/40 split folding rear seat with pass-through armrest and cupholders
Infotainment | Technology
- MMI® navigation plus with voice control system 2
- Audi connect® with six-month trial subscription 3
- BOSE® Surround Sound System with 14 speakers, AudioPilot® noise compensation and 465 watts
- Color driver information system
- SiriusXM® Satellite Radio with 90-day trial subscription 4
- SiriusXM® Traffic with four-year subscription 4
- Cruise control with coast, resume and accelerate features
- Audi music interface with Lightning adapter cable
- BLUETOOTH® wireless technology preparation for mobile phone 5
- BLUETOOTH® streaming audio 5
- Audi advanced key — keyless start, stop and entry (front doors and tailgate) 6
- SD card slot for audio playback of MP3 music files
- Parking system plus with rear view camera (front and rear acoustic parking sensors)
- Audi side assist
- Rain/light sensor for automatic windshield wipers and headlights
Technical Specifications
- Engine type Four-cylinder
- Displacement (cc)/Bore and stroke (mm) 1,984/82.5 x 92.8
- Horsepower (@ rpm) 200 @ 5,100 – 6,000
- Torque (lb-ft @ rpm) 207 @ 1,700 – 5,000
- Engine block Cast-iron
- Cylinder head Aluminum-alloy
- Valvetrain 16-valve DOHC
- Induction/fuel injection Turbocharged/ TFSI®
- Acceleration (0 – 60 mph) 8.2 sec.
- Top track speed 130 mph
Transmission | Drivetrain
- Transmission Six-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission with quattro® all-wheel drive
- Gear ratios: 1st 3.949
- Gear ratios: 2nd 2.303
- Gear ratios: 3rd 1.556
- Gear ratios: 4th 1.164
- Gear ratios: 5th 0.860
- Gear ratios: 6th 0.688
- Gear ratios: Reverse 3.422
- Gear ratios: Final Drive NA
Steering
- Type Electromechanical power steering system
- Ratio 16.4:1
- Turning diameter (curb-to-curb) (ft) 38.7
Suspension
- Front MacPherson strut front suspension
- Rear Four-link rear suspension
Brakes
- Front (in) 12.3 (ventilated disc)
- Rear (in) 11.1 (solid disc)
Body
- Material Fully galvanized steel unibody with aluminum hood and tailgate
- Corrosion protection Multistep anti-corrosion protection
Warranty | Maintenance
- Warranty 4-year/50,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty
- Maintenance 12-month/5,000-mile (whichever occurs first) NO CHARGE first scheduled maintenance
Exterior Measurements
- Wheelbase (in) 102.5
- Length (in) 172.8
- Height (in) 62.6
- Overall width with mirrors (in) 79.5
- Overall width without mirrors (in) 72.1
- Track front (in) 61.1
- Track rear (in) 61.2
- Curb weight (lb) 3,682
- Drag coefficient (Cw) 0.32
Interior Measurements
- Head room with sunroof (in, front) 37.0
- Head room with sunroof (in, rear) 37.4
- Leg room (in, front) 40.0
- Leg room (in, rear) 31.1
- Shoulder room (in, front) 55.8
- Shoulder room (in, rear) 53.6
- Cargo volume (cu ft, cu ft, rear seatbacks up/folded) 16.7/48.2
- Seating capacity 5
EPA Estimates | Capacities
- City 20 mpg
- Highway 28 mpg
- Combined 23 mpg
- Engine oil (qt) 4.9
- Fuel (gal) 16.9
- Recommended fuel Premium
- Emissions rating ULEV