SMcGarrett

It appears that both Premium and Premium Plus customers will get the three-spoke, multifunction steering wheel with shift paddles as standard equipment. I could not see a heated steering wheel as standard equipment nor as a part of any option package on the 2022 order sheet or at the build site.

In Canada, a heated, leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel is standard equipment on all three trim levels: Komfort, Progressive, and Technik. However, on Progressive and Technik trims, the Advanced Driver Assist Package will add:
Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go
High Beam Assist, Audi active cruise assist
Three-spoke multifunction steering wheel with paddles
Q-design with HOD
Traffic Jam assist

but remove heated steering wheel feature. This package is not available on the Komfort level.

dampduffer

It seems odd something so simple is not offered.

Surely it is offered in Europe, the UK, and Scandanavia, so I have to wonder why not in the USA?

SMcGarrett

Perhaps the heated wheel is not available because Audi’s marketing department determined that the paddles would be the preferred option for most US customers and heat would be the preferred option for most Canadians. The decision not to offer a choice of either paddles or heat was likely driven by logistics and it may not be practical or possible, at a reasonable cost, to have a wheel with both paddles and heat.

Members from the UK or EU could give more information on the availability of a heated steering wheel in those markets.

dampduffer

I checked with an Audi sales manager today, and he confirmed, "no, the heated steering wheel is not available on the Q3, but I would be happy to sell you a Q5, it has the heated steering wheel."

A heated steering wheel may seem just a minor point to some, but after driving my Lexus NX F-Sport with a heated steering wheel and paddle shifters most days in the winter, the difference is certainly noticeable when I jump into the Audi.

On a positive note, the Q3 seats are quite a bit warmer and quicker to warm than the seats in my NX.

mobidutch

Overall I am happy with my 2020 Q3 Prestige lease. My gripes so far:
- The factory tires (20") wear down too quick. After 19 months of use, I have only put 7k miles on my car so far, and the tires are already down to between 3 and 4 mm. But granted, I do drive that car pretty hard and there's a lot of stop and go with mostly city driving.
- I experienced water leaking from the overhead console ONCE. Has not happened again.
- The MMI can be a little finicky with CarPlay. Sometimes the screen simply stays black when starting the car and I have to reset CarPlay by deleting and re-establishing the profile in MMI. It also does not always stick with my default setting of 3D view versus top-down, or direction-up versus north-up. That could be an Apple CarPlay software issue.

I'd like to go electric for my next car and would prefer another Audi of similar size. But I feel the Q4 is overpriced, so I may break my Audi loyalty streak...

MythosQ3

I'm almost two-thirds of the way through my lease of a 2020 Q3 Premium Plus with ~19k miles, besides the few recall campaigns and one dead battery the car has been flawless. The dead battery I attribute to the Start/Stop system (since that incident, I now turn the Accessories on and wait for my Navigation map to load before I start the engine - and I disable Auto Start/Stop)

Things I LOVE: Bang & Olufsen sound system (truly phenomenal), Handling ability on the 20" wheels/tires, Virtual Cockpit, Adaptive Cruise, Panorama Roof, Wireless phone charger
Things I DON'T LOVE: Apple Carplay connection is about 80% reliable...even while plugged in it will occasionally drop in and out, as if the signal booster is confusing the connection? Gas mileage - should be better! Although I do appreciate that the Q3 accepts regular fuel.

No water leaks through my panorama sunroof (granted, my car has never sat outside in the rain overnight to be soaked with rain for any extended period of time)
I have the 20" Audi Sport rims and I only saw 13k miles on the Bridgestone Potenza tires that came with the car. I switched to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S with a 30k mile warranty.

Overall quality of the fit and finish both interior and exterior has been very good.

I've taken shorter highway trips (less than 200 miles each way) and found the Adaptive Cruise works great. My rear brake pads are wearing low, I have heard that overuse of Adaptive Cruise can lead to this. I frequently use the feature around town and in Stop and Go traffic so that could be the reason. The Lane Keeping feature is only slightly helpful, otherwise I find the steering wheel being jerked out of my hands unexpectedly as lanes merge together or traveling passed a pull out.

I think the car handles extremely well especially on the 20" wheels and tires (255/20/R40) twisty corners at 50MPH are not a problem for this car and it feels nimble. The power delivery is adequate but unremarkable. Around town it is pretty smooth and switching to Dynamic mode makes a noticeable difference. Performs better than the 2.0T in the Toyota/Lexus products (I've had an 2016 Lexus IS300 previously)

I have not experienced any of the "rough shifts" in the transmission at higher speeds as others have mentioned, I have logged a few hundred Highway miles and am always impressed with the passing ability from 70-90MPH. I am not positive if the transmission was re-programed when my Audi dealership performed the Start/Stop recall last year, but the car has driven beautifully since.

Would I buy/lease another Q3? 60% yes 40% undecided. Back in June 2020 I was able to get a really great deal on a fairly loaded model. I think the Q3 is a good value compared to other entry Lux CUV's (GLA/GLB, Evoque) and since the 2020 model year Audi has added more features to the Premium Plus trim - though they have also raised the price. If I can secure a good deal on a facelift Q3 in 2023/2024 I might go for another one. But EV's and plug-ins are enticing, and a Q4 E-tron, ID.4, Ioniq-5, EV-6 could be the route I go.

Overall, the Q3 brings me joy and has some nice attributes to its drivability and comfort that make it enticing - plus it looks GREAT!

tcm0777audi

No I would not. The transmission issues are the reason as discussed in other threads. The highway driving experience is not worth the money.

101/105guy

I still would! My experience has been excellent! Even my local Audi Dealer has been great. They sent me some coupons for parts or services and I got a set of front rubber matts for $75 off list!
Thanks Audi!