Audi Q3: This is Audi's LAST CHANCE

Audi Q3 review summary

Main features

• Price and trims: The Q3 starts at just over £38,000 in Sport trim. The reviewer says the S line costs about £3,000 more and looks more convincing, with larger 19-inch wheels, sportier bumpers, less grey plastic, an illuminated rear badge and a full-width light bar. The heavily optioned test car costs about £58,000.
• Engines: The range includes:
  • 1.5-litre turbo petrol, 150 hp, front-wheel drive, with fuel economy in the mid-40s mpg.
  • 2.0-litre diesel, 150 hp, front-wheel drive, with fuel economy in the high-40s mpg.
  • 2.0-litre turbo petrols with 204 hp or 265 hp, both with quattro all-wheel drive.
  • A plug-in hybrid with 272 hp and up to 70 miles of electric-only range.

All versions are automatic; there is no manual option.

• Test car performance: The 265 hp petrol has 400 Nm, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and quattro. It reached 60 mph in 5.4 seconds and includes launch control.
• Lighting and exterior: The front and sides look anonymous, and the flat new Audi logo feels less premium than the old rings. The rear is a highlight, with distinctive lights and a full-length light bar on higher trims. The headlights can project different animations and light signatures, which the reviewer finds either clever or gimmicky.
• Interior: The cabin feels substantially more premium than recent Audis, with soft-touch surfaces, well-finished details, a lined glovebox, rubber-lined door bins, and smoothly damped covers and controls. Some lower plastics are scratchy, and one storage compartment feels unusually flimsy.
• Screens and controls: The infotainment and driver displays have crisp graphics and respond adequately, but the infotainment screen has a large bezel. Climate controls are on-screen, though a dashboard ledge makes them relatively easy to use. The steering-wheel touch controls are less satisfying than physical buttons, and the digital rev counter is small and cramped.
• Driving: The Q3 feels composed, stable and comfortable on the motorway, with standard acoustic glass helping reduce wind noise. The test car’s steering is responsive, and its handling is unusually enjoyable for a small SUV. Its suspension is firm but not uncomfortable; the press car had optional adaptive dampers. Sport and S line versions are said to have slightly softer, comfort-oriented suspension.
• Practicality: Adult passengers have good legroom and headroom, useful under-thigh support and accessible ISOFIX points. There is also an ISOFIX point in the front passenger seat. The rear bench slides and reclines, allowing a choice between passenger space and boot room. Three adults across the back would be cramped.
• Boot: Capacity is listed as 488 litres, down from 530 litres in the old Q3, though the reviewer notes the old figure depended on equipment choices. Useful details include an adjustable boot floor, storage pockets, a 12V socket, a removable cover that can be stored under the floor, and a through-loading hatch. The reviewer fit six carry-on cases in the normal setup and nine after sliding the rear seats forward.
• Town use and visibility: The raised driving position, large mirrors and reasonably clear rear and rear-quarter windows help around town. The dual-clutch gearbox can respond slowly during low-speed manoeuvres. Optional surround-view cameras are useful, but the Q3 has a poorer turning circle than the BMW X1 and especially the Volvo XC40.
• Annoyances and equipment: A £35 Function Pack adds several useful items, including seatback nets, rear cupholders, a lockable glovebox, boot lights and a 12V socket. The reviewer thinks these should be standard. There is no rear-seat-belt guide to keep the belt accessible when the seat is folded and raised again. The optional head-up display does not consistently show the adaptive-cruise set speed.
• Infotainment glitches: The system occasionally speaks without being prompted. During the reviewer’s week with the car, it also twice mishandled a long phone call: it ended the call but continued to behave as though the call were active, requiring the car to be stopped and restarted after a wait.
• Running costs: Leasing was described as uncompetitive while the model is new: over £500 a month for the entry-level version and over £700 a month for the test car. The reviewer says buying and later selling could cost less overall than three years of lease payments, though the car remains expensive.

Comparisons

• The Q3’s styling and technology can resemble those of Chinese SUVs, which the reviewer says often offer plenty of equipment and a premium-looking interior for less money.
• Compared with the old Q3, the new one looks less distinctive from the front and side and has a lower quoted boot capacity, but feels more premium inside.
• A Volkswagen Tiguan is suggested for buyers who need more space.
• The BMW X1 and Volvo XC40 are said to have better turning circles.
• The 265 hp Q3 is presented as quick for a small SUV; the reviewer compares its claimed acceleration favourably with several older Audi performance models.
• The reviewer notes that a used Audi RS Q3 may be available for the price of a new entry-level Q3, but stresses the risks of buying used without checking the vehicle’s history.

Verdict

The Q3 is expensive, and its styling, optional extras and occasional software faults make it hard to justify on value alone. However, the cabin finally feels properly premium, it is practical and composed, and it drives better than the reviewer expected.

The reviewer recommends it for buyers specifically seeking a premium-feeling compact SUV, suggesting the 1.5-litre petrol as the sensible choice while personally preferring the fun 265 hp version. No formal numerical rating is given.

Speaker’s view

The single reviewer is critical of the price, front-end styling, touch controls, screen bezel, optional-equipment strategy and infotainment glitches, but strongly positive about the interior quality, everyday practicality and driving experience.

He also defends the unusual steering-column controls, arguing that placing drive selection there frees up console space and lets the driver change direction without taking a hand off the wheel.