Audi Q3 vs Ford Ecosport
What's the difference?

Audi Q3

$58,700 - $84,327

2026 price

View pricing & specs

Ford Ecosport

$14,460 - $16,894

2019 price

View pricing & specs

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

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Renault Scenic E-Tech

Summary

2026 Audi Q3

2019 Ford Ecosport

By Stephen Ottley

By Tom White

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.5L

Inline 3, 1.5L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

5.8L/100km (combined)

6.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Stylish, premium looks
Well-integrated technology
Good active safety calibration

Cheap
Great multimedia
Practical boot

Dislikes

No PHEV option (yet)
A few rattles in our test car
Small back seat

No active safety
Nasty cabin materials
No auto headlights

2026 Audi Q3 Summary

Replacing a popular model is fraught with danger. Existing customers will tell you they love it, while focus groups of non-customers will tell you why they hate it and sometimes carmakers get caught trying to appease both groups.

Sometimes they’ll make it too big or change too much in the search for more sales and ultimately end up removing the elements that made it popular in the first place.

Which is why Audi has been extra careful with some subtle evolution for this new-generation Q3 SUV and Sportback. This isn’t just a popular model for Audi Australia, it has been the best-selling model for the German brand for more than five years, so getting it wrong would be a disaster.

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2019 Ford Ecosport Summary

We live in a strange time, where cars are going the way of the dinosaur and SUVs will take their place as the primary offerings of the worlds oldest and biggest car companies.

Look at Ford, the brand that literally wrote the book on automotive mass-production will soon no longer sell cars in its home market of America (apart from the Mustang, of course…) There’s a story your grandpa won’t believe.

It makes SUVs, especially small ones like the EcoSport all the more important. Customers who once would have considered the Fiesta small hatch (on which the EcoSport is based) would now rather hop into one of these. At least, that’s what the data says.

So, is the EcoSport a worthy successor to the hatchback mantle? Is it even economical or sporty? And what happened to the spare wheel on the rear door? Read on to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Audi Q3 2019 Ford Ecosport

Verdict

So is this new Q3 good enough to remain Audi’s number one choice? In a word, yes.

Audi has resisted the temptation that some brands fall into by making too many changes to a proven sales performer. This new Q3 isn’t radically different from the old Q3, but it has improved in almost every way.

It isn’t different enough to widely expand its appeal to a new wave of customers, but there’s no reason it won’t remain Audi’s most popular choice for the foreseeable future.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Verdict

So, should you buy a base-model Ford EcoSport Ambiente?

For the money it’s a great little daily commuter with an odd mix of dated trim and a great multimedia, but it’s definitely worth making room in your budget to investigate the Trend or Titanium grades.

Plus, it’s worth keeping in mind that many competitors now offer more comprehensive safety or more powerful drivetrains for not much more money.

Audi Q3 vs Ford Ecosport What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi Q3 vs Ford Ecosport
What's the difference?