Audi Q3 vs Subaru Outback
What's the difference?

Audi Q3

$58,700 - $84,400

2026 price

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Subaru Outback

$48,990 - $62,690

2026 price

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Summary

2026 Audi Q3

2026 Subaru Outback

By Stephen Ottley

By Byron Mathioudakis

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.5L

Flat 4, 2.5L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

5.8L/100km (combined)

8.1L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

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

Brilliant packaging
Dynamic sophistication
Ease, comfort and fun

Dislikes

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

Average warranty
Divisive design
No manual option

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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2026 Subaru Outback Summary

It’s 2026 and over 30 years and through six generations the Subaru Outback as we knew it… is gone.

Gone is the defiantly wagon-esque crossover style that was one of the first, as well as likely the most-successful, for the boxy beast you see here.

RIP, original Subaru Outback.

But, don’t worry, folks, because, except for a couple of issues, things only get better by and large, with the big new seventh-gen model.

And, in the most important ways, the 2026 Outback is a true Subaru at heart, so let’s dive straight in!

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Audi Q3 2026 Subaru Outback

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

Over 30 years and seven generations of Outback in Australia, the latest might just be the best.

It's great to drive, even better to sit in, very easy to live and willing to go further than most equivalent large SUVs at its price point.

The styling is definitely divisive, with purists unhappy that the long, crossover wagon silhouette is now gone, but what we have instead is a family-friendly vehicle that pleases on so many fronts.

We’d go as far as saying the latest Outback might be the most-rounded Subaru currently available, and great value to boot. And the base AWD is all the SUV most people will ever need.

That’s not bad for something this square!

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

Audi Q3 vs Subaru Outback What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi Q3 vs Subaru Outback
What's the difference?