Audi Q3 vs Subaru Solterra

What's the difference?

The Audi Q3 Sportback S line 40 TFSI quattro is a quiet achiever.

Not as flashy or performance driven as some of its rivals, it still manages to tick almost every box when it comes to comfort and features. Like most models in the class, space in the back seat is modest but for a top-spec non-performance model, the price is alright and it’s lovely to drive.

The new Subaru Solterra AWD gets a lot right and is a well-rounded effort in showcasing an electric medium SUV that has passenger comfort, sharp external styling and is easy to drive.

Once you start comparing it to some rivals, it doesn’t always come out ahead of the pack but I still like it for what it is. My seven-year old thinks its fun and very comfortable. He enjoys the easy practicality of getting in and out without any assistance, too.

The Q3 Sportback blends the practicality of an SUV with a sports-car presence due to its wide 2022mm stance and coupe-styled rear. With the black accents across the body, big 20-inch alloys and sharp Matrix LED headlights, the Q3 Sportback more than holds its own against the sporty prowess of its rivals.

The cabin establishes that it sits within the premium market with its leather mix upholstery and flashy-looking tech that headlines an angular dashboard. However, it's understated compared to its rivals, which all boast a stronger cabin presence.

Overall, it's not a ‘look at me car’ but the longer you look, the better it gets.

The Solterra has its own vibe compared to the rest of the Subaru family and that’s most likely due to the Toyota partnering.

The tail-lights are sharply pronounced and the many pleats across the body panelling swing more towards Toyota styling than Subaru but it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

The heavy-use of black plastic mouldings on our test model's 'Smoked Carbon' paintwork looks okay but it wouldn't do any favours on a lighter colour.

The exterior on the whole looks bold and fun, and I like the fact that it's not pillowy in its shape as some of its rivals are. Those hunting for a sporty-looking EV will find something charming here.

The cabin is different from anything I’ve seen from Subaru so far. Some of it's fun, like the squared off steering wheel which looks rally car-ish but some of it’s odd, like the way the 7.0-inch digital instrument panel has been pushed back towards the windscreen in its own little nook.

The steering wheel can get in the way of viewing the graphics of the instrument panel and its placement looks disjointed from the rest of the dashboard elements.

The black and grey knit-looking cloth upholstery is warm and inviting and is found across the dashboard, seats and some door panels but there is enough cheap-looking black cloth throughout to detract from the general aesthetic. Had the Solterra not been pushing $70K, that wouldn't bother me, but it is, and it does.

The interior is pleasant but the exterior is definitely the highlight of the design.

The Q3 Sportback offers plenty of head- and legroom up front, with access that is accommodating because of the wider door apertures.

Like its rivals, the back seat offers modest space for my 168cm height, but it might be a squeeze if you taller. The middle seat suffers the most with legroom due to the tall transmission tunnel – keep this seat for kids only.

However, all other seats offer well-rounded comfort with decent-padding, side bolsters and the front get extendable under-thigh and lumbar supports, as well as heat functions.

The rear row also gets directional air vents, reading lights, two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket. Longer trips will be comfortable for four occupants but five will elicit some grumbles.

Storage is good for the class with a glovebox that can fit a manual, a medium-sized middle console and a large phone tray. There are four cupholders and four drink-bottle holders throughout the car, and the rear row also get two map pockets.

The boot offers class leading space with its 530L capacity and only the BMW X2 beats it (by 30L). Storage options open up again with the 40/20/40 split of the rear row. The top model gets a powered tailgate with gesture control and temporary spare tyre.

Technology looks high-end and the touchscreen multimedia system is easy enough to use once you get your head around the menus. The built-in satellite navigation is top notch and the directions are pulled through to the digital instrument cluster.

The Q3 now gets wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. The CarPlay maintained a steady connection this week. Charging options are great with a total of four USB--C ports, two 12-volt sockets and a wireless charging pad to choose from.

The practicality of the cabin is good for the class and the 212mm ground clearance means it's an easy car to get in and out of.

The extra-wide centre console makes the front look cramped but it isn't. And the the backseat is huge on space. Seriously decent headroom and legroom for the class and the flat floor means middle seaters will be comfortable, too.

Both the front and rear seats are well-cushioned and comfortable. You could easily do a long trip.

The driver's is the only powered seat (it also has lumbar support) but it's great that all but the middle seat feature a heat function for added comfort.

My seven-year old finds the back row comfortable because of its directional air vents and tall seating position providing a good view out of the wide window.

Individual storage is a bit low for the class but it does feature a handy shelf underneath the centre console which is large enough for a small handbag or the manual and logbook... because there is no glove box in this model!

To be fair, most are too small to be of real use outside of storing the 'ahem' manual and logbook.

Each door gets storage pockets and a skinny drink bottle holder and both rows get two cupholders. The rear gets map pockets too but that's it.

The boot features a tyre puncture repair kit, level loading space and 410L of boot capacity with all seats in use. The capacity is a bit lower than its rivals but has been adequate for my grocery run and the odd errand. It's great both Solterra models have a powered tailgate as standard.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks good and is pulled directly from Toyota so the graphics and accessibility are on-point for everyday use.

You also get built-in satellite navigation which is always handy to have but you miss out on any over-the-air updates or a dedicated Subaru connected services app. 

The rest of the technology is solid with each row getting two USB-C ports and the front also featuring a USB-A socket and 12-volt outlet.

There are two variants for the Solterra range and both come with dual-motored electric powertrains. Our test example is the base model, priced from $69,990, before on-road costs.

Compared to its dual-motored rivals it’s almost as affordable as the Tesla Model Y Long Range priced from $69,900 MSRP, with the Toyota bZ4X AWD at $74,900 MSRP and the Kia EV6 GT-Line almost $20K more expensive at $87,590 MSRP.

However, its rivals sit at higher grade levels and some items on the Solterra AWD, like its cloth seats and manually adjustable front passenger seat, remind you it is still a ‘base’ model. 

That said, the Solterra AWD is well-specified for an entry model with standard features like heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, power-adjustable driver's seat, power-adjustable lumbar support (driver only) and even the rear outboard seats have a heat function.

The technology features a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system, built-in satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two fast USB-C ports in each row and a clear 360-degree camera system.

For practicality, it features a powered tailgate, tyre puncture repair kit and remote air-conditioning start (from the key fob) to set your ideal cabin climate before you get in.

Our test vehicle keeps it's tried and tested 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which produces 132kW of power and 320Nm of torque. Those outputs are slightly less than most of its nearest rivals and it sports a slower sprint time of 7.8 seconds.

The Q3 Sportback is a quattro, which means it has an all-wheel drive and it boasts a silky-smooth seven-speed auto transmission.

While it doesn't induce strong sports-car vibes on road, it’s not a car you'd ever have the audacity to call slow.

The Solterra AWD has dual electric motors producing a combined 160kW for power and 337Nm of torque. It’s got enough grunt to be fun and zippy, even on the open road, but isn’t as powerful as some of its dual-motored rivals. 

For example, the Kia EV6 GT-Line produces 239kW/605Nm, which looks almost indecent compared to the Solterra's specs.

The official combined fuel cycle figure is 8.2L/100km, but the real-world usage is at 8.6L after doing a mix of open-road and urban driving. Considering the lack of restraint shown for really giving this model a real 'go' on the open-road, the fuel usage is respectable.

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and 60L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range of up to 732km, which is good for any longer road trips you might want to tackle.

The benefit of motors which aren't 'performance' grade means you win out eventually with energy consumption and its here the Solterra AWD shines.

The official combined cycle energy consumption figure is a low 14.1kWh/100km and I averaged 15.2kWh after a week of mostly urban driving.

The consumption is fantastic but the official driving range from the large 71.4kWh lithium-ion battery is only up to 414km (WLTP), which, again, is lower than most of its rivals by a good portion. I would have range anxiety on a longer journey.

The Solterra has a Type 2 CCS charging port which means you can benefit from faster DC charging speeds (up to 150kW on DC power).

On a 150kW DC system you can go from 0-80 per cent in just 30 minutes. 

On a 7.0kW AC power charger, you can go from 0-100 per cent in 9.5-hours and that drops to 6.5 hours on an 11kW system. Which isn’t as fast as it you might like but still makes it worthwhile plugging in while you're frequently the local shops.

The power delivery for the Q3 Sportback S line model is effortless. It doesn’t have the thrum or burbling of a turbo, but the power is well and truly there whenever you need it. So, while not as ‘powerful’ as some of its rivals, you don’t feel like you’re missing out.

The low and wide stance of the Q3 Sportback translates to nimble and direct handling – you can take corners at speed with almost no roll and the steering sits within the goldilocks zone for firmness.

A downside is the cabin noise, which is fairly loud with road and wind no matter the speed – but you don't have to raise your voice. You'd expect a bit of noise with the big wheels, but you always hope for more refinement at this grade level.

The Q3 isn’t difficult to park, but it does take a moment to get your bearings on how it fits a space, as it’s bigger than you might expect. The 360-degree camera is super clear, which takes out a lot of the guesswork.

The car feels like an extension of you as a driver which elevates the overall on-road experience despite not being a performance model. This would be well-suited for a driver who wants great on-road performance without feeling like someone who is in a mid-life crisis.

The Solterra underlines in bold everything you would expect from a Subaru. The power delivery is well balanced, it grips the road and the handling is comfortable.

Even when cornering there’s not a lot of passenger movement and the steering is on the right side of firm. Manoeuvring is nimble and fun thanks to an the 11.2-metre turning circle that also makes it easy to park.

The 360-degree camera system is top notch and you get great visibility out of the windows. Being only 4690mm in length and 1650mm tall even the smallest city carparks shouldn't daunt you.

The ride comfort is very good with suspension that absorbs the bumps well enough that they don’t bother you. There is a little road noise but not enough to annoy and overall the ride is refined.

The Solterra comes with great standard safety features like forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, safe exit warning, LED DRLs, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure alert and keeping aid, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors and a clear 360-degree camera system.

It also features a digital rearview mirror, which is handy when you have a carload of passengers or gear. While you're aware of all of the safety items none of them are intrusive, which is awesome.

The Solterra has seven airbags, including a front centre airbag and a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022. Its twin, the Toyota bZ4X was the tested model.

The Solterra has AEB which is operational from 5.0-80km/h for pedestrian and cyclist detection and up to 180km/h for cars.

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points across the second row.

Two child seats will fit best and I had no trouble fitting my monster booster seat.

The Q3 comes with a five-year/unlimited-km warranty, which is a normal term for the class.

You can pre-purchase a five-year servicing plan, which costs $3330 overall, or $666 per service which is competitive for the premium segment.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km whichever occurs first.

The Solterra comes with a usual warranty term of five-years/unlimited km and the battery is covered by an eight-year or up to 160,000km warranty term.

However, one of the best things about the Solterra has to be the free servicing (yes, you read that right) for five years or up to 75,000km.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car at every 12 months or 15,000km. But, hey, free is free!