Audi Q5 vs Audi Q3

What's the difference?

The updated Audi Q5 Sportback TFSI is a strong example of a luxury base-grade SUV, ticking most of the boxes in styling, comfort and features. It may not always outperform its rivals on paper, but it delivers where it counts, offering a refined, practical and engaging package that will satisfy.

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 Q5 Sportback is the more attractive sibling when compared to the standard SUV, with a shape that feels more dynamic and sport-oriented. The updated design dials back the sharper creases of the previous model in favour of softer curves, paired with slim matrix LED headlights. The revised 'Singleframe' grille has strong presence and the full-width rear light treatment adds to the Sportback’s visual appeal. Overall, it’s a very handsome vehicle.

Inside, the interior glow-up is immediately noticeable. The large new display takes centre stage in a redesigned dashboard that looks clean and appropriately sophisticated. 

There’s a good mix of materials throughout the cabin, including the beige leather upholstery, although the presence of hard plastics reminds you that this is still a base grade. Even so, the cabin largely hits the right notes for a luxury entry point.

There are a few details that don’t quite land for me. The door-mounted control panel on the driver's side feels busy and a little fiddly to use, and creates an oddly sized and positioned pull handle that just doesn’t feel nice to use. And this is very much a nitpick, but the black stitching on the beige seatbelts catches my eye all the time. None of these are deal-breakers, but they stand out in an otherwise well resolved interior.

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.

Up front, the cabin feels spacious and comfortable, with plush (heated) electric seats, while the driver also benefits from a two-position memory function, which is a plus if the car is shared. My main gripe is the short seat bases, which become noticeable on longer drives.

In the rear, comfort largely holds up, though space is better suited to two adults due to the high transmission tunnel. The 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat is a practical inclusion and helps when juggling passengers and longer items.

Storage is mostly well considered. There’s a generously sized glove box and a couple of useful storage bins in each door, although the centre console is on the smaller side. The dedicated phone tray is a highlight, housing the wireless charging pad, two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket. Both rows get cupholders and bottle storage, while rear passengers also benefit from USB-C ports, climate control, directional air vents and map pockets. Overall, there’s just enough space and amenity for adults or teens to remain comfortable.

Technology is handled by the updated media display, which features a responsive touchscreen and a menu system that’s easy enough to navigate. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are quick to set up, and the built-in satellite navigation is clearly laid out. That said, the near-total absence of physical buttons may frustrate some, with functions like climate control buried within the touchscreen. The number of pop-up disclaimers on start-up also feels excessive.

Boot space is where the Sportback’s sloping roofline has the biggest impact. Load height is limited, and capacity tops out at 515L with all seats in place, making it the smallest in its segment, albeit only by around 10L. I like the deep underfloor storage, along with the cargo cover, net and hands-free powered tailgate. However, the lack of a spare tyre, replaced by a repair kit, is a deal-breaker for me as a country driver, though it may matter less to those with easier access to repair services.

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.

There are four variants for the Q3 before you hit the high-performance model, and our test vehicle is the top S line 40 TFSI quattro model, which is priced from $70,800, plus on-road costs, making it the most affordable compared to its rivals.

Its closest rival is the Lexus UX300h AWD F Sport with a price tag of $73,210, then the BMW X2 20i M Sport at $75,900, and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4Matic sits at the top at $79,700.

Our test vehicle has also been fitted with an upgraded Sonos 3D surround sound system and sunroof for an additional $3900.

As one would expect for a top model, the S line is well-equipped and includes electric and heated front seats, leather upholstery and high-end technology throughout, which includes a 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, Audi Connect app with over-the-air updates, four USB-C ports, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad.

Practical features include keyless entry and start, adaptive LED headlights, a frameless auto-dimming rearview mirror, rain-sensing wipers, a powered tailgate (with gesture control) and a park assist feature.

It's features list mostly mirrors that of its rivals, but it does miss out on ventilated front seats.

The Q5 Sportback TFSI is front-wheel drive and powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine paired with a mild-hybrid system. Combined outputs sit at 150kW and 340Nm, which places it toward the lower end of the segment when stacked against rivals such as the Genesis GV70 2.5T and Mercedes GLC300 Coupe offering 224kW/422Nm and 190kW/400Nm, respectively.

On the road, however, there’s still plenty on offer for everyday driving, with power delivery feeling smooth and accessible. The seven-speed transmission shifts effortlessly, helping the Q5 Sportback feel refined and easy to live with, even if outright performance isn’t its headline feature.

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 Q5 Sportback TFSI has a claimed combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle fuel consumption figure of 5.7L/100km and paired with its 65L fuel tank offers a theoretical driving range of up to 1140km. An impressive result on paper.

After a mix of long highway driving and my usual urban runaround, real-world consumption settled at 5.8L/100km, which is almost spot on.

It also highlights the Q5 Sportback TFSI’s performance/efficiency trade-off. While its outputs are modest relative to some rivals it rewards you with excellent economy in real-world use.

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.

There’s enough power in the base grade to keep things engaging on the open road, whether overtaking or maintaining pace, with a reassuring sense of reserves and smooth, punctual delivery.

Despite the firmer suspension, ride comfort remains high thanks to the newly tuned damping system, which absorbs bumps without sacrificing road feedback. The cabin is quiet at speed and at low speeds the car can switch to its hybrid system for extra refinement.

I’m not a huge fan of the adaptive steering assist, particularly on winding roads, as it can overcorrect at times. Overall, though, the Q5 Sportback delivers enjoyable, sporty dynamics.

Visibility is good from the front and sides, while the rear window is a little on the small side. It’s easy to get accustomed to the car’s dimensions and a clear 360-degree camera view comes standard across all grades, providing a clear view that automatically activates during low-speed manoeuvres. Parking this car is straightforward and stress-free.

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 Q3 has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2018 and it scored highly with the adult protection score sitting at 95 per cent, child protection score at 88 per cent, and safety assist systems score at 85 per cent, and it's vulnerable road sits at 76 per cent.

Unfortunately, the Q3 only features six airbags, which is fairly low for this day and age and misses out on a front centre airbag.

Standard safety equipment is robust and includes blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, a First Aid kit, a warning triangle, tyre pressure monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aid, lane departure alert, traffic sign recognition, intelligent seatbelt warning, adaptive cruise control with stop/go function, park assist, a 360-degree camera and front and rear parking sensors.

There are two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tethers but two seats will fit best.

The Q3 has AEB and forward collision warning with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection. This system is operational from 5-85km/h (and up to 250km/h for car detection).

The Q5 Sportback comes with Audi’s five-year/unlimited km warranty, which also includes complimentary roadside assistance - all fairly standard at this end of the market. A five-year pre-paid servicing plan is available for $3520, which is cheaper than the pay-as-you-go option, though it’s not the most competitive compared with some rivals. For instance, BMW offers the same coverage for $2475, while the Genesis comes with complimentary servicing.

You can also extend the service period by two years with the 'Audi Advantage Package' for an additional cost. Services are spaced at sensible intervals, every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, making maintenance straightforward and predictable.

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.