Audi S3 vs MG MG QS

What's the difference?

The updated Audi S3 Sportback is a fun-sized dynamo with impressive outputs and athletic road manners. It’s missing a few premium features, but its compact size paired with a gutsy engine makes it a compelling option for drivers who don’t want to compromise on performance (just space).

What it lacks in driving panache it does make up for in terms of space and equipments, and there really is room for seven decent-sized humans on board. Combine that with a decade of warranty coverage, and the MG QS will no doubt be appearing on family shortlists.

The S3 Sportback may be a small car, but its S design features, like the stylised blackout grille, matrix LED headlights, and 19-inch alloys with red brake calipers, give it a distinctly athletic and fun-loving vibe. It’s compact, but definitely not diminutive and carries serious road presence. It’s hot hatch meets fun-size.

Inside, the S3 looks fabulous. Integrated ambient lighting, a sharp dashboard treatment and a driver-focused cockpit all lend it a premium feel.

The front seats look properly sporty with their integrated headrests, and the quilted Nappa leather upholstery feels great, especially with the eye-catching red contrast stitching.

As for technology, it’s as high-end as you’d expect with a 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia display and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster taking centre stage.

The only drawback? No sunroof. Combined with the black headliner and compact cabin, it can feel a little gloomy at times. Still, it’s a cabin you’ll enjoy spending time in.

You’re not going to miss the MG on the road, are you? For one, it looks pretty big, and pretty athletic, plus it’s got that bold front-end and grille design that, if I’m honest, I can’t tell if I like, or if it’s over the top. 

Elsewhere, though, it’s more traditional SUV styling, though there is some nice and gentle detailing in the body that makes it look less big, broad, and boring, and the slightly nose-forward design gives the QS something of an athletic stance.

Inside, it’s really quite nice. The twin screens look fantastic – and the subtle curve linking the two looks properly elegant – and there’s some lovely detailing in the through the dash panels, too, which also helps to break up the fact that there is simply a lot of dash here.

As always, I love the row of switches below the screen that act as shortcuts to the functions you need, when you need them, without having to rely on the screen all the time. 

But I'd encourage you to have a good squeeze of all the materials used. Some look like stitched leather, but are actually harder plastics in disguise.

Like most hatches, the front row enjoys the most space. While it’s cosy, it never feels cramped. The seats are firm yet comfortable, thanks to their adjustability and expandable under-thigh supports. Access is fairly easy with wide door apertures, though the low seating position might earn a few grunts, especially from taller folks.

Storage up front is well sorted, with a glove box, a small centre console, a dedicated phone cradle and a couple of cup and bottle holders. It’s about what you'd expect for a car this size, but it's enough to keep things tidy.

There are plenty of charging options, with two USB-C ports in each row and a wireless charging pad up front.

The multimedia system is intuitive and easy to use. The touchscreen is responsive, and wireless Apple CarPlay connected without fuss and stayed connected all week. Wireless Android Auto is available, too.

Built-in sat nav is clear, and I love the way directions pull through to the digital instrument panel. The Sonos sound system? Pretty darn good. My son and I had more than one mini-concert on the school run.

As for the rear row, it definitely reminds you this is a small car. At 168cm, I found it on the cramped side of cosy and my husband just laughed when I asked him to try it! The wheel arch also cuts into the door aperture, making access a little awkward. Best to think of it as occasional adult seating. But given the size, that’s no surprise.

Amenities in the back are decent with a couple of map pockets, cup and bottle holders, as well as a fold-down armrest, those USB ports and rear temperature control (but curiously, no fan control). The seats are comfortable enough, but space is limited. Realistically, it’s best suited for two passengers, not three.

Boot space is quite practical. The wide opening and manageable load lip height make it easy to slide items in and out. It offers 325L of space, less than its key rivals, but expands to 1145L with the rear seats folded flat. The handy 40/20/40 split also adds versatility. Under the boot floor, you’ll find a tyre repair kit.

The MG QS is a smidge under five-metres long, just over 1.9m wide and just under 1.8.m high, which puts it right in the seven-seat SUV ballpark.

That pays dividends in the backseat. I’m 175cm tall, and I had heaps of room to spread out, and I don’t only have my own air vents, but I have my own temperature controls, too.

It’s a big and airy space, and I’d have no problem spending some serious time here on a longer road trip.

But the big question is, what do those dimensions mean for third-row riders, and does it live up to its promise of being a true seven-seater?

Well, yes and no. The fact that the middle row is on rails helps massively, because you can slide it forwards to maximise leg room for backseat riders, and the one-touch entry (which folds the middle row up and forwards) makes actually climbing back there pretty simple, too.

But... it's still a space in which I wouldn't want to spend too much time. Its big enough for shorter trips, but it's still best for the smaller kids in the family.

Now, as is often the case with three-row cars, how much boot space you get very much depends on how many people you have onboard. With all three rows in place, you get a miserly 203L, fold the third row and you get 517L, drop both rows and you get 1052L.

You get introductory national drive-away pricing for the two-grade MG QS range, with the Excite yours for $46,990, and the Essence we’re testing sets you back $50,990 on the road.

In typical MG fashion, neither model is wanting for much in the spec department, but our Essence gets the lot and the kitchen sink.

Outside, there are 21-inch alloys, LED lighting with fog lights, a powered tailgate and a powered sunroof. Inside, there are leather seats which are heated and ventilated up front, tri-zone climate control and ambient interior lighting.

Tech is handled by twin 12.3-inch screens with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s wireless charging, too, and a 12-speaker Bose stereo.

The top-spec model also gets all-wheel drive, adaptive suspension and six drive modes — Normal, Snow, Off-Road, Sport, Custom and Eco.

There are five exterior colours available on the QS, including Oxford White, Black Pearl, Camden Grey, Regency Green and Cashmere Silver.

The S3 Sportback wears the quattro badge proudly, meaning it’s all-wheel drive and it pairs a tweaked seven-speed automatic transmission with a 2.0-litre turbocharged, four-cylinder petrol engine.

This update brings a bump in performance over the previous model, including the addition of a rear torque splitter. Power is now up to a gutsy 245kW and 420Nm of torque, launching the S3 from 0 - 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds. That’s proper hot hatch territory.

Under this hood is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine, which produces 153kW and 360Nm. In this all-wheel-drive Essence, that power is channelled through a nine-speed automatic and sent to all four wheels.

I don’t have a zero to 100km/h time for this two-tonne-plus beast, but suffice it to say it won’t knock your hat off. I’m guesstimating just under 10 seconds.

The S3 Sportback has an official combined fuel consumption figure of 7.9L/100km and a 55-litre fuel tank, giving it a theoretical driving range of up to 696km.

Its key rivals hover around similar numbers, so it's right on the mark for the segment. After a mix of long-distance drives and my usual urban errands, my real-world figure came in at 8.0L/100km - very close to the claim, which I’m pretty happy with.

Now MG reckons you will see 8.8L/100km on the combined cycle, which would give you a theoretical driving range of around 738km from its 65-litre fuel tank. For the record, we saw more like 11 litres.

That tank, by the way, demands 95RON fuel, so you won’t be troubling the cheapest pump at your local service station.

The S3 Sportback sounds as mean as it looks, and it delivers on that promise with effortless grunt. Acceleration is immediate, with plenty of power on tap when you need it. It’s just fun all around.

The lowered sports suspension and wide tyres do bring some extra noise into the cabin, even at lower speeds. You might find yourself repeating things to rear passengers now and then, but it never feels overwhelming.

Steering and suspension are on the firmer side, so yes, you’ll feel the bumps but the payoff is sharp, responsive handling. Quick lane changes and winding coastal roads are where this car shines.

Visibility is about what you’d expect from a low-slung hot hatch. The pillars don’t obstruct the view, but sitting beside a towering SUV at the lights can make you feel a bit... compact.

Cornering is a strong suit, thanks to the car’s wide stance and AWD system. It feels confidently planted in most conditions. That said, I noticed the occasional wobble through the rear frame on rough sections in heavy rain.

Its compact size makes parking a breeze, especially with the help of multiple sensors. The reversing camera is crisp, but at this price point, the lack of a 360-degree camera view feels like a missed opportunity.

It all comes down to what you're looking for in your large SUV. Is it a vehicle that – against all odds – manages to somehow stir your emotions from behind the wheel, whether you're flying solo or you're riding with seven on board? Well, the MG QS won't do that.

But if you're looking for something big, comfortable, nicely trimmed and with just about every feature you can think of, then the MG QS ticks those boxes and then some.

But let's start with the not so good. The steering in the MG QS is super, super light, leaving it feeling largely disconnected from what's happening beneath the tyres, and giving the drive experience a weird and artificial vibe.

Now, it must be said that some drivers like that. A big car with light steering makes manoeuvrability easy in car parks and the like. But I don't. It makes me feel uninvolved in the drive experience.

The QS is equipped with Sport mode that does add heft to the steering, but which also appears to make the gearbox way to eager to shift down and hold a lower gear, adding a harshness to the drive.

It's also not a big engine, and this is a big car, and so there's a bit of delay when you first plant your foot as the engine figures out its next move, and you're always aware of the engine working fairly hard to get the QS moving along – though MG has done a good job of deadening much of that sound before it enters the cabin.

But if that's the not-so-good, there are still plenty of ticks in the MG's plus column. It's a largely smooth-riding, sweet-shifting proposition, the QS, and the space in all three rows is impressive, especially when the sliding second row is utilised to maximise the space where you need it.

The MG QS hasn’t yet been crash-tested by ANCAP, but all the expected safety kit is on board, including seven airbags, AEB, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and lane departure warning.

But be warned, it can bing and bong and random intervals. If it thinks you’re speeding, or that you’re not paying attention, and it is very, very annoying. Learn how to switch off the speed limit recognition and driver attention alert, and fast.

Audi backs the S3 Sportback with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is on par with its European rivals. A five-year pre-paid servicing plan is available for $2890 which is cheaper than pay-as-you-go and reasonable for the class.

For those looking to go the extra mile, the 'Audi Advantage' package lets you extend the warranty and capped-price servicing by an additional two years, which represents solid value overall.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

It’s a tale of goods and bads in the QS ownership world. The good is a near market-leading 10-year/250,000km warranty (so long as you regularly visit an authorised service centre), and solid service intervals of 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

The bad is eye-watering service costs – including a whopping $2920 dollar service at the six-year/90,000km mark.

All up, seven years/105,00km of servicing will cost you $6336 in the 2WD, or $6962 in our AWD – the latter averaging out at close to $1000 per year.