Porsche Macan vs Audi RS Q3

What's the difference?

Competent and comfortable, the Macan T delivers that amazing Porsche double act of crisp dynamic response without compromising refinement. It’s well equipped for the price, neatly packaged, and entertaining to drive. But there are holes in its armour. Active safety comes up well short and a three-year warranty now stands out like a sore thumb. It’s good, but could be better.

The Audi RS Q3 Sportback edition 10 years is dynamically brilliant, beautifully finished and surprisingly civilised on day-to-day duty. A polished compact performance package that even in this special 'get-it-while-you-can' guise offers compelling value relative to its direct competitors.

Michael Mauer has been Porsche’s chief of design for close to 20 years, overseeing the look and feel of every product the brand has produced in that time. And he’s been successful in massaging particular forms and signature elements to work across the line-up. 

For example, you can see more than a hint of 911 in the Macan T (and other models, for that matter), from the elongated four point headlights, to the gentle curve at the rear of the roofline, as well the distinctive tail-light treatment.

Since launching internationally in 2012, the Macan has been tweaked in 2016, before a full-blown refresh in 2021. Mauer and his team have somehow transplanted a Porsche sports car’s stance and personality to this mid-size SUV, which incidentally boasts a drag-coefficient of 0.35 (not bad, but still a fair way off the 911’s 0.29). 

For car-spotters keen to tick the Macan T off their list, the thing to look out for is exterior elements finished in ‘Agate Grey Metallic’. Specifically, the middle section of the front apron, the side ‘blades’ running across the lower section of the doors, the roof spoiler, and the exterior mirrors (including their V-shaped bases).

Then it’s all about high-gloss black on the side window trims, exhaust outlets and parts of the rear diffuser. But the biggest giveaway is the Porsche logo and model designation finished in, you guessed it… Agate Grey Metallic.

In looking at the Macan T’s interior design it’s important to call out our test car’s optional leather trim package ($3280) and carbon interior trim package ($1600), combining to dial up the cabin’s racy, premium feel.

A relatively simple dash design incorporates Porsche’s iconic three-dial instrument layout housed in a compact, curved binnacle. On the right-hand side a 4.8-inch configurable info display takes the place of what would have traditionally been an analogue gauge.

The wide centre stack houses a 10.9-inch media display above (big tick) physical ventilation controls. A sloping centre console is filled with touch controls under a piano black finish. Looks good in the showroom, but fingerprints are its enemy.

The front sports seats feel as good as they look, and overall the design is premium, functional and focused.

There's a lot going on with the RS Q3's exterior design; a mix of jagged lights, hard character lines, broad haunches and multiple vents surrounding the brand's signature, six-sided grille up front.

The big 21-inch rims fill the arches nicely and the rear features a deep diffuser with fat exhaust finishers poking out either side.

It's a purposeful, macho look and the Sportback edition 10 years is defined by a black package which adds gloss black to the side window trim, front spoiler blade, side blades, rear diffuser and exterior mirrors.

The limited edition is available in two colours, 'Chronos Grey metallic', which is unique to this model and 'Dew Silver matte' which will now be added to the broader RS Q3 colour palette.

Premium performance feels like the dominant theme inside with a typically Audi tech-focused approach including high-quality brushed metal elements, matt carbon inserts and quilted leather trim on the heavily bolstered front seats.

A meticulous attention to detail is obvious and the bottom line is it's all about the driver. A grippy, flat-bottom, leather-trimmed steering wheel looks as good as it feels, sleek screens enhance the racy vibe and the mix of physical and digital controls is sensible.

At just over 4.7m long, around 1.9m wide, and a fraction more than 1.6m tall the Macan is a large medium-size SUV, but inside it feels more like the former than the latter.

Plenty of breathing space for the driver and front passenger, with a broad centre console dividing the space. Storage is good, too.

The glove box is a handy size, there’s a decent lidded box between the seats (that doubles as a centre armrest), as well as two large cupholders in front of it, and a handy oddments tray just behind the gearshift. Big door bins with space for large bottles are also a welcome inclusion.

Swapping to the back seat, sitting behind the driver’s seat, set to my 183cm position, I had heaps of leg and headroom. There’s even enough room for three full-size adults on short to medium journeys, although the full road trip experience would be too close for long-distance comfort. A trio of up to teenage kids will be laughing. 

For storage there are two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest, bins with enough room for large bottles (and a bit more) in the doors, and adjustable air vents with temperature control as part of the three-zone climate-control system. No map pockets on the front seat backs, though.

Power and connectivity runs to a 12-volt outlet in the front centre console and another in the boot, as well as a SIM and SD card slot in the front, supplemented by two USB-C jacks in the front and another pair in the rear. 

Speaking of the boot, it’s generous, with 488 litres (VDA) available with all seats up (measured to the upper edge of the rear seats). Fold the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat and that number grows to 954 litres. Measure volume right up to the roof in that configuration and you have no less than 1503 litres to play with.

The boot space is properly illuminated, there are four tie-down anchors to help secure loose loads, and a small netted space lurks behind the wheel tub on the driver’s side.

Our test car was fitted with the optional adaptive air suspension system ($2790) which allows lowering of the car’s rear when stationary to make shuffling heavy loads into the back easier. And the standard auto tailgate is super helpful.

Maximum towing capacity for a braked trailer is 2.0 tonnes (towbar preparation and ‘Trailer Stability Management’ are standard), and the spare is a space-saver.

Snug but spacious enough, the RS Q3 Sportback's driver and front passenger are provided with plenty of breathing room without upsetting the intimate, performance car feel. Just be prepared for a bit of head-ducking physical origami when folding yourself into either of the heavily bolstered front seats.

Storage includes door bins with room for bottles, two generous cupholders in the centre console, a lidded tray in front of the gearshift (which doubles as the wireless device charging bay), a storage compartment and owners manual holder under the front seats, a modest glove box and an adjustable front centre armrest with storage compartment.

Given this car measures just over 4.5m end-to-end, a close to 2.7m wheelbase is significant  and rear room is generous given the Q3's overall footprint. Plenty of head and legroom (for me at 183cm) with enough width for three adults on short journeys. A trio of up to teenage kids will be fine.

The back seat is able to slide for extra legroom (and slightly less boot space), while backrest angle is also adjustable.

Storage runs to small bins in the doors, a fold-down centre armrest (with two pop-up cupholders) and storage nets on the back of the front seats. Directional and temperature control in the rear for the ventilation system is a big plus.

Power and connectivity options run to a 12V outlet and two USB sockets in the front (Type A and C), another two Type C sockets in the back and a second 12-volt jack in the boot.

Speaking of which, cargo volume with all seats up is a handy 530 litres, enough to swallow CarsGuide's three-piece luggage set or large pram (the latter with room to spare) and 1400 litres with the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat lowered.

The loading lip is low, a stainless steel sill protector helps minimise scuffs and scratches and the hands-free power tailgate is welcome.

If you're keen to hook up the boat or horse float the RS Q3 is able to tow a braked trailer up to 1900kg (750kg unbraked), but don't bother looking for a spare of any description, a repair/inflator kit is your only option. Boo...

The Audi RS Q3 Sportback edition 10 years is priced at $102,900, before on-road costs, which is a $3800 premium over the standard issue version.

For those extra dollars the car is upgraded with specific 21-inch black alloy rims, black badging and brake calipers as well as (three-stage heated) 'RS' Nappa leather-trimmed sports front seats with contrast 'Copper Honeycomb' stitching.

The fancy stitching extends to the Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel and gear lever, the RS floor mats also feature copper highlights and the door downlighting projects a unique rhombus design.

At that money the RS Q3 lines up against BMW's firecracker X3 M40i ($126,800), the ferocious Mercedes-AMG GLA45 S ($121,900) with the Jaguar E-Pace 300 Sport AWD ($84,500) the only other similarly pitched compact performance SUV within $20K of the Audi.

And as well as the performance and safety tech covered later in the review, the RS Q3's standard features list includes, three-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, Nappa leather trim, ambient lighting (with 30 colour choices), an RS sport contour leather-trimmed steering wheel, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch multimedia display (with text and voice control), (wired) Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, sat nav and wireless device charging.

There's also a Bang & Olufsen '3D Sound System' (15-speaker with 680-watt, 16-channel amp), digital radio, 21-inch alloys, electronically-controlled adaptive dampers, auto Matrix LED headlights (with RS-specific darkened trim) and a hands-free power tailgate. And it's worth noting metallic and pearl effect paint finishes are offered at no extra cost.

Pretty impressive. Especially when you consider even this special edition RS Q3 is $20,000 cheaper than its primary BMW and Merc-AMG rivals.

The Macan T is powered by a version of the VW Group’s ‘EA888’ turbo-petrol, four-cylinder engine, used in a host of Audi, Seat and Skoda models, as well as, most-notably, the previous generation VW Golf Mk7 GTI.

The 2.0-litre, all-alloy unit uses a combination of port and direct fuel-injection, plus variable cam timing on the inlet and exhaust side to produce 195kW from 5000-6500rpm, and 400Nm across a broad plateau from 1800rpm right up to 4500rpm. The rev ceiling sits at 6800rpm.

Power goes to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and an electronically-variable multi-plate clutch.

The RS Q3 Sportback is powered by a 2.5-litre in-line five-cylinder intercooled turbo-petrol engine sending drive to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Audi's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system based on an electronically-controlled multi-plate clutch pack.

Featuring a cast iron block, alloy head, direct-injection as well as variable intake and exhaust cam adjustment, the (EA855) engine features a special firing order (1-2-4-5-3), the odd number of cylinders producing a signature engine sound and exhaust note reminiscent of the 1980s 'Ur' Quattro.

Peak power is 294kW from 5850-7000rpm and maximum torque is 480Nm delivered across a broad plateau from 1950-5850rpm.

Porsche’s official fuel economy number for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle for the Macan T is 9.5L/100km, the 2.0-litre four emitting 217g/km of CO2 in the process.

Over a week of city, suburban, and some freeway running we saw a dash-indicated average of 10.2L/100km. A solid, if unspectacular result for a close to 1.9-tonne SUV. 

Auto start-stop is standard, but pricey 98 RON premium unleaded is required, and you’ll need 75 litres of it to fill the tank.

Using the official number that translates to a range of 789km, which drops to 750km using our real-world number.

Audi's official fuel economy number for the RS Q3 on the combined cycle is 8.9L/100km, the 2.5-litre turbo-petrol five-cylinder engine emitting 204g/km of CO2 in the process. Stop-start is standard.

We covered city, suburban and some freeway running on test, returning an (indicated) average of 9.6L/100km. And that's pretty good, given we pushed on enthusiastically on a reasonably regular basis.

The fuel tank requires 63 litres of 98 RON premium unleaded to fill it which translates to a theoretical range of just over 700km, shrinking to around 650km based on our real-world number.

Porsche claims the Macan T will accelerate from 0-100km/h in a suitably rapid 6.2 seconds and mid-range pulling power is healthy, with maximum torque available from 1800-4500rpm.

Worth noting, however, if you’re looking for ‘special event’ engine and exhaust noise to accompany that progress you may be left wanting more aural oomph. Despite our test car’s optional sports exhaust ($3080), this four-cylinder can’t match the relative drama of the Macan S and GTS’s twin-turbo V6.

The upside of that difference is the 2.9-litre V6 puts an extra 59kg on the Macan’s front axle, so the 2.0-litre T feels lighter and that bit more responsive when the road starts to twist.

Suspension is multi-link front, trapezoidal link rear, and the Macan T is also fitted with stiffer, model-specific sway bars to manage body roll. Ride height is also 15mm lower than the base 2.0L Macan.

Steering is quick, road feel is good, and despite the standard 20-inch rims, ride comfort is excellent. This is Porsche’s long-established, engineering party trick, combining plush compliance with sharp dynamic response, even in a high-riding SUV. That said, the optional adaptive air suspension fitted to our test example, is $2790 well spent.

The drivetrain is set up with a RWD bias, and standard rubber is Michelin’s high-performance SUV tyre, the Latitude Sport 3 (265/45 fr / 295/40 rr). They grip hard while remaining quiet, and the Macan T is an entertaining drive on a quiet B-road.  

Braking is by vented discs all around (350mm fr / 330mm rr) with beefy four-piston alloy monobloc fixed calipers up front and floating singles at the rear. Stopping power is reassuringly strong and progressive, especially important given the car’s 2.0-tonne (braked) towing capacity.

For more adventurous drivers, ground clearance is 187mm, while the approach, departure and ramp angles are a relatively modest 15.8, 15.4, and 21.0 degrees, respectively.

In the less challenging terrain of a shopping centre car park the standard reversing camera and 360-degree surround view make manoeuvring into tight spaces a stress-free operation.

It still seems counterintuitive when a high-riding SUV is tuned to perform and handle like a low-slung sports car but here we are. And Audi executes this mystifying transformation as expertly as any carmaker in the automotive world.

Audi says the RS Q3 Sportback will blast from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds. Anything under 5.0 seconds is properly fast, and there's nothing quite like the deep-throated bellow of a VW Group in-line five to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

The RS Q3's sport exhaust system is a dual-branch set-up with exhaust flap control, and people of a certain age will instantly imagine themselves matching it with Ari Vatanen, Walter Röhrl and Michèle Mouton on a suburban special stage behind the wheel of a 1980s Group B Sport Quattro rally car (actually, the school drop off at an infinitely more sensible pace).

The car weighs in at a not insubstantial 1775kg, but 480Nm, available all the way from 1950rpm to 5850rpm, means a near instant surge of fierce acceleration is always lurking under your right foot.

And the VW Group is on the pace when it comes to dual-clutch auto transmissions, from Porsche's 'PDK' and VW's 'DSG' to Lambo's 'DCT' and Audi's 'S tronic'.

The RS Q3's seven-speed unit is quick and positive, the wheel-mounted paddles ramping up the engagement factor.

The variable ratio, electrically-assisted steering is capital G Great. Well weighted and precise with reassuring road feel and the Alcantara trimmed wheel is a nice way to access it all.

Suspension is by struts at the front and multi-links (four) at the rear with adaptive dampers on-board.

Despite running on 21-inch rims, shod with high-performance 255/35 Continental PremiumContact 6 rubber, ride comfort is surprisingly good.

Dial in 'Comfort' mode via the 'Drive Select' system and the impact of even substantial bumps is softened off appreciably.

An ideal set-up would be the first 'RS1' short-cut Drive Select button set for Comfort suspension, with throttle, steering and transmission set to maximum attack and the second 'RS2' mode tweaking the suspension to track-day level, too.

Push on through your favourite set of bends and you can feel the electronic wheel-selective torque control system keeping everything under control. This car puts its power down through sweeping sections with fuss-free authority.

The RS-specific menu in the digital instrument cluster provides extra instrumentation in the shape of a power/torque display, G meter and lap timer. Fun!

The brakes are professional grade with big ventilated rotors all around and aluminium fixed calipers at the front.

But beware, the flip side of the RS Q3's quick steering response is a sizeable 11.8m turning circle. Take your time when parking.

Although the Audi Q3 received a maximum five-star ANCAP score in 2019, the RS Q3 was specifically excluded from the assessment, so it's officially untested.

But the car boasts an extensive active (crash-avoidance) safety suite including, auto emergency braking (AEB) (5.0km/h to 85km/h for pedestrians and cyclists and up to 250km/h for vehicles), adaptive cruise control (with stop-go function and active lane assist), lane change warning and lane departure warning (with lane keeping assist).

There's also 'Attention Assist' (warning tone and visual signal if the system determines the driver's attention may be lapsing), front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera with 360-degree view, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, 'Hill hold assist' and hill descent control.

If, despite all that, a crash is unavoidable there are six airbags on-board (front and side for the driver and front passenger as well as full-length curtains). The RS Q3's showing its (10-year) age here because additional rear side and front centre bags are close to the norm now.

Nice to see a first aid kit and warning triangle included and there are three top tethers and two ISOFIX anchor points for securing baby capsules and child seats across the second row.

Porsche is the last brand standing in the local mainstream sports luxury market, offering a three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty when the rest of the segment has moved on to five-year, unlimited km cover. 

The good news is paint is covered for three years and a 12-year (unlimited km) anti-corrosion warranty is included (the Macan’s body is fully galvanised). 

Porsche Roadside Assist provides 24/7/365 coverage for the life of the warranty, and after the warranty runs out is renewed for 12 months every time the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Porsche dealer.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, which is less in terms of mileage than some others in the category.

With Porsche, final costs are determined at the dealer level (in line with variable labour rates by state/territory), but indicative pricing for the first five years is: 12 months/15,000km (annual) - $695, 24 months/30,000km (inspection) - $1300, 36 months/45,000km (annual) - $695, 48 months/60,000km (inspection) - $1300, 60 months/75,000km (annual) - $695. Not exactly cheap, but not outrageous in this part of the market.

A brake fluid flush is recommended every two years ($290), as well as spark plugs ($450), air filter ($200), and transmission fluid and filter ($850) every four years. So, be ready for those ‘extras’.

Audi Australia covers all the models it sells with a five-year/unlimited km warranty with 24-hour roadside assistance included for the duration. Pretty much cost-of-entry in this part of the market.

Paintwork defects are also covered for five years, and the body is warranted against corrosion (to the point of perforation) for no less than 12 years. Nice.

Service intervals are 12 months/15,000km and capped-price servicing is available, a five-year/75,000km plan for the RS Q3 costing $3580, an annual average of $770. Fairly steep.

An 'Audi Advantage' package is also available, adding an extra two years' worth of warranty, scheduled servicing and roadside assistance (to the end of any existing term) for $3800.