Compare the2022 Kia NiroVS 2022 Audi Q3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Niro are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Niro has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Q3 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Niro LXS/LXS SE/Touring SE/EX Premium’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Niro and the Q3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Audi Q3:

	Niro	Q3
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	139	326
Neck Injury Risk	27%	39%
Neck Stress	291 lbs.	343 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	74/269 lbs.	235/363 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Kia Niro is safer than the Audi Q3:

	Niro	Q3
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	11 inches	13 inches
HIC	214	504
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	47 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Niro is 4.3% less likely to roll over than the Q3.

Warranty

The Niro comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Q3’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Niro 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 3 times as many Kia dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Niro’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Niro’s reliability 32 points higher than the Q3.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 93 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia third in reliability, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 20th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Niro gets better mileage than the Q3:

			MPG
Niro
	FWD	LX 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	53 city/48 hwy
		LXS/EX 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	51 city/46 hwy
		Touring 1.6 4-cyl. Hybrid	46 city/40 hwy
Q3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/30 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Niro’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Q3 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Kia Niro uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Niro offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Q3 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

The Niro stops shorter than the Q3:

	Niro	Q3
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Niro Touring SE handles at .82 G’s, while the Q3 40 TFSI Premium Plus pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Niro Touring SE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Q3 40 TFSI Premium Plus (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Niro’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the Q3’s (34.8 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

Chassis

The Kia Niro may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 800 pounds less than the Audi Q3.

The Niro is 5.1 inches shorter than the Q3, making the Niro easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Kia Niro amounts to more than styling. The Niro has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Q3 (.36) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Niro get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Niro has 16.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q3 (100.9 vs. 84).

The Niro has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q3.

The front step up height for the Niro is 2 inches lower than the Q3 (15.5” vs. 17.5”). The Niro’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the Q3’s (16.2” vs. 18”).

Cargo Capacity

The Niro has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q3 with its rear seat folded (54.5 vs. 48 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Niro LXS/Touring/Touring Special Edition/EX Premium has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Niro has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Niro’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Q3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

When the Niro with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Q3’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Niro EX Premium keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Niro EX Premium’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Q3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia Niro, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Audi Q3 isn't recommended.