Compare the2022 Audi Q3VS 2022 BMW X3

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q3 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Q3 and X3 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q3 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The X3’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q3. But it costs extra on the X3.

Both the Q3 and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi Q3 is safer than the BMW X3:

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

The Audi Q3’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the X3’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Q3 second among small premium suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The X3 isn’t in the top three in its category.

On the EPA test cycle the Q3 gets better mileage than the X3:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi Q3 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X3 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q3 higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW X3 (5 to 7). This means the Q3 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X3 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Q3’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

The Q3 stops shorter than the X3:

For better traction, the Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 (255/45R19 vs. 245/45R20).

For better maneuverability, the Q3’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the X3’s (38.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Q3 is 9.3 inches shorter than the X3, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Insurance will cost less for the Q3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Q3 will cost $190 to $1800 less than the X3 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q3 is less expensive to operate than the X3 because it costs $272 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Q3 than the X3, including $225 less for a water pump, $825 less for a muffler, $64 less for front brake pads, $16 less for a starter, $145 less for fuel injection, $281 less for a fuel pump, $320 less for a timing belt/chain and $440 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi Q3 will be $8946 to $11843 less than for the BMW X3.