Compare the2022 Audi Q3VS 2022 Volvo XC60

The Audi Q3 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The XC60 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q3. But it costs extra on the XC60.

Both the Q3 and the XC60 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, 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, results indicate that the Audi Q3 is safer than the Volvo XC60:

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q3 its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 105 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XC60 is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2019.

The Audi Q3’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the XC60’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 XC60 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Audi 20th in reliability. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 25th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 4 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Q3 45 TFSI is faster than the XC60 B5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Q3 gets better mileage than the XC60 running its gasoline engine:

Both the Q3 and the XC60 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All Q3s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch costs extra on the XC60.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi Q3 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The XC60 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 Volvo XC60 (5 to 7). This means the Q3 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the XC60 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Q3’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the XC60:

The Q3 stops much shorter than the XC60:

The Q3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XC60’s standard 60 series tires.

The front and rear suspension of the Q3 uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the XC60 B6 AWD Inscription pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Q3 is 8 inches shorter than the XC60, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q3’s rear seats recline. The XC60’s rear seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Q3 is 1.5 inches lower than the XC60 (17.5” vs. 19”). The Q3’s rear step up height is 1.5 inches lower than the XC60’s (18” vs. 19.5”).

The Q3 has a much larger cargo volume than the XC60 with its rear seat up (23.7 vs. 21.6 cubic feet).

The Q3’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The XC60’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Q3’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the XC60’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Q3 has standard extendable sun visors. The XC60 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q3 is less expensive to operate than the XC60 because typical repairs cost much less on the Q3 than the XC60, including $121 less for a muffler, $101 less for front brake pads, $58 less for fuel injection and $559 less for a fuel pump.