Compare the2023 Audi A4 AllroadVS 2023 BMW X3

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi A4 Allroad have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X3 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi A4 Allroad 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 A4 Allroad and X3 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A4 Allroad 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 A4 Allroad. But it costs extra on the X3.

Both the A4 Allroad and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, plastic fuel tanks, 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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 A4 Allroad is safer than the BMW X3:

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 vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the A4 Allroad the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 155 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X3 has not been fully tested, yet.

The Audi A4 Allroad’s engine uses 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.

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 A4 Allroad’s reliability 30 points higher than the X3.

The A4 Allroad’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 13 more horsepower (261 vs. 248) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the X3 s/xDrive30i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the A4 Allroad gets better mileage than the X3:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A4 Allroad uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X3 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The A4 Allroad 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 X3 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the A4 Allroad’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the X3:

The A4 Allroad stops shorter than the X3:

The A4 Allroad’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X3’s standard 50 series tires.

The A4 Allroad Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the X3 xDrive30i (26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the A4 Allroad’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the X3’s (38.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Audi A4 Allroad may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 550 pounds less than the BMW X3.

The A4 Allroad is 7.2 inches shorter in height than the X3, making the A4 Allroad much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the A4 Allroad easier. The A4 Allroad’s trunk lift-over height is 26.1 inches, while the X3’s liftover is 28.5 inches.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the A4 Allroad to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The X3 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A4 Allroad Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The X3 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi A4 Allroad and the BMW X3, based on reliability, safety and performance.