Compare the2023 Audi Q3VS 2023 Chevrolet Blazer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Q3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Blazer doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and Blazer 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 Blazer’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.

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 Blazer doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Q3 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Blazer doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q3’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Blazer doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Q3 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Blazer’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q3 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Blazer.

Both the Q3 and the Blazer 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, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

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

	Q3	Blazer
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	43%
Neck Compression	83 lbs.	140 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 flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi Q3 is safer than the Chevrolet Blazer:

	Q3	Blazer
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	93
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	157 lbs.
Hip Force	333 lbs.	369 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	159	251
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	632 lbs.	673 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Hip Force	485 lbs.	695 lbs.

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 Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Blazer was last qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Q3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Blazer’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q3’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Blazer’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Reliability

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 14 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Q3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
Blazer
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q3 higher (7 out of 10) than the Chevrolet Blazer (6 to 7). This means the Q3 produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Blazer every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q3	Blazer
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.64 inches

The Q3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Blazer are solid, not vented.

The Q3 stops shorter than the Blazer:

	Q3	Blazer
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	165 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	130 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 Blazer’s standard 65 series tires. The Q3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Blazer RS/Premier’s optional 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the Blazer RS 4x4 pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Q3 is 1 foot, 3.2 inches shorter than the Blazer, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Q3 easier. The Q3’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.8 inches, while the Blazer’s liftover is 30.3 inches.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 13% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

The Q3’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Blazer’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Q3 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Blazer can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q3 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Blazer doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Q3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Blazer’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Blazer’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Q3 Premium Plus has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Blazer doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Economic Advantages

The Q3 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Q3 will retain 50.79% to 50.87% of its original price after five years, while the Blazer only retains 46.35% to 48.99%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q3 is less expensive to operate than the Blazer because it costs $236 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Q3 than the Blazer, including $246 less for a muffler, $97 less for front brake pads, $199 less for a fuel pump, $404 less for a timing belt/chain and $35 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q3 and the Chevrolet Blazer, based on reliability, safety and performance.