Compare the2023 Audi Q3VS 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and Eclipse Cross 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 Eclipse Cross’ 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 Eclipse Cross 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 Eclipse Cross 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.

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

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. Only the Eclipse Cross SE/SEL has a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Q3 and the Eclipse Cross 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, all wheel drive, 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 Audi Q3 weighs 411 to 488 pounds more than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Q3	Eclipse Cross
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Stress	343 lbs.	424 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	39.7%
Leg Forces (l/r)	261/249 lbs.	331/198 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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Q3	Eclipse Cross
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	145
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	154 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	159	162
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	55 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	485 lbs.	622 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Audi Q3 is much safer than the Eclipse Cross:

	Q3	Eclipse Cross
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Torso Max Deflection	1.22 in	2.28 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	10 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	134 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Force	379 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.73 in	2.01 in
Torso Deflection Rate	11 MPH	11 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Q3 is 2.1% less likely to roll over than the Eclipse Cross.

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 Eclipse Cross has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Q3’s corrosion warranty is 5 years and unlimited miles longer than the Eclipse Cross’ (12/unlimited vs. 7/100,000).

Reliability

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

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Q3 has a standard 680-amp battery. The Eclipse Cross’ 520-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Q3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 76 more horsepower (228 vs. 152) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 184) than the Eclipse Cross’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Audi Q3 is faster than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Q3	Eclipse Cross
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	3.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	9.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.9 sec	6.1 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	17.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	80 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Q3’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (5). This means the Q3 produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Eclipse Cross every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q3	Eclipse Cross
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	11.6 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 Eclipse Cross are solid, not vented.

The Q3 stops much shorter than the Eclipse Cross:

	Q3	Eclipse Cross
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	132 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q3 has larger standard tires than the Eclipse Cross (235/55R18 vs. 215/70R16). The Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Eclipse Cross (255/45R19 vs. 225/55R18).

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 Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires. The Q3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q3 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Eclipse Cross ES. The Q3’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Eclipse Cross LE/SE/SEL.

Suspension and Handling

The Q3 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q3 is 1.6 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Eclipse Cross.

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the Eclipse Cross SE pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Q3 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Eclipse Cross SEL (28.4 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Q3 has .1 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear headroom than the Eclipse Cross.

Cargo Capacity

The Q3 has a larger cargo volume than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat up (23.7 vs. 23.4 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Q3. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Q3 has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Servicing Ease

The Q3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Eclipse Cross uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Mitsubishi. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 11% lower rating, Mitsubishi is ranked 12th.

Ergonomics

When different drivers share the Q3, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Q3’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Eclipse Cross has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The power windows standard on both the Q3 and the Eclipse Cross have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q3 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Eclipse Cross prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Eclipse Cross’ standard passenger windows don’t open or 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 Eclipse Cross can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q3’s power locks have a lockout prevention feature. When the driver’s door is open, it won’t lock, so you can’t possibly lock your keys in the vehicle. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t provide lockout prevention.

The Eclipse Cross’ standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Q3’s standard doors lock when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights. (The power lock’s automatic feature may have to be activated by your dealer.)

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 Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 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 Eclipse Cross’ headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Q3 has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Eclipse Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/SEL.

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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Q3’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Eclipse Cross offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Q3 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Eclipse Cross SE/SEL.

Both the Q3 and the Eclipse Cross offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Q3 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi Q3 Premium Plus has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Q3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Q3 will cost $625 less than the Eclipse Cross over a five-year period.

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 Eclipse Cross only retains 44.85% to 45.54%.

Recommendations

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

The Audi Q3 outsold the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross by over two to one during 2022.

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