Compare the2023 Audi Q3VS 2023 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
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 Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and Atlas Cross Sport 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 Atlas Cross Sport’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 Atlas Cross Sport doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

Both the Q3 and the Atlas Cross Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning 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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport:

	Q3	Atlas Cross Sport
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Stress	343 lbs.	412 lbs.
Neck Compression	35 lbs.	59 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	39%
Neck Compression	83 lbs.	117 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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport:

	Q3	Atlas Cross Sport
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	159	208
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Hip Force	485 lbs.	594 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 Atlas Cross Sport has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

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

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 17 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

As tested in Consumer Reports the Audi Q3 is faster than the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport turbo 4 cyl.:

	Q3	Atlas Cross Sport
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	3.7 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	8.7 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.9 sec	5.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	88 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q3 gets better mileage than the Atlas Cross Sport:

			MPG
Q3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
Atlas Cross Sport
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/25 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/24 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 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport (3 to 5). This means the Q3 produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Atlas Cross Sport every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q3	Atlas Cross Sport
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	13.2 inches

The Q3 stops shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport:

	Q3	Atlas Cross Sport
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	131 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 Atlas Cross Sport SE’s standard 60 series tires. The Q3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Atlas Cross Sport SEL Premium R-Line’s 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Q3 handles at .79 G’s, while the Atlas Cross Sport 4Motion pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Q3’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Atlas Cross Sport’s (38.4 feet vs. 40.5 feet).

Chassis

The Q3 is 1 foot, 6.9 inches shorter than the Atlas Cross Sport, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q3 is 5.5 inches narrower than the Atlas Cross Sport, making the Q3 easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Volkswagen. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 32% lower rating, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

Ergonomics

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 Atlas Cross Sport has 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 costs extra on the Atlas Cross Sport.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q3 and the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, based on reliability, safety and performance.