Compare the2023 Audi Q3VS 2022 BMW X1

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Towing
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 X1 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q3 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 X1 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Q3 and X1 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 X1’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 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Pre Sense Front in the Q3 as “Superior.” The X1 scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

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 X1 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 X1.

The Q3 Premium Plus has a standard Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The X1 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Q3’s blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The X1 doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q3’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The X1 doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Q3 and the X1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

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 BMW X1:

	Q3	X1
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	326	328
Neck Stress	343 lbs.	360 lbs.
Neck Compression	35 lbs.	60 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 BMW X1:

	Q3	X1
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	143
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	154 lbs.
Hip Force	333 lbs.	486 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	159	193
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	65 G’s
Hip Force	632 lbs.	637 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Hip Force	485 lbs.	815 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 X1 is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Reliability

The Audi Q3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the X1’s engine uses 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 Q3’s reliability 11 points higher than the X1.

Engine

As tested in Consumer Reports the Audi Q3 is faster than the BMW X1:

	Q3	X1
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	3.5 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	7.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	16.3 sec

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the X1:

	Q3	X1
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	13 inches

The Q3 stops much shorter than the X1:

	Q3	X1
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	134 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q3 has larger standard tires than the X1 (235/55R18 vs. 225/50R18). The Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X1 (255/45R19 vs. 225/50R18).

The Q3’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the X1’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q3 offers optional 20-inch wheels. The X1’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the X1 xDrive28i pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Towing

The Q3 has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The X1 has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The Q3’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the X1’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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 X1’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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 X1 only retains 47.06% to 47.87%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q3 is less expensive to operate than the X1 because typical repairs cost much less on the Q3 than the X1, including $135 less for a water pump, $697 less for a muffler, $61 less for front brake pads, $150 less for fuel injection, $316 less for a fuel pump, $548 less for a timing belt/chain and $85 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q3, based on reliability, safety and performance. The BMW X1 isn't recommended.

The Audi Q3 outsold the BMW X1 by almost four to one during 2022.

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