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 HR-V doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.
Both the Q3 and HR-V 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 HR-V’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 HR-V doesn’t offer knee airbags.
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 HR-V 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 HR-V.
When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q3’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The HR-V doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.
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 HR-V only offers a rear monitor.
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 HR-V doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.
The Q3 Premium Plus offers an optional Audi Connect CARE, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The HR-V doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.
Both the Q3 and the HR-V 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, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.
The Audi Q3 weighs 774 to 1010 pounds more than the Honda HR-V. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.
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 Honda HR-V:
|
Q3 |
HR-V |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
326 |
481 |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
4 Stars |
4 Stars |
Neck Injury Risk |
35% |
41% |
Neck Stress |
186 lbs. |
218 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
261/249 lbs. |
574/500 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 Honda HR-V:
|
Q3 |
HR-V |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
88 |
148 |
Chest Movement |
.7 inches |
.8 inches |
Abdominal Force |
95 lbs. |
158 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
159 |
357 |
Spine Acceleration |
43 G’s |
59 G’s |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Spine Acceleration |
47 G’s |
48 G’s |
Hip Force |
485 lbs. |
799 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 HR-V:
|
Q3 |
HR-V |
Overall Evaluation |
ACCEPTABLE |
POOR |
Structure |
ACCEPTABLE |
POOR |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
190 |
325 |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
1.06 in |
1.34 in |
Shoulder Force |
290 lbs. |
335 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.22 in |
1.42 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
6 MPH |
7 MPH |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
329 |
359 |
Neck Compression |
67 lbs. |
89 lbs. |
Torso |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Force |
379 lbs. |
402 lbs. |
Pelvis |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
Pelvis Force |
1049 lbs. |
1316 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
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 HR-V is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.