Compare the2023 Mazda CX-5VS 2023 Audi Q3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The CX-5 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Q3 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-5 Turbo Signature has standard Smart Brake Support-Rear that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q3 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The CX-5 Turbo Signature’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the CX-5 and the Q3 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, 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 Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Audi Q3:

	CX-5	Q3
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	82	326
Neck Injury Risk	23%	39%
Neck Stress	274 lbs.	343 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	35 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	160/307 lbs.	235/363 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	156	346
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches

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 Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Audi Q3:

	CX-5	Q3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	81	88
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Hip Force	189 lbs.	333 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	524 lbs.	632 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	449	504
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	47 G’s
Hip Force	435 lbs.	485 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 Mazda CX-5 is safer than the Q3:

	CX-5	Q3
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	155	190
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	335 lbs.
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.51 in	1.06 in
Shoulder Force	201 lbs.	290 lbs.
Pelvis	GOOD	POOR
Pelvis Force	848 lbs.	1406 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	307	329
Neck Tension	22 lbs.	112 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	1.42 in	2.01 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	1.73 in
Torso Deflection Rate	9 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	602 lbs.	1049 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the CX-5 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q3 last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2018.

Warranty

Mazda’s powertrain warranty covers the CX-5 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 78 percent more Mazda dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the CX-5’s warranty.

Reliability

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 CX-5’s reliability 18 points higher than the Q3.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 59 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mazda higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mazda above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda fourth in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 6th.

Engine

The CX-5’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 28 more horsepower (256 vs. 228) and 62 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 258) than the Q3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mazda CX-5 is faster than the Audi Q3:

	CX-5 4 cyl.	CX-5 turbo 4 cyl.	Q3
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	6.4 sec	8.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.3 sec	14.9 sec	16.5 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the CX-5 with its standard engine gets better fuel mileage than the Q3 45 TFSI (24 city/30 hwy vs. 21 city/28 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-5 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Q3 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Brakes and Stopping

The CX-5 stops shorter than the Q3:

	CX-5	Q3
60 to 0 MPH	123 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The CX-5 handles at .81 G’s, while the Q3 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The CX-5 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Q3 (27.8 seconds @ .59 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the CX-5’s turning circle is 2.4 feet tighter than the Q3’s (36 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

Passenger Space

The CX-5 has 19.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q3 (103.6 vs. 84).

The CX-5 has .1 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom and 3.5 inches more rear legroom than the Q3.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q3 with its rear seat up (30.8 vs. 23.7 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q3 with its rear seat folded (59.3 vs. 48 cubic feet).

The CX-5’s cargo area is larger than the Q3’s in every dimension:

	CX-5	Q3
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	38”	34”/65”
Max Width	57”	54”
Min Width	41.3”	39”
Height	32.4”	28”

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CX-5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Q3 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The CX-5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q3’s (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The CX-5 offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Q3 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the CX-5 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the CX-5’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Q3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Q3 Premium Plus’ cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The CX-5 Premium/Turbo’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Both the CX-5 and the Q3 offer available heated front seats. The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q3.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Q3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the CX-5 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the CX-5 will cost $530 less than the Q3 over a five-year period.

The CX-5 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the CX-5 will retain 50.99% to 51.37% of its original price after five years, while the Q3 only retains 50.79% to 50.87%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the CX-5 is less expensive to operate than the Q3 because it costs $264 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the CX-5 than the Q3, including $419 less for a water pump, $30 less for front brake pads, $346 less for a starter, $49 less for fuel injection, $441 less for front struts, $372 less for a timing belt/chain and $654 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mazda CX-5 will be $44 to $7958 less than for the Audi Q3.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mazda CX-5 and the Audi Q3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Audi Q3 by over six to one during 2022.