Compare the2023 Toyota Rav4VS 2023 Audi Q3

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

Safety

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Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Rav4 (except LE) offers optional Parking Assist with Automatic Braking 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 Rav4’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 Rav4 and the Q3 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Audi Q3:

	Rav4	Q3
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	152	326
Neck Injury Risk	29.3%	39%
Neck Stress	306 lbs.	343 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	284	346
Chest Compression	.4 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 Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Audi Q3:

	Rav4	Q3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	83	88
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Hip Force	246 lbs.	333 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	159
Hip Force	508 lbs.	632 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	299	504
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	47 G’s

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 Toyota Rav4 is safer than the Q3:

	Rav4	Q3
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	120	190
Neck Tension	134 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.47 in	1.06 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	290 lbs.
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Pelvis Force	1093 lbs.	1406 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	2.01 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.73 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	692 lbs.	1049 lbs.

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 Rav4 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

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Rav4 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.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Rav4 for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q3.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rav4’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 67 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 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 Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 6th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Rav4 is faster than the Audi Q3:

	Rav4	Q3
Zero to 60 MPH	8 sec	8.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.6 MPH	85.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Rav4 gets better mileage than the Q3:

			MPG
Rav4
	FWD	XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		LE/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/34 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/33 hwy
		Adventure/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
		TRD Off-Road 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/32 hwy
Q3
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Rav4 uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

The Rav4 stops shorter than the Q3:

	Rav4	Q3
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Rav4 is .5 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Q3.

The Rav4 Adventure handles at .81 G’s, while the Q3 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Rav4 Adventure executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Q3 (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Rav4 LE/XLE’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Q3’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.4 feet). The Rav4 XLE Premium/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Q3’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Rav4 LE/XLE has a 2.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q3 (8.4 vs. 5.5 inches), allowing the Rav4 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Rav4 XLE Premium/Limited/Adventure/TRD Off-Road’s minimum ground clearance is 3.1 inches higher than on the Q3 (8.6 vs. 5.5 inches).

Chassis

The Toyota Rav4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 550 pounds less than the Audi Q3.

The front grille of the Rav4 Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q3 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Rav4 has 14.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q3 (98.9 vs. 84).

The Rav4 has 1 inch more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q3.

Cargo Capacity

The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q3 with its rear seat up (37.6 vs. 23.7 cubic feet). The Rav4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q3 with its rear seat folded (69.8 vs. 48 cubic feet).

The Rav4’s cargo area is larger than the Q3’s in every dimension:

	Rav4	Q3
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	40”/73.4”	34”/65”
Max Width	59”	54”
Min Width	39.4”	39”
Height	36.6”	28”

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Audi Q3 is limited to 1500 pounds. The Rav4 4WD offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Rav4 uses the Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Rav4 has a standard 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Rav4 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 Rav4’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Q3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Both the Rav4 and the Q3 offer available heated front seats. The Rav4 Limited also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q3.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Rav4 (except LE/XLE/Adventure) 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 Rav4 XLE/Adventure/Limited/TRD Off-Road’s optional 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.

The Rav4 Adventure/TRD Off-Road has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Rav4 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q3 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Rav4 is less expensive to operate than the Q3 because it costs $9 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Rav4 than the Q3, including $334 less for a water pump, $89 less for a muffler, $208 less for a starter, $114 less for fuel injection, $541 less for front struts and $677 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Rav4 and the Audi Q3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Rav4 outsold the Audi Q3 by almost 16 to one during 2022.