Compare the2023 Toyota Corolla CrossVS 2023 Audi Q3

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

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Corolla Cross are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Corolla Cross XLE has standard 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 Corolla Cross’ 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 Corolla Cross 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, rear parking sensors 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 Corolla Cross is safer than the Audi Q3:

	Corolla Cross	Q3
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	187	326
Neck Injury Risk	27%	39%
Neck Stress	243 lbs.	343 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	27%	35%
Neck Stress	165 lbs.	186 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	301/156 lbs.	261/249 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 Toyota Corolla Cross is safer than the Audi Q3:

	Corolla Cross	Q3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	330 lbs.	333 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	137	159
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	367 lbs.	632 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
HIC	239	504
Spine Acceleration	32 G’s	47 G’s

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 vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Corolla Cross its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q3 was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2019 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Corolla Cross 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 Corolla Cross 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 Corolla Cross’ 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 Corolla Cross’ reliability 43 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 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.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Corolla Cross
	FWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	29 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 Corolla Cross uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Corolla Cross has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Q3 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Corolla Cross stops shorter than the Q3:

	Corolla Cross	Q3
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Corolla Cross XLE AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Q3 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Corolla Cross’ turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Q3’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Corolla Cross has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q3 (8.1 vs. 5.5 inches), allowing the Corolla Cross to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Toyota Corolla Cross may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 800 pounds less than the Audi Q3.

Passenger Space

The Corolla Cross has 10.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q3 (94.9 vs. 84).

The Corolla Cross has 2.9 inches more front legroom and 1.4 inches more rear headroom than the Q3.

Cargo Capacity

The Corolla Cross has a much larger cargo volume than the Q3 with its rear seat up (26.5 vs. 23.7 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The Corolla Cross 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Corolla Cross 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.

The Q3 Premium Plus’ cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Corolla Cross XLE’s optional 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.

Model Availability

The Toyota Corolla comes in sedan, four door hatchback and four door bodystyles; the Audi Q3 isn’t available as a sedan or four door hatchback.

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

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Corolla Cross as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Corolla outsold the Audi Q3 by over 11 to one during 2022.