Compare the2023 Audi Q3VS 2023 Infiniti QX50

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Chassis
Towing
Servicing Ease
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 QX50 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and QX50 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 QX50’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 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 QX50 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 QX50.

Both the Q3 and the QX50 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, 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 Audi Q3 is safer than the Infiniti QX50:

	Q3	QX50
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	35 lbs.	42 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.6 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	261/249 lbs.	504/622 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 Infiniti QX50:

	Q3	QX50
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	98
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	151 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	17 inches

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 QX50 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Q3’s corrosion warranty is 5 years longer than the QX50’s (12 vs. 7 years).

There are over 50 percent more Audi dealers than there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Q3’s warranty.

Reliability

The Audi Q3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the QX50’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Q3 has a standard 140-amp alternator. The QX50’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Q3’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The QX50 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi Q3 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The QX50 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q3 higher (7 out of 10) than the Infiniti QX50 (6). This means the Q3 produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the QX50 every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q3’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the QX50:

	Q3	QX50
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	13 inches

The Q3 stops shorter than the QX50:

	Q3	QX50
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	129 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 QX50 Sport/Sensory/Autograph’s 45 series tires.

The Q3 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the QX50; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

Chassis

The Q3 is 8.1 inches shorter than the QX50, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Towing

The Q3’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the QX50’s (1500 vs. 0 pounds).

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Infiniti. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 3% lower rating, Infiniti is ranked 9th.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Q3 and the QX50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q3 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX50 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Q3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The QX50’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 QX50’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Q3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Q3 will cost $770 to $4845 less than the QX50 over a five-year period.

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 QX50 only retains 43.84% to 45.08%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q3 is less expensive to operate than the QX50 because typical repairs cost much less on the Q3 than the QX50, including $110 less for a water pump, $320 less for a muffler, $188 less for a fuel pump, $42 less for a timing belt/chain and $241 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi Q3 will be $7250 to $19085 less than for the Infiniti QX50.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q3 and the Infiniti QX50, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi Q3 outsold the Infiniti QX50 by over two to one during 2022.

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