Compare the2024 Audi Q3VS 2024 Hyundai Tucson

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
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 Tucson doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and Tucson 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 Tucson’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 Tucson 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 Tucson 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 Tucson.

Both the Q3 and the Tucson 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, 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 Hyundai Tucson:

	Q3	Tucson
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	326	364

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 Hyundai Tucson:

	Q3	Tucson
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	223 lbs.
Hip Force	333 lbs.	440 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	59 G’s
Hip Force	632 lbs.	751 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Hip Force	485 lbs.	614 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

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

Reliability

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Q3 first among small premium suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Tucson isn’t in the top three in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 7 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

Engine

The Q3 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 43 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 178) than the Tucson’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Q3 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 41 more horsepower (228 vs. 187) and 73 lbs.-ft. more torque (251 vs. 178) than the Tucson’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Q3 45 TFSI is faster than the Hyundai Tucson:

	Q3	Tucson
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	3.3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	9.6 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.9 sec	5.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	17.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	84 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Q3 has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tucson (15.9 vs. 14.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q3	Tucson
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.8 inches

The Q3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Tucson are solid, not vented.

The Q3 stops shorter than the Tucson:

	Q3	Tucson
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	130 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tucson (255/45R19 vs. 235/65R17).

The Q3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tucson’s standard 65 series tires. The Q3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Tucson’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q3 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Tucson. The Q3’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Tucson.

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 Tucson; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The Q3 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Tucson doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

Chassis

The Q3 is 5.7 inches shorter than the Tucson, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Q3. The Tucson doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The Q3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Tucson uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Hyundai. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 34% lower rating, Hyundai is ranked 29th.

Ergonomics

The Q3’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Tucson’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically. With the Tucson SEL/XRT/Limited’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Q3 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Tucson can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Tucson’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q3 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Tucson doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Q3 Premium Plus has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Tucson doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Q3’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Hyundai only offers heated mirrors on the Tucson SEL/XRT/Limited.

The Q3’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Tucson offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Q3 has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Tucson SEL/XRT/Limited.

Both the Q3 and the Tucson offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Q3 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Tucson doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Economic Advantages

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 56.3% to 56.96% of its original price after five years, while the Tucson only retains 52.49% to 54.46%.

Recommendations

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