Compare the2024 Audi Q3VS 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid

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 Sportage Hybrid doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and Sportage Hybrid 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 Sportage Hybrid’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 Sportage Hybrid 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 Sportage Hybrid 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 Sportage Hybrid.

The Q3 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q3 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Only the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige offers Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning.

Both the Q3 and the Sportage Hybrid 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, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

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 127 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Sportage Hybrid is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

The Q3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the Sportage Hybrid’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

The Audi Q3’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Sportage Hybrid’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 Sportage Hybrid 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 Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 3 places higher in reliability than Kia.

Both the Q3 and Sportage Hybrid have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Q3 has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Q3 has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sportage Hybrid (15.9 vs. 13.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

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 Sportage Hybrid are solid, not vented.

The Q3 stops much shorter than the Sportage Hybrid:

For better traction, the Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Sportage Hybrid (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 Sportage LX HEV’s standard 65 series tires. The Q3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige’s 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q3 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sportage LX HEV. The Q3’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige.

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the Sportage SX-Prestige HEV AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Q3 is 6.9 inches shorter than the Sportage Hybrid, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Q3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Sportage Hybrid 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 Kia. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 31% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

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 Sportage Hybrid’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 Sportage Hybrid EX/SX-Prestige’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 Sportage Hybrid 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 Sportage Hybrid’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Sportage Hybrid’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

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 Sportage Hybrid doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Q3’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia charges extra for heated mirrors on the Sportage Hybrid.

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 Sportage Hybrid offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q3 and the Kia Sportage Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance.