Compare the2024 Audi Q3VS 2023 Subaru Crosstrek

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek’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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

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 Crosstrek 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.

The Q3 Premium Plus has a standard Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Crosstrek only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

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. A system to reveal vehicles in the Crosstrek’s blind spot costs extra.

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. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Crosstrek and its not available on the Base/Manual and the Crosstrek’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the Q3 and the Crosstrek 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The Audi Q3 weighs 604 to 796 pounds more than the Subaru Crosstrek. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Subaru Crosstrek:

	Q3	Crosstrek
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Compression	35 lbs.	42 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	235/363 lbs.	252/363 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	44.6%
Neck Stress	186 lbs.	195 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	261/249 lbs.	230/427 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 Subaru Crosstrek:

	Q3	Crosstrek
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	138
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	196 lbs.
Hip Force	333 lbs.	346 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	159	303
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	58 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	49 G’s
Hip Force	485 lbs.	824 lbs.

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 Audi Q3 is much safer than the Crosstrek:

	Q3	Crosstrek
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	190	245
Head Peak Forces	no contact	55 G’s
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.06 in	1.89 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	357 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.22 in	2.01 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	10 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	2.01 in	2.09 in
Shoulder Force	379 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	11 MPH	13 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Q3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Crosstrek’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

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

Reliability

The Audi Q3’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the Crosstrek’s engines use 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 Crosstrek 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 Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than Subaru.

Engine

The Q3 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 32 more horsepower (184 vs. 152) and 76 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 145) than the Crosstrek’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Q3 40 TFSI’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 2 more horsepower (184 vs. 182) and 45 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 176) than the Crosstrek Sport/Limited’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Q3 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 46 more horsepower (228 vs. 182) and 75 lbs.-ft. more torque (251 vs. 176) than the Crosstrek Sport/Limited’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Q3 45 TFSI is faster than the Crosstrek Sport/Limited 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder (automatics tested):

	Q3	Crosstrek
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	7.5 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	19.3 sec	22.2 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	88 MPH
Top Speed	130 MPH	120 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Regardless of its engine, the Q3’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Subaru only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Crosstrek CVT.

Transmission

The Audi Q3 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Crosstrek.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q3	Crosstrek
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	11.6 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	10.8 inches
Opt Rear Rotors	12.2 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 Crosstrek are solid, not vented.

The Q3 stops shorter than the Crosstrek:

	Q3	Crosstrek
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	169 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	136 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q3 has larger standard tires than the Crosstrek (235/55R18 vs. 225/60R17). The Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Crosstrek (255/45R19 vs. 225/60R17).

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 Crosstrek’s standard 60 series tires. The Q3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Crosstrek Limited’s 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 Crosstrek. The Q3’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Crosstrek Limited.

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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q3 is 1.2 inches wider in the front and .7 inches wider in the rear than on the Crosstrek.

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the Crosstrek Limited pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Passenger Space

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q3’s rear seats recline. The Crosstrek’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Q3 has a much larger cargo volume than the Crosstrek with its rear seat up (23.7 vs. 20.8 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Q3 easier. The Q3’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.8 inches, while the Crosstrek’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

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

	Q3	Crosstrek
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	34”/65”	32.3”/64.2”
Max Width	54”	53”
Min Width	39”	43”
Height	28”	30”

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Q3 has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Servicing Ease

The Q3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Crosstrek 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 Subaru. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 13% lower rating, Subaru is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

When different drivers share the Q3, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Q3’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Crosstrek has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

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 Crosstrek’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Crosstrek can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q3’s power window, power lock and power mirror switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Crosstrek’s power window (except driver window) switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Crosstrek’s 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Q3’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Crosstrek’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Q3 has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Crosstrek has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the Premium/Sport/Limited.

The Q3’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Crosstrek and aren’t offered on the Crosstrek Base.

The Q3’s 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. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Q3 and the Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi Q3 offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q3 is less expensive to operate than the Crosstrek because it costs $36 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Q3 than the Crosstrek, including $11 less for a muffler and $115 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

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

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