Compare the2024 Volkswagen TaosVS 2024 Audi Q3

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Taos deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Taos’ side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Q3’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Taos SEL has standard Maneuver 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.

Both the Taos and the Q3 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volkswagen Taos is safer than the Audi Q3:

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 Volkswagen Taos is safer than the Audi Q3:

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

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Taos for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q3.

There are over 2 times as many Volkswagen dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Taos’ warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 15 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Audi.

On the EPA test cycle the Taos gets better mileage than the Q3:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Taos uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

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

The Taos offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Q3 doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Taos stops shorter than the Q3:

The Taos SEL 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 Taos’ turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the Q3’s (35.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Taos has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q3 (7.6 vs. 5.5 inches), allowing the Taos to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Volkswagen Taos may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 700 pounds less than the Audi Q3.

The design of the Volkswagen Taos amounts to more than styling. The Taos has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .31 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Q3 (.38 to .39) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Taos get better fuel mileage.

The Taos has 15.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q3 (99.5 vs. 84).

The Taos has 1.1 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q3.

The front step up height for the Taos is 1 inches lower than the Q3 (16.5” vs. 17.5”). The Taos’ rear step up height is 1.3 inches lower than the Q3’s (16.7” vs. 18”).

The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q3 with its rear seat up (27.9 vs. 23.7 cubic feet). The Taos has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q3 with its rear seat folded (65.9 vs. 48 cubic feet).

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

The Taos SE/SEL has a standard 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.

Consumer Reports rated the Taos’ headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Q3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Q3 Premium Plus’ cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Taos SE Black/SEL’s standard 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.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Taos SEL AWD keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Taos’ standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Q3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

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

The Volkswagen Taos outsold the Audi Q3 by almost three to one during 2023.