Compare the2025 Audi Q3VS 2025 Ford Escape

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 Escape doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q3. But it costs extra on the Escape.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q3’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Escape doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Q3 and the Escape 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, 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 and available around view monitors.

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, results indicate that the Audi Q3 is safer than the Ford Escape:

	Q3	Escape
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	88	197
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	95 lbs.	191 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	632 lbs.	816 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 safer than the Escape:

	Q3	Escape
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	190	391
Head Peak Forces	no contact	93 G’s
Neck Tension	335 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	1.06 in	1.1 in
Torso Max Deflection	1.22 in	1.77 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	8 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	112 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	1049 lbs.	1093 lbs.
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 Escape’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 Escape’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

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

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Q3’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Escape’s camshafts. If the Escape’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Q3’s reliability 15 points higher than the Escape.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Q3 second among small premium suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Escape isn’t in the top three in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 3 places higher in reliability than Ford.

Engine

The Q3 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 4 more horsepower (184 vs. 180) and 22 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 199) than the Escape’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Q3 45 TFSI is faster than the Ford Escape turbo 3 cyl.:

	Q3	Escape
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	3.3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	8.9 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.9 sec	5.2 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	16.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	85 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Q3 has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Escape FWD’s standard fuel tank (15.9 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Q3 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Escape. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q3	Escape
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.1 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 Escape are solid, not vented.

The Q3 stops shorter than the Escape:

	Q3	Escape
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	166 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	137 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q3 has larger standard tires than the Escape (235/55R18 vs. 225/65R17). The Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escape (255/45R19 vs. 225/65R17).

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 Escape’s standard 65 series tires. The Q3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Escape’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 Escape. The Q3’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the Escape.

Suspension and Handling

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the Escape ST-Line Elite AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Q3 is 3.5 inches shorter than the Escape, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q3’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Escape doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

The Q3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Escape 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.

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 Escape’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens 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 Escape can only operate 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 Escape’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Escape doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Escape’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

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 Escape doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

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

Both the Audi Q3 and Ford Escape offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Q3 offers optional power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Escape’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

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 Escape only retains 51.82% to 53.93%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q3 is less expensive to operate than the Escape because typical repairs cost much less on the Q3 than the Escape, including $1276 less for a muffler, $57 less for a fuel pump and $316 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q3, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Ford Escape isn't recommended.

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