Compare the2025 Audi Q3VS 2025 Subaru Forester

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 Forester doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and Forester 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 Forester’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 Forester 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 Forester 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 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 Forester’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 Forester and its not available on the Base and the Forester’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the Q3 and the Forester 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

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 Forester’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 Forester’s (12 vs. 5 years).

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

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Q3 has a standard 140-amp alternator. The Forester’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Q3 has a standard 680-amp battery. The Forester’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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

The Q3 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 4 more horsepower (184 vs. 180) and 43 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 178) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Q3 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 48 more horsepower (228 vs. 180) and 73 lbs.-ft. more torque (251 vs. 178) than the Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Q3 45 TFSI is faster than the Subaru Forester:

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

The Q3 stops much shorter than the Forester:

For better traction, the Q3 has larger standard tires than the Forester (235/55R18 vs. 225/60R17). The Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (255/45R19 vs. 235/50R19).

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 Forester’s standard 60 series tires. The Q3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Forester Sport/Touring’s 50 series tires.

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

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 Forester doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the Forester Sport pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Q3 is 6.7 inches shorter than the Forester, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 Forester’s liftover is 28.9 inches.

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

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

The power windows standard on both the Q3 and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q3 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring’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 Forester 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 Forester’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 Forester doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Q3’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

Unlike the Subaru Forester’s fixed side view mirrors, the Audi Q3 offers optional power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Manual folding mirrors are standard.

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