Compare the2025 Audi Q3VS 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
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 Tiguan doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and Tiguan 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 Tiguan’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 Tiguan doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

Both the Q3 and the Tiguan 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 and available around view monitors.

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 Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Q3	Tiguan
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Stress	343 lbs.	417 lbs.
Neck Compression	35 lbs.	80 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	235/363 lbs.	408/641 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.7 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	37%
Neck Stress	186 lbs.	261 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	261/249 lbs.	428/471 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 Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Q3	Tiguan
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.7 inches
Hip Force	333 lbs.	337 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	44 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	49 G’s
Hip Force	485 lbs.	855 lbs.

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

Warranty

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

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Q3 has a standard 680-amp battery. The Tiguan’s 360-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 19 points higher than the Tiguan.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Q3 second among small premium suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Tiguan 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 Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 8 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Engine

The Q3 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 44 more horsepower (228 vs. 184) and 30 lbs.-ft. more torque (251 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Q3 45 TFSI is faster than the Volkswagen Tiguan:

	Q3	Tiguan
Zero to 30 MPH	3.2 sec	4.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.8 sec	10.3 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.9 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	17.9 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	83 MPH

Brakes and Stopping

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 Tiguan are solid, not vented.

The Q3 stops much shorter than the Tiguan:

	Q3	Tiguan
70 to 0 MPH	160 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	134 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q3 has larger standard tires than the Tiguan (235/55R18 vs. 215/65R17).

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 Tiguan S’ standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q3 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Tiguan S.

Suspension and Handling

The Q3 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Tiguan’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Q3 handles at .91 G’s, while the Tiguan 4Motion® pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Q3 is 9.5 inches shorter than the Tiguan, making the Q3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

The Q3 has a much larger cargo volume than the Tiguan with its rear seat up (23.7 vs. 12 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 Tiguan’s liftover is 29.4 inches.

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

Ergonomics

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 Tiguan can’t use the remote to operate the windows.

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 Tiguan’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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 Tiguan has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Q3 has a 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. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Tiguan SE/SEL.

Compared to the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Audi Q3 eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

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 Tiguan only retains 48.29% to 50.45%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q3 is less expensive to operate than the Tiguan because it costs $82 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Q3 than the Tiguan, including $39 less for a water pump, $375 less for a muffler, $14 less for fuel injection and $235 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

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

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