Audi Q3 Review 2025: Price, specs & boot space

If you're after a compact yet practical SUV that has a top-notch badge (and one that lights up, at that!), quite possibly. The Q3 offers a relatively attainable entry point to the Audi brand, which should prove easy to live with, and thanks to a broad spectrum of powertrains, there's likely an option to suit you down to the ground. We think a BMW X1 is a better-rounded car, though, and cheaper to boot.

For most, we reckon the base 1.5-litre engine makes the most sense, unless you're expecting to use your Audi Q3 for a lot of longer journeys, in which case it might be worth putting up with the less refined nature of the diesel. Unless all-wheel drive is essential, or you're really bothered about straight-line performance, the 2.0-litre versions are probably worth avoiding due to the potential fuel bills. 

As for the trim level, Sport should tick most of the key boxes in terms of equipment. A lot of what's added by the S Line and Edition 1 trim levels is based on aesthetics. 

SUV or Sportback? Well, only you can decide if the looks of the Sportback are worth the extra premium and the practicality compromises. Personally, we think the SUV has better proportions. 

The Q3's main competition comes in the form of the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. The BMW is a particularly strong choice if driving fun is high on your agenda, but still very practical, and has a wide range of available powertrains, including a sporty M35i model. 

The GLA has more of a focus on comfort, unless you're looking at its spicier offshoots, the AMG GLA 35 and AMG GLA 45. The GLA is the oldest of the lot, though, having launched in 2020. The BMW is a bit fresher, coming out in 2022. There are plenty of alternatives away from the German 'Big Three', though. The Volvo XC40 is one, although it's even older than the GLA, first appearing in 2017. 

If you're considering the Q3 in the first place, it's likely the Audi badge is a key part of the appeal, but if not, the Volkswagen Tiguan is made from a lot of the same bits and pieces and is cheaper than the Q3.

While everything feels solidly put together, the materials used are a bit of a mixed bag. We like the open-pore wood trim used in some models, but others get a metal-look panel spanning the dashboard that looks cheap. The main bulk of the dashboard is made from a less-than-premium-feeling plastic, too, and although it might seem like we're really nitpicking, the clicky noise made by the steering wheel-mounted buttons when you press them doesn't scream 'premium'. 

All versions of the Q3 get a decent-sized 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It's one of a growing number of factory-fitted systems to use Google's Android system, making it possible to download your favourite apps (for instance, Google Maps and Spotify) to use on the go, rather than having to stream them via a smartphone. 

Responsiveness is good, and the menu system makes sense. The theme is oppressively grey, though. Also, despite the two screens having similar measurements, the instrument cluster is in a more letterboxed arrangement, leaving loads of blank space around it. It's also not great for using the map view, as you can't really see all that far ahead of the car. On that subject, the in-built nav is perfectly useable, but our preference would still be Google Maps.

There's a Sonos surround system included in the Sound & Vision Pack, which can be specced on the S Line and Edition 1 versions of the car. The 420-watt system powers no less than 12 speakers, including a centre speaker and subwoofer. It sounds good when streaming music, but less so when using the DAB – it seems like the tuner isn't the best.

Under the armrest, you'll find two USB-C ports plus a cooled wireless smartphone charging pad. Rear-seat passengers get access to another pair of USB-C sockets. 

While it still has individually sliding and reclining seat benches in the rear, just like the old Q3, it's a bit disappointing to see that boot space has dropped in the new one. It provides 488 litres with the rear seats slid all the way back, and 575 litres with them pushed as far forwards as they'll go, compared to 530 litres and 675 litres previously. You also need to bear in mind that legroom is extremely limited with the seats in the most forward position. The e-hybrid version takes a big hit in terms of capacity due to where the high-voltage battery pack sits – it can carry a much more modest 375 litres. 

Although the above boot space figures also apply to the Q3 Sportback, it gets slightly less space when the rear seats are folded flat because of its sloping rear tailgate (such figures assume you're loading to the roof). The Q3 Sportback can carry up to 1,289 litres, or 1,196 as an e-hybrid, while the Q3 SUV is good for up to 1,386 litres or 1,293 litres. 

A BMW X1 manages 540 litres, for comparison, roughly equivalent to a Audi Q3 with its rear seat positioned somewhere between its two extremes. Its plug-in hybrid derivative doesn't drop anywhere near as much space as the Q3's, though, and it does a lot better with its rear bench folded, offering up to 1,600 litres of cargo volume. 

Audi has made a big deal about the odd new drive selector arrangement freeing up space for a bigger centre console storage area, but the cubby, found under a sliding lid, still isn't massive. Of much more use is the deep storage bin under the central armrest. 

The latest Audi Q3 has a diverse engine line-up encompassing petrol, plug-in hybrid and diesel options. It's particularly pleasing to see the latter type represented at a time when many manufacturers are moving away from the fuel, which still has plenty of economy benefits.

As far as the petrol engines go, you can have either a 1.5 or 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit. The 1.5-litre engine produces 150PS and 250Nm of torque, making for a perfectly respectable 0-62mph time of 9.1 seconds. It doesn't feel too sluggish, although it does need working quite hard to extract decent performance from it, at which point the 1.5 gets a bit noisy. It's smooth and refined the rest of the time, though.

The 2.0-litre engine comes in two flavours, the first producing 204PS and 350Nm of torque for a 6.1-second 0-62mph time. The second is good for 265PS, dropping the 0-62mph time to a hot hatch-bothering 5.7 seconds. The latter is the only 2.0-litre we've tried so far, and it really is a punchy machine, and even makes quite a good noise. You might not like the associated fuel bills or the purchase price, though.

The plug-in hybrid is even more powerful, blending a 1.5-litre engine with a 25.7kWh battery pack and a powerful electric motor for an impressive 272PS. It's slower than the most powerful petrol model, however, because a battery pack of that size is quite heavy. 

As a result, its 0-62mph time is almost a second behind at 6.8 seconds, but it still feels quick. At least, it does once the gearbox has a think about what you're asking from it when you put your foot down. In more relaxed driving situations, though, the transitions between the e-hybrid's power sources are quite smooth.

Finally, there's a single diesel option which is good for 150PS and 360Nm of torque. It's the slowest Audi Q3, but only just, hitting 62mph from rest in 9.3 seconds. It does get a bit noisy when pushed, but it's reasonably refined as far as modern diesels go. Thankfully, a good amount of mid-range torque means you rarely need to rev it too hard. 

All use seven-speed dual clutch 'S Tronic' automatic gearboxes, apart from the plug-in hybrid, which uses a six-speed unit. This time, no manual gearbox is available. If you want 'quattro' all-wheel drive, it'll have to be one of the 2.0-litre petrol units, which are fitted with the system as standard. All others are exclusively front-wheel drive. 

Previously, there was a hot Audi RS Q3 at the top of the range with a potent 400PS five-cylinder engine shared with the mighty RS3. It's unclear if there'll be a new RS Q3, but we'd be surprised if it ends up with another five-pot, because it'll be hard to keep that engine alive amidst tightening emissions rules. 

There are two sides to this. On the one hand, wind noise is well suppressed, helped by the Q3 using acoustic glazing, something Audi claims is a class-first. This works with optimised sealing and insulation to give "a harmonious acoustic concept with a noticeable improvement in driving comfort". 

This doesn't quite extend to road noise, which can be quite noticeable in the cabin. We have only tested the Audi Q3 on larger wheels, though, which won't help.

It's a little too soon to be talking about Euro NCAP crash test results for the Audi Q3. For whatever it's worth, the previous Q3 achieved the full five-star rating, as has every new Audi model assessed in 2024 and 2025. 

All Audi Q3s come with lane departure warning, hill hold assist, a 360-degree parking camera, traffic sign recognition, a driver attention monitor, 'active front assist' including evasion and turning assistance, front cross traffic assist and autonomous emergency braking. There's also an optional enhanced driving comfort pack, which brings with it an enhanced driving assistance system including lane change assistance. 

It's too early to tell how the new Audi Q3 might work out in terms of reliability, but it helps that it's powered by well-proven engines. Audi's overall reliability record is middling, with the brand placing 18th out of 33 manufacturers in the reliability section of the most recent HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. That's two places behind arch rivals BMW, but far ahead of Mercedes-Benz, which managed a woeful 30th-place finish.

At the time of writing, these hadn't been confirmed. The old model ranged from groups 20 to 38, and we'd expect something similar this time.

The token £10 car tax discount for 'hybrid and alternatively fuelled vehicles' was dropped in April 2025, so it's the same flat rate of £195 for all versions of the Audi Q3, plug-in hybrid included. 

Only the entry-level 1.5-litre Q3 in Sport trim sneaks under the £40,000 threshold for the government's premium car tax supplement, and only just, at £38,300, so a few options could push it over. That being the case, or if you go for any other version of the Q3, it's an extra £425 annually from years two to six of ownership. 

Most Audi Q3s are available in Sport, S Line and Edition 1 trim. The only exception is the 265PS TFSI petrol, which can't be combined with the base Sport trim. 

Along with all the safety equipment mentioned earlier, the Audi Q3 Sport comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED front and rear lights with automatic high beam, heated and electrically adjustable/folding mirrors with an automatic dimming feature, three-zone climate control, interior ambient lighting, leather steering wheel, 12.8-inch infotainment screen, an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and wireless smartphone charging. 

Audi Q3 S Line builds on the above with 19-inch alloy wheels, sportier S Line bumpers, snazzier LED light cluster with "selectable light signatures" at the front, illuminated Audi rings at the back (we're less sure about that bit), half leather/half faux leather seats, enhanced ambient lighting and a flat-bottomed steering wheel. Finally, Audi Q3 Edition 1 trim adds 20-inch alloy wheels, black exterior styling touches, matrix LED headlights, microfibre trimmed seats, a heated steering wheel, microfibre interior trim and additional safety equipment.