The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Smartly designed cabin
- Strong safety scores
- Spacious back seat
- Good infotainment
- High-output turbo-4’s zip
Dislikes
- Exterior’s just OK
- Bigger than small, if that’s a problem
- Pricey for 45 Premium Plus
- Skips free maintenance
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2022 Audi Q3 parks in the small-SUV space, but fills it to the lines with technology and safety.
What kind of car is the 2022 Audi Q3? What does it compare to?
The Q3 inaugurates Audi’s lineup of crossovers. It’s a compact luxury SUV according to the measuring tape, one that rivals vehicles like the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, as well as the Buick Encore GX.
Is the 2022 Audi Q3 a good car?
This year’s Q3 earns a 6.3 TCC Rating, propelled by good standard features and safety scores. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What’s new for the 2022 Audi Q3?
The recently added “40” model joins in with some minor feature changes on both the base Q3 and the Q3 S-line. In either case, the Q3’s compact shape has a bulldog stance: it’s a tall hatchback with big wheels and thick curves, and the details tailor that shape to fit the luxury badge. It’s more engaging inside, where the angular shapes and some snazzy trim liven up the small-car space.
The Q3’s performance issues from a 2.0-liter turbo-4 in two specifications: the base 184-hp version’s slowed by the car’s substantial 3,900-pound curb weight, but that’s relieved by more boost in the Q3 45 with its 228-hp rating. Both shift power to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic that knows how to syncopate its gearchanges with the driver’s inputs. The Q3 has very good steering and a very well-damped ride despite big 18- or 19-inch wheels, too.
In front, the Q3’s base seats deserve an upgrade to the available 8-way power-adjustable buckets we prefer; their leather upholstery and heating combine with a good range of adjustment. The back seat’s better yet, thanks to lots of leg room and a sliding function that flexes people and cargo space, so the Q3 can tote up to 48 cubic feet of stuff.
The IIHS no longer dubs the Q3 a Top Safety Pick+ since its base headlights are rated “Poor,” but the NHTSA still gives it five stars overall. The Q3 has automatic emergency braking standard, and adds blind-spot monitors this year.
How much does the 2022 Audi Q3 cost?
The new Q3 40 costs $35,945 in Premium spec, which includes an 8.8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a digital gauge cluster, heated front seats, 18-inch wheels, leather upholstery, LED headlights, and a panoramic sunroof. In top Q3 45 Premium Plus spec, with adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera system, it’s $41,545.
Where is the 2022 Audi Q3 made?
In Hungary.
2022 Audi Q3 Styling
Pert and chunky, the Q3 banks on subtle styling.
Is the Audi Q3 a good-looking car?
Restyled recently and now sold with an S-line styling kit, the Audi Q3 still won’t raise many eyebrows or pulses. It’s an attractive car with a simple, straightforward cabin. It’s a 6 here, with a point extra for the interior flair.
There aren’t many angles on the Q3 to begin with, so it’d be hard for any of them to be bad. They’re not: the Q3’s body comes off clean and crisp, with its bigger wheels and grille making a more emphatic statement than previous versions. It’s a hefty vehicle that comes off more athletic, thanks to its tautly drawn shape and its stance.
The cabin wears plain materials, with a touchscreen that caps the center of the dash, framed by geometric bands of metallic trim. It comes off more as Volkswagen than Audi, especially when it’s adorned with body-color panels—and that’s no bad thing, according to our eyes. The Q3’s meant to be more youthful, and it walks the fine line between its price and its position as well as any small SUV.
2022 Audi Q3 Performance
Handling’s the Q3’s strongest virtue.
Is the Audi Q3 4WD?
All versions of the Q3 come with all-wheel drive.
How fast is the Audi Q3?
Audi outfits the Q3 with a turbo-4, but it now comes in two different outputs. Based on the lower-output version, acceleration is OK, though not quite as notable as the Q3’s excellent handling. We give it a 6 for performance.
Audi’s 2.0-liter turbo-4 takes two forms in the Q3. In the “40” version, it’s rated at 184 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. It’s pegged at a 0-60 mph time in the eight-second range, which is quick enough, but not as zippy as the 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque in the “45” version. Audi estimates that model at 7.0 seconds to 60 mph, and it feels it, with fat chunks of power disbursed like a really good weekly allowance, without the chores. Still, if the Q3 weighed less—it checks in at more than 3,900 pounds—even the base drivetrain would have excellent pace.
Both versions mate with a flawless 8-speed automatic and all-wheel drive for superior traction—not for off-roading, though we’re sure it’s been tried, intentionally or otherwise.
The Q3’s hallmark traits come in its well-damped ride and its tight steering. It darts around town with fuss-free charm, thanks to a tight turning circle, and can handle the roughest roads with aplomb, despite its standard 18-inch and available 19-inch wheels.
2022 Audi Q3 Comfort & Quality
The Q3’s back seat does a star turn.
Slightly larger and significantly chunkier than small-SUV rivals, the 2022 Q3 gets a 7 for comfort and utility. It has good cargo room and a swell rear seat.
The front buckets in base-spec Q3s are OK, but the spend-up 8-way power front seats are better. All Q3 seats get leather upholstery and all front seats are heated, but the power adjustment makes drivers at both ends of the bell curve more comfortable.
With metallic or wood trim in the cockpit and a high grade of interior trim, the Q3’s impressive for its quality feel, too—and Audi carves out enough space for smartphones and keys in the cabin.
In back, the Q3’s 36.1 inches of leg room ensure two adults will fit well. The rear seat also slides to flex between cargo and passenger space. The seatbacks fold down, of course, to expand cargo space from 18.7 cubic feet to about 48 cubic feet—but there’s a trench of space between the seat backs and the cargo floor that can consume smaller items if you’re not careful.
2022 Audi Q3 Safety
The Q3 acquits itself well in crash protection.
How safe is the Audi Q3?
The Q3’s crash-test scores are good. Federal testers gave it four stars for front- and rollover-crash protection but five stars overall. However, the IIHS has withdrawn the Top Safety Pick+ it earned in prior years, due to “Poor” headlights; the crash scores themselves were “Good.”
With a point for the NHTSA score and a point each for standard automatic emergency braking and good safety options, the Q3 nets an 8 for safety. Its outward vision’s limited by thick roof pillars, but it’s available with a passel of active safety gear, including a surround-view camera system, adaptive cruise control, and active lane control.
2022 Audi Q3 Features
Stick with the base Q3 for better value.
Audi has shifted pricing for the Q3, making it slightly less expensive than in 2021. The Q3 now comes in base and more powerful S-line models, which cost $35,945 and $38,245 to start, respectively. Step up from Premium to Premium Plus trim, and prices rise to $39,245 and $41,545.
We give the Q3 a point for standard features and one for its infotainment, for a 7 here.
Which Audi Q3 should I buy?
We’d take the base Q3, which has an 8.8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 18-inch wheels, heated front seats, leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, and LED headlights. Blind-spot monitors are now standard, and Audi’s new infotainment interface is as well. Power front seats with memory are now available as an option.
How much is a fully loaded Audi Q3?
The Premium Plus version gets adaptive cruise control and a surround-view camera system (newly standard on the Plus this year), plus options that include bigger wheels and premium audio. Its $41,545 sticker price pitches it into pricey territory, where more interior space boosts perceived value—in Audi’s own Q5, in fact.
The Q3 has a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty, but rivals like BMW include free maintenance—and Audi does not.
2022 Audi Q3 Fuel Economy
Gas mileage is up in the latest Q3.
Is the Audi Q3 good on gas?
It’s better than in years past, thanks to a new lower-output base engine. Where the 2021 Q3 maxed out at 22 mpg combined, this year’s model earns a 25-mpg EPA combined rating, for a score of 4 here.
In all, the Q3’s pegged at 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway, 25 combined with standard all-wheel drive. In S-line spec, with the higher-output turbo-4, it’s rated at 20/28/23 mpg combined. Rivals like the Mercedes-Benz GLB250, however, earn scores of 26 mpg combined in a bigger package.
