- 2 weeks ago
❗️➡️ Get a set of 3W Liners for your car https://eu.3wliners.com/ ⬅️❗️
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The Audi Q3 turns 15 this year. Is the compact SUV from Ingolstadt still just a "premium Tiguan," or has it evolved into something more in its third generation?
In today's review, I’m testing the 2.0 Turbo version with 265 hp and Quattro all-wheel drive. While you can find a plug-in hybrid in the range with more horsepower on paper, it’s this variant that promises the best dynamics and the quickest sprint to 100 km/h. Audi has opted for a calm, classic elegance on the outside, but inside, a minor revolution in controls awaits. The question is—do those unconventional stalks behind the steering wheel actually make life easier?
Join me for a drive where we’ll find out:
Can the new adaptive suspension and steering really perform miracles in a car of this size?
Why this petrol version, and not the heavier PHEV, is the true king of the sprint in this lineup?
How Audi avoided the "over-engineered modernity" trap that some recent Volkswagen Group models fell into?
And most importantly: is the pri
💯 Use my discount code: Marekdrives20 (works only on https://eu.3wliners.com/ )
🚗 Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IUEjkj
The Audi Q3 turns 15 this year. Is the compact SUV from Ingolstadt still just a "premium Tiguan," or has it evolved into something more in its third generation?
In today's review, I’m testing the 2.0 Turbo version with 265 hp and Quattro all-wheel drive. While you can find a plug-in hybrid in the range with more horsepower on paper, it’s this variant that promises the best dynamics and the quickest sprint to 100 km/h. Audi has opted for a calm, classic elegance on the outside, but inside, a minor revolution in controls awaits. The question is—do those unconventional stalks behind the steering wheel actually make life easier?
Join me for a drive where we’ll find out:
Can the new adaptive suspension and steering really perform miracles in a car of this size?
Why this petrol version, and not the heavier PHEV, is the true king of the sprint in this lineup?
How Audi avoided the "over-engineered modernity" trap that some recent Volkswagen Group models fell into?
And most importantly: is the pri
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MotorTranscript
00:00are you looking for a premium car which won't be too big or too flashy and most of all
00:04it won't be annoying this is the new audi q3 the designers want you to think this is somehow
00:10extraordinary but it absolutely isn't in a good way which is a welcome change for a vw group product
00:17let's see what it's all about this episode is brought to you by 3w liners keep your car
00:23interior clean with perfectly fitting oem compliant mats which are also eco-friendly and odorless i
00:30have a set of 3w liners in my car and enjoy how winter mud and grit stays on them and
00:36how easy
00:37they are to clean they come with oem mounts or adapters and everything stays in place get a set
00:44of 3w liners for your car check out the link in the video description and use my code to get
00:49a discount
01:04the audi q3 turns 15 this year launched in mid 2011 this compact crossover is more or less a premium
01:13tiguan the q3 competes with the bmw x1 mercedes-benz gla and the volvo xc40 among others the current
01:22generations of the latter two are on their last legs so the third generation q3's newest potential
01:28rival is for example the mini countryman cars grow from generation to generation and the audi q3 is
01:36no exception it now measures 453 centimeters in length up by 5 centimeters from the second generation
01:43and by 14 centimeters from the first the width height and wheelbase haven't changed much so the
01:51difference is mainly in the overhangs the q3 has also gained additional kilograms from generation to
01:57generation around 50 kilograms each time audi won't be pleased to hear me say that but the q3 looks
02:11generic to be honest before i picked the car up i was convinced this was the second generation rather
02:16than the third it's from behind the wheel that you start seeing some changes
02:26the headline is what audi is calling the steering wheel control unit instead of ordinary stocks we now
02:34have this bar behind the steering wheel and at the end of the bar are integrated moving elements they are
02:42at your fingertips when you're holding the steering wheel at quarter to three on the right is the gear
02:48selector and on the left are the turn signals high beams and the wipers there's a separate cruise control
02:57joystick a bit lower at first this bar control unit thing looks a bit awkward but after 15 minutes behind
03:04the wheel it feels absolutely normal perhaps the wiper speed dial is a bit light so don't use it as
03:12your fidget
03:12toy other than this somewhat unusual setup which sounds like a way to fill about 45 seconds of the review
03:19the rest of the cockpit looks and feels absolutely normal and that's great news running across three
03:27quarters of the dashboard is a panel with two displays 11.9 inch in front of the driver and 12
03:33.8 inch
03:34in the center buttons on the steering wheel are sort of touch piano black although they are somewhat clicky
03:43audi will come around someday below the central display are the air conditioning vents and physical
03:50buttons that have been in every audi for years these include drive mode esp starts
03:58hazard lights parking sensors and assistance systems below is a wireless charger that actually works
04:06i mentioned this as if it were something unusual because in recent bmws i always have to bring a usb
04:12cable
04:13next is the start button and a physical volume knob they've been in the same place in every audi for
04:20years
04:20maybe with the exception of the tt but that had a strange cockpit
04:25there are cup holders a storage compartment under the armrest the armrest height is adjustable
04:32there's also a spacious glove box and large door pockets
04:37the cockpit is finished in pleasant to touch materials yes it's all recycled but audi doesn't boast about
04:45this recycling business and its press release too much at least nor does it feel like it came out of
04:50a dumpster okay i'd like the steering wheel to be wrapped in leather i mean it can be faux leather
04:57but i would like it to be leather fortunately there is such an option in the configurator
05:04and how is the q3 to drive well that's why you're here let's find out
05:21for the press fleet audi has ordered the fastest model in lineup the two liter quattro with a mild hybrid
05:26powertrain producing 265 horsepower i deliberately said fastest rather than most powerful because the
05:34lineup also includes a 272 horsepower plug-in hybrid which is significantly heavier and therefore slower
05:40in the 0 to 100 kilometers per hour sprint
05:46audi promises the 265 horsepower q3 sprints from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 5.7 seconds
05:54i got 5.6 seconds in sport mode with launch control and 6 seconds in normal mode it's not slow
06:07like in the t-rock which i reviewed recently also in the q3 the vw group must have opened the
06:14emissions
06:14tap and audi goes like the clappers you don't need to change drive modes anytime you want to overtake
06:21and while we're comparing vw group products the cupra formentor can be had with the same 265 horsepower
06:31engine the cupra is smaller and lighter but in order to preserve the hierarchy within the group
06:37auto emotion has been turned down the notch and the q3 is quicker the q3 also got new suspension which
06:46depending on the options can be passive or adaptive this is the adaptive variant there is also adaptive
06:53steering which makes the q3 so agile i had to check if it doesn't have rear wheel steering no it
07:01doesn't
07:01but the adaptive steering is very precise and makes the car turn tighter with very little input compared to
07:09this q3 the sq5 i drove last year felt like an elephant now the suspension does feel on the harsh
07:16side and the 20 inch wheels don't help the right comfort
07:24i received the test car on winter tires i'm recording this in mid-march so there is still a
07:29chance of frost early in the morning but during the day the tire noise is obtrusive winter rubber
07:35also affects fuel economy audi optimistically claims this car should use around 9 liters per 100
07:41kilometers combined i haven't seen a figure this low even an extra urban cycle 11 12 liters combined is
07:49more realistic the manufacturer also boasts the q3 is the first compact audi in which you can order
07:56acoustic front side blazing this car is equipped with acoustic side windows and i suggest you don't
08:02skip this option because on the motorway i can still hear quite a lot of wind noise
08:10the new audi q3 can tow up to 2100 kilograms the weight rating for the hitch is 90 kilograms you
08:17can
08:17choose a 150 horsepower diesel or a 150 horsepower petrol engine both front wheel drive for quattro
08:24all-wheel drive you have to step up to 204 horsepower or 265 horsepower petrol engines the sportback
08:30variant of the q3 also gets a more powerful decent diesel variant with a quattro drivetrain
08:40and while we're on the subject of all-wheel drive let's do my diagonal approach test i stop halfway this
08:45incline with wheels on the diagonal with limited traction and then i try to get going again
08:50i tried normal mode normal mode with esp off and off-road plus mode which automatically disables or
08:58limits esp during the first two attempts it's clearly visible from the outside the car isn't trying to
09:04break the wheels with limited traction and the power seems to escape through them instead of being
09:09transferred to wheels which have traction in off-road plus mode the front wheel is braked
09:15for a split second making it easier for the car to climb the incline from the inside regardless of
09:22the mode i felt the car is slipping like it was on snow and there's no point trying to add
09:28gas delicately
09:29in hope that the system will figure out the situation it's strange because bmw's products on the front
09:35based ukl platform coped better here
09:50driver aids work in the background they're unobtrusive i didn't get any false positives unexpectedly
09:57like in the tiguan adaptive cruise control with lane keeping assist works well
10:02the car doesn't keep beeping at me to focus on the road all the time
10:15you can also store a parking location like for example your driveway which we've seen in vw models
10:20over the last couple of years the car also remembers the last 50 meters of low speed maneuvers so it
10:26can
10:26reverse along its own tracks matrix headlights with 25 600 micro leds light the road well and avoid oncoming
10:35traffic they can also project directions and information on the road
10:57i have good leg room in the back behind the driver's seat set to my driving position i'm 175 centimeters
11:02tall headroom is average
11:04there is a high tunnel running through the middle there are air vents and controls for the third zone
11:11climate control and two usbc ports the rear seats slide now the seat splits 60 40 while the backrest
11:19splits splits 40 come on 20 40 the backrest angle is adjustable there are cup holders in the armrest
11:30and the door pockets accommodate my water bottle ice fix anchor points are on the rear side seats as well
11:37as on the front passenger seat according to the specification the boot volume is 488 liters i measured
11:44it and taking into account the spare wheel well it's a realistic result assuming the car doesn't have the
11:51optional subwoofer however slide the rear seats forward and you get well over 500 liters of boot space
11:58the boot dimensions are 100 centimeters width around 50 centimeters from the lowered false floor to the parcel shelf
12:06and around 90 centimeters by the floor to the rear seat backrests slide the rear seats forward and you get
12:14extra 13 centimeters or so the parcel shelf barely fits under the false floor there are shopping bag hooks
12:21the boot can be closed with gesture the remote control or a button on the tailgate there's also a separate
12:28button to close the tailgate and lock the car price of the new audi q3 started 44 600 euro this
12:35test
12:36car with options costs sit down and put away any liquids 74 455 euro but then you realize it's not
12:45even 1500 euro more than a similarly spec'd bmw x1 m35i x drive and all of a sudden it doesn't
12:52sound so bad
12:53does it even if the bmw is more powerful and offers better performance
13:00in recent years the vw group cars were nothing like they used to and that's not a compliment
13:06fortunately the group bosses noticed they went too far and the 2025 financial results reflect that
13:13but first the new t-rock and now the new q3 give hope that we're back on track to when
13:19cars were
13:19designed with the customer and with the driver in mind not simply to look good in slideshows for the
13:25management and how do you like the new audi q3 let me know in a comment section below if you
13:32like my
13:33sarcastic down-to-earth and possibly mildly amusing car reviews join me every friday 3 pm central european
13:40time and don't forget to subscribe and like this video as it helps me with the youtube algorithm
13:46time and thanks for watching and i will see you in the next one
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