Yahoo Autos 2022 Audi Q3 Review | What's new, price, fuel economy
We'll say one thing for the 2022 Audi Q3: It makes a good first impression. It has those sharp, architectural good looks Audis are famous for that always seem to attract those with a keen appreciation for modern industrial design. It's easy to mistake one for the pricier Q5 or even the Q8. The interior doesn't make as good of an impression, but it can still wow with its big, crystal-clear displays and abundant feature content. Its price tag should also get it noticed as it costs less than most other subcompact luxury crossovers but delivers more standard equipment.
Second, third and fourth impressions are less successful, however. Acceleration from the base engine is awfully pokey for a luxury vehicle, while the stronger 45 TFSI upgrade gets 2 to 3 mpg worse than similarly powered competitors. We've repeatedly experienced unnervingly delayed reactions from the eight-speed automatic transmission, and found the numb steering more indicative of a Volkswagen than an Audi. The same could be said of some cabin plastics, too. Finally, this smallest of Audi crossovers is just too darn small. All of its rivals boast more cargo space, as do bigger non-luxury models (especially those from Mazda) whose prices top out where the Q3 begins. So, we can see why it might've caught your eye, but we'd suggest taking several closer looks.
What's new for 2022?
Blind-spot and rear-cross traffic warning systems are now standard along with parking sensors -- all were previously part of the Convenience package. The Premium Plus gains a 360-degree parking camera system.
What's the Q3 interior and in-car technology like?
Like other Audis, the Q3 interior is tech-focused and has a rather architectural design with lots of sharp angles. It's a bit reminiscent of the 1980s. The materials are just OK for the price point. There are more hard plastics than you'll find in other Audis (even the surprisingly disappointing Q5), and the token strip of metal or wood trim on the right side of our test car's dash is the epitome of the term "tacked on" — no other such trim appears elsewhere in the cabin.
Audi has packed the interior with technology, including a standard 10.25-inch digital instrument display and an 8.8-inch touchscreen presented high and within easy reach. Both can be upgraded, however, to Audi's Virtual Cockpit system that increases the instrument unit to 12.3 inches and the center touchscreen to 10.1. We've only tested this latter setup and found that the resolution is exquisite, it reacts quickly to inputs and even goes so far as clicking when a virtual button is pressed, the same way Audi's real buttons have done for years now. Fancy. Feature content is also strong as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, and we love that the car automatically pairs your phone to work wirelessly with CarPlay after plugging it into a USB port just once.
The touchscreen's functionality isn't perfect. We like that the menu options always remain in a channel on the screen's left side, reducing the back-and-forth between menus. However, there are some foibles associated with the audio controls (we couldn't figure out how to keep the radio preset list onscreen), and there's no getting around the fact that a touchscreen draws your eyes away from the road longer. Audi's old knob-and-screen MMI system could be operated with less glancing at the dash.
How big is the Q3?
The new Q3 is a larger, more practical car than the one it replaced three model years ago. Those upgrading to the new model will find that the 2022 version is not only much nicer inside, but more comfortable and spacious as well. When compared to its competition, however, it's still one of the smallest out there. Backseat leg- and headroom are comparable to the BMW X2 and Volvo XC40, but the BMW X1, Mercedes GLA and Mercedes GLB are more spacious.
Worse is the cargo area. Though it's certainly nice that the back seat slides forward to increase cargo capacity, you basically have to do so in order to come close to the capacity offered by its competition. It is one of the least voluminous crossovers we've luggage tested. By contrast, the GLB's back seat also slides, but doing so takes it from being best-in-segment to rivaling midsize crossovers.
What are the Q3 fuel economy and performance specs?
Every 2022 Q3 comes standard with all-wheel drive (Quattro) and an eight-speed automatic, but there is a choice of two 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engines.
The first, known as 40 TFSI, produces 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. Audi says it goes from zero to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds, which is definitely on the slow end of something with a luxury badge. It returns an EPA-estimated 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.
The 45 TFSI version produces 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Audi says it's good for a more acceptable 7.0-second 0-60 time, but even that seems a bit pokey given the Q3's size and that sizable output. We certainly thought it seemed quicker than that. Fuel economy is 20 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined. This is considerably lower than its similarly powered competitors, the Volvo XC40 T5 (25 mpg combined), BMW X3 (26 mpg combined) and Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 (27 mpg combined).
