Ultimate Report: Audi’s compact SUV displayed a large breadth of skills throughout its tenure with us. It tackled metropolis site visitors with aplomb and proved to be an amazing freeway automotive as nicely.
The ‘wow issue’ of a automotive is a time period we auto journos are likely to overuse. However the truth is that it’s fairly often the wow issue that’s the prompt hook, the tipping level in a car-buying choice. However what’s ‘wow issue’? Basically, it’s the specs, options and design that, nicely, wows you. And that’s the place our long-term Audi Q3 has a little bit of an issue. It’s down on wow issue in comparison with the Mercedes-Benz GLA and the all-new BMW X1, and that’s a disgrace actually. Why? As a result of the wow issue doesn’t go beneath the floor and has a superficiality about it. Nevertheless, after residing with the Audi Q3 for some months now, it’s clear that there’s much more to this compact luxurious SUV than what meets the attention.
The Q3 feels reassuring and rock stable in pouring rain.
No spec sheet can inform you how well-suited a automotive is for its meant goal, and it’s solely after driving the Q3 that it sank in how well-conceived and finely judged this child Audi is.
As a every day self-drive, the Q3 is completely sized for Mumbai streets, and also you solely realise the benefit of its compact dimension whenever you drive one thing greater and decrease like our long-term Skoda Very good, which, fairly actually feels extra disturbing to drive. Particularly on my path to the workplace: I’ve to sort out Central Mumbai’s infamous Saat Rasta the place vehicles, bikes, handcarts, buses and each doable wheeled car shoot out of seven lanes to converge on the identical piece of tarmac. It’s in conditions like these that the Q3’s compact dimension and excessive seat is an absolute boon.
Boot good for 2 giant baggage and some small ones.
Dwelling with the Q3 has additionally satisfied me that the 2-litre TFSI allied to the graceful shifting 7-speed DSG twin-clutch transmission is the sweetest powertrain in its class. That is the place the Q3 has an edge over each the GLA and X1 whose smaller capability engines don’t really feel wherever close to as refined or easy. A fast journey to Pune in pouring rain was sufficient to show how succesful the Q3 is on the freeway as nicely. The costly Quattro system could appear pointless, and in most eventualities it’s. However on a soaking moist and dangerous expressway infested with vehicles with no lights, Altos hogging the sluggish lane and patches of standing water, you realise the worth of getting all of your wheels pushed. For the higher half, you don’t know if the Quattro system is working, however what you get is large confidence driving in antagonistic circumstances. There may be little doubt that the Q3 doubles up as a incredible freeway automotive, and the bonus is a boot that’s giant sufficient to take two large suitcases and some small baggage; sufficient for a small household going out on the weekend. In truth, the Q3’s boot was put to good use for quite a few airport journeys and never as soon as did I have to take away the parcel tray.
Easy and punchy TFSI motor makes the Q3 fulfilling to drive.
I’ve to confess that for all of the months we’ve had the Q3, I’ve solely sat within the again seat as soon as. With the entrance passenger seat moved ahead, there’s sufficient legroom behind it, and for my top (5ft 6in), headroom wasn’t a difficulty both. However the again seat isn’t that beneficiant, and this isn’t a automotive to be chauffeur-driven in, for that it’s good to take a look at the Q5 at the least.
The Q3 retains buttons for key capabilities like aircon.
It’s arduous to seek out fault with the Q3 till you begin wanting across the cabin. Bother is that once I slip again contained in the Q3 after each new luxurious automotive launch, I realise how dated the cabin feels. The infotainment system, which is kind of fundamental by class requirements, now seems to be and feels a technology behind. It’s embarrassing (for Audi) that the Q3 doesn’t have wi-fi Apple CarPlay when fashions from its lesser sibling Skoda have. Okay, it’s not such an inconvenience if you happen to go away a lightning cable completely plugged into the sort C USB slot, nevertheless it’s simply an untidy method to get linked.
Having to make use of a cable for Apple CarPlay is a bit messy.
Glitches? An urge for food for engine oil, if you happen to can name {that a} glitch. Across the 10,000km mark, the low engine oil mild got here on, which is strictly what occurred with our long-term VW Tiguan (as reported in July 2021) with the identical EA888 engine. Lengthy-term vehicles come and go, however I need to confess I used to be sad to return the Q3. I simply fell in love with its versatility and easy-going nature. For my day by day commute, it’s been the proper automotive for me.
The two.0-litre engine has an urge for food for oil.
Additionally see:
Audi Q3 long run evaluation, 8400km report
