Audi RS Q3 Review 2024

The Audi RS Q3 is a performance compact SUV that rivals the Porsche Macan, Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 and Cupra Ateca. Launched in 2020, the all-new RS Q3 is available as a standard SUV or a more stylish Sportback. They’re mechanically identical, so you get the same fabulous 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged engine. It hits the right notes, both in terms of the way it performs and the way it sounds. As a performance car, the RS Q3 isn’t perfect. The ride is too firm and there’s a general feeling of detachment from the whole experience. It’s also quite expensive.

The performance SUV is to the modern era what the hot hatchback was to the 1980s. Cars like the Audi RS Q3 tap into our unquenching thirst for SUVs, retaining the practicality of the less well-endowed variants, but turning up the wick in terms of performance and handling.

There are two variants: standard RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback, with the latter targeting the kind of people who are happy to pay more for reduced practicality.

Either way, you get the same 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged engine, which is the absolute star of the show. You could buy an RS Q3 on the strength of the engine, and we wouldn’t blame you.

It sounds fantastic, delivering the familiar thrum and burble of a five-cylinder engine. Close your eyes, and you could be standing in a Welsh forest as an Audi Quattro blazes past you in a cloud of dust, gravel and pine needles. Just add Welsh rain.

It’s also ferociously fast, with the 2.5-litre engine delivering a whopping 400PS, which is enough to propel the RS Q3 to 62mph in 4.5 seconds. The top speed is 155mph, or 174mph if you pay Audi to remove the speed limiter.

The problem is, the RS Q3 isn’t that much fun to drive. While it’s certainly quick, and it handles rather sweetly, the steering is too numb and there’s a general detachment from what is going on. This has been an issue with performance Audis for years, but it hasn’t stopped them from selling like hot crumpets. We expect the RS Q3 to sell in similar high numbers.

Then there’s the price, which ranges from £53,000 to £62,000, depending on the trim level. In fairness, the Vorsprung packs all the bells and whistles, but so it should for that price. Let’s remember, the Q3 is a compact SUV.

At least the RS Q3 is well-equipped, with even the ‘entry-level’ model featuring the likes of LED headlights, 20-inch alloy wheels, a 10.1-inch touchscreen display, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, heated leather sport seats and dual-zone climate control. Quality is generally good, but some of the cheap plastics are unforgivable in a car of this price.

Few buyers will care, because the Audi RS Q3 looks and feels special. Select the optional Kyalami green paint to leave a lasting impression on everyone you encounter on the commute to work. It’s what Kermit would choose.

Should you buy an RS Q3 over an RS3 Sportback? Arguably, yes. It’s more practical and somehow feels more upmarket. It’s easy to forget that the hot A3 costs up to £50,000. Wow.

If we were in the market for a performance SUV, we’d opt for the Porsche Macan, but we can see why buyers will flock to the RS Q3 in their droves.

One of the reasons why you'd buy a performance SUV over a hot hatchback is the increased practicality. The Audi RS Q3 doesn’t disappoint, with a maximum capacity of 530 litres with the rear seats in use extending to 1525 litres with the seats down.

The rear bench splits 40:20:40 for extra flexibility. The boot is relatively high up, but the flush loading lip and wide opening are helpful when putting heavy and awkward items in the back.

The RS Q3 comes with large sports seats in the front, so you’d think that this would have an impact on the amount of space for rear-seat passengers.

Not so, because there’s still plenty of space for most people, and even the middle rear seat is fine for occasional use. However, it’s worth noting that the sloping roofline in the RS Q3 Sportback does eat into the amount of rear headroom. It’s even worse in models with a panoramic sunroof.

The heated Nappa leather seats are delightful, the flat-bottomed multi-function steering wheel is superb, and the polished aluminium, leather and Alcantara accents dotted throughout the cabin make a great impression. It’s also well built on the outside, with tight panel gaps and ultra-thick paint.

Unfortunately, there are some elements of the cabin that feel out of place in a car costing up to £60,000. Too many examples of hard and scratchy plastics, which take the gloss off an otherwise sumptuous interior.

The RS Q3 comes with a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument panel. Not only does this look impressive, you also get an array of features, including Apple CarPlay, USB and USB-C sockets, voice control, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth and even Amazon Alexa, which comes as part of the Audi Connect Infotainment Service Plus package.

RS Q3 owners are also treated to RS-specific displays, such as a G-force meter, turbo boost, oil temperature gauge, plus power and torque per

The Audi RS Q3 isn’t a cheap car. While a standard Q3 costs as little as £32,500, the most affordable RS Q3 costs £53,315. The RS Q3 Audi Sport Edition adds an extra £5,000 to the price, while the flagship Vorsprung model weighs in at £61,760.

Opting for the RS Q3 Sportback adds around £1,000 to the price of the standard RS Q3. So, it’s £54,465 for the entry-level Sportback, £59,360 for the Audi Sport Edition, and £62,910 for the Vorsprung. These prices are before you get too carried away with the Audi options list.

The majority of RS Q3s will leave the showroom on a PCP deal, but the monthly payments won’t be cheap. For example, an RS Q3 Audi Sport Edition with a retail price of £58,210 will cost £734.96 a month over four years. The deposit is £735 and you’re restricted to 10,000 miles a year.

It hasn’t been on sale long enough for there to be a ready supply of used examples for sale, but it’s still possible to buy a nearly-new example for less than £50,000. Many cars will be ex-demonstrators, so while you won’t be the first name on the logbook, you’re likely to benefit from a long list of optional extras for a more affordable price.

Alternatively, you could opt for the previous-generation Audi RS Q3. Prices have dropped below £20,000 for a 2014 car with up to 100,000 miles on the clock.

The standard RS Q3 should return 28.8mpg on a combined cycle, but this drops to 28.0mpg in the Audi Sport Edition, or 27.7mpg in the Vorsprung model.

The figures are slightly different in the RS Q3 Sportback, but you’re unlikely to notice. The standard car should return 28.5mpg, but the Audi Sport Edition and Vorsprung models offer a claimed 27.7mpg.

The new Audi RS Q3 is too new to feature in the Honest John Real MPG data, but we’d expect the figures to be roughly the same.

Thanks to CO2 emissions of 202g/km to 204g/km, drivers can expect to be punished by the tax man. V

ehicle Excise Duty (VED) costs £1305 in the first year, with the rate dropping to £475 in the second year. That’s because the RS Q3 is subject to the surcharge for cars with a list price of more than £40,000. It’s payable for five years from the second time the vehicle is taxed. Insurance is likely to be expensive.

The RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback are mechanically identical – it’s just that the Sportback looks faster. Probably.

In true Audi style, the ride quality is stiff, firm and, at times, unforgiving. It’s what you expect from an Audi with an RS badge, but it might come as a surprise to anyone used to the soft-focus set-up of a standard SUV.

Optional ceramic brakes are available, but we’d spend the money on adaptive dampers, as these help to reduce the crashiness over rough surfaces. They come as part of the Sport Suspension Plus kit, which is fitted as standard to Vorsprung models.

While the RS Q3’s ability to cover ground quickly is impressive, it’s not the most engaging of driving experiences. The steering feels too numb, and there’s a general feeling of detachment from what’s going on beneath the wheels. We suspect the Volkswagen Group was keen to maintain some distance between Audi and Porsche SUVs.

The 2.5-litre five-cylinder is proof that sonorous and sensuous performance cars aren’t a thing of the past.

It delivers 400PS, which is a huge amount in a compact SUV, but while the pace is intoxicating, it’s the soundtrack that will leave the longest impression. It’s charismatic, enthralling and, thanks to pops and crackles, very entertaining. This is especially true on models with a sports exhaust system.

Thanks to the four-wheel-drive system, the RS Q3 is able to transmit the power to the road the moment you hit the throttle, regardless of the weather or conditions.

The S Tronic transmission is less impressive, as it can be a bit slow to respond to inputs, especially at lower speeds. Using the paddle shifters will extract the best from that marvellous engine.

The standard Audi Q3 was awarded a maximum five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP. Safety kit includes six airbags, an extra Isofix child car seat mounting point in the front, front passenger airbag deactivation and remote electrically-operated rear child locks.

Driver assistance features include autonomous emergency braking, road sign recognition and a blind-spot warning system.

There’s a lane-departure warning system, cruise control, an electric parking brake and hill descent control. Vorsprung models gain a driver assistance package including a 360-degree camera and adaptive cruise control.

We suspect most RS Q3 owners won’t be buying the car for its towing ability, but should you wish to tow a caravan or trailer, the maximum towing weight is 1900kg.

The Audi RS Q3 will sell in large numbers, because it has two things going for it: the badge and the body style. Audi plus SUV equals perfection in the eyes of many buyers. We’d recommend it for that fantastic five-cylinder engine, but it doesn’t quite offer the overall package.