- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.5T, 5 cyl.
- Engine Power
228kW, 420Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 8.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2012)
2015 Audi RS Q3 2.5 TFSI quattro review
I was looking to upgrade my eight-year-old Volkswagen Golf GTI and was impressed by the look and finish of the new Audi models. I was also interested in buying another performance car and also considered the Audi SQ5 and RS3 before deciding on the RS Q3.
- Excellent engine performance
- good list of features
- Rear seating is quite small
- interior is nice but outdated compared to newer Audi models
I had read plenty of online reviews of all the cars (including the CarAdvice video reviews) and took both the RS3 and RS Q3 for a test drive before deciding that the RS Q3 was the one for me.
I don’t have a family but liked the appeal of having a higher ride and driving something different to another hatchback. The RS Q3 I purchased was used with only 1500km and is painted black and fitted with all the options. I paid $79,990 for it and haven’t personalised it any further since.
Prior to the RS Q3, I had owned a '08 Golf GTI for eight years and had a Holden Astra before that.
The RS Q3 looks nice from certain angles but has a squashed up look from the outside. The headlights and tail-lights look very nice and so do the leather seats and sports steering wheel. The layout of the centre panel could be improved. It looks a little plain and dated compared with the latest Audi model interiors and the air conditioning controls are right down near the gear selector.
The engine is one of my favourite features. It makes the car a lot of fun to drive with exceptional power and a nice exhaust note when in sports mode.
The drive mode is an excellent feature which allows you to change the car to suit your mood and needs at the time.
Coming from driving hatchbacks for the past 16 years, initially the driving position felt a little uncomfortable. But after a month or so, the car feels great to drive on the road, even on longer journeys. It is fairly economical on fuel too but gets pretty thirsty if you drive it hard.
I believe the price I paid was quite a good deal for this type of car especially considering it's an Audi however, had I purchased the same car brand new with all the same options, I would have had to pay well over the $100,000 which I think is a bit steep.
My RS Q3 came fitted with a premium Bose sound system with 14 speakers and digital radio. The sound is very good but I do find it a little underwhelming.
The infotainment system uses the Audi MMI but does not offer Apple Car Play which affects the user-friendliness of the system.
The sat nav seems reasonable but I rarely use it as I find Google maps on my phone much better as it includes live traffic and constantly updates its maps with new streets.
The climate control seems to work well as does the cruise control. Adaptive cruise control would have been a nice inclusion for a such a premium model in the Audi line-0up. The park assist works well as does the lane assist when driving on freeways.
The RS Q3 definitely suits my needs. I rarely have more than two people in the car and, although small, it has enough rear boot space for my weekend sporting equipment or load medium size furniture and appliances.
I would definitely recommend the RS Q3 to others who are looking for the same or similar features in an SUV.