ThroughandThrough
Kraftkurve King
Terrible may be a stretch, but it's definitely near the bottom of Audi's lineup.
Q3 / RS Q3 [Official] 2015 Audi RS Q3 facelift
- Thread starter JHF
- Start date
The Audi Q3 is a subcompact luxury crossover SUV made by Audi. The Q3 has a transverse-mounted front engine, and entered production in 2011.
Terrible may be a stretch, but it's definitely near the bottom of Audi's lineup.
Gianclaudio
Aerodynamic Artisan
I stand by my thoughts, in the sense that I expect the uttmost "german design" (Bauhaus, ULM school) from Audi, and this RS Q3 is too bling and look at me. While I'm not an Audi fan, I appreciate the fine effort on their design. Some may say they are boring, repetitive and derivative, but to me, they are fine looking and understated like a well tailored suit.
I don't like that new grill/bumper headlight joint, it somehow doesn't look finished and just added on. I think they trying to give it the 3D effect but its poorly executed, makes the front look less attractive. They should have made the full grill look 3D not only the part where it joins the headlights. I think its got the same effect like BMW have done with the 3 series but this car looks much much worse.
Also another negative like everyone mentioned is the small one exhaust for a performance flagship car is pathetic, you could mistake it for lesser versions except for the badge.
Interior looks good especially the seats, although a bit bland with only using black colours
Also another negative like everyone mentioned is the small one exhaust for a performance flagship car is pathetic, you could mistake it for lesser versions except for the badge.
Interior looks good especially the seats, although a bit bland with only using black colours
JHF
Driving Dynamics Pro
This is Why the 2016 Audi RS Q3 is Awesome—Even If We Won’t Get It in the U.S.
Chances are, if you’re an enthusiast, then you weren’t—and still aren’t—exactly thrilled by the SUV movement. The vehicles’ taller seating position, higher center of gravity, and “soccer mom” connotation combine into one strong bucket of cold water for those who enjoy driving. Even so, there have been outliers that challenge our notions of SUVs, with stuff like the BMW X5 M, Porsche Cayenne (and newMacan), and even the humble Mazda CX-5 proving that tall wagons can be fun. Audi, too, is in on the game, having wrought the entertainingly quick SQ5 and an RS version of the compact Q3, the former of which is being mildly updated for 2016.
Positioned on the sportier side of Audi’s S-line models, RS cars are the fully monty. In the case of the RS Q3, this means a turbocharged five-cylinder engine spinning all four tires via Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The unusual engine sounds absolutely great, and its performance is amazing, too. (We drove an RS Q3 in Europe when it first launched there in 2013.) The hottest Q3 is littered with design cues shared with other RS models like the RS7 and RS5, and it sports a performance-tuned suspension and 19- or 20-inch wheels. All of that, of course, carries over to the refreshed-for-2016 model; all that is new is a handful of updated Q3 styling tweaks that align the RS with the just-updated regular-grade Q3 and, enticingly, a 30-hp bump to 340. The power increase drops Audi’s claim for the RS Q3’s zero-to-62-mph sprint from 5.2 to just 4.8 seconds, while the crossover’s top speed remains governed at 155 mph.
Overseas, as it would here, the RS Q3 competes with the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG and the BMW X1 xDrive35i. We say that the RS Q3 would compete with those small haulers here because, alas, it will not be sold in the U.S.—a pity and contrary to earlier reports suggesting it would come stateside. We may not dig SUVs, but we certainly dig those that occasionally upend our preconceived notions.
http://blog.caranddriver.com/this-i...is-awesome-even-if-we-wont-get-it-in-the-u-s/
Chances are, if you’re an enthusiast, then you weren’t—and still aren’t—exactly thrilled by the SUV movement. The vehicles’ taller seating position, higher center of gravity, and “soccer mom” connotation combine into one strong bucket of cold water for those who enjoy driving. Even so, there have been outliers that challenge our notions of SUVs, with stuff like the BMW X5 M, Porsche Cayenne (and newMacan), and even the humble Mazda CX-5 proving that tall wagons can be fun. Audi, too, is in on the game, having wrought the entertainingly quick SQ5 and an RS version of the compact Q3, the former of which is being mildly updated for 2016.
Positioned on the sportier side of Audi’s S-line models, RS cars are the fully monty. In the case of the RS Q3, this means a turbocharged five-cylinder engine spinning all four tires via Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The unusual engine sounds absolutely great, and its performance is amazing, too. (We drove an RS Q3 in Europe when it first launched there in 2013.) The hottest Q3 is littered with design cues shared with other RS models like the RS7 and RS5, and it sports a performance-tuned suspension and 19- or 20-inch wheels. All of that, of course, carries over to the refreshed-for-2016 model; all that is new is a handful of updated Q3 styling tweaks that align the RS with the just-updated regular-grade Q3 and, enticingly, a 30-hp bump to 340. The power increase drops Audi’s claim for the RS Q3’s zero-to-62-mph sprint from 5.2 to just 4.8 seconds, while the crossover’s top speed remains governed at 155 mph.
Overseas, as it would here, the RS Q3 competes with the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG and the BMW X1 xDrive35i. We say that the RS Q3 would compete with those small haulers here because, alas, it will not be sold in the U.S.—a pity and contrary to earlier reports suggesting it would come stateside. We may not dig SUVs, but we certainly dig those that occasionally upend our preconceived notions.
http://blog.caranddriver.com/this-i...is-awesome-even-if-we-wont-get-it-in-the-u-s/
mini_cooper4
Autotechnik Ace
Sweet update. Sweet mini SUV.
I'm not a fan of the Q3 but the RS makes all the difference
I'm not a fan of the Q3 but the RS makes all the difference
JHF
Driving Dynamics Pro
2015 Audi RS Q3 review
More of an expensive oddity than a range-topping performance SUV, and an ultimately unsatisfying oddity at that
What is it?
The Audi RS Q3 - largely as we remember it. Despite receiving more attention than most in a facelift of the Q3 line-up, fundamentally this remains the same model that landed in 2012.
That car was fast; this one, inevitably, is slightly faster and marginally more efficient with it. That’s because in the process of upgrading its characterful 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine to Euro 6 standard, Audihas found an additional 30bhp - bringing total output to 335bhp.
The concurrent improvement in 0-62mph is around half a second; a reduction helped along by shortened shift times on the standard seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Also uprated is the on-demand four-wheel drive system, which now gets a fifth generation Haldex hydraulic clutch plate for torque splitting duties.
Elsewhere, the differences between old and new are purely cosmetic, and rather subtle. The grille has been redesigned with an awkward looking surround, while the updated head and tail lights are a feature shared with the rest of the range.
There’s a smattering of customisation available, and 20-inch alloy wheels are standard - as is a powered tailgate. Adaptive dampers remain on the options list, but featured on our test car.
What is it like?
Hasty and haughty, much as it was before. Its finest attribute, by some distance, is still the vigorous five-pot motor.
The character of Audi’s modern inline five - an angry, gargling top end toughness - is unchanged but for the extra shove that now comes with it. That alone would be sufficient for a thumbs up, but it’s the flexibility of the unit which impresses over a longer drive.
Combined with an easily modulated throttle and sharpened gearbox, the 2.5-litre lump’s potency gives it a natural and very fluid usability.
Peak torque may only have a risen by 22lb ft, but there’s still 332lb ft of it from 1600rpm, and even with the gearbox left in its default auto mode, the Q3 tends to respond more crisply than its sluggish AMG equivalent.
Switch to the paddles, and it’s leagues ahead - any lack of tactility made up for by the speed of the shifts. This means that no matter whether you’re crawling forward in traffic or manually hitting the limiter on an autobahn, the charm offensive remains constant.
If only the car around it had such consistent appeal. Unfortunately, the peaks and troughs of its likability are scaled and slipped into repeatedly. For a start, the steering, numb before, may just be worse.
Unlike its RS siblings, there’s no picking and choosing individual components’ state of tune on the Drive Select system, which means you’re stuck with Comfort or Dynamic. That means you’re lumbered with either expressionless and over-assisted steering alongside just-about acceptable damper responses, or a senseless, rigid level of resistance paired with the all-too familiar pattery RS jiggle.
Of course, that doesn’t prevent the Q3 doing things that no crossover ought to be able to, but the car’s impressive composure at speed is rendered aloof by the shortfall in communication between you and the controls.
Ultimately, the absence of that kind of nuance hasn’t proven an impediment to Quattro GmbH’s customers before, although those well acquainted with other model’s in the lineup will spot the outdatedness of the switchgear.
Because it doesn’t share in the latest MQB kit bonanza, many of the controls - not least the infotainment selector which must be groped at on the dash rather than twiddled more comfortably from the centre console - make the car feel more last generation than it should. Which is a shame, because otherwise the well-finished and appropriately roomy interior lives up to its manufacturer’s usual high standards for fit and finish.
Should I buy one?
You’ll find yourself in a pretty slender niche just by considering it. When Audi originally launched the car, it rightly claimed to be the first of its kind; while that may no longer be the case with the launch of the GLA 45 AMG, in truth there’s still only a very shallow market to penetrate here.
That’s probably as it should be, because the RS Q3 still drives more like an expensive oddity than a well-rounded range-topper.
For all the allure percolating up from under the bonnet, it remains an ultimately unsatisfying prospect; being too often on edge or annoyingly distant or a combination of both.
There’s no confirmation of prices yet, but expect the sticker to be comfortably in the region of £45k - a figure that would surely be better lavished on the all-new RS3 if you’re heart’s desire is a compact, practical and five-pot Audi or nothing.
Audi RS Q3
Price Circa £45,000; 0-62mph 4.8 seconds; Top speed 155mph;Economy 32.8mpg; C02 203g/km; Kerbweight 1655kg; Engine Five-cylinder, 2480cc, petrol, turbocharged; Power 335bhp at 5300-6700rpm;Torque 332lb ft at 1600-5300rpm; Gearbox Seven-speed dual-clutch
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/audi/rs-q3/first-drives/2015-audi-rs-q3-review
More of an expensive oddity than a range-topping performance SUV, and an ultimately unsatisfying oddity at that
What is it?
The Audi RS Q3 - largely as we remember it. Despite receiving more attention than most in a facelift of the Q3 line-up, fundamentally this remains the same model that landed in 2012.
That car was fast; this one, inevitably, is slightly faster and marginally more efficient with it. That’s because in the process of upgrading its characterful 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine to Euro 6 standard, Audihas found an additional 30bhp - bringing total output to 335bhp.
The concurrent improvement in 0-62mph is around half a second; a reduction helped along by shortened shift times on the standard seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Also uprated is the on-demand four-wheel drive system, which now gets a fifth generation Haldex hydraulic clutch plate for torque splitting duties.
Elsewhere, the differences between old and new are purely cosmetic, and rather subtle. The grille has been redesigned with an awkward looking surround, while the updated head and tail lights are a feature shared with the rest of the range.
There’s a smattering of customisation available, and 20-inch alloy wheels are standard - as is a powered tailgate. Adaptive dampers remain on the options list, but featured on our test car.
What is it like?
Hasty and haughty, much as it was before. Its finest attribute, by some distance, is still the vigorous five-pot motor.
The character of Audi’s modern inline five - an angry, gargling top end toughness - is unchanged but for the extra shove that now comes with it. That alone would be sufficient for a thumbs up, but it’s the flexibility of the unit which impresses over a longer drive.
Combined with an easily modulated throttle and sharpened gearbox, the 2.5-litre lump’s potency gives it a natural and very fluid usability.
Peak torque may only have a risen by 22lb ft, but there’s still 332lb ft of it from 1600rpm, and even with the gearbox left in its default auto mode, the Q3 tends to respond more crisply than its sluggish AMG equivalent.
Switch to the paddles, and it’s leagues ahead - any lack of tactility made up for by the speed of the shifts. This means that no matter whether you’re crawling forward in traffic or manually hitting the limiter on an autobahn, the charm offensive remains constant.
If only the car around it had such consistent appeal. Unfortunately, the peaks and troughs of its likability are scaled and slipped into repeatedly. For a start, the steering, numb before, may just be worse.
Unlike its RS siblings, there’s no picking and choosing individual components’ state of tune on the Drive Select system, which means you’re stuck with Comfort or Dynamic. That means you’re lumbered with either expressionless and over-assisted steering alongside just-about acceptable damper responses, or a senseless, rigid level of resistance paired with the all-too familiar pattery RS jiggle.
Of course, that doesn’t prevent the Q3 doing things that no crossover ought to be able to, but the car’s impressive composure at speed is rendered aloof by the shortfall in communication between you and the controls.
Ultimately, the absence of that kind of nuance hasn’t proven an impediment to Quattro GmbH’s customers before, although those well acquainted with other model’s in the lineup will spot the outdatedness of the switchgear.
Because it doesn’t share in the latest MQB kit bonanza, many of the controls - not least the infotainment selector which must be groped at on the dash rather than twiddled more comfortably from the centre console - make the car feel more last generation than it should. Which is a shame, because otherwise the well-finished and appropriately roomy interior lives up to its manufacturer’s usual high standards for fit and finish.
Should I buy one?
You’ll find yourself in a pretty slender niche just by considering it. When Audi originally launched the car, it rightly claimed to be the first of its kind; while that may no longer be the case with the launch of the GLA 45 AMG, in truth there’s still only a very shallow market to penetrate here.
That’s probably as it should be, because the RS Q3 still drives more like an expensive oddity than a well-rounded range-topper.
For all the allure percolating up from under the bonnet, it remains an ultimately unsatisfying prospect; being too often on edge or annoyingly distant or a combination of both.
There’s no confirmation of prices yet, but expect the sticker to be comfortably in the region of £45k - a figure that would surely be better lavished on the all-new RS3 if you’re heart’s desire is a compact, practical and five-pot Audi or nothing.
Audi RS Q3
Price Circa £45,000; 0-62mph 4.8 seconds; Top speed 155mph;Economy 32.8mpg; C02 203g/km; Kerbweight 1655kg; Engine Five-cylinder, 2480cc, petrol, turbocharged; Power 335bhp at 5300-6700rpm;Torque 332lb ft at 1600-5300rpm; Gearbox Seven-speed dual-clutch
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/audi/rs-q3/first-drives/2015-audi-rs-q3-review
JHF
Driving Dynamics Pro
First drive: new Audi RS Q3
Extra power and tweaked aesthetics for Audi’s 335bhp SUV-hot-hatch. Does it remain a complete oddball?
The RS Q3 isn’t exactly ancient…
Audi’s performance SUV is barely a year old, but it’s been included in the Q3’s mid-life refresh nonetheless. It launched with no real rivals, but now has the equally niche Mercedes GLA45 AMG to scrap with, as well as an altogether more cohesive competitor in the shape of the Porsche Macan.
And fans of TG maths will approve: ‘refresh' in this case means more power and torque. The RS Q3's 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine remains, but it's 29bhp and 21lb ft pokier, with 335bhp and 331lb ft peak outputs.
The result is a slicing of its 0-62mph time, which drops to 4.8 seconds, while the standard seven-speed S-tronic paddleshift gearbox now offers quicker shifts.
Anything else new?
Extra performance comes with improved efficiency, the engine meeting stricter EU standards and its claimed 32.8mpg and 203g/km a couple of per cent better than before.
The RS Q3's appearance is subtly tweaked, too. There's a bolder front grille, standard 20-inch alloy wheels and LED lights at both the front and rear. They come complete with the scrolling indicator effect that looks so swish on the R8.
Any closer to working out the point of it?
It remains a complete oddity, it's fair to say. A compact SUV that uses a high-performance petrol engine and costs around £45,000 is only ever going to have niche appeal, yet appeal the RS Q3 seemingly has: it's the third bestselling RS model in the UK, and the examples sold thus far in 2014 equate to over three per cent of Q3 sales.
Not a huge number, admittedly, but a bigger fraction than the Polo GTI or Clio 200 typically claim in their respective ranges, for instance. And while it's hardly the most glamorous figure to judge cars by, the RS Q3's 47 per cent retained value after three years makes it one of the slowest depreciating cars in any class. Ooh.
Enough sales numbers. How does it drive?
It's a surprising thing. Surprising because it's one of the more involving cars to currently wear Audi's RS badge. The incongruity of a warbling five-cylinder engine in a car so prosaically shaped has appeal in itself, and there's no denying this engine is a peach: strong throughout its rev range and a joy to extend thanks to its sonorous soundtrack.
Bloody fast it is, too, the RS Q3 projecting itself to its 155mph limiter with laughable ease (on derestricted autobahn, we hasten to add). The smooth, slick shifts of its gearbox - whether you leave it in 'D' or manhandle the paddles yourself - also make it a fun thing to build up speed in.
You sit too high for this to ever feel like a sports car. Once you get going, though, the elevated view through corners allows you to maintain momentum where you might otherwise back off a touch. Coupled with the prodigious grip of the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, you can very quickly get into a fast, satisfying flow.
The ride quality doesn't even offend, despite those humongous wheels, though full judgement must be reserved for when we try it away from meticulously maintained German roads.
The drive select system comes with Comfort, Auto and Dynamic modes. You'll want Dynamic for sharpest throttle response and most gratuitous exhaust histrionics, but the steering's ensuing artificial weight could easily grate. Frustratingly, you can't mix and match settings like in other Audis.
How does it compare to that Merc?
Subtly specced, Merc's GLA45 AMG probably feels a bit less silly than the RS Q3. But its 2-litre four-cylinder engine is far flatter than the Audi's five-pot, and comparatively very short of character. Dynamically, the Merc is extremely adept to the point of lacking any real exploitability, certainly at sane road speeds.
Any that Macan?
The Porsche is quite possibly the best handling SUV yet made, and it's made to look good value by the niche-within-niche pairing from Audi and Merc. A similar £45,000 outlay will secure a 335bhp Macan S with some light options box ticking. The waiting list is long, but if you can exercise some patience, it's as good as cars this shape get.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/audi-rs-q3-review-2014-11-20
Extra power and tweaked aesthetics for Audi’s 335bhp SUV-hot-hatch. Does it remain a complete oddball?
The RS Q3 isn’t exactly ancient…
Audi’s performance SUV is barely a year old, but it’s been included in the Q3’s mid-life refresh nonetheless. It launched with no real rivals, but now has the equally niche Mercedes GLA45 AMG to scrap with, as well as an altogether more cohesive competitor in the shape of the Porsche Macan.
And fans of TG maths will approve: ‘refresh' in this case means more power and torque. The RS Q3's 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine remains, but it's 29bhp and 21lb ft pokier, with 335bhp and 331lb ft peak outputs.
The result is a slicing of its 0-62mph time, which drops to 4.8 seconds, while the standard seven-speed S-tronic paddleshift gearbox now offers quicker shifts.
Anything else new?
Extra performance comes with improved efficiency, the engine meeting stricter EU standards and its claimed 32.8mpg and 203g/km a couple of per cent better than before.
The RS Q3's appearance is subtly tweaked, too. There's a bolder front grille, standard 20-inch alloy wheels and LED lights at both the front and rear. They come complete with the scrolling indicator effect that looks so swish on the R8.
Any closer to working out the point of it?
It remains a complete oddity, it's fair to say. A compact SUV that uses a high-performance petrol engine and costs around £45,000 is only ever going to have niche appeal, yet appeal the RS Q3 seemingly has: it's the third bestselling RS model in the UK, and the examples sold thus far in 2014 equate to over three per cent of Q3 sales.
Not a huge number, admittedly, but a bigger fraction than the Polo GTI or Clio 200 typically claim in their respective ranges, for instance. And while it's hardly the most glamorous figure to judge cars by, the RS Q3's 47 per cent retained value after three years makes it one of the slowest depreciating cars in any class. Ooh.
Enough sales numbers. How does it drive?
It's a surprising thing. Surprising because it's one of the more involving cars to currently wear Audi's RS badge. The incongruity of a warbling five-cylinder engine in a car so prosaically shaped has appeal in itself, and there's no denying this engine is a peach: strong throughout its rev range and a joy to extend thanks to its sonorous soundtrack.
Bloody fast it is, too, the RS Q3 projecting itself to its 155mph limiter with laughable ease (on derestricted autobahn, we hasten to add). The smooth, slick shifts of its gearbox - whether you leave it in 'D' or manhandle the paddles yourself - also make it a fun thing to build up speed in.
You sit too high for this to ever feel like a sports car. Once you get going, though, the elevated view through corners allows you to maintain momentum where you might otherwise back off a touch. Coupled with the prodigious grip of the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, you can very quickly get into a fast, satisfying flow.
The ride quality doesn't even offend, despite those humongous wheels, though full judgement must be reserved for when we try it away from meticulously maintained German roads.
The drive select system comes with Comfort, Auto and Dynamic modes. You'll want Dynamic for sharpest throttle response and most gratuitous exhaust histrionics, but the steering's ensuing artificial weight could easily grate. Frustratingly, you can't mix and match settings like in other Audis.
How does it compare to that Merc?
Subtly specced, Merc's GLA45 AMG probably feels a bit less silly than the RS Q3. But its 2-litre four-cylinder engine is far flatter than the Audi's five-pot, and comparatively very short of character. Dynamically, the Merc is extremely adept to the point of lacking any real exploitability, certainly at sane road speeds.
Any that Macan?
The Porsche is quite possibly the best handling SUV yet made, and it's made to look good value by the niche-within-niche pairing from Audi and Merc. A similar £45,000 outlay will secure a 335bhp Macan S with some light options box ticking. The waiting list is long, but if you can exercise some patience, it's as good as cars this shape get.
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/audi-rs-q3-review-2014-11-20
JHF
Driving Dynamics Pro
Similar threads
Audi
Audi AG is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles
headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the
Volkswagen Group, the company’s origins date back to the early 20th
century and the initial enterprises (Horch and the Audiwerke) founded
by engineer August Horch (1868–1951). Two other manufacturers (DKW
and Wanderer) also contributed to the foundation of Auto Union in 1932.
The modern Audi era began in the 1960s, when Volkswagen acquired Auto
Union from Daimler-Benz, and merged it with NSU Motorenwerke in 1969.
Official website: Audi (Global), Audi (USA)
Official website: Audi (Global), Audi (USA)
