The redesigned Q3 delivers design, tech, and quality expected of an upmarket brand, but not the driving manners to match.
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Stand-out design
Excellent build quality
Good tech and infotainment
Rough transmission
Firm, busy ride
Not much personality
For some luxury automakers, an entry-level model is a concession, an afterthought. Only the brand’s higher-end vehicles show why spending more is worth it, while lineup starting points convey little more than the image associated with a particular badge.
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In Audi’s range , SUVs such as the Q5, Q7, and Q8 justify their pricier positioning. The Q3, its smallest SUV, didn’t quite do the same. But that changes for 2026, as an all-new Q3 hits the market and feels like a proper Audi. Yet even as it embodies the four-ring brand’s strengths, the Q3 might not meet every driver’s definition of luxury.
This much is clear: The new Q3 is a big improvement from the outgoing generation. The Q3 Audi sold in the United States beginning in 2015 wasn’t a concerted effort, essentially a model meant for Europe brought over late, already a few years old when it arrived. This lineup filler let Audi compete in the luxury subcompact SUV segment , even though the Q3 itself wasn’t all that competitive.
Built on the revised MQB Evo platform, the new Q3 has major changes to the fundamental structure. Although this Q3 was designed with European considerations in mind, it’s now equally intended for the United States and is the first truly new Q3 Americans get.
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Luxurious Early Impressions
And Americans are taking notice—typically, only supercars get so many comments and compliments from passers-by. Attention makes sense: The Q3 looks great. Audi’s latest design language has softer, more rounded bodywork than before, set off by sharp technical details. In particular, the LED lights are eye-catching, bisected into upper and lower elements that serve decorative and functional purposes. A trendy full-width LED taillight bar has a red-illuminated Audi logo above it.
That plastic badge was cracked on our test car, the only blemish in its otherwise exceptional build quality. Like every Audi, the Q3 feels solid. Nothing seems loose, flimsy, or obviously cheapened to hit a roughly $45,000 starting price; quite the opposite. Close the door, and there’s a sensation of tight tolerances; poke around the cabin, and that impression holds. Although the interior has some plastic pieces, the amount is appropriate. A large piece of wood trim on the dashboard and various bits of silvery brightwork lighten the space, as woven fabric door paneling conveys contemporary luxury.
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