Compare the2026 Audi Q3VS 2026 Mercedes GLA

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q3 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Mercedes GLA doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Q3 and GLA have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q3 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The GLA’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Q3 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GLA doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Q3 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The GLA doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q3. But it costs extra on the GLA.

The Q3’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLA.

The Audi Q3 offers an optional Top View Camera System and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Mercedes GLA doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Q3 and the GLA have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Q3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLA’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Q3 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Audi will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLA.

The Audi Q3’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the GLA’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Q3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 34 more horsepower (255 vs. 221) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the GLA’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Q3 has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLA (16.4 vs. 13.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Q3’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLA:

The Q3’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the GLA are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLA (255/45R19 vs. 235/55R18).

The Q3’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLA’s optional 45 series tires.

The Q3 has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the GLA; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the GLA don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

The Q3 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The GLA’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Q3 has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The GLA’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Q3 has .8 inches more front shoulder room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLA.

The Q3 has a much larger cargo volume than the GLA with its rear seat up (25 vs. 19 cubic feet).

The Q3’s cargo area is larger than the GLA’s in almost every dimension:

The Q3 has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The GLA has no towing capacity.

The Q3’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless-Start standard on the GLA only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q3 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLA doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Q3 has standard extendable sun visors. The GLA doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi Q3 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the GLA.

The Q3’s optional Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The GLA’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The Audi Q3 outsold the Mercedes GLA by 80% during 2025.