Compare the2026 Audi Q3VS 2026 Subaru Crosstrek

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The Q3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q3 and Crosstrek 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 Crosstrek’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.

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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Q3 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Q3 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Crosstrek’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q3 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Crosstrek and it’s not available on the Base and the Crosstrek’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the Q3 and the Crosstrek have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

Warranty

The Q3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Crosstrek’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Crosstrek’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. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Crosstrek.

Reliability

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

Engine

The Q3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 75 more horsepower (255 vs. 180) and 95 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 178) than the Crosstrek’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Q3’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 61 more horsepower (255 vs. 194) than the Crosstrek Hybrid’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Q3	Crosstrek	Crosstrek Hybrid
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.4 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.2 inches	11.2 inches	11.2 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q3 has larger standard tires than the Crosstrek (235/55R18 vs. 225/60R17). The Q3’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Crosstrek (255/45R19 vs. 225/60R17).

The Q3’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Crosstrek’s standard 60 series tires. The Q3’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Crosstrek Sport/Limited’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q3 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Crosstrek. The Q3’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Crosstrek Sport/Limited.

Suspension and Handling

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 Crosstrek’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Q3 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q3 is 1.4 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than the average track on the Crosstrek.

Passenger Space

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Q3’s rear seats recline. The Crosstrek’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Q3 has a much larger cargo volume than the Crosstrek with its rear seat up (25 vs. 19.9 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Q3 easier. The Q3’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.8 inches, while the Crosstrek’s liftover is 30.7 inches.

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

	Q3	Crosstrek
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	34”/65”	32.1”/63.9”
Max Width	54”	53”
Min Width	39”	43”
Height	28”	29.3”

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q3’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Servicing Ease

The Q3 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Crosstrek uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Q3, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Q3’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Q3 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Q3 and the Crosstrek have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q3 is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Crosstrek prevents the driver from operating the rear windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Q3’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Crosstrek’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Q3 the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Crosstrek can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Access and Start standard on the Crosstrek doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Q3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Crosstrek’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q3’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Crosstrek and aren’t offered on the Crosstrek Base.

When the Q3 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Crosstrek’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Audi Q3 and Subaru Crosstrek offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Q3 features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Crosstrek’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

Both the Q3 and the Crosstrek offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Q3 has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Crosstrek doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Audi Q3 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Subaru charges extra for Homelink® on the Crosstrek.

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 Crosstrek.

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 Crosstrek doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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