Audi Q3 vs Volkswagen Tiguan

Audi Q3

Audi’s compact premium SUV.

Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen’s compact family SUV.

First car

Second car

Pick this one if…

Audi Q3

Pick the Q3 for quattro, the 530-litre boot and the 1.5 TFSI’s cylinder-on-demand.

Best engine: The mid-range 1.5 TFSI petrol for the best everyday balance — or the 2.0 TDI for high mileage.

Read the full guide

Pick this one if…

Volkswagen Tiguan

Pick the Tiguan for a roomy, practical family SUV with strong towing and a wide engine range.

Best engine: The 1.5 TSI/eTSI (150 hp) or 2.0 TDI (150 hp).

Read the full guide

Performance

EA211 35 TFSI · Petrol vs 1.5 eTSI 150 · Petrol

	Audi Q3	Volkswagen Tiguan
Power	150 hp	150 hp
Torque	250 Nm	250 Nm
0–100 km/h	9,2 s	9,1 s Winner
Top speed	205 km/h	210 km/h Winner
Power-to-weight	101,7 hp/t Winner	101,4 hp/t
CO₂ emissions (WLTP)	143 g/km	128 g/km Winner
Consumption (WLTP)	5,7 L/100km	5,6 L/100km Winner

Dimensions & space

	Audi Q3	Volkswagen Tiguan
Boot	530 L	652 L Winner
Boot (seats folded)	1.525 L	1.650 L Winner
Wheelbase	2,68 m	2,68 m Winner
Length	4,50 m	4,54 m
Width	1,86 m	1,84 m
Height	1,62 m	1,64 m
Seats	5	5

Powertrain & tech

	Audi Q3	Volkswagen Tiguan
Platform	MQB A2 (transverse, shared with the VW Tiguan Mk2)	MQB / MQB Evo (transverse)
Drive	Front-wheel drive · All-wheel drive	Front-wheel drive · All-wheel drive
Engine family	EA211 evo 1.5 TFSI · EA888 2.0 TFSI · EA288 evo 2.0 TDI	EA211/EA211 Evo petrol · EA888 petrol · EA288/EA288 Evo diesel · eHybrid PHEV
Fuel	Petrol · Diesel · Plug-in hybrid	Petrol · Diesel · Plug-in hybrid
Transmission	S tronic (7-speed DSG) · 6-speed manual	6-speed manual · 7-speed DSG
Euro standard	Euro 6d-TEMP (early) · Euro 6d (later)	Euro 6 (early) · Euro 6d/6e (later)
LEZ access	Euro 6 diesel allowed in the LEZ (Brussels/Antwerp/Ghent)	Euro 6 petrol/diesel allowed in the LEZ (Brussels/Antwerp/Ghent)

Reliability & watch-outs

Known issues

Audi Q3

DQ200 (7-speed dry DSG): mechatronics are the best-known weak point
Direct-injection petrols: carbon buildup with lots of short trips
DPF on diesels with mainly short trips

Volkswagen Tiguan

DSG fluid service and shift quality
1.5 TSI cold-start hesitation (early)
AdBlue/DPF on 2.0 TDI (short trips)

Pros

Audi Q3

quattro available on the 2.0-litre engines
530-litre boot (1525 litres folded)
1.5 TFSI (35) has cylinder-on-demand

Volkswagen Tiguan

Roomy cabin and high seating position
Wide, efficient engine range
Strong towing (up to 2,500 kg on 4MOTION diesels)

Cons

Audi Q3

S line suspension rides firmly
quattro is 2.0-litre engines only — entry models are front-wheel drive

Volkswagen Tiguan

Bigger and heavier than a T-Roc/Golf
Higher consumption on powerful 2.0 TSI/R versions

Driving experience

Audi Q3

As a model line, the Q3 steers accurately with light, consistent weighting and stays quiet at speed. Front-drive versions feel light and easy; quattro adds strong traction out of corners on the 2.0-litre engines. The 1.5 TFSI is the one to have, the 2.0 TDI is the high-mileage pick and the 45 TFSI e plug-in hybrid runs on electric for short trips. The S tronic shifts quickly. It is tuned for comfort over sharp handling.