Where each one leads
Audi Q3
- Against cars of the same year, the Audi Q3 comes out better in New York safety inspections (fails 48% less often than average) than the BMW X3 (fails 32% less often than average).
- NHTSA rates the 2025 Audi Q3 at 5 of 5 stars, the 2026 BMW X3 at 4.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the diesel Audi Q3 uses 6.7 l/100 km on the road, the BMW X3 7.6.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol Audi Q3 uses 8.2 l/100 km on the road, the BMW X3 10.8.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the petrol hybrid Audi Q3 uses 7.8 l/100 km on the road, the BMW X3 9.4.
BMW X3
- Fewer BMW X3 cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (2.2% against 2.7%).
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2026 BMW X3 uses 8.1 l/100 km, the 2026 Audi Q3 9.6.
Too close to call: MOT pass rate against cars of the same age; official CO₂ of new cars in Europe (g/km).
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| Audi Q3 | BMW X3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2008–2026 | 2004–2026 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 837,215 (2011–2022) | 583,466 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 173,665 | 123,964 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 31,753 | 25,650 |
| In traffic in Finland | 3,944 | 4,293 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| Audi Q3 | BMW X3 | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 84% | 80% |
| … against cars of the same age | +7% | +6% |
| New York safety inspections failed | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| … against cars of the same year | −48% | −32% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 2.7% | 2.2% |
| US owner complaints | 242 | 2,015 |
| Most complaints about | Electrical system | Engine |
| Model year with most complaints | 2020 (66) | 2013 (226) |
| US recall campaigns | 19 | 60 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 6,488 | 3,868 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | — | 17 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| Audi Q3 | BMW X3 | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | 5★ (2025) | 4★ (2026) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Audi Q3 | BMW X3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 9.6 l/100 km (2026) | 8.1 l/100 km (2026) |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel | 6.7 l/100 km | 7.6 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | 8.2 l/100 km | 10.8 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | 7.8 l/100 km | 9.4 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel hybrid | — | 7.3 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 123 g/km | 125 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 115 kW (154 hp) | 157 kW (210 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 1,691 kg | 1,985 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €58,246 | €75,236 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 144,000 km | 237,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).