Audi Q3 Sportback Review – a better looker than it’s big brother the Q3

You might think it’s mad to suggest people buy cars just on looks, but it is happening every day, no doubt in my mind – and when presented with the Audi Q3 and the Audi Q3 Sportback – I see zero reason to buy the Q3.

I love the Q3, great car, amazing drive, and good looking.

But have a look at the Q3 Sportback. Wow.

Try and tell me that’s not better looking than the Q3 – I’ll wait.

Here’s the Q3 on the Audi Website:

Here’s the Q3 Sportback:

It’s subtle, but so much different. That sloping rear end, the chiseled edges in the doors and corners – it just. looks. better.

They are priced pretty similarly, so let’s just leave that aside – if you’re heading to Audi for a $55,000-$60,000 SUV, you’re on the hook, finance is organised and you’re just picking spec and trim levels.

The Sportback isn’t as tall, so a tall person will have less headroom – but I’d argue a tall person isn’t buying Audi’s smallest SUV.

Headroom in the back suffers most, but only by almost five centimeters, in the front it’s one or two, and who has had their head that close to the roof in any case?

Dimensions all around are ever so different, but none of them vast.

Inside the cabin, that designer with a ruler has been all over the shop, and I love it still. Hard edges, very few long curves without a corner bumped into them, it really brings the outside design inside.

Strangely the door handles take some getting used to – the designer got their own way on that one.

Infotainment is exceptional, the screen is not the top end Audi style with haptic feedback where you feel the screen as you press a button, but it doesn’t matter. And the climate controls are old school buttons and dials – again, a top end Audi has a screen for this, but in many ways that’s overkill and just showing off anyway.

Your phone will wirelessly charge in the centre console, and the car knows it’s there and will remind you of that.

And critically, Apple CarPlay is also Wireless. Big tick there.

On the safety front, you’re looked after here with lane keeping, blind spot assistance, 360 degree cameras so you can see your parking prowess and all the good stuff like Autonomous Emergency Braking to keep you safe from others around you.

At $56,000 this car is actually packed to the rafters with tech – from driver safety to the full virtual dashboard and infotainment, this is one you’d really be happy to show off to your mates, claiming it to be an outright bargain.

A beautiful drive, not powerful, but all you need, a great thing to look at and that perfect elevated drive for someone that wants to sit up in the world in the SUV style, but not interested in going too big on size or budget.