BMW X3 M and X4 M vs. Audi RS Q3 range

The BMW M lineup has gained some unexpected additions in the form of the current generation X3 and X4 crossovers and with the new X3 M and X4 M high-performance crossovers, a lot of people wish that they could have done it right from the very beginning but since better late than never, time to flip the whys and the X-files on the newest BMW M crossovers.

2020 BMW X3 M

2020 BMW X4 M

The first-ever BMW X3 M, starting at 70,300 Euros plus OTR, and the X4 M, starting at 72,500 Euros plus OTR, are the most affordable SUVs in the BMW M lineup, making them cheaper to own than the upcoming X5 M and X6 M. For starters, they look broadly similar to your basic X3 and X4 but because this is the M we're talking, you'd expect this to be as macho and hot as your basic M3 and M4 but no. They're a lot more different than that.

Yes, both these models are macho in looks and smell like aftershave on the inside, but what's underneath them is worth asking. It uses a 3.0L straight-6 Double VANOS Twin Power Turbo engine, which is almost identical to the BMW M3 and M4 but in the range-topping Competition spec, which produces 510PS of power and 600Nm of torque. Mated to an 8-speed AT, it goes from 0-100kph in 4.1 seconds, and its top speed is electronically limited to 250kph. 285 with the optional extra, of course.

Because most believe the X3 is like the 3-Series of the SUV lineup, you might imagine that M crossovers like these, might behave like the already great BMW M3 but no. They're bulkier than the M3 of course and they handle very differently compared to the M3 it draws inspiration from. On the plus side, since being a BMW, they're not afraid to get its drivers hooked for more and if they want some competition, perhaps they should face these;

2020 Audi RS Q3

2020 Audi RS Q3 Sportback

This is Audi's answer to the little BMW M crossovers mentioned above. This is the all-new RS Q3 range and this is what happens when the folks from Audi Sport decided to make them behave like Russian Olympians that will get them to trouble easily but sadly, they're not Russian Olympians. They're just like high school ladies in two-piece swimsuits enjoying the pool.

The RS Q3 starts at 63,500 Euros plus OTR while the Sportback equivalent starts at 65,000 Euros plus OTR, making them cheaper to own than the almost bonkers BMW X3/X4 M but don't let the pricing fool you because although cheaper to own than those above, they can be quite troublesome for those who got their hands on.

The 2.5L TFSi engine that powers the RS Q3 range produces 400PS of power and 480Nm of torque and when mated to a 7-speed S tronic, it gets from 0-100kph in four and half seconds and with the optional extra, up to 280kph of top speed. In other words, they're a lot slower than the BMW X3/X4 M in a middle of a drag race.

Handling-wise? The RS Q3 can be downright mild and tangy but it feels downright easy to drive on the road and on the track. Sure, you can take them on the dirt but why would you want to in the RS Q3? Anyway, these crossovers are almost as enjoyable to drive as the TT RS, I'm still jealous to have one but it's too late because with the TT RS meeting its maker, these RS crossovers are surely to blame for this.

Which would you go for? The powerful but expensive BMW X3/X4 M or the less powerful but less expensive and sensible RS Q3 range?

Photo: BMW AG/Audi AG

Audi Q3 Sportback

The Germans invented the coupe utility trend starting with the BMW X6. Then, Mercedes-Benz followed it with the GLE Coupe, and recently, Porsche with the Cayenne Coupe. Now, Audi is late for the party with their first-ever coupe utility vehicle based on the second-generation Q3. So, what's it all about the Q3 Sportback?

2020 Audi Q3 Sportback

Priced two grand more than the normal Q3 SUV, the first-ever Q3 Sportback is a coupe utility vehicle that offers the same stuff that you get from the normal Q3 but now with the sloping roof line too difficult to explain.

The world gets used to this coupe utility niche the Germans invented and with better late than never for Audi, the Q3 Sportback tries to be more noticeable with its unique styling that can upset a BMW X4 for a change but sadly, being an Audi, it feels like being the only teenager invited to a children's party.

Although less roomier than the standard Q3 with the seats folded, it's still as spacious as the normal one with the rear seats present, meaning there's enough room for your grocery stuff and others. Not bad.

Under the hood, the Q3 Sportback is powered by a choice of a 2.0L TFSi and the 2.0L TDi engine, both mated to a 7-speed S-tronic double clutch gearbox in most models and a mild hybrid system for electrification purposes. The latter is something to avoid because Europeans today are not friendly to the whole diesel thing despite its Euro-6d compliance. Anyway, the range-topping 45 TFSi produces 230PS of power and 350Nm of torque, making it capable of going 0-100kph in  6.5 seconds and a top speed of 233kph. Not bad.

In terms of dynamics, it still behaves pretty much like a normal Q3 despite being in the niche nobody knows. Not as enjoyable to drive like a BMW or a Mercedes as such but it feels not bad to drive even with the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system that goes pretty well with tarmac, gravel, and snow. Although not fit for cross country abuse, it sure is not afraid to get itself dirty when Audi's quattro system is around.

It also bears the same wide array of safety tech as the normal Q3 but it's too much to ask for now.

With Audi late to the coupe utility niche afterparty, the Q3 Sportback raises a lot of questions from people who are fed up with this niche and no matter how fed up the average speedo boy be upon seeing more and more like these, rest assured that its the Germans to blame for making the coupe utility vehicle trend and there's nothing they can do to stop them. It's real life. Get with the times.

Photo: Audi AG

Audi Q3 (F3) and Audi Q8

The Audi Q3 is now on its second generation and with its all new look, all new powertrain, all new packaging, and so on, the Q3 is now fully prepared to take on the luxury compact midsize crossovers in a way it has never done before, although this new model feels right at home on the road rather than on the outdoors but see if I can do with it.

2019 Audi Q3

Starting at 33,700 Euros, the all-new Audi Q3 is all about being a proper all-rounder by Audi standards and with its new form and packaging, this crossover tries so hard to be like one of the good boys rather than being one of the proud boys like the ones from BMW and Mercedes. Beginning on the exterior design, the all-new Q3 looks sharper and sportier than the first-generation and with expensive versions get Matrix LED headlights, this crossover really puts a shine into it.

2019 Audi Q3 interior

The interior retains the futuristic elements that today's Audi models possess such as the Audi Virtual Cockpit that puts the sat-nav into the speedo as well as smartphone connectivity, MMI, and so on and while the cockpit is basically driver-focused, this five-seater is surprisingly comfortable for luxury car standards and because it runs on today's platform, it's surprisingly more spacious than the old Q3 it replaces in terms of legroom and boot space, which carries 530 or 675 liters with seats present. 1,525 liters when the back seats folded, of course. With that amount of space, this crossover does a lot of things for drivers to do in their free time.

At launch, the new Q3 is offered with a wide range of 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines mated with either a six-speed manual transmission or a fast-shifting seven-speed S tronic. Since this is Europe today, best to ignore the diesel engines all thanks to the issues about the government banning diesel engines on the road in the near future because of the D-word.

For now, the highest of the range goes to the Q3 45 with the 230PS TFSi 2.0L petrol engine and when mated with the S tronic, it does 0-100kph in 6.3 seconds and onwards to 233kph while delivering CO2 emissions of 167 g/km and combined WLTP fuel economy of 8,7 l/100km. Not bad, but the most fuel efficient goes to (no, not the Q3 35 TDi S tronic because Europeans are ruling out diesels) the 35 TFSi S tronic with 130g/km of CO2 emissions. That's it.

Running on the new platform, and with quattro all-wheel drive system, the new Q3 feels alright on and off the road, but in terms of exciting, since this is an Audi alright, it's about as buzzkill as Buzz Killington and it's just being too behaved for its own good. Couple that with a wide array of safety features and this nice guy next door is all about slow and steady winning the race but this is no turtle and hare story. It's the real world and in the real world, the new Audi Q3 is all grown up to do what's right not just for itself but for the drivers and passengers around it.

At this rate, I wanted to complete my analysis about the second-generation Audi Q3 but then, there's another new Audi crossover in the mix and looks like there's something about this Audi equivalent of BMW's sport activity coupes such as the X6.

2019 Audi Q8

2019 Audi Q8 interior

This is Audi's answer to BMW's sport activity coupes such as the X6. It's called the Q8 and with prices start at 76,300 Euros, it's very expensive to own especially when the fact that it offers only with the 3.0 TDI engine mated to a tiptronic gearbox but before ignoring this engine because it's diesel, this engine is equipped with mild hybrid technology like the one from the new Audi A8. This mild hybrid technology uses a 48-volt main electrical system that connects to the li-ion battery and a belt alternator starter. It's capable of long coasting phases with the engine deactivated and a start-stop range that begins at 22 km/h, resulting to 172g/km of CO2 emissions and combined WLTP fuel economy of 8,2 l/100km.

Word of caution, however, that because this is shaped like a BMW X6 and despite having quattro permanent all-wheel drive, the new Audi Q8 is going to behave like what the old BMW X6 does when taken to the streets of Spain, the Swiss Alps, Sydney, Hong Kong, even offroad where the Range Rover excels. Rings a bell, hmmm?

As for styling, yes coupes are sexy but coupe utility vehicles are in a different story and this Audi Q8 is pretty much like what happened with the BMW X6 and when taken on the road, how people react when they see one is everyone's guess.

Think about this; because the Q8 is priced at 76,300 Euros, you can buy two Q3s with that allowance and some spare change for some optional extras. Now there's your piece of consumer advice for you but I wouldn't care about it even though the Q8 packs a lot of technological features as seen in more expensive Audis like the A8 and so on.

So, how can I conclude this analysis? Well, because they're both Audis, it's hard to sum up these two because frankly, these Audi crossovers are always be Audis. Nothing more, nothing less.

Photo: Audi AG

Audi RS Q3 and VW cross up!

2014 Audi RS Q3

What Audi did is take an ordinary Q3 on the nightclub, strip out most of its dignity like watching and paying for girls dancing, and then the result for all of those beer breath hangover is this; a crossover running from the law like what teenagers running away from the public with a bag snatched from a lady, some drugs hidden in his pants, and remain as anonymous as Guy Fawkes. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the brand new Audi RS Q3.

The normal Q3 is made for the sort of people who realize that they are the sort of geek or nerd trying to think smart and act smart, like any dorky high-IQ morons in their skinny jeans, suspenders, polos, and dorky glasses. Whoever came here gets the bulls from the bullies and later on gets flushed down to the toilet. We're not talking about that but the Q3 really suits the description well because it's just one of the tall hatchbacks many people wanted to buy for no reason. This whole crossover trend, those fakey and phoney hatchbacks claim to be SUVs, it always here to stay and that really creeps me out. Anyway, what's this all about the RS version?

This is like when you turn a nerd into a ladies' man by giving him lots of adrenaline, not by steroids but taking him on a wild ride on a theme park like roller coasters, bumper cars, anything highriding that thrills him. That's true, it is an adrenaline-induced tall hatchback made by the skunk works lurking through the bowels of Quattro GmBH.

2014 Audi RS Q3 interior

Audi claims that this is the first ever SUV to get the RS treatment by quattro but to me this isn't an SUV indeed. The thing is though that the whole idea of having a high-performance SUV is by turning it from a family-friendly car into a car only selfies want to start some bar brawls by night. Think of it like Patrick Swayze's Road House in a mindless kind of way. Road House...

Under the bonnet, the RS Q3 is powered by the same sort of engine you'd expect from the old 2012 Audi RS3 Sportback. It develops 310PS of power and 420Nm of torque. 310PS of power...that's about 8PS less than the Lexus IS350 but still, the RS Q3 has a 0-100kph time of 5.5 seconds and top speed normally limited to 250kph. That sounds like a countdown to a disaster, much more like, well you know...

What about the way it handles? For a crossover like this, the RS Q3 really is worth a juvenile streak and because it's 4WD, handling never felt so...so...well, modest. It doesn't want to kill you like most high-powered sportscars do but still, it's worth a smile indeed to the driver's senses. Think of it like...salad preparation, the Brainiac way. You're making a salad with the use of pencil sharpener, a guillotine, and a paper shredder. Hmmm...convincing if you ran out of knives for chopping but it leaves out with some paper shreddings and pencil shavings. Ick!

If by ick, I mean of course, it's worth terrible to drive one of those if you were in the middle of a trip to groceries or to the mall because if you do, people might think you're just another one of people who spent the government's pork barrel for no reason at all and the authorities might get you noticed. There's another problem with the RS Q3 because hey, while it's worth exciting to drive, it's definitely not quite the weekend car for a treat and because Audi spent so much making it too sporty, being a weekend car is a bit of a contraband because it makes you upset more than your Photoshop teacher in class. Ouch...

But still, the biggest problem for the RS Q3 is of course, the price and since it starts at 54,600 Euros, twice as expensive as the regular Q3 but as a general rule, it's the most affordable RS model for now because when you look at the price list for Audi models, the RS Q3 costs less than the present Audi RS model. The most expensive so far was the very serious RS7 Sportback with the pricing of 113,000 Euros.

So yes, the new RS Q3, it maybe more of a value than any other Audi RS but what you get for what you pay for is a Q3 with too much power that doesn't make any sense. Too much power for a crossover? Hmmm... Where did I get that idea? Never mind about that, but if I want more fun out for the buck, it might be best not to have one of these but instead, I should be getting one of these...

2014 Volkswagen cross up!

2014 Volkswagen cross up! interior

Yep, just another tall hatchback but this time in the form of the Volkswagen up! compact car, the small car worth enjoyable enough if you want to play a game of badminton out of it. It's called the cross up! and this model starts at around 13,950 Euros and you don't need to have too much stuff that the Audi RS Q3 had. Sure, the RS Q3 maybe a crossover which has the strength of a crossbow but it's a bit too much and with the cross up!, you're not the sort of person who spends most of the pork barrel, you're just a busy man out with some casuals for casual Friday. Since it's not Friday, it's a bit of a casual everyday if I'm honest.

With the 1.0L engine from the normal up! compact, it develops about 75PS of power, extremely less than the RS Q3 but unlike the RS Q3, it's not very thirsty indeed because it has about 21.3km/L of fuel economy. Not bad though, not bad. Even though it's too small and it's too slow, the cross up won't definitely kill you more than the RS Q3.

So, in conclusion, the RS Q3 is worth the fun but if it's too much, better downgrade yourself to the cross up! instead because sometimes, the smallest can rest easily on the road like a baby carried by a stork. Quite a tearjerker to end this impression here...

Audi Q3

2012 Audi Q3

Targeting the BMW X1 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class is the new Audi Q3, the junior of the Audi SUV range consisting of that, the midsize Q5 (now with Hybrid), and the flagship Q7.

The new Audi Q3 is heavily inspired by the Cross Coupe Quattro and it was manufactured at the Martorell plant in Spain, where SEAT cars produced. It uses Volkswagen Group's A5 (PQ35) platform which was used on the Volkswagen Tiguan (or the upcoming SEAT crossover).

Judging from its design, the Audi Q3 looks more sharp-dressed than the Mercedes-Benz GLK Class and the BMW X1, which because most Audis are highly progressed, making the catchphrase "Luxury Has Progressed" is the main forte for Audi, making the Audi Q3 more progressed than the GLK and the X1.

2012 Audi Q3 interior

The interior reminds me of the Audi A1 subcompact but in my product of imagination, is this the SUV version of the A1? That's a lot of nonsense, the Audi Q3 has no relation to the Audi A1, even the new Q3's interior reminds me of the A1 because of its pop-up screen that uses Audi's Multimedia Interface that provides infotainment all day round for the driver.

2012 Audi Q3

Consider this your wake-up call, the new Audi Q3 is available in four engine types such as the 140PS 2.0L TDi Common Rail diesel, 170PS 2.0L TFSI engine, 177PS 2.0L Common Rail diesel, and the high performance 211PS 2.0L TFSI engine. The fun choice would be the 2.0L TFSi engine with 211PS of power because a turbocharged engine can be somewhat fun for the adrenaline seekers and with the Double Clutch Transmission, shifting became much easier. The most fuel efficient Q3 of all is the 2.0L TDi Common Rail diesel engine with 140PS of power output because of the fuel economy of 19.2km/L (5.2 Liter/100km) in a combined basis.

The Audi Q3 starts at 29,900 Euros for the 2.0 TDI variant. Available color variations include Amalfiweiß, Brillantschwarz, Eissilber Metallic, Gletscherweiß Metallic, Karibubraun Metallic, Kobaltblau Metallic, Monsungrau Metallic, Platinbeige Metallic, Samoaorange Metallic, Sphärenblau Metallic, and Phantomschwarz Perleffekt.

My Comment:
Being Audi's new small luxury crossover finally realize its progression after the progression of the midsize Q5 and the flagship Q7. The Audi Q3 really stands out the crowd with its progressed luxury, progressed sportiness, progressed power, and everything progressed to outpace against the likes of the BMW X1 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class. Can PGA Cars bring the Audi Q3 to the Philippines soon? We don't know but be patient...

Photo: AUDI AG