First post in the Q3 section...

Hi all,

I've been an A4 driver for around 10 years now... had 3 in that timeframe. Due to me suffering from some significant back pain in my older age (I'm not blaming the A4s, although they've been a Sport, an S line and a Black Edition) I'm looking to replace with something with a higher ride height and, maybe, even something with a softer ride (let's see!)...

I've tried to keep an open mind and I've spent some time and I have looked at nearly everything out there... including Kia Sportage, Hyundai ix35, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Qashqai, Volvo XC60, Range Rover Evoque, Jeep Cherokee and Volkswagon Tiguan, the Honda CR-V and even the Toyota RAV4 - pretty much anything as my mind is trying its best to be open... but I've done 2 other things, 1 is that I've been consciously avoiding the Audi Q range, and 2 is that I've constantly been drawn back to the Audi Q range. Cripes!

So, I'm thinking of a Q3. Familiar territory for me, I suppose... it's what I know.

The top of the bunch at the moment is either the Mazda CX-5 (I like that car, it's a bit different but the lack of a digital speedo. might be the nail in its coffin) and the Nissan Qashqai (at the top spec. it's no slouch and has a lovely central display with lots of useful information, including digital speedo., speed limit display etc. - plus it's really cheap).

However, the Q3 is drawing me in... I'd be looking for a similar specification as the outgoing A4 that's at the bottom here... do you other Q3 owners find that the car is a good buy? Is a 150ps diesel going to pull along as well as my current A4 seems to do? What are the full LED headlights really like? What's the power tailgate like to work with? Would you upgrade the speakers from what is basic (I've got B&O in my current Black Edition and it's total crap). Does TPMS now tell you anything that's useful, like which tyre has an issue? How is the speed limit sign detection and does it detect other signs too (no overtaking seems to be shown in the manual)?. Can I get a flat-bottomed steering wheel on any trim? Overall... with you knowing that I know Audi cars relatively well... what should I be looking for in an excellent Q3?

Lastly, how new is the current Q3? I see it's got an MMI screen up on the dashboard, but does it have the latest platform out of the Q range, or is it due a refresh?

Hope to hear from you...

Wow it's quiet in here.

the wife is looking at a q3 to join my a6 in the drive so I'm also looking for advice. With the spec you're talking about I guess your looking at an sline plus?

we saw a beauty in our show room in hainen blue, just can't quite stretch to the sline plus so it will probably just be an sline.

did you end up buying one?

Good morning,

Well, I ended up taking a pretty big detour in the end. I almost bought a £30,000 Mazda CX-5 in Sport Nav trim - 175ps - because I really like the way it looks and it definitely is on a journey towards having a premium level trim. However, in the end, I've done something very different indeed and I've bought a Jeep Cherokee Limited - 200ps - and I'm really quite pleased with it, if a little surprised still.

When I went to see the Q3, as I had done all the others, I was dismayed by how constrictive it felt. It is far too small. Yes, it was very familiar to me inside, having had 3 A4s, but I questioned myself - is familiarity what I need right now? I concluded that it wasn't. I wanted something different, more 'exclusive'... and you're never going to see as many Jeeps on the road as Q3s.

In addition, well, the Jeep forum folk are really enthusiastic whereas this forum... you can see those tumbleweeds, can't you?

So, I'm really pleased with the choice I made... plus I get ventilated front seats as well as heated. :D

Yes, I would have been looking at S line+, yes, various normal extras I've put on every Audi I've ever had... price would have run to about £36,000 and I've ended up paying just under that with the Jeep, on an around £40,000 list price. The Jeep feels like a bank vault, so I've no qualms about build quality and solidity, which is one of my focus areas, the Mazda was a little more 'flimsy' in feel.

On top of all that the robot Audi salesman I had the misfortune to encounter put me off more than the car's failings ever did (failings might be a bit strong a word, still a lovely vehicle) as he seemed fixated on 'doing a deal' about 2 minutes after I walked in and said to us, I kid you not, more than 3 times - "you're a lovely couple, I'd love to do business with you" - word-for-word.

Good luck in your choice... just don't be fixated on the Q3 - the market is quite competitive out there.

Drawbacks of the Jeep... no full LED headlights - boo!, no auto-folding mirrors - boo, you have to press a button! How 90s.