Marree

I currently own a Mazda 3 and have had it for 6 years. I am now looking into getting something a bit bigger and I really like the Audi Q2 & Q3, but I’ve heard they could be very problematic and expensive to fix. I’m looking into buying one that’s around 3 -4 years old with less than 60, 000 km. For those who own one, how much is a minor and major service? How reliable are they? Are the rumours of electrical and rust issue true?

TurboBlue5150

Not aware of any rust issues.

Personally, I wouldn't buy a 4 year old Audi. Longterm reliability will be better with a Mazda.

atlanta A6

The Q3 is pretty reliable. 60km is very low and you should be good if the car was taken care of. Maintenance is a big thing with Audi’s in general and you will find that dealer visit costs range from around $200 to $800 USD for each visit depending on the service. My wife had a 2018 gas Q3 and made it to 160,000km with zero problems

Rich807

We had 2016 that was up to 65k miles before it was totaled. Zero problems. We had an '18 until 50k mi & the only issue was a fuel check valve that would slowly bleed down fuel overnight. Never fixed it as a work-around was turning on the ignition for a few seconds before starting the car. Other than that minor thing, not a problem with it. We loved those 2 so much we bought our 3rd one, a '24 Q3.

atlanta A6

we are in the same boat of having the previous and current gen. Not to hijack the thread but I am interested what your opinions are between the two.
I really like the new gen as it’s Quattro and the interior is a nice step up in terms of quality and finish. The last gen for me seemed to handle a little more “crisp” but perhaps that’s because it was a front wheel drive model that was lighter. Gas mileage was a bit higher as well but required premium fuel so it is offset by costs there. Lastly, the slightly larger size of the 2023 is a nice benefit. Overall really happy with both of them but definitely a different experience.

Rich807

We've only had it for a month & it's the wife's daily so I have very limited seat time in it. That said:

- LOVE the Q8's borrowed design form factor (inside & out) in the current Q3
- The borrowed VW GTI Mk7 engine is a step up from the previous 2.0L but I thought the previous one felt more torquey off the bottom
- LOVE how Audi managed to make the current Gen Q3 feel way bigger than the prior gen however, they are very similar in dimensions. Can tell no real difference in our garage with the door closed & the custom windshield sun screen we had in the old Q3 basically fits perfect in the new Q3... very wild as the windshield in the new Q3 seems enormous compared to the old one we were used to looking out
- LOVE the 87 Octane allowance.... was a factor in our decision. Mama has no benefit of driving a daily requiring premium fuel. Plus, it's 28hp over the last one. Win-Win
- Love the fact Audi kept a spare tire in these. I was looking at Lexus stuff but in addition to horrible driving dynamics of the NX & RX (IMO), the no spare tire setup (with no space to put one if you did want to buy your own) was a deal-breaker
- Fuel mileage on the new one is still TBD for us. Car is not broken in yet but so far it appears to be a little worse vs previous gen. Like you said, reg 87 is cheaper & the quattro benefits so there's that.
- Don't like the current Q3's base stereo system. Worse that either of the 2 previous ones we had in the prior Q3s & much worse than the base stereo system in my BMW X2
- Don't like the fact they changed how they do Start/Stop so that people have to buy outside hardware to default defeat it. Thank goodness it's available & cheap to do, but still
- Don't care for the loop pulls for the back seats vs the levers they had before but like the back seats slide fore/aft.
- Don't like the looks/flimsy rear storage area privacy panel vs the old roller one's high-quality look/construction however, the new stuff is less fuss/muss in that it's nothing you need to employ... it's just there.
- Love the fact a ton of safety stuff is standard now i.e. BSM etc.
- Don't like the fact you have to spend an additional $5k in package options to get Apple Wireless Carplay. Planning a work-around of that currently but it's still on my yet to-do list.
- Wish they hadn't taken 1 gal of fuel capacity away during the switch from Gen 1 to Gen 2 Q3.

S4'ed

The first Gen Q3 is more trouble-free than the second Gen. It also handles better, the Gen2 is designed for a more comfortable ride at the expense of handling.
Also, in my opinion, although dated looking, and dated "tech", the Gen1 has a higher quality interior, as far as material quality and fit/finish.

I have a 2015 Gen1 Q3 Quatro, bought it used with 6300 miles, today it has 96,000 miles, zero problems other than the replacement of the intake manifold, which was done for free by Audi, due to a known defect of the flap system. Other than that, the only things I have done are 3000 mile oil/filter changes, brake pads, new front discs, new battery, new tires, two transmission fluid/filter changes, spark plugs, air filter, a preemptive PCV unit change, and one Haldex fluid change.

Drives like nearly new. The Gen1 Q3 is one of the most reliable Audi (or VW) ever made.