2020 BMW X1 vs. 2019 Audi Q3

Compact premium SUVs have become red hot, with virtually every luxury manufacturer now playing in this rapidly growing segment.
 

One of the fiercest rivalries within the class is between the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1—and it just intensified. This year, the all-new 2019 Audi Q3 finally replaces the first-generation model, introduced way back in 2011, which had grown gray around the temples. BMW's X1 has been around since 2009, but its second generation dropped in 2016 and has received a few updates for 2020, including a refreshed appearance and updated interior. So, is Audi's re-cast Q3 now the more compelling SUV?

The Matchup
To better compete with the more popular BMW X1, Audi has made the new 2019 Q3 larger. It grew 3.8 inches longer, nearly an inch wider, and 1.5 inches taller. It's now about an inch longer and wider than the BMW, which shares much of its chassis with the Mini Countryman. Audi has also stretched the Audi's wheelbase from 102.5 inches to 105.5 inches, making it 0.2-inch longer between the front and rear axles than the BMW. The larger Audi is also the heavier of the two, outweighing the 3724-pound BMW by roughly 200 pounds.

The BMW's svelte waistline helps give it a considerable acceleration advantage, as both SUVs are packing the same amount of power. Each features an all-aluminum double-overhead-cam four-cylinder with 2.0 liters of displacement and a turbocharger, and in a bizarre twist of engineering coincidence, both engines are rated to produce the same 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Each is also equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission with Sport and manual modes.

These two crossovers also cost about the same. Each has a base price of around $36,000, but every Q3 comes with standard all-wheel drive. The base X1 sDrive28i is front-wheel drive, while the all-wheel-drive xDrive28i costs two grand more. Slather on the options, and this 2020 BMW X1 xDrive28i, which was equipped with the $5000 Premium package and a couple of other extras, has an sticker price of $45,520. That's just $530 more than this loaded-up 2019 Audi Q3 S Line 45 TFSI Quattro. Oh, another thing they have in common: Their name badges no longer bear any relationship to what's under their hoods. The model-numbers game is certifiably out of control.

On the Road
Although their engines appear identical on paper, the BMW's 2.0-liter is the sportier of the two. It revs higher—all the way to 7000 rpm—and it sounds better than the Audi's engine. It's also smoother and more refined. We also prefer the X1's eight-speed automatic. It isn't just more responsive than the Audi's, it changes gears more quickly and with more precision. Unfortunately, the X1 does not have paddle shifters like the Q3, which seems like an oversight considering its performance. The Q3's powertrain is certainly satisfying, but BMW's is tuned to a higher level of excellence.

In a drag race, the lighter BMW also leaves the Audi choking in its dust. It sprints to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, more than 1.5 seconds quicker than the Audi. It also blasts through the quarter mile in 14.4 seconds at 96 mph. By comparison, the Audi's 15.6-second performance at 91 mph feels kind of slow. By 100 mph, the gap between the two is more than three seconds. Despite that additional thrust, the BMW also gets considerably better gas mileage, with EPA ratings of 23 mpg city and 31 mph highway versus the Audi's 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.





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