Compare the2024 Toyota Corolla CrossVS 2023 Audi Q3

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Corolla Cross are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Corolla Cross XLE has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q3 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Corolla Cross’ driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Corolla Cross and the Q3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Corolla Cross is safer than the Audi Q3:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Corolla Cross is safer than the Q3:

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Corolla Cross the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 72 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Q3 last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2018.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Corolla Cross 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Corolla Cross for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q3.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Corolla Cross’ warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Corolla Cross’ reliability 43 points higher than the Q3.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 27 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 6th.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Corolla Cross is faster than the Audi Q3:

On the EPA test cycle the Corolla Cross gets better mileage than the Q3:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Corolla Cross uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Corolla Cross has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Q3 doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Corolla Cross stops shorter than the Q3:

The Corolla Cross XLE AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the Q3 pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Corolla Cross’ turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Q3’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Corolla Cross has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q3 (8.1 vs. 5.5 inches), allowing the Corolla Cross to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Corolla Cross may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 800 pounds less than the Audi Q3.

The Corolla Cross has 4.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q3 (88.4 vs. 84).

The Corolla Cross has 2.9 inches more front legroom and 1.4 inches more rear headroom than the Q3.

The Corolla Cross has a much larger cargo volume than the Q3 with its rear seat up (25.5 vs. 23.7 cubic feet).

The Corolla Cross offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Corolla Cross has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Q3 Premium Plus’ cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Corolla Cross XLE’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Toyota Corolla comes in sedan, four door hatchback and four door bodystyles; the Audi Q3 isn’t available as a sedan or four door hatchback.

The Corolla Cross is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q3 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Corolla Cross as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Corolla outsold the Audi Q3 by over 11 to one during 2022.