Audi Q3 1.5 TFSI (A) vs BMW X1 sDrive16i M Sport (A)

From the Audi A3 1.0 Sedan to the BMW 216i Gran Coupe, the past months have seen premium brands here introduce new, right-sized variants of their compact models to bring the cost of entry into their lineup down as COE prices continue to climb.

And the Audi Q3 and BMW X1 we have gathered here follow from the same vein. With compact 1.5-litre engines, both models offer all the appeal of a car from a premium marque and a very much in-trend crossover body, without an exorbitant road tax or fuel bill.

This combination alone should ensure that many examples of both will join the tide of crossovers already plying our roads. So, just which one should you pick?

Close rivals, but very different

Both models compete for market share in the same premium crossover segment, but there's plenty that set these cars apart.

To start, the engine in the Q3 produces a total of 148bhp, while the one in the X1 pushes out a total of 121bhp. So, the Q3 gets registered here with a Cat B COE, while the X1 manages to duck under the criteria to be registered here with a Cat A COE.

Then there's the fact that while the Q3 has been with us since we first drove it in January 2020 (it joins us for this comparison test by now being available here with a 1.5-litre engine), this BMW X1 is practically brand new.

Step into the cars and this difference in age shows. The interior of the Q3 is a mix of black and grey surfaces, and adopts a more conventional centre console layout with a gear selector lever.

The X1's dashboard, however, is more current, with ambient lighting that projects your selected colour across the width of the dashboard, and a centre console that places your smartphone at the forefront. The floating armrest of the X1 also ends in a control panel that sports a rocker style gear selector, a common design choice in many new vehicles.

Cast your view further upward and you'll be met with the 10.1-inch Audi MMI infotainment display in the Q3, which is much loved for its responsiveness and intuitiveness alike.

The BMW's Operating System 8 within the 10.25-inch infotainment screen, meanwhile, trades a little intuitiveness away with its wide array of submenus, but the car counters with one of the best voice recognition systems I've yet tried.

And very different to drive as well

The differences between both cars when it comes to the drive offered is even more startling.

With a century sprint time of 9.4 seconds as opposed to the BMW X1's 10.5 second time, you'd expect the Audi to feel like the faster car. And it does when you're really pushing it, but only because the X1 feels breathless at the top of its rev range.

Driven at the typical half-throttle applications that most people use on the road however, the Q3's drivetrain reveals its own shortcomings. Call for power in the Q3 and the seven-speed gearbox in the Q3 is not only slow to execute downshifts, but also prone to lurching ahead once it has snapped up a suitable ratio.

And cabin comfort is also compromised in the Q3, thanks to an engine that sounds outright gruff by the standards expected from a premium product, even one from the compact classes.

Not that the X1 is completely flawless to pilot. Opt for your car in M Sport trim as we have been offered here and you'll get your car complete with an adaptive M suspension, which is unashamed of making known the fact that the road surface is not glass smooth to all seated within.

For the more enthusiastic driver, this setup pairs well with the steering, which is fairly light and quick off the centre to make the X1 feel sporty and nimble on the go. But if long trips up North are part of the expected repertoire of your premium crossover, you'd honestly be better off with the unperturbed ride that the Q3 offers.

Different propositions for different buyers

At $253,445, the Audi Q3 is asking for a bit of a premium above the $245,888 that this X1 can be had for. If you can make do without features including an anthracite headliner, and a leather steering wheel with gearshift paddles, there's additionally the option to get your X1 in the xLine trim, which comes in at $243,888, further raising the price difference between the X1 and the Q3 (all prices as of 14 March 2023).

For being the more affordable premium crossover, and appealing to the driver with the more accomplished drivetrain and interior, I'd rather join the sea of crossovers with the X1.


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