Page 16 - Motor Trend (January 2020)

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SUVOTY I Contenders
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Audi Q3
PRO Futuristic IP and console • Nimble handling • Big rear seat for its class
CON Lots of interior plastic • Bouncy ride • Merely adequate powertrain
ollowing industry trends, Audi touchscreen infotainment console. It’s plain and stark and judges agreed that its handling
has allowed its subcompact system—will make prospective headed by a blank panel, where felt light and nimble, they also
FQ3 crossover to grow into buyers feel like they’ve stepped the ignition button and volume agreed it was prone to bounc-
something that can fit standard- into a much more expensive knob have been seemingly iness on rough pavement. The
sized Americans. model. Our top-shelf Prestige dropped into a sea of plastic. powertrain felt adequate but
The first impression is strong. S-Line tester was well equipped The judges had universal potentially overmatched by a full
Familiar Audi exterior styling with a premium stereo, adaptive praise for the enlarged, capa- load of passengers and cargo.
is smartly tailored to the small cruise control, and a 360-degree cious rear seat—bonus points for Despite its vaunted Quattro AWD
package, so much so that it was camera, justifying its $8,200 USB ports and separate vents— system, the Q3’s off-road abilities
often mistaken for the identically premium over a base model. even if it comes at a cost to cargo split the judges.
hued and decidedly more expen- The price becomes harder to space. Audi’s implementation of Instead of a tall A3, we got a
sive E-Tron. justify, however, when your eyes wireless Apple CarPlay is notably smaller, less expensive Q5. That’s
Similarly, the dashboard—with dip below chest level, where better than BMW’s. all well and good, but it doesn’t
its standard digital instrument cheap plastic abounds. Multiple Opinions on driving perfor- move the needle much in its class.
cluster and wide, frameless judges called out the center mance were mixed. Although the Scott Evans
SPECS 2019 Audi Q3 S-Line
Base Price/As Tested $40,095/$44,745
Power (SAE net) 228 hp @ 5,000 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 258 lb-ft @ 1,700 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 8.5 sec
Quarter Mile 16.5 sec @ 85.4 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 125 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.79 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 28.4 sec @ 0.65 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 19/27/22 mpg

Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Engine/Transmission 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/8-speed automatic Curb Weight (F/R
Dist) 3,944 lb (57/43%) Wheelbase 105.5 in Length x Width x Height 176.6 x 72.8 x 64.1 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy 177/125 kW-hr/100 miles
CO2 Emissions, Comb 0.88 lb/mile

Audi Q8

PRO Sporty exterior design • Modern interior • Great cargo room
CON Falls short as flagship SUV • Hatchback or SUV? • Hard to see its value

ith handsome exterior profile is less pronounced than its
design and a beautifully competition.
Wstyled interior, the Q8 is The Q8 was one of the most
ready to fight the growing group talked-about vehicles in this
of SUV coupes. Despite these year’s test. Like the rest of Audi’s The driving dynamics received wind noise and a surprising
attributes, Audi’s flagship SUV premium lineup, the Q8’s interior mixed comments. On winding amount of impact harshness.
drew mixed reviews. Some judges got high marks. In addition to roads, some judges thought the In the sand and off-road, the
liked its sporty handling; others having plenty of passenger and Q8 had a composed ride with Quattro AWD system showed its
criticized the Q8’s value and its cargo room, it was the tech- little body roll. With the optional capability, but the ABS and trac-
ability to deliver on its premise. nology that truly impressed the air suspension, it feels agile and tion control systems protested
The Q8 is a looker from any judges. The instrument panel leans in nicely in the corners. But when more grip was needed.
angle. Its octagonal grille and shows Audi’s Virtual Cockpit with other judges thought it didn’t live The Q8 has a tasteful design
the sharp lines on its hood go Google Maps and navigation, up to its sporty styling. Although and an elegant interior, but it
well with its strong fenders and and there are two other screens the Audi had good high-speed doesn’t bring anything unique to
character lines. But its fastback in the center console. stability, judges noted a lot of the table. Miguel Cortina

SPECS 2019 Audi Q8 Prestige
Base Price/As Tested $68,395/$90,440
Power (SAE net) 335 hp @ 5,000 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 369 lb-ft @ 1,370 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 5.9 sec
Quarter Mile 14.4 sec @ 97.6 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 141 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.83 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 26.9 sec @ 0.69 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 17/22/19 mpg
Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Engine/Transmission 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6/8-speed automatic Curb Weight (F/R
Dist) 5,163 lb (54/46%) Wheelbase 117.9 in Length x Width x Height 196.6 x 78.5 x 67.2 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy 198/153 kW-hr/100 miles CO2
Emissions, Comb 1.02 lb/mile
16 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2020