2019 Audi Q3 Quattro, A Sporty Compact
It’s hard to have a vehicle you would really love to drive all over the country, but shelter-in-place limits the miles and places you can go. Such was the case recently when I had my first 2019 Audi Q3. To make matters even worse, this was an upscale S Line TFSI model. A model begging to be driven and enjoyed. The Q3 S line quattro model comes standard equipped with a full-paint finish S line exterior including S line front and rear bumpers, side sills, and badging, and 19-inch 5-twin-spoke design wheels with all-season tires.
The Q3 comes standard with a robust 2.0-liter TFSI® engine, which generates 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Its four-cylinder engine is mated to an eight-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission. Drivers can accelerate to 60 mph in a respectable 7 seconds. It’s always nice when you can experience the room and comfort of a compact SUV and still feel some sportiness when your foot hits the accelerator.
The Q3 interior controls are angled toward the driver, helping to keep the drivers eyes on the road while looking to change radio stations, temperatures or other things that one needs to do when driving. Making vision easier as well, my Q3 was equipped with a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster and 10.1 inch touchscreen. The standard model has a slightly smaller 10.25 inch cluster and 8.8 inch touchscreen. The infotainment functions blend into the black panel stretching across the dashboard. As I have often said, I do prefer dials, such as were the standard many years ago, but had no problem finding my favorite SiriusXM stations on the Q3.
Plenty Of features to Love
Audi has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to special features in their vehicles. I remember ten years ago being marveled with the instrumentation and features I found on an Audi at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. On my Q3, I was amazed at yet another feature I have seen on no other vehicle – a handwriting recognition system with whole-word input. This offers an easy way to enter information such as telephone contacts or navigation destinations – when one is stationary of course!
Audi pre sense® pedestrian detection uses a camera to monitor the area in front of the vehicle and provides visual and acoustic warnings to help alert potentially hazardous situations. My Q3 was also equipped with side assist with lane departure warning. A feature I have loved since it was first introduced is blind spot monitoring. My model sported LED indicators on the exterior mirror housings.
Overall, the all-Audi system allows easy access to various vehicle functions. Convenient-voice control helps turn the Q3 into an intelligent travel assistant. Both my wife and I enjoy being able to speak commands and questions and marvel at the responses we get from the Q3 which provides answers through on-board stored data or even information from the cloud.
The base MSRP of the 2019 Audi Q3 S line 45 is $36,000 even. My model was equipped with the special Prestige Package which added $6,900 to that base. I found the Q3 a great choice for those looking for German precision and the special touches one seeks in their compact SUV. It’s well worth a test drive whenever one can get out to visit their local dealer.
