Audi Q3 vs BMW 2 Series

What's the difference?

The Audi Q3 Sportback S line 40 TFSI quattro is a quiet achiever.

Not as flashy or performance driven as some of its rivals, it still manages to tick almost every box when it comes to comfort and features. Like most models in the class, space in the back seat is modest but for a top-spec non-performance model, the price is alright and it’s lovely to drive.

The sleek 2 Series Gran Coupe has injected some life into the sedan segment and adds another dimension to BMW’s line-up.

After spending a week with the 118i hatch and another week with the 218i Gran Coupe, I would pick the hatch because it suits my needs better and has a more understated design, at least from the A-pillar back.

But there is little to fault in the 218i, aside from the obviously higher price compared with a mainstream sedan like a Mazda3. But, as with the hatch, if you want something a little more premium and a little more special, then this funky sedan is well worth considering.

The Q3 Sportback blends the practicality of an SUV with a sports-car presence due to its wide 2022mm stance and coupe-styled rear. With the black accents across the body, big 20-inch alloys and sharp Matrix LED headlights, the Q3 Sportback more than holds its own against the sporty prowess of its rivals.

The cabin establishes that it sits within the premium market with its leather mix upholstery and flashy-looking tech that headlines an angular dashboard. However, it's understated compared to its rivals, which all boast a stronger cabin presence.

Overall, it's not a ‘look at me car’ but the longer you look, the better it gets.

From the front, the 2 Series Gran Coupe carries the same face as the handsome 1 Series hatchback. But from the A-pillar back, it’s a completely different look. 

BMW’s ‘Gran Coupe’ series of models - 2, 4 and 8 Series - are not just regular sedans. They are sleeker, with a coupe-like sloping roofline and a more squat stance. It’s BMW’s way of making sedans sexy. And it has worked on each of those models.

The 218i’s boot sits up high and the rear treatment with the wide slimline tail-lights and integrated boot lip spoiler make the car visually appealing. I prefer the look of the 1 Series hatch, but appreciate the sleek sedan.

As with the hatch, the 218i’s interior is a modern take on the unmistakable BMW cabin, and for the most part it’s a successful design.

The Q3 Sportback offers plenty of head- and legroom up front, with access that is accommodating because of the wider door apertures.

Like its rivals, the back seat offers modest space for my 168cm height, but it might be a squeeze if you taller. The middle seat suffers the most with legroom due to the tall transmission tunnel – keep this seat for kids only.

However, all other seats offer well-rounded comfort with decent-padding, side bolsters and the front get extendable under-thigh and lumbar supports, as well as heat functions.

The rear row also gets directional air vents, reading lights, two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket. Longer trips will be comfortable for four occupants but five will elicit some grumbles.

Storage is good for the class with a glovebox that can fit a manual, a medium-sized middle console and a large phone tray. There are four cupholders and four drink-bottle holders throughout the car, and the rear row also get two map pockets.

The boot offers class leading space with its 530L capacity and only the BMW X2 beats it (by 30L). Storage options open up again with the 40/20/40 split of the rear row. The top model gets a powered tailgate with gesture control and temporary spare tyre.

Technology looks high-end and the touchscreen multimedia system is easy enough to use once you get your head around the menus. The built-in satellite navigation is top notch and the directions are pulled through to the digital instrument cluster.

The Q3 now gets wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. The CarPlay maintained a steady connection this week. Charging options are great with a total of four USB--C ports, two 12-volt sockets and a wireless charging pad to choose from.

The main key difference between the 1 and 2 Series is the boot capacity. But in terms of interior appointments, not much separates the two.

Our 218i test car was optioned with black ‘Dakota’ leather trim, which does not look or feel particularly premium. The blue pattern trim in the 118i hatch was much more visually appealing, helping to break up the dark greys of the cabin. But in the 218i, it just makes everything look rather dark and gloomy.

As with the 118i, the BMW 'iDrive' controller and multimedia touchscreen are top notch, all controls come to hand easily, and the dash is angled to the driver. For more details on the interior, check out my 118i review.

The bigger differences are in the second row. The Gran Coupe has less headroom compared with the hatch, due to the sloping roofline and the optional sunroof.

Both body styles share the same 2670mm wheelbase, which should mean legroom is the same. For some reason the 218i feels ever so slightly tighter in the rear, but we are splitting hairs here.

Rear-seat occupants have access to two USB-C ports, map pockets and, unlike the hatchback, the Gran Coupe has a central fold-down armrest with two cupholders. Tall bottles will fit in the door storage compartment. Sadly the 218i lacks any rear air vents.

The doors also have a smaller aperture, so it’s not as easy to get in and out of compared to the hatch.

The rear seats fold 60/40 via levers in boot. Speaking of which, the boot can swallow 430 litres of cargo, which easily exceeds the 380L capacity of the 118i hatch. It also matches the boot space in the Mercedes-Benz A180 sedan and is just five litres bigger than the Audi A3 35 TFSI sedan.

Determining whether the BMW 218i Gran Coupe represents good value is tricky. Because you can get any number of small sedans from mainstream brands - like the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza and more - for much less money, but with similar, or in some cases, more kit.

But if you’ve been 'glamoured' by the BMW badge and couldn’t possibly buy something non-European, the good news is the Bavarian brand is much better at including standard features than it used to be.

Could there be more standard gear for the price in this car? Absolutely. But, it’s not a slim features list either.

The 218i kicks off the 2 Series Gran Coupe line-up from $56,900, before on-road costs. From there you can step up into the 220i ($59,900) which gets a little more power and torque, and then there’s the sporty M235i xDrive Gran Coupe in Pure ($74,900) and regular guise ($79,900).

The price difference between the 218i sedan and the 118i hatchback I reviewed recently, is $7000. That is a massive uptick in price for a vehicle that, underneath, is identical. Essentially you’re paying for the boot.

It’s especially surprising when you consider the price gap between the hatch and sedan versions of its chief rival - the Mercedes-Benz A-Class A180 - is just $1700. While the Audi A3 35 TFSI sedan is only $2500 more than the Sportback hatch.

A lot of mainstream brands don’t charge any extra for a sedan body style over the hatch model in the small segment. Take a bow Mazda3, Kia Cerato and Toyota Corolla.

Our test vehicle keeps it's tried and tested 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which produces 132kW of power and 320Nm of torque. Those outputs are slightly less than most of its nearest rivals and it sports a slower sprint time of 7.8 seconds.

The Q3 Sportback is a quattro, which means it has an all-wheel drive and it boasts a silky-smooth seven-speed auto transmission.

While it doesn't induce strong sports-car vibes on road, it’s not a car you'd ever have the audacity to call slow.

Mirroring the 118i, the 218i uses BMW’s three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, with power and torque outputs of 103kW and 220Nm, respectively. This compares to 110kW/250Nm for the base Audi A3 and 100kW/200Nm for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

The 218i uses a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission driving the front wheels only.

According to BMW, the 218i can complete the 0-100km/h dash in 8.7 seconds - 0.2sec slower than the hatch.

The official combined fuel cycle figure is 8.2L/100km, but the real-world usage is at 8.6L after doing a mix of open-road and urban driving. Considering the lack of restraint shown for really giving this model a real 'go' on the open-road, the fuel usage is respectable.

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and 60L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range of up to 732km, which is good for any longer road trips you might want to tackle.

On the official combined fuel cycle, the 218i uses 5.9 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres - the same as the 118i hatch. After a week of mixed driving, I recorded a figure of 9.1L/100km, which is quite a bit more than that official figure.

In terms of CO2 the official emissions figure is 135g/km and the 218i requires 95 RON premium fuel for its 50-litre fuel tank.

The power delivery for the Q3 Sportback S line model is effortless. It doesn’t have the thrum or burbling of a turbo, but the power is well and truly there whenever you need it. So, while not as ‘powerful’ as some of its rivals, you don’t feel like you’re missing out.

The low and wide stance of the Q3 Sportback translates to nimble and direct handling – you can take corners at speed with almost no roll and the steering sits within the goldilocks zone for firmness.

A downside is the cabin noise, which is fairly loud with road and wind no matter the speed – but you don't have to raise your voice. You'd expect a bit of noise with the big wheels, but you always hope for more refinement at this grade level.

The Q3 isn’t difficult to park, but it does take a moment to get your bearings on how it fits a space, as it’s bigger than you might expect. The 360-degree camera is super clear, which takes out a lot of the guesswork.

The car feels like an extension of you as a driver which elevates the overall on-road experience despite not being a performance model. This would be well-suited for a driver who wants great on-road performance without feeling like someone who is in a mid-life crisis.

If you love the look of the 2 Series Gran Coupe but are after an extra dollop of performance, the all-wheel drive 225kW/450Nm M235i xDrive is the pick of the range.

But don’t think the 218i is a lazy performer - it’s far from it.

The 218i’s acceleration is responsive, even quick, and it offers more than enough straight-line performance to satisfy most drivers. 

On take-off there is some turbo lag, which isn’t helped by the fuel-saving idle-stop system, however that can be switched off, which we did every time we got behind the wheel.

Momentum was a little blunted by a steep hill, but other than that, no complaints about the sweet engine.

Steering is weighted on the heavier side but it is sharp.

As is expected of a BMW sedan, the 218i is engineered for engaging handling, and the balanced chassis and well-tuned suspension set-up encourage enthusiastic driving.  

Excellent road-holding and grip ensured it did not come unstuck on uneven roads and overall the 218i feels really solid. Those front-wheel drive naysayers have officially been put in their place!

'Sport' mode livens things up with a noticeable improvement to throttle response.

The ride seems more supple at speed, but can feel on the firmer side in urban driving. But nothing that would strike it from your shopping list.

The 2 Series Gran Coupe carries over the maximum five-star ANCAP crash safety rating awarded to the mechanically related 1 Series hatch. The test was conducted in 2019.

Standard safety equipment includes low-speed auto emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention alert, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, cruise control, and six airbags - although it doesn’t include a front centre airbag.

The Q3 comes with a five-year/unlimited-km warranty, which is a normal term for the class.

You can pre-purchase a five-year servicing plan, which costs $3330 overall, or $666 per service which is competitive for the premium segment.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km whichever occurs first.

The 218i comes with BMW’s three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty - a term that is well behind the majority of its competitors that offer five-year/unlimited kilometre cover. 

Rather than an annual service schedule, BMW uses ‘condition-based servicing’, which essentially means that the vehicle’s computer will inform you when the car needs a service.

BMW’s 'Service Inclusive' pre-paid plan covers owners for five years or 80,000km for the 2 Series, and involves a $1700 up-front payment. It averages out to $340 per service, which is actually pretty reasonable for a high-end brand.