Audi Q3 vs BYD Atto 3

What's the difference?

I hate how this car has challenged my long-held belief that coupe SUVs are silly. Even more so than other notable examples I’ve driven, like Mercedes’ GLC 53.

It’s so sleek and stylish, drives beautifully, and is so packed with immersive technology that I had to triple check the price. The Sportback takes everything good about the Q3 and makes it even better looking with barely a penalty to practicality. Bravo.

Like its interior design, you may find the BYD Atto 3 Extended Range to be a divisive experience. On the one hand, I like how well it handles in the city and the playful design.

The car feels roomy and the boot is a good size but this is not an open-roader. If you plan on doing weekend escapes in this, think again. This is a car that likes the city and will complain if you venture outside of its limits.

I do like the affordable price tag, considering it's an EV, and the features you get but that open-road ride needs improvement.

This is the best-looking coupe SUV I’ve seen. Do you agree?

You could argue the Porsche Macan is up there alongside it, and I’d agree, but it’s also at least $20K more expensive.

Volvo’s XC40 maybe comes close in terms of exterior appeal, but it isn’t a coupe.

You can see elements of Lamborghini Urus (an Audi subsidiary) in the air dams and roofline, and there’s a complexity to it which hints at the tech within.

In fact, I’d say this Audi is so swish I kind of understand now. This is what coupe SUVs are meant to be about. Redefining the ‘SUV look’, inside and out.

Why pretend SUVs are about off-roading anymore? They’re really about comfort and convenience in the confines of a city.

Of course, the ‘inside’ bit comes naturally to the Q3, which has a swish, simplistic, but wonderfully advanced cockpit.

The design is upright, but not imposing, spacious, but not barren. The slight driver focus of the vents, touchscreen, and controls is noted and appreciated.

Both screens are ultra-high resolution, sharp and crisp to look at, and it adds so much to the lustre of everything you use, fitting seamlessly with the sharp and detailed lines in the dash. The fully adjustable LED interior ambient lighting is wholly unnecessary but does make it a nice place to be at night, and changing the colours entertained my family members no end.

Virtual Cockpit is still unrivalled for its aesthetics and ease of use, too. The wheel is even notable for its neat proportions and comfortable shape.

What don’t I like? The tall plasticky shift-knob still looks like it belongs in a base-model VW Polo, and some padding around the centre tunnel for the knees would be appreciated.

The exterior is quite understated and you might not necessarily pick this out as being an EV at first glance. It has a nice-looking profile that immediately identifies it as a medium SUV and it should appeal to owners who want something that looks smart but won't stand out on the road.

There are some cool design elements like the textured chrome panelling on the C-pillar and bonnet, which enhances the BYD badging. The LED strip lighting for the daytime running lights and tail-lights do lean more towards the futuristic vibe that EVs usually showcase.

The interior is where the fun has been had but it's likely to be divisive. The three-tone synthetic leather trims have some pizzazz but not everyone will like the black, white and navy combo.

That said, I like the contrasting red detailing on the piping, stitching and elastic door pocket cords.

The curvy dashboard features a white panel that looks like a flexed muscle (and not in a Magic Mike way!). The air vents remind me of the Echo Base on planet Hoth in Star Wars, which will always be cool to me, but my husband thinks they look like stacked drink coasters.

The rotary door handles are a total vibe and the adjustable ambient lighting manages to tie it all together but while it's great that BYD has had fun in here, not all of it lands for me.

We like the practicality in the regular Q3, but is the Sportback too compromised? Let’s take a look

The front two passengers are treated to a spacious and airy cabin, with loads of glass and space for your elbows. You can adjust the height of the centre box to suit your driving position, and there are no complaints when it comes to leg- or headroom.

Tech spills out of the dash and into your hands. USB-A, USB-C and wireless connectivity are available to you. In fact, wireless Apple CarPlay is as revolutionary as keyless entry.

You set it up once and that’s it. Just turn the car on, leave the phone in your pocket and the media system does the rest. The cost is a slight input lag, but the payoff of just being able to throw your phone in the charging bay or simply leave it in your pocket and forget about it is well worth it.

Storage areas are abundant for front passengers with big cupholders with a large centre slot for a phone or wallet perhaps, the large wireless charging bay and a small but useful centre console box.

There are also small bottle holders in the doors and a decently-sized glove box.

A small annoyance comes from the high-resolution screen. Some items become too fine to accurately jab at without taking your eyes off the road, particularly in Apple CarPlay mode. Thankfully all essentials, like the climate and volume controls have physical dials.

Visibility out the front and sides for the driver is fantastic, although there’s no denying the smaller rear aperture in the Sportback’s design makes seeing out the rear a bit more difficult.

Rear passengers are treated to a customizable area. The rear seats are on rails, and I found my legroom to be more than adequate in the standard, furthest-back position. I could have moved the seat about 20 per cent further forward without running into issues.

Height is a different story. I’m 182cm (6.0ft) tall and fit okay with maybe a couple of centimetres space above my head. My slightly taller brother (around 185cm) had his head pretty much up against the roof. The standard Q3 had no such issues, but it’s worth considering if you plan to regularly transport taller family or friends.

The back of the rear seats are clad in plastic which looks nasty but will be good for those with kids, and rear passengers can make use of two USB-C ports, a 12V outlet and dual adjustable air vents on the back of the centre stack.

Boot space comes in at 530 litres (VDA) with all seats in their default positions which proved more than enough for our largest CarsGuide suitcase, some duffel bags, and camera equipment.

It can be adjusted up to 1400L with all the seats stowed. Apparently, this is no less than the regular Q3, which would make sense as the space is meant to be measured to the parcel shelf, before the more aggressive roofline starts to cut its shape.

As soon as you slide in, you're pleasantly surprised by how roomy it feels. I have plenty of leg- and headroom in both rows for my 168cm (5'6") height. Which is impressive given the massive panoramic sunroof.

Both front seats are heated and electric with the driver's side sporting a six-way adjustment, while the passenger is only four-way.

However, due to the sports-like seat style, the headrests are fixed which may annoy taller drivers. There is no lumbar support either and, trust me, you'll notice it on a longer trip. Ouch.

Up front, the individual storage is good with an extra deep middle console and a shelf that sits underneath the 'e-shifter'. Plus, there is a glove box and a handy utility tray that houses the wireless charging pad.

The back seat is very comfortable and individual storage is adequate for the odd passenger with two map pockets and four device pockets available.

The drink bottle holders and cupholders (two in each row) are a tad skinny, though, and two regular-sized takeaway coffee cups will overlap at the lid.

Charging options are good throughout with each row getting an USB-A and USB-C port, the front also gets a 12-volt socket.

However, the ports are hidden in the shelf of the middle console and I'd prefer to have the media port up top as it's wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 12.8-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks massive on the pared back dashboard and it rotates, allowing you to choose portrait or landscape mode. However, this function is disabled while using Apple CarPlay.

The system is pretty simple to use and the graphics are clear but a lot of functions are buried in sub-menus. Like the heated seat function. I honestly kept forgetting it had them.

I like to drive with the headlights on, as a defensive driving technique, but that dims the screen during the day so much you can't really see it.

The Dirac sound system with eight speakers is sufficient but I noticed the sound quality on my calls was a bit tinny.

The 5.0-inch digital instrument panel's positioning on the steering wheel means you don't miss having a head-up display but the alignment is off by a millimetre or so. Just enough to annoy someone with mild OCD.

The boot space is the highlight for me, though, with its 440L of capacity. You can bump that up to 1340L with the rear seats folded and the rear seats have a 40/60 split-fold.

You'll be making do with a puncture repair kit as there isn't a spare tyre but the powered tailgate was super handy this week on my grocery run.

Curiously, there is no 'frunk' storage, despite there being plenty of room for one.

There's something appealing about BYD's simple and straightforward marketing and purchasing strategy - what you see, is what you get.

There are only two models to choose from, the Standard Range and, our model, the Extended Range. As the name suggests, our model has the longer driving range but there's not that much difference in the specifications between the two outside of that.

One colour - 'Ski White' - is no cost, while 'Parkour Red', 'Surf Blue', 'Boulder Grey' and 'Forest Green' cost $700 extra.

Our model will now cost $51,011 to purchase (before on-road costs), that's a $3630 price hike since the start of the year! Even with the new price, it's more affordable than its nearest rivals with the MG priced at $55,990 and the Leaf e+ at $61,490.

However, you do get a decent number of features for your cash, like heated front seats, electric front seats, a panoramic sunroof, synthetic three-tone leather trims, adjustable ambient lighting, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and some decent tech (more on that later).

All external lights are LEDs, with headlights having an automatic function and there are two levels of regenerative braking to choose from.

There are some great practical features, too, like a darkened headliner, powered tailgate and 'lock charging port' function (in case you need to leave you car while it's on charge).

Powering 35 TFSI variants is a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 110kW/250Nm. It’s mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and powers the front wheels only.

An all-wheel drive version with a 2.0-litre engine is available further up the range.

The Atto 3 Extended Range is a full EV with a single motor powered by a 60.48kWh lithium-ion blade battery. It is a front-wheel drive and has a maximum power output of 150kW and 310Nm of torque.

So, it’s not the most powerful on the market but will certainly get you from A to B with ease and you can go from 0-100km/h in just 7.3 seconds.

The 35 TFSI has a claimed/combined fuel consumption figure of 7.3L/100km, against which I scored 8.4L/100km on my weekly test.

That number's very good for something this size, probably helped along by the 35 TFSI's relatively light 1545kg kerb weight.

Oddly, and unlike most VW Group vehicles with similar drivetrains, the Q3 35 TFSI does not have a stop/start system.

The 35 TFSI requires 95 RON premium unleaded petrol and has a 60-litre fuel tank.

Let’s talk charging. The Atto 3 has a Type 2 Combo CCS charging port and the on-board DC charger has up to 80kW of capacity.

What does that mean? Well, if you were to plug it in at home on a 7.0kW AC charger, you'd be able to go from flat to a full charge in roughly 10 hours.

Plug it into a 50kW fast charger, and you'd see that time drop to around one hour to get from 10 to 80 per cent charge. However, that capacity means it can't accept the faster 350kW charging speeds on ultra-fast chargers.

The official energy consumption is 16kWh/100km and my on-board figure was 14.7kWh.

It has an official driving range of 480km NEDC (420km WLTP), which is better than some on the market but I got major range anxiety this week!

It feels like it chews through its power. Since it's school holidays, I’ve been doing mostly longer open-road drives and have had to charge it three times already! Over three road trips, I've averaged a little over 200km of driving and saw my percentage go from 100 down to an average of 34 per cent at the end of each trip. 

The Q3 offers a slick, modern, and comfortable drive, but not one without its flaws.

The ride is superb. A great balance of sportiness and damping, the Q3 keeps it stable in the corners, but comfortable over bumps. This was helped along by comfort-spec Hankook tyres on our car, and the 19-inch wheels proved to be a sensible size.

The only thing which seemed to transmit unpleasantness into the cabin was the dampers going out of frequency on rutted roads. I couldn’t help but note the similarity of the Q3’s ride characteristics to those of the new VW T-Roc, a size under.

Inside is quiet and refined, and all of the Q3’s features are ergonomic and easy to use to the point where you take it for granted. But with the Sportback’s cropped rear window, seeing out the rear isn’t as easy as it is in the regular Q3.

The engine has sufficient power when the boost, and subsequently peak torque, sets in, the trouble is this can all happen very suddenly.

There’s a delay when stomping on the go-pedal, which is replaced a full second thereafter with a surge of torque. It takes a bit of getting used to working in a moment of restraint while you wait for power to arrive.

Get impatient, and the Q3 will simply spin its wheels off the line. It’s not a problem isolated to this car, but one I also found in other VW Group vehicles with similar drivetrains. The Tiguan comes to mind.

A neat trick is setting the Q3 into the sportier ‘Dynamic’ mode and then switching the transmission from ‘S’ to the regular Drive. This gives you the best of a more responsive powertrain without having the transmission hang around in gears for too long.

The six-speed can still be caught out fairly easily as it tries to be ‘smart’ about its changes to a fault. I wonder how well its computer would go about learning your driving patterns long-term.

All up, the Q3 offers a nice balance of SUV comfort and hatch-like sportiness thanks to its light frame. The turbo engine has its small issues, but there are no red flags here for urban commuters.

The driving lets this down for me. It's not as zippy as other EVs I've sampled and can even feel a bit sluggish when you accelerate from a full stop. However, it has enough kick for open-road driving, if you're desperate.

Desperate is the key word, though, because this is a total city-slicker. Around town, it handles itself well in tight streets and corners (that 11m turning circle is a charm) but isn't as confidently placed on the road at higher speeds.

And if you happen to be driving on the open-road on a blustery day, it's no fun at all. It shifts and squirms in the lane, with the cabin noise rising to din levels.

Ride comfort is generally good with suspension that feels cushioned but not floaty around the city. Different story on the open-road!

The controls and e-shifter are all well-placed in the middle console but I'd prefer the start-button to be located somewhere else. I mistook it for the ‘Park’ button a few times, which annoyed me.

The regenerative braking can be adjusted to two levels, low and high. Even on the highest setting, it doesn’t have a big physical presence but there's enough to know it's working.

The Atto 3 earns back a couple of points for being stupidly easy to park. The 360-degree view camera system is super clear and I didn’t have to be too choosy with car spaces either because of its size.

This has a good list of safety features coming as standard, like blind-spot monitoring, lane departure alert, lane keeping aids, rear cross-traffic alert and braking, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, 360-degree view camera system, as well as front and rear parking sensors.

It has autonomous emergency braking with forward collision warning and features car, pedestrian, cyclist and junction turning assistance. It's operational from 4.0-85km/h (up to 150km/h for car detection).

The Atto 3 was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022 and has seven airbags, including a front centre airbag.

If you have a couple of kids, you’ll like the ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tethers, but two seats will fit best. 

Curiously, there is evidence of ISOFIX mounts on the front passenger seat which need to be removed for our market, instead of just being 'disabled'.

Audi’s standard warranty offer of three years and unlimited kilometres is annoyingly short, but not unexpected from a premium brand.

The pressure is on though, with Mercedes-Benz and newcomer, Genesis, now offering five years of warranty coverage, as well as Japanese stalwart Lexus offering four years.

Audi was even considering making a promotional five-year unlimited kilometre warranty permanent at the time of writing, so hopefully that has come to pass by the time you’re reading this review. Time will tell.

Where Audi makes ground back though is its very competitive service pricing. We’d strongly recommend bundling in an Audi ‘Genuine Care’ service plan at the time of purchase which will make your servicing much cheaper.

Three years of servicing for the Q3 under this scheme is $1610, while five years is $2630 it’s worth it. All Q3s require servicing once every 12 months or 15,000km.

BYD backtracked from its original warranty launch offer of seven years/unlimited km and the Atto 3 now comes with a six-year/150,000km main warranty.

But the battery has an eight-year/160,000km warranty, which is more in line with the market.

You can choose between two servicing plans – 'Light’ for those who do under 12,000km per year and a ‘Standard’ plan for those who do more. 

Given my open-road and charging experience, I'd say it's a good bet you'll be on the light plan.

On the light plan, services are capped at $189 per year for five-years or up to 60,000km – whichever occurs first.

On the standard plan, which spans eight-years or up to 160,000km, you can expect to pay an average of $299 per service. 

Both plans are fairly affordable but the recommended servicing intervals are every 12 months/20,000 which is a term you often see on a fuel-based car, not an EV.