Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Audi's Q3 has always been a real winner in our eyes. It's a sales success, and it's easy to see why. All-wheel drive, a luxurious interior, and plenty of the latest tech, all at an attractive price point, have helped keep the Q3 a viable alternative to a deluge of German luxury compacts. For 2026, the Q3 is brand new, and brings with it new questions such as: "What's all that crap behind the steering wheel?" and "Did we really need to be doing all that?"2026 Updates: A New Q3 Enters The FrayAudiView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleAdvertisementAdvertisementTo answer those, let's back up a hair and go over what's new. The Q3 has the requisite new looks, including an updated grille and fresh lighting elements incorporated into the grille to make them look a bit like intakes. The body also gets more noticeable fender flares and an updated rear end. The big news, though, is on the inside, where Audi has fitted a new control system to the Q3's wheel, which seeks to do away with the traditional stalks and buttons in favor of slightly different stalks and buttons. It looks nice, at least. A new Android-based infotainment system also makes an appearance, with larger displays and improved performance.How Much Will All This New Q3 Cost?AudiTo say the Q3 lineup has been simplified is an understatement. Just one trim is available for 2026: a Q3 S Line Quattro. The rest is handled by à la carte options, which our test car has plenty of. The Q3 starts at $43,700, but ours totaled nearly $10k more, at $51,790 with options and destination charges. Some important ones are a $1,250 Driver Assistance package, which assists the driver with adaptive cruise control, parking assistance, a top-view camera, and a heated steering wheel. The Infotainment Package, $1,000, also adds a nice SONOS sound system and USB-C ports. The rest is largely unnecessary or cosmetic.Need New Tires? Save Up To 30% at Tire RackFind the perfect tires for your exact vehicle and driving style. Click here to shop all top-tier brands, including Michelin, Bridgestone, and more, directly at Tire Rack.What's Under The Hood?AudiThe Q3's powertrain sees some tweaks for 2026. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder now makes 255 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Q3's added grunt is enough to help it feel much more spritely.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt's sort of like driving a big GTI (which it basically is). The Q3's DCT feels quick to shift up through the gears, and the car feels light on its feet and plenty nimble. The interior also feels a bit quieter during normal driving, too. Regardless, the powertrain adds a little fun to the SUV equation and helps lend some credibility to the Q3's muscular new looks. We imagine an eventual SQ3 could be a genuinely fun sporty SUV. For now, the 5.3-second run to 60 mph is enough. "Adequate" might also describe the Q3's 25 MPG combined, no doubt hampered by the SUV's all-wheel drive system.Reinventing The WheelAudiView the 2 images of this gallery on the original articleThe big fuss for 2026 is the new stalk system, which largely unnecessarily reinvents the wheel. There was nothing wrong with the traditional turn signal and cruise control stalks in the old Q3. These are... an addition. The new controls take a bit of learning - not having a wiper arm is strange, but enough cars have moved to the column-mounted shifter that this feels natural enough.Still, some ergonomic issues did emerge. For one, the new design is shorter than your usual turn signal stalks. I think the idea here is that you can manipulate all of the controls without your hands leaving the wheel, which does largely work. However, sometimes your hands are a bit off, and you'll find yourself looking for a turn signal stalk that seems to have disappeared. Then, you'll compensate and inevitably hit the wrong control.AdvertisementAdvertisementOn a few occasions, I went to turn on the turn signal and ended up scrolling the new wheel-based wiper controls, cranking the windshield wipers to "Fend Off A Deluge" mode. Did any of this need to be redone? No. Does it look nice? Sure, I guess. Did it fundamentally change how I interact with the car in a positive, beneficial, or otherwise meaningful way? No. Will anyone care? Probably not. They're just buttons.Conclusion: An Improvement On An Old FavoriteAudiView the 3 images of this gallery on the original articleThe Q3 isn't a huge departure from the old one. Much of its interior feels familiar and friendly. The seats have that slight bit of bolstering to them that reminds you Audi also makes fast cars. The leather feels nice and slick and matte and pretty and new. The tech is great. The Q3's not an SUV that needed a major revival to fix some past sins. Instead, it's an SUV that benefited from some slight revisions and a few new items. Sure, the turn signal thing is a bit gimmicky, but fundamentally, all the buttons still do the same stuff, and I imagine the learning curve flattens pretty quickly. At its core, the Q3 is still the same solid, well-balanced compact that previous generations were. Audi will sell every one it can build.This story was originally published by Autoblog on May 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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