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New Skoda Karoq vs used Audi Q3: costs
Can a new Skoda Karoq compete with the upmarket appeal of a used Audi Q3 when their prices are almost identical? We've tested them head-to-head to find out...
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security
If you factor in the Target Price discount you can secure through our free New Car Buying service, the Skoda Karoq will cost you £25,488. A budget of £26,000 is also enough to buy a four-year-old Audi Q3 in the spec we're testing; Q3s for that price tend to be sold by franchised dealers and to have done less than 30,000 miles.
Alternatively, if you buy a new Karoq on PCP finance you're looking at a 48-month contract, a £3938 deposit and £277 per month. Mileage is restricted to 10,000 per year and there is an optional final payment of £11,282.
As for the used Q3, we were quoted a 48-month contract with a £3938 deposit and £394 per month. Mileage is again restricted to 10,000 per year and there is an optional final payment of £12,136.
If you had to guess which model is expected to retain the most value after three years, would you assume it's the Q3? Well, you'd be right, but only by a very small margin. Our expert's predict that a new Karoq will be worth £14,200 in three years time, while the Q3 comes in at £14,925.
In the same three years, there's a greater difference in the other running costs. The Karoq should cost you £911 in servicing and £1305 in insurance. The Q3 should cost you £1303 in servicing and £2055 in insurance. During testing, the Karoq averaged 40.6mpg, while the Q3 averaged 38.0mpg, so you're likely to spend more filling up the premium car with petrol.
In crash testing conducted by Euro NCAP, the Karoq garnered the maximum five-star rating, and so did the Q3. Both cars get automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assistance as standard from new. Blind-spot monitoring isn't available on any Karoq model variant, but it can be had with the Q3.
Continuing down the equipment lane, the Q3 actually has little standard equipment the Karoq doesn't, apart from an electric tailgate. In fact, the Karoq has keyless start at no extra cost – you'll be charged £225 if you also want keyless entry – while the Q3's original owner would have had to pay £400 for keyless entry/start. Both get full LED headlights at no extra cost from new.
In our latest What Car? Reliability Survey the Karoq (as a petrol model) managed a confidence-inspiring ninth place finish out of 28 cars in the family SUV class. The Q3 ranked 19th. As brands, Skoda came 12th out of 30 manufacturers featured, while Audi came 18th.
All new Skoda cars qualify for a three-year vehicle warranty consisting of a two-year, unlimited mileage warranty and a third year warranty with a 60,000-mile limitation. You'll need to purchase a warranty with a 2018 Q3, because the manufacturer one from new runs out after three years.
Alternatives
New rivals, used rivals
The Kia Sportage is one of the best new cars in the family SUV class. Even in its most inexpensive form, it remains a thoroughly impressive model, with composed handling, a smooth ride, punchy performance and a roomy interior all working in its favour.
On the used market, and if you've got your heart set on a car with a premium look and feel, how about a Volvo XC40? It's even classier than the Q3 inside, plus it offers stronger performance and a more supple ride.
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