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You said it Gloss Guy “no contest” it certainly appears to be a “no brainer”, however having had a few Tiguan I can fully understand you and the Mrs wanting a change. Assuming a VW is as far down the non marque brands as you would like to go I don’t see many options TBH. As you know we have gone for the xc40 but the boot is small and I know your not keen on the shape. It may be the time to have a look outside the scheme to see what’s available. I don’t think many foresaw the Q3 coming on the scheme in Q4 so maybe Q1 will bring another surprise.
Hi Brydo. That’s an excellent summation of where we are at present. Sounds like you know me as well as my wife ?. The process is making me realise why we keep ending up with Tiguans, even though they do nothing for me! They are spacious and very well equipped and if you select with your ‘head’ they are difficult to beat out of what we can choose from, but I find them dull and therefore I don’t choose them with my heart!
Having been spoiled with lots of very nice cars over the years and having driven literally hundreds of different cars of most marques, I have a pretty good sense of the huge difference in quality and refinement between brands. VW is a notable step down from my favourite, BMW, but a notable step up from the budget brands. Nothing wrong with the latter, but you are spot on that VW is about ‘as far down’ as I would personally go. Audi would be a definite step up from VW but the Q3 may have too many compromises, just as the X1 does, even though I love BMW’s.
We haven’t entirely ruled out leaving the scheme. We have run two cars for years, my wife’s Motability car and my private one. However, we both retired last year and my wife can no longer drive, so we sold my beloved 5 Series (just before the first lockdown – phew)! One car is all we need now and our mileage has also dropped to around 10k a year. Having run Motability cars and private cars alongside, I know from first hand experience that there’s not such a massive difference in overall costs as some would believe, and of course you aren’t restricted to price caps or certain makes and models, but we sometimes don’t use the car for 3 or 4 days at a time now and if we go private we would undoubtedly get something above what Motability permits and again, with my logical head on, it would feel a bit of a waste of money. As you say, Q1 might bring a pleasant surprise although I somehow doubt it. With the current uncertainty over a trade deal / no deal, I anticipate a relatively stable period. I think the most we can expect is a rise in the price caps, which I believe is overdue, but I’m not holding my breath. Q1 in previous years has seen some significant changes but I don’t see that happening this time. Surely we must only be a few days before people start picking up rumours as the new quarter is just 3 weeks away (assuming it will be 1st Jan – wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a slight delay).
Don’t know if this is still available but worth a try. Its not much but better than nothing.
And another.
Well we had a test drive in the Q3 yesterday. We are running a 2017 X1 1.8D s drive at the moment. It was an interesting test, Initial impressions is that the car looks a bit smaller overall ( but is in fact slightly larger. Boot space is very similar to X1 with the three level boot floor on the highest setting it is pretty much level access, the length is sufficient for our rollator (just) as is the X1. There is less under floor bootspace and the folding seats have manual release but fold flatter than the BMW.
Seats are Much Much more comfortable, controls well laid out and the Audi infotainment is excellent made our car look old fashioned and a bit dull. The ride was a lot more comfortable with little tyre noise which was always a complaint on the Beemer.
Auto box, really in normal driving didnt seem any worse or better than the X1 I was a bit disconcerted when slowing down on closed throttle for a roundabout at the end of a stretch of dual carriageway there was a sort of hesitation which seems to be the mild hybrid starting the engine as the speed dropped down to about 10 mph
Handling and steering seemed more positive and better weighted, engine performance was adequate not startling but sufficient for modern traffic, pulls quite briskly from 70 for overtaking on the Motorway, whether it would run out of puff over 80 I wouldnt know. Interestingly it has more power and torque than the early BMW 323i which at the time was considered a fast car.
Lastly and maybe most importantly the seat belt hanger is adjustable! no more strangling short drivers or passengers.
Overall a very good impression which managed to sway Mrs Oatie away from a lifelong loyalty to BMW.
We had extended our lease in March this year and were intending to keep the car for the full 5 years but considering the uncertainty of brexit we decided to order a Black edition with the comfort pack. As the delivery time is three to four months which gives us a safety net if there is a better deal in Q1 or if as seems likely the AP will leap up
Well we had a test drive in the Q3 yesterday. We are running a 2017 X1 1.8D s drive at the moment. It was an interesting test, Initial impressions is that the car looks a bit smaller overall ( but is in fact slightly larger. Boot space is very similar to X1 with the three level boot floor on the highest setting it is pretty much level access, the length is sufficient for our rollator (just) as is the X1. There is less under floor bootspace and the folding seats have manual release but fold flatter than the BMW.
Seats are Much Much more comfortable, controls well laid out and the Audi infotainment is excellent made our car look old fashioned and a bit dull. The ride was a lot more comfortable with little tyre noise which was always a complaint on the Beemer.
Auto box, really in normal driving didnt seem any worse or better than the X1 I was a bit disconcerted when slowing down on closed throttle for a roundabout at the end of a stretch of dual carriageway there was a sort of hesitation which seems to be the mild hybrid starting the engine as the speed dropped down to about 10 mph
Handling and steering seemed more positive and better weighted, engine performance was adequate not startling but sufficient for modern traffic, pulls quite briskly from 70 for overtaking on the Motorway, whether it would run out of puff over 80 I wouldnt know. Interestingly it has more power and torque than the early BMW 323i which at the time was considered a fast car. It is 600 kg heavier though!!
Lastly and maybe most importantly the seat belt hanger is adjustable! no more strangling short drivers or passengers.
Overall a very good impression which managed to sway Mrs Oatie away from a lifelong loyalty to BMW.
We had extended our lease in March this year and were intending to keep the car for the full 5 years but considering the uncertainty of brexit we decided to order a Black edition with the comfort pack. As the delivery time is three to four months which gives us a safety net if there is a better deal in Q1 or if as seems likely the AP will leap up
Does the cost of switching from diesel to petrol, and yearly fuel penalty not put you off? I have always disliked petrols because of poor fuel economy in comparison to diesel. Isn’t the BMW one particularly economic.
Thanks for that update Donkey oatmeal, hopefully ordering the black edition tomorrow, currently have a Tiguan 2.0 sel tdi and had a q3 s line before that,nothing bad to say about the tiguan, but as an Audi fan can’t wait for the black edition now ,has folding mirrors and power tailgate, ,2 things I was looking for ,so to have them on the back edition is a real bonus for me.
Thank you for posting such a comprehensive and well written review Donkey Oatie. Interesting comment about the poor seats in the X1, as that was one of the major reasons that we eliminated it in 2018. I believe that they improved them last year but haven’t checked them out yet.
Well fuel penalty is not so bad if you calculate it out, We only do around 10000 miles per year, the additional cost of petrol is close to the lower AP for the petrol car, This will be the first petrol car for many years so we will see. Yes the X1 1.8 s drive is very economical on long runs averaging around 50 mpg, that however drops dramatically if all your running is shorter trips.( somewhere around 40 mpg) Which most of ours are now. plus the problem of DPF filters and EGR valves which dont like short runs.
Petrol vs diesel is a difficult one. If you are doing less than 12,000 miles, tgen petrol is best, cheaper fuel etc, if over, then if it’s long drives diesel can be better, but petrol warms up quicker, is quieter at rest.
if you are doing a lot of short trips, again petrol ys better, you don’t get the DPF problems which short diesel trips cause
You will see diesels disappearing from the scheme as manufacturers delete them from their lists
Well fuel penalty is not so bad if you calculate it out, We only do around 10000 miles per year, the additional cost of petrol is close to the lower AP for the petrol car, This will be the first petrol car for many years so we will see. Yes the X1 1.8 s drive is very economical on long runs averaging around 50 mpg, that however drops dramatically if all your running is shorter trips.( somewhere around 40 mpg) Which most of ours are now. plus the problem of DPF filters and EGR valves which dont like short runs.
We are thinking exactly the same. We have run diesels for years as I prefer their mid range torque and the need to refuel them less often. However, now that we are retired and doing around 10k miles a year, the additional fuel cost of a petrol becomes less of an issue. Also, Motability seem to be wacking quite a premium on diesels in terms of AP’s, compared to the petrol equivalents, which will wipe out the difference and may even make the petrol models cheaper to run. As you say, diesels need a good long run regularly or can become problematic, whereas petrols are more forgiving for short journeys. BMW diesels are superb and just as quiet as most other brands petrol engines. Our 2018 diesel Tiguan is gruff and unrefined in comparison hence why, if we get another one next year, it will probably be a petrol and most likely the 190PS 2.0i one, so hopefully won’t feel too lethargic compared to our current diesel.
We also have an BMW X1 at the min and have also noticed a problem with the seat belts , and the lack of adjustment… my main gripe with the car , and it not being a digital dash does make it feel slightly out of date ,,, but apart from that is a lovely car , and is a lot quicker than the Audi ,
Well we had our test drive yesterday, we had the car for a full hour so enough to time check the car out properly.
Initial impressions from the outside, the car looks quite a bit smaller than the others on our list, the Tiguan and the XC40. Space for passengers was also tighter for front and rear passengers, which was surprising as the dimensions were very similar on paper. The boot was also quite small.
I was dissappointed that you had to insert a key to start the car, as both the other cars had keyless start, but hey ho. The digital cockpit, was ok, I wasnt blown away by it, but a lot better than the BMW X1 which looks like it hasnt changed since the 80’s. The kids found the seats comfortable, more so than the XC40 R design we test drove.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by the auot gearbox mated to the 1.5 petrol engine, we took it around the streets of North London as well as the A406, good pick up and overtaking ability. MPG wise, i was getting around 26, but I wasnt hanging around so not surprising.
The biggest dissappointment for us was the ride. We got the S line model and it felt absolutely rock hard, with every imperfection in the roads being felt by all of us. To the point where the kids started getting headaches towards the end. This car also had the upgraded 20 inch alloys so i’m sure that contributed to the very harsh ride. We currently have an E class mercedes 2011 model, and that car felt like gliding on air afterwards.
So unfortunately for us it is a definite NO. The teeth shattering ride aside, the car just felt too small and not really practical for a family of 4. That along with the very high AP compared to the other 2 means its off our list. We have a test drive booked in for the tiguan next saturday, but at the moment the XC40 is top of the list.
I agree the X1 is a good car, and if it wasnt for Brexit we would have run the full 5 year, My main gripes with the X1 is the silly seatbelt situation. The road noise can be intrusive and the suspension is a bit harsh. Seats are all a personal choice. However the possibility of increased APR and or reduced (or no) choice after 31st December made us order. The petrol /diesel debate is interesting, before I retired I was regularly putting in 3ok+miles per year so diesel was a no brainer, I carried that thinking forward until this time when I calculated the difference in fuel costs over the three year period would be £786
So by going for petrol I can get a better spec car for not much difference in price, for some ranges it would even be cheaper overall to go petrol.
Plus we had an EGR valve failure which happened suddenly as we were in the middle of an overtake which was “interesting” strangely it happened after a 300 mile motorway run. I think Diesel engines are over restricted now a friend of mine who runs a garage can tell some horror stories about diesel engine problems (particularly I am sorry to say VAG group)
Thanks for the great review Farid. Very interesting. I would agree that for a family of four the Q3 would be too small (I fear it would be too small for us and our kids are now adults and have left home, but we need space for a wheelchair). It will be interesting to hear how you find the XC40 as that’s on our list also, but the boot on that looks even smaller than the Q3.
I would have to be honest and say to you that if you are looking for an SUV, you will find them all to be a compromise compared to your E Class, so that problem won’t be unique to the Q3. Until 9 months ago we had been running a private BMW 5 Series and a Motability VW Tiguan side by side. Both were 190PS diesel autos with (on paper) the same power and torque and both £41k on the road (with options). I have to say that the 5 Series felt several classes up from the Tiguan in every single respect, bar ride height (and the ease of getting in and out that comes with it). The BMW was massively quicker, better handling, far quieter, much better quality, bigger and yet delivered 10mpg better fuel economy. Our Tiguan is 4WD so a 2WD one would be better, but not 10mpg better. The other thing that I hadn’t appreciated was how different two manufacturers systems could be, so ticking off the equipment list is only half the story. For example, the Sat Nav on the Tiguan is dire compared to the BMW system and the intelligent adaptive headlights work instantaneously in the BMW but there is an irritating delay on the VW system. Also, I drove the BMW in Eco mode all the time, yet it was s*it off a shovel, never lacking power and never needed putting into sport mode. The VW has massive lag in Eco mode, so I now always drive it in the normal mode and if I need to make a quick overtake have to drop it into sport.
Ride quality in an SUV will never match a quality saloon either, especially if it has sports suspension (which I dislike), but 20” wheels can ruin a ride, as you say. I don’t know why dealers so often add big wheels as it puts many customers off. We came very close to buying a BMW X3 years ago but they gave us an M Sport with sport suspension and ‘upgraded’ alloys and the ride was dire, so much so we crossed it off the list immediately.
I don’t want to put you off the Tiguan, as they seem to be the most sensible choice if you want decent space and good standard equipment, and the build quality is pretty good (if not quite Audi / BMW standard). In fact, much as I’m fed up with them, having had four, and they are not a ‘car persons car’, I can see us getting another at this rate as the other SUV’s on the scheme are gradually falling by the wayside as they are too compromised in one way or another for what we need. I shall be interested to hear your thoughts on the XC40. I bet the seat comfort and ride quality will be excellent, as will the engine I suspect, but I really don’t like the look of it (I know that’s an entirely subjective thing) and the ‘one touchscreen that does everything’ has had bad reviews as being difficult to use on the move.
I liked the XC 40, and the garage was about 50 miles nearer. But> Mrs Oatie says no! so no it is!!
On another matter, Keyless start is very nice but I have lost count of the number of times I cant find the key when we park, Its always in the car. it has to be or else we wouldnt have got there, but seems to be able to burrow down to the most inaccessible part of the door pocket or wherever….. at least with a Key ignition the Bloody thing has to stay put!
I fear you may be right Glos Guy, our E class is the E350 version with 265bhp and its an absolute peach of an engine and so smooth to drive. Sadly mostly of my driving is now pottering around town with school drop offs and shopping and with the upcoming ULEZ being extended to the north circular, it will have to go. Values of these big engined diesels have also fallen off a cliffas no one in London is touching them and the dealers are not really interested either.
I have had 3 BMW 5 series in past, an E36 and 2 E39’s which I drove for nearly 12 years and they were brilliant, and I hear the F10’s and later models are even better so I can fully understand where you are coming from. The motability scheme makes a lot of sense now and my wife would like an SUV as we have had saloons all our lives. Its a shame the Q3 was such a dissapointment as we had high hopes for that. The salesman tried to talk us into the sport version, which frankly looked awful.
I will keep you posted on the XC40 and tiguan test drives, theres not really much else on the scheme that appeals to us, so fingers crossed one of those ticks most of the boxes.
<p style=”text-align: left;”>In regards to the Audi vs Volvo video, I wouldn’t take the final verdict into mind too much as during that time Volvo paid Carwow for of advertisement / which included Matt having the Volvo as a personal car for a while, not saying they’re not right both great cars</p>
Suv guy all of these type of videos should be used for guidance only. Always do your own leg work with regard to buying anything but these videos give you a quick overview of the three cars, in this case, mentioned.
Audi Q3 – was really excited that this long-awaited car had come on the scheme.
Booked an S-line for a 4-hour test drive today. Returned the car to the dealer within 20 minutes!….enough said….Drove over the road to the BMW dealership …ordered a BMW 218i M Sport Gran Coupé, £6.8k worth of extras added…one happy boy…only downside delivery cir April /May.Bloody hell darren what did you add?
You find the q3 that bad Darren? I’ve a test drive on Thursday the black edition, looking forward to it
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