2021 Audi Q3 vs 2020 Honda CR-V

The 2020 Honda CR-V, in its fifth generation, had a familiar and fun design. Its exterior featured curvy, car-like lines with a family resemblance to Honda’s sedan lineup, giving it a station wagon look rather than a traditional SUV. Inside, the CR-V’s interior was a mix of textures and materials. While pricier models boasted wood-look trim and leather upholstery, these upscale touches clashed with some low-quality plastics, reminding drivers that even the expensive versions were upgrades of a commodity car.

In contrast, the 2021 Audi Q3 showcased a postmodern automotive styling with a massive corporate grille that paired well with its stout, chunky design. The cabin echoed this modern aesthetic, with a dash design that framed the center touchscreen. When the redesigned Q3 debuted in 2019, its interior was a standout, but by 2021, Volkswagen’s non-luxury interiors had caught up, making the Q3’s cabin feel modern and refined, though not as special. The Q3 came in Premium and Premium Plus trims, with features like leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, and a panoramic sunroof standard on the Premium trim.

For the 2020 model year, the Honda CR-V simplified its lineup by replacing the base 2.4-liter engine with a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, producing 190 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), provided a responsive and quick driving experience, especially in Sport mode. The CR-V’s car-like demeanor translated to excellent road manners, with nimble handling and a firm yet comfortable chassis. Its low curb weight of 3,337 pounds for the FWD LX model contributed to its agility and fuel efficiency, with FWD models achieving 30 mpg combined and AWD models 29 mpg.

The 2021 Audi Q3 came equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and Quattro AWD. The S-Line trim offered a more potent version of the same engine, delivering 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The Q3’s performance was lively, with solid power for passing and engaging drive modes like Sport, Auto, Comfort, Dynamic, and Off-Road. The base engine had some turbo lag, but the Q3’s nimble handling and comfortable ride made it an enjoyable vehicle to drive.

The 2020 Honda CR-V excelled in interior space and clever storage solutions. Its cabin was roomy, with excellent head- and legroom for both front and rear passengers. The cargo compartment offered 75.8 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded, thanks to a smart two-position load floor. The center console featured a deep well with a sliding cover, and the door pockets were spacious, making the CR-V easy to live with.

The 2021 Audi Q3, while offering less cargo space with 48 cubic feet with the rear seats folded and 23.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats, made up for it with comfortable passenger space. The front seats were comfortable with deep cargo pockets, and the rear seats provided ample headroom and legroom. The Q3 could seat five, but four passengers could take a road trip in comfort, provided they packed light.

The 2020 Honda CR-V showed its age in terms of infotainment. The base LX trim had a 5-inch screen with limited features, while higher trims had a 7-inch touchscreen that felt small compared to competitors. The system lacked hard buttons, making it challenging to operate, and even Apple CarPlay and Android Auto felt tacked on. However, the CR-V did offer plenty of USB ports in the EX trim and above, with two in the front and two high-powered ports in the backseat. The Touring trim added a wireless phone charger.

The 2021 Audi Q3 featured an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the MMI system, standard Android Auto, and wireless Apple CarPlay. An upgraded 10.1-inch touchscreen with navigation was available, along with wireless device charging, satellite radio, and a Bang & Olufsen 15-speaker premium audio system. The Audi Virtual Cockpit, an available feature, replaced the conventional instrument cluster with a customizable digital display.

The 2020 Honda CR-V came standard with the “Honda Sensing” system, which included forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, road-departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assist. EX trims and above added blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic monitoring. The CR-V earned five stars in NHTSA crash tests and a Top Safety Pick designation from IIHS, with the caveat that only the Touring trim had LED headlights.

The 2021 Audi Q3 included Audi Pre Sense and Pre Sense Front as standard, with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection. Lane-departure warning was also standard. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, a 360-degree camera system, front-and-rear parking sensors, and self-parking assist.