2021 Audi Q3 vs 2021 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was a nod to the past, with Chevy using styling details to give each trim level its own identity. The exterior was a typical SUV design with a tall roof, chunky wheel arches, and a big grille, which appealed to many buyers. However, it lacked the personality of the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride, and the streamlined appearance of the Mazda CX-9. The Traverse's restrained styling highlighted the cosmetic elements of different trims, such as blacked-out trim on the RS model and chrome on the High Country. The base Traverse L came with 18-inch wheels, while higher trims offered 20-inch wheels. Sharing a platform with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6, the Traverse aimed for a more blue-collar feel and featured car-like unibody construction, unlike the body-on-frame Chevy Tahoe.

Inside, the Traverse continued its restrained styling, with the standout feature being an optional Dual SkyScape two-panel sunroof. The materials in the higher-level RS model were decent but not quite up to the $50,000 MSRP. This was a common issue among midsize three-row crossovers, which tend to get expensive with options. The Traverse's interior was functional but not luxurious, reflecting its overall design philosophy.

The 2021 Audi Q3 featured a massive corporate grille that paired well with its stout, chunky styling, presenting an idea of utility and dynamic handling. The cabin echoed this mechanical, modern aesthetic, with a dash design that framed the center touchscreen. When the redesigned Q3 debuted in 2019, its interior was a standout, but Volkswagen's newer interiors had caught up, making the Q3's cabin feel modern and refined, though not as special. The Q3 was available in Premium and Premium Plus trims, with the Premium offering leather upholstery, 12-way power-adjustable front seats, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, and an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Premium Plus added features like remote start, pushbutton start, remote keyless entry, wireless device charging, and a hands-free power liftgate. The previously top-tier Prestige trim was gone, but its features were available as options and packages.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. While the V6 didn't feel particularly strong off the line, it provided ample power for highway merging and overtaking. The nine-speed automatic performed well overall, though it occasionally had rough shifts. The Traverse impressed with its highway road manners, offering a quiet cabin, bump-absorbing suspension, good body control, and precise steering. However, it lacked agility on twistier roads, partly due to its somewhat puzzling AWD system, which required manual activation and could send up to 50% of torque to either front wheel or 85% to either rear wheel. Despite this, the system's torque vectoring capability wasn't noticeable from behind the wheel. The Traverse had off-road and tow/haul drive modes, with a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, which was average for the segment.

The 2021 Audi Q3 came 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, with 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The more powerful engine provided a lively driving experience, with solid power for passing and engaging "S" mode for quicker throttle response and harder acceleration. The Q3 also featured Audi's Drive Select, with Auto, Comfort, Dynamic, and Off-Road drive modes. The base engine had some turbo lag, particularly under hard acceleration or when accelerating on the highway. The Q3 offered nimble handling and a comfortable ride, striking a balance between engagement and refinement.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse offered seating for seven or eight, depending on whether you chose a second-row bench seat or captain's chairs. Headroom and legroom in all three rows were above average but not segment-leading. Heated front seats were standard on the RS model, with ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats available on higher trims. The Traverse excelled in cargo space, with 23.0 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.8 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 98.2 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. A power liftgate was optional on the LT Cloth trim and standard on higher trims, with a gesture-activated liftgate on the Premier and High Country models. Despite its size, the Traverse was stingy on interior storage options, a common issue among midsize three-row crossovers.

The 2021 Audi Q3 provided 48 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded and 23.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats. While the space behind the seats was decent for a subcompact luxury SUV, the cargo space with the rear seats folded was subpar for the class. However, the Q3 made up for this with its passenger space. The front seats were comfortable and offered plenty of deep cargo pockets. The rear seats provided impressive headroom and legroom, making it comfortable for four passengers on a road trip, though packing light was advisable.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and Bluetooth. Higher trims offered an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, a 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Bose 10-speaker audio system. While Ford and Toyota offered larger screens, the 8-inch screen in the Traverse RS was easy to use, with large smartphone-like icons. Chevy retained analog controls for audio volume and climate control, which were appreciated. The Traverse also featured a rearview camera mirror, which eliminated blind spots and improved rear visibility. An optional HD surround-view camera system made parking easier. Chevy provided two USB ports for each row as standard, with wireless phone charging standard on the Premier and High Country models.

The 2021 Audi Q3 featured an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system running Audi's MMI system, with standard Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. The upgraded system included a 10.1-inch touchscreen with navigation. Other available features included wireless device charging, satellite radio, and a Bang & Olufsen 15-speaker premium audio system. The Audi Virtual Cockpit was also available, replacing the conventional instrument cluster with a customizable digital display that could present the navigation map across nearly the entire screen.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse received top "Good" scores in all crash tests from the IIHS, as well as a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention tech. However, it received "Acceptable" and "Poor" headlight ratings, depending on the trim level, and an "Acceptable" rating for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave the Traverse a five-star overall safety rating, with four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests, and five stars in side-impact crash tests. Chevy offered less standard driver-assist tech than competitors, with features like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert available as optional extras.

The 2021 Audi Q3 came standard with Audi Pre Sense and Pre Sense Front, which included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection. Lane-departure warning was also standard. Optional driver assistance features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and traffic-sign recognition. Buyers could also select available features such as a 360-degree camera system, front-and-rear parking sensors, and self-parking assist for parallel and perpendicular parking spots.