Audi Q3 2.0 TDI SE 5dr Car Review - March 2012

For a 4x4 - even a 4x4 with front-wheel drive - the Q3 offers solid performance. The four cylinder engine delivers 138 bhp, which is considerably less than the petrol versions, but also churns out 236lb-ft of torque which is more impressive than the petrol engine.

Although the steering is a little numb, the Q3 performs well through the bends thanks to its firm suspension. However, this makes the ride very jiggly - it never really settles down, compromising comfort. Noise from the wind and road is barely audible, making the cabin a comfortable place to be.

In terms of internal equipment, the Q3 2.0 TDI SE offers a great range of standard kit for owners. This includes power steering, central locking, stability control, alloy wheels, climate control, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity and an advanced stereo system with a CD player and MP3 connectivity. Sat nav is priced at £495 and cruise control will cost you £225.

In terms of appearances, a metallic paint finish costs £525 whilst a leather interior is priced at a rather hefty £1,050.

The Q3 is not ugly by any means but it is a little dull to behold, and is fairly indistinguishable from Audi's larger off-roaders.

Despite its light weight the car still feels well-built and sturdy thanks to high quality materials. A three year warranty for 60,000 miles is provided and, with service intervals recommended every 9,000-19,000 miles, buyers should enjoy years of trouble free service.

In terms of safety, this model comes fitted with driver, passenger and front side airbags as standard as well as an alarm and immobiliser to protect it from theft. Deadlocks and locking wheelnuts are also standard fixtures which enhance these strong safety credentials further.

In terms of storage, the boot offers a decent 460 litres of space when the seats are in place with 1,365 litres available when the seats are folded down. Whilst this is a reasonable size it is not much larger than the standard capacity offered by a family hatchback and that means some buyers may be disappointed. However, the smaller boot coincides with smaller dimensions across the car and this makes the vehicle easy to drive and park without a drastic change to comfort levels within the cabin.

Priced at £24,560 this is not the cheapest 4x4 on the market but offers relatively low running costs with CO2 emissions of 137g/km putting the car in VED band E and an impressive fuel economy figure of 54.3mpg.

Unfortunately the large range of Audi models has resulted in depreciation across the board but the Q3 models are considered some of the safer bets when it comes to long term ownership and buyers could do a lot worse than invest their money here.