Compare the2026 Honda PassportVS 2025 Audi Q3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Passport are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Passport deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Passport’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Q3’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Passport has a standard Low-Speed Braking Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q3 doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Passport’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q3 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Passport and the Q3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Honda Passport weighs 565 to 803 pounds more than the Audi Q3. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Passport 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q3 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Passport’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 61 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 69 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Audi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda fourth in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 7th.

Engine

The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 101 more horsepower (285 vs. 184) and 41 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 221) than the Q3 40 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Passport’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 57 more horsepower (285 vs. 228) and 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (262 vs. 251) than the Q3 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Passport’s fuel efficiency. The Q3 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Passport uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q3 requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Passport has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Q3 (18.5 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Passport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Passport higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi Q3 (5 to 6). This means the Passport produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q3 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Passport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Q3.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Passport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Q3:

	Passport	Q3
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	11.8 inches
Opt Rear Rotors		12.2 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Passport has larger standard tires than the Q3 (265/60R18 vs. 235/55R18). The Passport TrailSport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q3 (275/60R18 vs. 255/45R19).

The Passport has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q3 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Passport offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Q3; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Passport’s wheelbase is 8.1 inches longer than on the Q3 (113.6 inches vs. 105.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Passport is 5.8 inches wider in the front and 6.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Q3.

For greater off-road capability the Passport has a 2.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q3 (8.3 vs. 5.5 inches), allowing the Passport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Passport uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q3 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Passport has 35.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q3 (119.1 vs. 84).

The Passport has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front legroom, 5.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3.1 inches more rear headroom, 4.8 inches more rear legroom and 6.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q3.

Cargo Capacity

The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q3 with its rear seat up (44 vs. 23.7 cubic feet). The Passport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q3 with its rear seat folded (83.8 vs. 48 cubic feet).

Pressing a button automatically lowers the Passport’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Q3 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Towing

The Passport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q3’s (5000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Passport uses the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Passport has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Q3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Passport’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Q3 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Passport has standard Push Button Start and Smart Entry that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. The Audi Advanced Key costs extra on the Q3.

The Passport’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Q3’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Passport has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Passport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Q3 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Passport is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Q3’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Both the Passport and the Q3 have standard heated front seats. The Passport TrailSport Elite also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q3.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Passport TrailSport Elite keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Passport TrailSport Elite’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Q3 doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Honda Passport has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Audi charges extra for Homelink® on the Q3.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Passport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q3.

The Passport TrailSport has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Passport and the Audi Q3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Honda Passport outsold the Audi Q3 by 8% during 2024.

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