[negativeH]

Never been a fan of the Audi Qs. The 7 is perfect for being chauffered, but the 3 seems like an inflated tub to me design wise.

The GLA's styling seems too flashy and vague.

Would pick the X1, although it's too cramped.


And yes, I too would rather buy an Endevour!!

[Wanderers]

Hi

We are looking to replace our XUV500 (2.5 years old) and we believe the next best bet is Fortuner. But we already have Fortuner. So what next ?

GLA - Strict No- No. I can only consider it as high end variant of B-Class/ A-Class, which itself was a big NO.

X1- Extremely good to drive & value proposition. However height is a big turn down for me as we are looking for SUV. The Engine bay looks huge & non-proportionate to overall size (another No). Ride quality - No good for Indian Road.

Q3 - Looks at par with Q5 and the most closest to a SUV, which we are looking for, coupled with better ride quality & in-cabin experience. Only thing which keeping us is the frequent break-down of Audi cars and we would be using this car mostly in Jharkhand.

[quattroa4]

Originally Posted by Auto Verruckt

If this being the case, wouldn't a prospective buyer spend his Big Ones on the 3 Series sedan instead of the the X1? Besides, the interiors of the X1 may look sporty but definitely cannot match the Q3 in terms of the premium feel.

You see , that in big cities where the roads are good a 3 series will be a good thing , but come to tier 2 or 3 cities and you will come to know what roads are , rather the absence of that . Driving a 3 series becomes non practical and there the X 1 comes in . Sold my 3 for the same reason .

[anshuman_v]

Interesting thread indeed.

Originally Posted by GTO

None of these crossovers are my kind of vehicles. I'd rather buy a reliable, big 7-seater SUV (Santa Fe, Pajero Sport, Fortuner) for the same / lesser money.

If I just had to choose between them, it would be the Audi Q3. Audi's clean designs appeal to my taste, it has AWD (what's an SUV without AWD??!!!) and is the most rounded product of this trio.

GTO, I couldnt have put this better myself. Crossovers are a bit neither here nor there. The Brands are powerful, but for that kind of money - there are excellent full fledged SUVs, reliable and way more fun. In fact, I did this entire exercise myself a couple of months ago before picking up the Pajero Sport. My reasoning was simple:

• The Germans are good cars, but they tend to be temperamental, and rather tough costs once they cross the 3/5 year mark
• When buying in the range of 30+ lakhs, might as well buy a true blue offroader. When I go offroading, I would like to have all the capabilities.
• 7 seaters are way more fun - deposit the kids in the last row, and watch them have a complete ball with all their stuff. Kids get their space and fun, we parents get ours. Fun filled long drives, here we come!

[S2!!!]

Most of the comments on this thread make me believe that the Q3 (Quattro) is a relatively better choice rather than an absolute one. Probably, out of the 3 even I would pick the Q3 as I don't see too much wrong with that car. Also, I've never liked the X1's looks and the GLA doesn't offer you thaaaat much more over an A-Class considering the premium it commands (+12 lakhs in Mumbai after discounts on the A).

Having said that, looking back, I think having an 'others' option would lead to an interesting scenario. It would be great to see how many people pick either of these 3 Germans over their Japanese, Korean or French alternatives. Heck, if I were to pick a crossover/ SUV in that price range, I'd choose the V40 Cross Country for its sheer looks and exclusivity. Each time I spot that car on our roads, it surely makes my head turn.

[zombiedriver]

In my books none of the above options is an SUV. The X1 and the Q3 can be called close to an SUV because of their ground clearance and that's that. Being a true BMW fan my vote amongst the above goes to the X1, It's just beautiful to drive and comes with the advantage of decent ground clearance to tackle our roads. I do agree the equipment levels are not as good as the Audi but hey i'm good with the panoramic sunroof, the 8 speed ZF and that sweet sweet steering

[car_crazy1400]

Get the Q3. I bought mine as I am self driven and found the X1 to be too small and noisy and hard suspension.

The last straw was when the sales guy told me drive through a water puddle outside the showroom very slowly as " Sir, BMW's tend to stall in water". I had driven to the showroom through the same lane in my low slung civic.

Atleast you feel like sitting in a 40 lac car in the Audi not so with the BMW.

But as of today, I'd rather extend my budget and get a full size suv. Like ML class.

[BoeingDriver]

None of the above would be my first choice. But if am forced to buy one of them then I will go for the petrol GLA . A Merc is a Merc and having test driven all three I liked what Mercedes had to offer. If you ask me if I am satisfied ? My answer would be no. But given the choices among the three then it would be the GLA. Love its road presence and refreshing looks and is not too bad to drive either.
Here s my choice:-
1. GLA
2. Q3
3. Invest in stock market, make money and buy a RR.

[Akshay1234]

Well we were forced to pick up the X3 because of this confusion. The X1 didn't have AWD and lacked space. The Q3 had even less space than the Yeti, and didn't really give me anything over it besides a panoramic roof and the DSG. The Q3 was significantly more expensive than the X1 (due to the 8l+ discounts). It just made sense to go a segment higher where you get so much more.

[vinj14]

I was in the same boat 6 months back. I am not a "purist" in the sense that I dont really talk much about cornering abilities and straight-line speed! So i wanted a fast car with all the luxuries.

I went for the X1 SPORTLINE.

Good deal, below 40lakhs - check
impressive engine and gearbox - check
fast and fun to drive - check
panoramic sunroof- check
navigation- check
Bsi=No headaches - check
Good GC - Check
Memory seats -check

I Couldn't find an AUDI/MERC with all those features below 40L. The q3 baseline model was too basic and it didnt want to go above 40lakhs. GLA wasn't out then but the diesel avatar is quite sad in terms of power.

And the redesigned bumper and white led rings really has transformed the look of the car.

[stanjohn123]

I chose the Q3 since you didn't have an option which I was looking for. If you ask me, anything in this segment is not worth the money. After buying it you will surely feel it's lacking something or the other. Have an X1 , lesson learned and no more seeing this segment ever in my life again.

Take my advise and look at the Santa FE , Fortuner or the new Endeavour.

[V.Narayan]

Between the 3 I'd go for the Merc first and the Audi next. If the choice existed then the Volvo V40 would trump over these 3. V40, any takers?

[vb-san]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Between the 3 I'd go for the Merc first and the Audi next. If the choice existed then the Volvo V40 would trump over these 3. V40, any takers?

Though it says Cross Country, I think the Volvo is more aligned to the likes of A-Class and 1-series. It indeed is a great option in the entry-level luxury hatchback space.

[anshumandun]

I voted for X1 since it has more power (180 horses against GLA's 135), more torque (380Nm against GLA's 300 Nm), better 8 speed gearbox, better dynamics and even better equipment (automatic climate control, rear AC vents, dual zone climate control, eco-pro mode) that GLA lacks. And to top it, the top line X1 is right now cheaper (ongoing discounts) than the base line of GLA.

Q3 has an edge above X1 since it offers quattro and looks more SUVish. But is the Q3 better equipped that the X1? Really looking to an answer to this.

GLA surely looks the best among the 3 but I just did not expect it to get more votes than the X1

[apurva512]

Recently took test drives of all 3. Here are my opinions. X1 - Best drive and features(navigation etc). Q3 - good drive, better leg space and better interior feel and it has quatrro. GLA - Best looks, worst everything else. Seriously - avoid this one at all costs unless you are madly in love with the looks and just cant do without it. Its not even that the other 2 are better, the seating and drive just aren't good period. My recommendation would be the X1. The Q3 only makes sense if you can somehow get upwards of 5l discount on it. As an aside for people talking about quattro, its definitely good, but I also drove the Freelander 2 on the same stretches as this, and boy, as far as I am concerned, the fact that the Merc and Audi come with some kind of all wheel drive system no longer comes into the reckoning once you have experienced a vehicle with TRUE offroad capabilities. The Freelander just completely blows the quattro Q3 out of the picture with drive over rough roads etc.