Audi Q3 vs Mercedes-Benz GLA
A side-by-side comparison of the used Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
Audi Q3 or Mercedes-Benz GLA — which should I buy?
The Mercedes-Benz GLA starts cheaper (Audi Q3 from £10,900, Mercedes-Benz GLA from £8,699), with illustrative finance from £246/mo and £203/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 89% and 93% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Q3 from
- £10,900
- GLA from
- £8,699
- In stock
- 6 vs 8
| From live stock | Audi Q3 6 in stock · from £10,900 | ★ Best value overall Mercedes-Benz GLA 8 in stock · from £8,699 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £10,900 | £8,699★ lowest |
| Median price | £12,150 | £10,993★ lower |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £246/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR) | £203/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR)★ lower |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 53,454 mi★ lower | 63,871 mi |
| Median year | 2017 | 2017★ newer |
| Median CO₂ | 138 g/km | 131 g/km★ cleaner |
| Typical power | 148 bhp | 168 bhp★ more |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Diesel |
| Most common gearbox | Automatic | Automatic |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 89% | 93%★ more reliable |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 0 / 6 | 6 / 8★ more |
| View all 6 Q3 → | View all 8 GLA → |
Motoring Today score
Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.
| Score | Audi Q3 | Mercedes-Benz GLA |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 71/100 | — |
| Reliability | 75 | 66 |
| Running costs | 72 | — |
| Family & practicality | 85 | — |
| Insurance | 47 | — |
A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer specifications across the Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | Audi Q3 | Mercedes-Benz GLA |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 28–62 mpg | — |
| CO₂ emissions | 35–227 g/km | — |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 18–43 | — |
| Euro NCAP safety | 5 stars (2018) | — |
| 0–60mph | 4.3s | — |
| Power | 138–394 bhp | — |
| Seats | 5 | — |
| Doors | 5 | — |
| Length | 4485 mm | — |
| Width | 2022 mm | — |
| Height | 1567 mm | — |
How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Audi Q3 or the Mercedes-Benz GLA cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Mercedes-Benz GLA starts lower: the Audi Q3 is available from £10,900 (median £12,150) and the Mercedes-Benz GLA from £8,699 (median £10,993).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Audi Q3 vs the Mercedes-Benz GLA?
- Illustrative finance starts from £246/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR) on the Audi Q3 and £203/mo (HP, 60 months, 13.4% APR) on the Mercedes-Benz GLA. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the Audi Q3 or the Mercedes-Benz GLA?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Audi Q3 stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Mercedes-Benz GLA — so the Audi Q3 is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Audi Q3 or the Mercedes-Benz GLA?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Audi Q3 averages a 89% first-time pass rate and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 93% — the Mercedes-Benz GLA edges it on this measure.