Comparison · family SUVs

Audi Q3 vs Land Rover Discovery Sport: which is more reliable?

The Audi Q3 does better at the MOT, with a score of 107 against 101 for the Land Rover Discovery Sport, comparing each with cars of the same age. Based on 231,669 real MOT tests in 2024.

By age

MOT Rank score for each age group (100 = an average car that age).

Age at test	Audi Q3	Land Rover Discovery Sport
3–5 years	106Above average	96Below average
6–9 years	107Above average	104Above average
10–14 years	110Well above average	–
15+ years	–	–

Year by year

Share that passed first time, same registration year.

Year	Audi Q3	Land Rover Discovery Sport
2021	91.0%	82.9%
2020	92.4%	82.0%
2019	90.5%	82.5%
2018	87.4%	82.7%
2017	85.5%	81.8%
2016	82.2%	80.2%
2015	78.8%	80.1%

Problem areas

Failure items per 100 tests.

Area	Audi Q3	Land Rover Discovery Sport
Tyres	6.3	6.7
Lights & electrics	3.3	5.6
Suspension	6.3	1.9
Brakes	3.5	4.1
Visibility (wipers, screen, mirrors)	2.3	3.8
Emissions & leaks	1.8	2.8
Body & chassis	0.7	0.5
Seat belts & airbags	0.4	0.3

Audi Q3: top failures

Coil spring: fractured or broken3.1%
Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2.4%
Tyres - condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1.5%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1.4%
Suspension arms - pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1.0%
Tyres - condition: has ply or cords exposed0.9%

Land Rover Discovery Sport: top failures

Tyres - condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords2.5%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively2.3%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1.9%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction1.8%
Tyres - condition: has ply or cords exposed1.3%
Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1.2%

Questions

Which is more reliable, the Audi Q3 or the Land Rover Discovery Sport?

The Audi Q3 does better at the MOT, with a score of 107 against 101 for the Land Rover Discovery Sport, comparing each with cars of the same age.

Which years of the Audi Q3 and Land Rover Discovery Sport can be compared?

Both were tested for 7 registration years (2015–2021). The Audi Q3 had the higher pass rate in 6 of them and the Land Rover Discovery Sport in 1.

What fails most on each?

Audi Q3: coil spring: fractured or broken; tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Land Rover Discovery Sport: tyres - condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords; wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively.