When calculating total ownership costs for any model, regardless of initial value, depreciation is typically the largest expense. Most people will end up losing more money to depreciation than they’ll spend on insurance, fuel, loan interest, or maintenance. That said, not every car loses value at the same rate. There are some Audi models with horrid depreciation; the RS E-Tron GT somehow dropped in value from its initial MSRP of $142,400 in 2022 all the way to an average used price of $55,762 in less than five years.
Many factors come into play when fate decides how much value a car will lose. Will tech and giant screens become obsolete in the next few years? How reliable is the model’s powertrain? What about fuel efficiency? Or the cost to replace a hybrid/EV high-voltage battery? We feel the Audi Q3 compact SUV manages to retain more value than the E-Tron GT, since it foregoes all the expensive tech.
All specs come directly from the manufacturer. Used car values vary greatly depending on mileage, location, number of previous owners, title status, mechanical and cosmetic condition, and more. Used prices in this article are averages, or specific examples where stated.
Audi’s Cheapest SUV Retains More Value Than Its Flagship EV
2026 Audi Q3 from the front three-quarter angle in greenAudi
That RS E-Tron GT story isn’t an anomaly – it’s a symptom of a broader pattern in the luxury car market. Luxury cars tend to depreciate more quickly than most mainstream cars. Unless you own a Toyota or Lexus, you can generally expect to lose around half of your car’s value after just five years on the road. For reference, CarEdge‘s data shows the Lexus brand as a whole with an average resale value percentage of 61.6%, meaning Lexus models only depreciate by 38.4% after half a decade of service. Audi, on the other hand, only retains 52.3% of its value on average when accounting for all models.
That said, not every Audi loses value at the same rate. We mentioned that the RS E-Tron GT lost almost $90k in five years – that’s the top E-Tron GT trim in the model’s lineup. The E-Tron GT as a base model loses an average of 60% according to CarEdge. That means owners can expect an average resale value of $43,187 after five years.
2026 Audi S e-tron GT driving front 3/4 angleAudi
The cheapest models in Audi’s current lineup include the A3 sedan and the Q3 SUV. Both somehow manage to depreciate far slower than the brand’s flagship electric sedan. Focusing on the Q3,CarEdge‘s data shows a 38% value loss after five years on the road. Not only does the model manage to hold value better than almost every other Audi, it does so better than most mainstream cars on the market.
There are some caveats to note: CarEdge separates the E-Tron GT from the S E-Tron GT and the RS E-Tron GT. The source notes that the S E-Tron GT, the middle variant, only loses 49% of its value. Still far more than the Q3, but it’s closer to the industry average. On that note, different sources offer varying depreciation values. For example, the sourceiSeeCars tells us that the Q3 retains 52.4% (or depreciates by 47.6%) in five years. Remember that these are all estimates, and real-world listings and sales tell their own story.
But the percentage gap only tells part of the story – the real picture emerges when you look at actual dollar amounts on the used market.
Audi Q3 vs E-Tron GT: Current Values After Five Years
2026 Audi Q3 from the side angleAudi
It goes without saying that the E-Tron GT will be more expensive than the Q3 on the used market. Yes, the electric sedan lost more value (in dollar terms) overall, but it started much higher to begin with. Another point to preface is that the Audi Q3 is all-new for the 2026 model year, so its five-year used value estimates are based on the SUV’s previous generation’s data. Not to mention the base model E-Tron GT was discontinued after the 2024 model year, so only used models are available now.
CarBuzz’s marketplace price trends have enough data to show what each model’s average value sits at per model year. Starting with the 2022 Audi Q3, we can see the Premium 40 TFSI Quattro is worth an average of $23,112, which is based on data from 42 listings at the time of writing.
On the higher end, the 2022 Audi Q3 S Line Premium Plus 45 TFSI Quattro is worth an average of $25,112, which is based on 117 listings. This suggests an average value change of 35.1%, meaning it has only lost about 35% of its initial value since 2022. Here are some current real-world listings that represent used Q3s with average mileage.
- A 2021 Q3 Premium 45 TFSI with 39,555 miles is listed for $23,590 in Arizona.
- A 2022 Q3 S Line Premium 45 TFSI with 70,148 miles is listed for $20,786 in Maryland.
- A 2022 Q3 S Line Premium Plus 45 TFSI with 68,202 miles is listed for $24,590 in New Jersey.
There are plenty of higher-mileage examples, including those with 80,000 miles or more that are listed for under $20k, but most listings with reasonable mileage come in around the $20–$25k range.
2026 Audi S e-tron GT rear 3/4 angle action shotAudi
Then we have the 2022 Audi E-Tron GT. Even as a base model, the standard E-Tron GT started at $102,400 when it was new. Today, the Premium Plus trim level is worth an average of $40,873, which represents a 60.1% decrease in value – almost exactly what the estimates we discussed above concluded. The Prestige trim is still worth a little more at $45,261.
The Q3 Costs Far More To Maintain, Despite Its Higher Value Retention
2026 Audi Q3 interior view of the steering wheel and dash/front cabinAudi
We have noted in other articles that a driving force behind value retention can be good reliability and low maintenance costs. That doesn’t seem to be the case as far as the Q3 goes. Reliability and specific problems will be addressed in the next section, but for now we will examine how much owners can expect to spend on maintaining their Q3s and E-Tron GTs.
2026 Audi S e-tron GT Red Interior view of the front cabinAudi
It should come as no surprise that a gas-powered Audi will cost more to maintain than essentially any electric model. That’s part of electric vehicles’ appeal – they have minimal moving parts, so they don’t need as much time in the shop. However, they’re not perfect. The E-Tron GT still needs tires, brakes, inspections for corrosion, checking axles, and more. According to CarEdge, all that regular maintenance adds up to just $2,381 over the model’s first five years on the road.
Buying a new Q3 means accepting responsibility for an average of $3,922 in maintenance and repairs over the car’s first five years of service. There’s also a 17.52% chance of needing a major repair (a repair that costs over $500) in that timeframe.
The Q3 Has Fewer Recalls Than The E-Tron GT – But Its Repair Bills Are Steeper
Close-up of the 2026 Audi Q3 engineAudi
Along the same lines as before, you shouldn’t be surprised to hear the Audi E-Tron GT is fairly reliable. There’s not much to break or go wrong with an EV, so five years of data reveals few to no owner complaints to official sources like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
It’s not perfect, though. The NHTSA lists 13 recalls for the 2022 model year, seven for the 2023 model year, and five for the 2024 model year. The most serious recalls pertain to the front brake hoses, which can tear and leak fluid in 9,653 affected units, and the high-voltage battery may short circuit in 7,541 affected units across three separate recalls.
The Audi Q3 has fewer recalls. So far there are five, one, and two recalls for the 2022, 2023, and 2024 model years, respectively. One relatively serious recall pertains to the fuel vent pipe that may be damaged, resulting in fuel spilling out of the filler neck when the cap is opened, affecting 13,004 units.
RepairPal lists some of the most common problems with the Q3. These include power seat motor replacement at a cost of between $1,587 and $1,684, a control arm replacement at $787–$939, and a wheel hub assembly replacement at $453–$562.
Sometimes Less Is More, And The Q3 Proves It
2026 Audi Q3 from the rear angleAudi
Despite carrying less tech, smaller screens, no giant battery, an affordable price tag for a luxury SUV, and higher maintenance costs, the Audi Q3 pulls through. It manages to retain more value than the high-powered, sleek E-Tron GT sedan. One might imagine that more advanced tech and features, or even just more horsepower and performance capability, would lead to higher values. While that may be the case when it comes to initial MSRPs, the used market doesn’t work in the same way.
In fact, many models with the lowest depreciation rates (or the highest value retention) are mainstream models like the Toyota RAV4 with its 28% depreciation or the Honda Accord (36% depreciation). That demonstrates that buyers value simplicity and reliability over the advanced features found in most luxury models. The fact that the Q3 retains far more value than the E-Tron GT isn’t a coincidence.
Sources: Audi, CarEdge , NHTSA , EPA , AutoTempest, RepairPal, iSeeCars.
