The first US deliveries of Audi’s more affordable all-electric SUV the 2022 Q4 E-TRON should be happening soon and with a starting price of just under $44K USD (before $7,500 federal tax credit) this SUV has a lot to like. But, just how does it compare to the EXTREMELY POPULAR Tesla Model Y and is the MODEL Y worth the extra cost?

USA VERSION

Before I dive into the side by side comparisons and the features of these electric SUVs, I wanted to mention that this article provides details for the U.S. version of the Audi Q4 e-tron. The European version offers different trims levels, and the specifications are slightly different as well.

Also note that the Audi Q4 e-tron is offered in either a standard or sportback model, but, this article will primarily be focused in on the regular SUV model. Despite the stylistic change, it doesn't appear like there are significant differences in specifications between the two vehicles.

TESLA MODEL Y INTERIOR STYLING

The Model Y has an extremely modern and clean interior that is often referred to as Spartan. The tech-foward interior of the Model Y doesn't have very many physical buttons, and the majority of the SUVs functions can be controlled through the large, central 15 inch touch screen.

Some may argue with its clean, modern interior, the Model Y should not be considered a luxury electric vehicle - however, it does come equipped with most of the premium interior features that you would expect on a car over the $50K price point.

Features like: heated seats, a heated steering wheel, auto dimming mirrors, a highly advanced ADAS system, adaptive cruise control, acoustic glass for a quieter cabin, a premium sound system, power adjustable seats, built in navigation and so on. In addition, the Model Y has some Tesla software exclusives like Tesla Theater, Tesla Arcade, Sentry Mode, Dog Mode, Dash Cam Recorder.

So while the Model Y may not have the same premium interior feel of a luxury German SUV, it does still have a very nice, comfortable interior, including potentially the most comfortable front seats found in any vehicle. In my personal opinion, the Model Y does belong in the luxury category, if nothing else, because of all the premium features and technology built into the SUV.

AUDI Q4 E-TRON INTERIOR STYLING

When it comes to the Audi Q4 e-tron's interior, it is definitely well designed and well equipped and not spartan like the Model Y. The Q4 e-tron interior has a number of physical buttons throughout (which some people may prefer), including physical buttons, for instance, to adjust the climate control system. Also, unlike the Model Y, which has a single 15 inch touch screen, the Q4 e-tron includes two touch screens: a digital instrument cluster directly in front of the driver and a central infotainment touchscreen.

EXCLUSIVE FEATURES

While the included features vary based on trim level and added packages, the Q4 e-tron can be equipped with a very similar set of premium features as the Model Y. There are however a few features that the Audi Q4 e-tron has available that the Model Y does not have. For example, an optional augmented reality heads up display and Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto. The infotainment system in the Q4 e-tron appears easy to use, and includes all the expected functions in a modern luxury vehicle. If you're an existing Audi owner, you'll notice that the software is very similar to Audi's other vehicles as well. Overall, when it comes to software and infotainment systems, Tesla definitely has an edge. But I do understand some people may prefer the simplicity of the Audi Q4 e-tron’s infotainment system.

WHICH INTERIOR IS BETTERY: AUDI Q4 E-TRON or TESLA MODEL Y?

When it comes to which interior is better, it really comes down to a matter of preference. If you're looking for an SUV with the best technology and the best software, then the Model Y wins in that category. Instead, if you prefer a more traditional interior design, like physical buttons and also appreciate the more premium interior feel that the Q4 e-tron is sure to deliver, then the Audi Q4 e-tron is going to be a great option for you.

EXTERIOR STYLING

Both SUVs are very attractive, and while I do really like the exterior styling of the Audi Q4 e-tron, I personally prefer the cleaner grille-less look of the Model Y. I do however understand that physical appearance is definitely a matter of personal preference, and that plenty of buyers will prefer the Q4 appearance over the model Y.

PRICING AND AVAILABLE MODELS

In the United States, the Q4 e-tron is offered in either a premium trim level, premium plus trim level or the highest prestige trim level. The premium and premium plus trim levels can be purchased with either a rear wheel drive or a quattro all wheel drive system, whereas the prestige trim level is only available in the quattro all wheel drive version. The lowest priced Q4 40 e-tron (rear wheel drive) has a starting price under $44K dollars, and the highest model has a starting price over $56K dollars.

When it comes to the Tesla Model Y, the long range version is available for just under $54K, and the performance version is available for just under $61K.

When you look at a purchase price comparison of the lowest trim level Audi Q4 e-tron and the Tesla Model Y and you add an applicable delivery fees and the $1,800 convenience package for the Q4 e-tron, that gives us a purchase price comparison of $46K+ for the Q4 e-tron and just over $55K for the Model Y. However, the Audi Q4 e-tron is still eligible for the $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit for electric vehicles. So, if you subtract that from the price, the starting price of the Q4 e-tron drops below $40K.

Although this is not an apples to apples comparison, there's almost a $16K difference in the comparison in the chart above, with these lowest available trim levels. So, the Audi Q4 e-tron clearly offers a really good, affordable electric SUV to the masses.

MORE APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON

Now, while it is good to look at the lowest trim levels of these two vehicles, we really need to spec up the Audi Q4 e-tron to a more comparable version to match the long range all wheel drive Model Y. For the Q4 e-tron, we need to move up to the premium plus trim level and choose the quattro all wheel drive version. This adds auto dimming rear view and side view mirrors, adaptive cruise control, the proximity key fob (which Audi calls “advanced key”), and the acoustic front door windows (for a quieter cabin).

I've also added the $2,200 technology package, which gives you the better sound system, improved navigation, improved virtual cockpit, Audi Connect and also traffic sign recognition.

With the delivery fee and the added package, you can see above that the purchase price is almost the same between the Q4 e-tron and the Model Y. However, once again, when you subtract the U.S. federal tax credit, the Q4 e-tron does offer a lower price than the Model Y even when similarly equipped.

RANGE COMPARISON

The rear wheel drive version of the Q4 e-tron has not yet been rated by the EPA. However, they have rated the all wheel drive version to have a range of around 241 miles, which is quite a bit less than the EPA rating for the Model Y long range all wheel drive version.

Based on the fact that it is based on the same platform as the VW ID.4, I estimate that the rear wheel drive versions of the vehicle will have an EPA estimated range somewhere around 260 miles when that number is officially published.

BEYOND EPA RATING

However, it's important that we go beyond just the EPA rating and also cover the WLTP test cycle and then also real world test results. When it comes to the WLTP test cycle (which is a standard used in Europe), on the high end, the Q4 e-tron will have a range just over 300 miles , and on the low end it'll have a range of around 256 miles.

As you can see in the chart below, when you look at the WLTP comparisons between the Q4 e-tron and the Model Y's WLTP range estimates, those numbers are closer than the EPA range estimates.

REAL WORLD TESTING

When it comes to real world testing, I pulled up a couple Bjørn Nyland YouTube videos, and in one video he tested the Q4 40 e-tron rear wheel drive and found that at 90 kilometers per hour (55.9 MPH), he was able to achieve around 302 miles of range and at 120 kilometers per hour (74.6 MPH), he was able to achieve around 206 miles of range.

When you compare this to the long range all wheel drive Tesla Model Y, you can see that these numbers were actually pretty close. However, do note once again, that's not really an apples to apples comparison because I’m comparing a rear wheel drive vehicle to an all wheel drive Model Y.

For a better comparison, I also pulled up a Joe Achilles YouTube video where he did a real world range test of the Q4 50 e-tron with all wheel drive, and he was able to achieve around 260 miles on a single charge, thus beating the EPA range estimate.

So, when it comes to what this all means, basically, although the Model Y has a much higher EPA rating, when it comes to real world testing, the difference will not be quite as huge as the EPA rating may make it seem. The Audi Q4 e-tron is still a very good electric vehicle and should provide enough range for most people.

EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS

When it comes to a dimensions comparisons between these vehicles, the Tesla Model Y is longer, wider and has a longer wheelbase than the Q4 e-tron. However, the Q4 e-tron is slightly taller than the Model Y, and the vehicles have very similar ground clearance.

VEHICLE WEIGHT

Likely due to a smaller battery pack being found in the Model Y, it weighs around 445 lbs less than the Audi Q4 e-tron.

INTERIOR MEASUREMENTS

When it comes to the interior measurement differences, the Model Y offers more headroom and legroom in the front and second row seats. However, when it comes to shoulder room in the front and rear, the Q4 e-tron offers slightly more room.

CARGO ROOM

When it comes to the cargo room in each of these vehicles, the Q4 e-tron does not have a front trunk, whereas the Model Y has a 4.1 cubic foot front trunk. You can see the comparisons below for the cargo room behind the second row and also the totals for the front trunk, plus the back trunk area. But more importantly, when you fold the back seats down, you can see that both in the five seat configuration and the seven seat configuration, the Model Y has substantially more cargo room.

It's also important to note that for an extra $3,000, you can add a third row of seats to the Model Y, which allows it to seat 7 passengers. Although these rear seats may not have a ton of room, they are still very useful.

TOWING COMPARISON

In the USA, the Audi Q4 e-tron is rated to tow up to 2,600 lbs, whereas the Model Y is rated to tow up to 3,500 lbs. Of course these are maximum amounts and the actual towing capacity will vary based on several factors including the number of passengers and wheel choices. For example, in the Tesla Model Y owner’s manual with 7 passengers and the 21” wheels, the towing capacity goes down all the way to 0 lbs. To be safe, always check and follow the manufacturers recommendations before towing.

PERFORMANCE COMPARISON

When it comes to performance, you can see in the chart below that both in top speed and the time it takes to go from 0 to 60 MPH, the Model Y beats the Q4 e-tron easily.

CHARGING SPEED COMPARSION

There's also another really important comparison we need to make, and that's the charging speed difference between these two electric SUVs. According to EV-Database.org, it should take about 34 minutes for the Q4 e-tron to go from a 10% to 80% state of charge.

The Model Y long range all wheel drive version can do that same charge (10% to 80%) in around 29 minutes, which is about 5 minutes less than the Q4 e-tron.

Beyond just that 5 minute difference, when you look at the EPA rating and you look at how many miles were actually added during that 10% to 80% charge, you can see that the Model Y is not only able to go from 10% to 80% faster, but it also adds substantially more drivable miles, which equates to substantially more miles being added per minute EV charging.

TESLA SUPERCHARGING NETWORK

Tesla also has an exclusive supercharging network, which they will apparently open to other EVs in the future, but as of the writing of this article, Tesla has not yet officially done that, so, this is still an advantage for Tesla electric vehicles.

CRASH SAFETY COMPARISON

Recently, the Tesla Model Y was rated by the NHTSA, and it achieved a five star crash test rating in all categories.

While the NHTSA has not yet rated the Q4 e-tron, the Euro NCAP has tested the Q4 e-tron and it also achieved a five star rating, according to their tests. So, although we don't have an apples to apples comparison here, because the Euro NCAP tests are slightly different than the NHTSA tests, it does appear like either vehicle is very safe.

Tesla might have a slight edge on the ADAS system because they are developing it into what is going to eventually be a full self-driving system, so I believe they're spending more time on that side of it. However, when it comes to the actual crash safety of the Audi Q4 e-tron, I believe it's going to be a very safe SUV as the Euro NCAP has shown us.

Audi Q4 E-TRON vs Tesla MODEL Y: Which All-Electric SUV is Better?