Compare the2022 Toyota Highlander HybridVS 2022 Audi A4 Allroad

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Highlander Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum has standard Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Highlander Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A4 Allroad’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Highlander Hybrid has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the A4 Allroad.

The Highlander Hybrid’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Highlander Hybrid and the A4 Allroad have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid weighs 483 to 748 pounds more than the Audi A4 Allroad. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander Hybrid is safer than the Audi A4 Allroad:

	Highlander Hybrid	A4 Allroad
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	172
Chest Movement	.3 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	79 G’s	219 G’s
Hip Force	300 lbs.	308 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	277
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	777 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	47 G’s
Hip Force	664 lbs.	666 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 73 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A4 Allroad has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Highlander Hybrid 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the A4 Allroad. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the A4 Allroad ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander Hybrid for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A4 Allroad.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander Hybrid third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The A4 Allroad isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 83 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Audi is ranked 14th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander Hybrid gets better mileage than the A4 Allroad:

			MPG
Highlander Hybrid
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/35 hwy
	AWD	LE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/35 hwy
		2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy
A4 Allroad
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/30 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Highlander Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The A4 Allroad requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Highlander Hybrid has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the A4 Allroad (17.1 vs. 15.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Highlander Hybrid higher (7 out of 10) than the Audi A4 Allroad (5). This means the Highlander Hybrid produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A4 Allroad every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Highlander Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a CVT.

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum has standard 20-inch wheels. The A4 Allroad’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Highlander Hybrid’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the A4 Allroad (112.2 inches vs. 110.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Highlander Hybrid is 3.2 inches wider in the front and 3.7 inches wider in the rear than on the A4 Allroad.

For better maneuverability, the Highlander Hybrid’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the A4 Allroad’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Highlander Hybrid has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the A4 Allroad (8 vs. 6.5 inches), allowing the Highlander Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Highlander Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Highlander Hybrid has standard seating for 8 passengers; the A4 Allroad can only carry 5.

The Highlander Hybrid has 49.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A4 Allroad (141.3 vs. 92).

The Highlander Hybrid has 3.8 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 5.3 inches more rear legroom and 4.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the A4 Allroad.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander Hybrid’s middle and third row seats recline. The A4 Allroad’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Highlander Hybrid’s cargo area provides more volume than the A4 Allroad.

	Highlander Hybrid	A4 Allroad
Third Seat Folded	48.4 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	24.2 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.3 cubic feet	58.5 cubic feet

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander Hybrid uses the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Highlander Hybrid has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Highlander Hybrid has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the A4 Allroad only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The A4 Allroad’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Highlander Hybrid Platinum’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The Highlander Hybrid Bronze/Limited/Platinum has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

The Highlander Hybrid is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The A4 Allroad doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Audi A4 Allroad, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Audi A4/S4 by over 15 to one during the 2021 model year.