Compare the2022 Audi Q4 e-tronVS 2022 Acura RDX

The Q4 e-tron’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The RDX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q4 e-tron and RDX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q4 e-tron has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The RDX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Q4 e-tron has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The RDX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Q4 e-tron and the RDX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Audi Q4 e-tron weighs 781 to 1073 pounds more than the Acura RDX. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Q4 e-tron’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the RDX’s (12 vs. 5 years).

There are over 12 percent more Audi dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Q4 e-tron’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Acura.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 14 places higher in reliability than Acura.

The Q4 50 e-tron’s standard electric motors produces 23 more horsepower (295 vs. 272) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 280) than the RDX’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 e-tron gets better mileage than the RDX:

The Q4 50 e-tron can travel with zero emissions for 241 miles. The RDX can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Q4 e-tron’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The RDX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q4 e-tron higher (10 out of 10) than the Acura RDX (6). This means the Q4 e-tron produces up to 12.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RDX every 15,000 miles.

For better traction and acceleration, the Q4 e-tron has larger rear tires than the RDX (255/50R19 vs. 235/55R19).

The Q4 e-tron’s standard 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RDX’s standard 55 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron’s turning circle is 1.2 feet tighter than the RDX’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.9 feet).

The Q4 e-tron is 6.7 inches shorter than the RDX, making the Q4 e-tron easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q4 e-tron’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RDX’s (2205 vs. 1500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Acura RDX is only 1500 pounds. The Q4 e-tron offers up to a 2646 lbs. towing capacity.

The Q4 e-tron’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The RDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q4 e-tron Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The RDX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q4 e-tron has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the RDX.

The Q4 e-tron’s optional Park Steering Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The RDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi Q4 e-tron will be $232 to $1268 less than for the Acura RDX.