Compare the2023 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2023 BMW iX

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW iX doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the iX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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.

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 Q4 e-tron Sportback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The iX has not been tested, yet.

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

For better stopping power the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the iX:

For better traction and acceleration, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has larger rear tires than the iX (255/45R20 vs. 235/60R20).

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s 235/50R20 front and 255/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the iX’s standard 60 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s turning circle is 2.7 feet tighter than the iX M60’s (37.7 feet vs. 40.4 feet). The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s turning circle is 5.1 feet tighter than the iX xDrive50’s (37.7 feet vs. 42.8 feet).

The Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 900 pounds less than the BMW iX.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback is 1 foot, 2.3 inches shorter than the iX, making the Q4 e-tron Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Q4 e-tron Sportback. The iX doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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 Sportback Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The iX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard extendable sun visors. The iX doesn’t offer extendable visors.