Compare the2023 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the XC40 Recharge 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, 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback is safer than the XC40 Recharge:

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Audi vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. With 17 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Audi higher than Volvo.

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 Volvo With 24 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 4 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 50 e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the XC40 Recharge (100 city/89 hwy vs. 92 city/79 hwy MPGe).

The Q4 50 e-tron Sportback can travel longer on a full charge than the XC40 Recharge (242 miles vs. 223 miles).

For better stopping power the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the XC40 Recharge:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the XC40 Recharge.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer than on the XC40 Recharge (108.7 inches vs. 106.4 inches).

The design of the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback amounts to more than styling. The Q4 e-tron Sportback has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the XC40 Recharge (.329) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Q4 e-tron Sportback get better fuel mileage.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has .9 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom and 1.1 inches more rear legroom than the XC40 Recharge.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the XC40 Recharge with its rear seat up (26.1 vs. 16 cubic feet). The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the XC40 Recharge with its rear seat folded (54.4 vs. 46.9 cubic feet).

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XC40 Recharge’s (2646 vs. 2000 pounds).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Volvo. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 11% lower rating, Volvo is ranked 12th.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback 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 XC40 Recharge.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s 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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer an automated parking system.