Compare the2023 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2022 MINI SE Countryman

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

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 MINI SE Countryman doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Pre Sense Front in the Q4 e-tron Sportback as “Superior.” The SE Countryman scores only 3 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The Q4 e-tron Sportback offers an optional Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The SE Countryman only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The SE Countryman doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the SE Countryman have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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 and rearview cameras.

The Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback weighs 897 pounds more than the MINI SE Countryman. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 SE Countryman last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

There are almost 3 times as many Audi dealers as there are MINI dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s warranty.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than MINI vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 9 places higher in reliability than MINI.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 74 more horsepower (295 vs. 221) and 55 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 284) than the SE Countryman’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 50 e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the SE Countryman running on electricity (100 city/89 hwy vs. 74 city/72 hwy MPGe).

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 50 e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the SE Countryman running its gasoline engine (100 city/89 hwy MPGe vs. 29 city/30 hwy).

The Q4 50 e-tron Sportback can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 242 miles. The SE Countryman has to start its internal combustion engine after only 18 miles.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback higher (10 out of 10) than the MINI SE Countryman (3). This means the Q4 e-tron Sportback produces up to 36.3 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the SE Countryman every 15,000 miles.

For better traction, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has larger tires than the SE Countryman (F:235/50R20 & R:255/45R20 vs. 225/50R18).

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Only 18-inch wheels are available on the SE Countryman.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s wheelbase is 3.6 inches longer than on the SE Countryman (108.7 inches vs. 105.1 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 SE Countryman (.33) 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 .8 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the SE Countryman.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the SE Countryman with its rear seat up (26.1 vs. 17.2 cubic feet). The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the SE Countryman with its rear seat folded (54.4 vs. 47.4 cubic feet).

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 SE Countryman doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a 2646 lbs. towing capacity. The SE Countryman has no towing capacity.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the SE Countryman’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the SE Countryman’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

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 SE Countryman 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 SE Countryman doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the SE Countryman.