Compare the2023 Porsche TaycanVS 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback

The Porsche Taycan has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer knee airbags.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Taycan helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Taycan and the Q4 e-tron Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

Porsche pays for scheduled maintenance on the Taycan for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Porsche will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 39 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Porsche higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

The Taycan’s standard electric motor produces 107 more horsepower (402 vs. 295) than the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors. The Taycan Performance Plus’ optional electric motor produces 174 more horsepower (469 vs. 295) than the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors. The Taycan Cross Turismo’s standard electric motors produces 174 more horsepower (469 vs. 295) and 29 lbs.-ft. more torque (368 vs. 339) than the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors. The Taycan 4S’ standard electric motors produces 227 more horsepower (522 vs. 295) and 133 lbs.-ft. more torque (472 vs. 339) than the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors. The Taycan Turbo S’ standard electric motors produces 455 more horsepower (750 vs. 295) and 435 lbs.-ft. more torque (774 vs. 339) than the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors.

For better stopping power the Taycan Turbo S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Q4 e-tron Sportback:

The Porsche Taycan has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the Q4 e-tron Sportback. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Taycan offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

For better traction, the Taycan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q4 e-tron Sportback (F:265/35R21 & R:305/30R21 vs. F:235/50R20 & R:255/45R20).

The Taycan’s optional 265/35R21 front and 305/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s optional 50 series front and 45 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Taycan offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Taycan offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Taycan offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Audi doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

The Taycan has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taycan’s wheelbase is 5.5 inches longer than on the Q4 e-tron Sportback (114.2 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Taycan is 4.8 inches wider in the front and 4.6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

For better maneuverability, the Taycan w/Rear Axle Steering’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s (36.7 feet vs. 37.7 feet).

The Porsche Taycan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 300 pounds less than the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback.

The Taycan is 9.7 inches shorter in height than the Q4 e-tron Sportback, making the Taycan much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The front grille of the Taycan uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Taycan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Q4 e-tron Sportback uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 14% lower rating, Audi is ranked 8th.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional in the Q4 e-tron Sportback, the Taycan offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Taycan offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Both the Taycan and the Q4 e-tron Sportback have standard heated front seats. The Taycan also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Taycan keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Taycan offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Porsche Taycan has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

The Taycan’s optional Active Parking Support can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Q4 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The Porsche Taycan comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback isn’t available as a sedan.

The Taycan is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Porsche Taycan outsold the Audi Q4 e-tron by 64% during 2022.