Compare the2023 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2023 Porsche Cayenne

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 Cayenne doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and Cayenne have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q4 e-tron Sportback 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 Cayenne’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 Sportback’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Cayenne.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Cayenne’s blind spot costs extra.

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 to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the Cayenne have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras 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 127 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Cayenne has not been tested, yet.

There are over 56 percent more Audi dealers than there are Porsche dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s warranty.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 7 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 332) than the Cayenne’s standard 3.0 turbo V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the Cayenne running on electricity:

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the Cayenne running its gasoline engine:

The Q4 e-tron Sportback can travel longer on a full charge than the Cayenne on electricity, only, on a full charge:

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 Porsche Cayenne (3 to 5). This means the Q4 e-tron Sportback produces up to 36.3 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Cayenne every 15,000 miles.

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 Cayenne’s standard 55 series front and 50 series rear tires.

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 Cayenne.

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

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 Cayenne (.3 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Q4 e-tron Sportback get better fuel mileage.

If the windows are left open on the Q4 e-tron Sportback the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Cayenne can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Cayenne 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 Cayenne.