Compare the2023 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2023 Rivian R1S

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 R1S doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and R1S 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 R1S’ 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.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the R1S 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.

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 R1S has not been tested, yet.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 4 years longer than the R1S’ (12 vs. 8 years).

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the R1S:

For better stopping power the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the R1S:

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s turning circle is 5.6 feet tighter than the R1S’ (37.7 feet vs. 43.3 feet).

The Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 2100 pounds less than the Rivian R1S.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback is 1 foot, 8.1 inches shorter than the R1S, making the Q4 e-tron Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback is 8.4 inches narrower than the R1S, making the Q4 e-tron Sportback easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback is 13.4 inches shorter in height than the R1S, making the Q4 e-tron Sportback much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

For excellent aerodynamics, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard flush composite headlights. The R1S has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume than the R1S 4dr Sport Utility with its rear seat up (26.1 vs. 17.6 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 R1S doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The R1S’ tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The R1S doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its tailgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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 R1S doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 R1S doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The R1S doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

When the Q4 e-tron Sportback with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The R1S’ mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 R1S doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Audi Q4 e-tron outsold the Rivian R1S by over four to one during 2022.