Compare the2023 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2023 Nissan Ariya

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 Ariya doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q4 e-tron Sportback. But it costs extra on the Ariya.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the Ariya 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, 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 Ariya has not been tested, yet.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Ariya’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Ariya’s (12 vs. 5 years).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 9 places higher in reliability than Nissan.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 81 more horsepower (295 vs. 214) and 118 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 221) than the Ariya’s standard electric motor. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 57 more horsepower (295 vs. 238) and 118 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 221) than the Ariya +’s standard electric motor.

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

The Q4 e-tron Sportback can travel longer on a full charge than the Ariya on a full charge:

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

For better traction and acceleration, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has larger rear tires than the Ariya (255/45R20 vs. 235/55R19).

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 Ariya’s standard 55 series 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 Ariya.

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 Ariya (.3 to .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 a much larger cargo volume than the Ariya with its rear seat up (26.1 vs. 22.8 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 Ariya doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Ariya’s (2646 vs. 0 pounds).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Nissan. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Nissan is ranked 18th.

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 Ariya can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Ariya’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

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 Ariya doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Ariya offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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 is only available on the Ariya Engage/Evolve+/Empower+/Platinum+.

The Audi Q4 e-tron outsold the Nissan Ariya by almost 18 to one during 2022.