Compare the2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5VS 2023 Audi Q4 e-tron

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Ioniq 5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Ioniq 5 Limited has standard Parking Collision Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Ioniq 5’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Ioniq 5 and the Q4 e-tron 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.

The Ioniq 5 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Q4 e-tron’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Ioniq 5 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q4 e-tron. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q4 e-tron ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Ioniq 5 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q4 e-tron.

There are almost 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Ioniq 5’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ioniq 5’s reliability 11 points higher than the Q4 e-tron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai above average in initial quality. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 84 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 25th.

The Ioniq 5 has more powerful engines than the Q4 e-tron:

As tested in Consumer Reports the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric motors is faster than the Q4 50 e-tron electric motors:

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq 5 gets better mileage than the Q4 e-tron:

The Ioniq 5 can travel longer on a full charge than the Q4 e-tron on a full charge:

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 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. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The Ioniq 5 stops shorter than the Q4 e-tron:

For better traction, the Ioniq 5 Limited AWD’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q4 e-tron (255/45R20 vs. 235/55R19).

The Ioniq 5 Limited AWD’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q4 e-tron Quattro’s optional 50 series front tires.

The Ioniq 5 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq 5’s wheelbase is 9.4 inches longer than on the Q4 e-tron (118.1 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Ioniq 5 is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Q4 e-tron.

The Ioniq 5 Limited AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the Q4 50 e-tron Prestige pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 650 pounds less than the Audi Q4 e-tron.

The design of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 amounts to more than styling. The Ioniq 5 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .288 Cd. That is lower than the Q4 e-tron (.28 to .31) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Ioniq 5 get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Ioniq 5 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 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Ioniq 5 has 1.3 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 2.2 inches more rear legroom and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q4 e-tron.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ioniq 5’s rear seats recline. The Q4 e-tron’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Ioniq 5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q4 e-tron with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 24.8 cubic feet). The Ioniq 5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q4 e-tron with its rear seat folded (59.3 vs. 53.1 cubic feet).

The Ioniq 5 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Q4 e-tron 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.

The Ioniq 5’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Q4 e-tron’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Ioniq 5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Ioniq 5 Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Ioniq 5 Limited’s Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Parking 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 Premium Plus/Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Ioniq 5, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Audi Q4 e-tron isn't recommended.

The Ioniq 5 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023 and 2022. The Q4 e-tron has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Hyundai Ioniq outsold the Audi Q4 e-tron by almost 8 to one during 2022.