Compare the2024 Audi e-tron GTVS 2023 Mercedes EQS

Both the e-tron GT and EQS have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The e-tron GT 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 EQS’ 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 e-tron GT. But it costs extra on the EQS.

Both the e-tron GT and the EQS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

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

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 18 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The e-tron GT has more powerful engines than the EQS:

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi e-tron GT (522 HP engine) is faster than the EQS 450+ electric motor:

As tested in Car and Driver the RS e-tron GT is faster than the EQS 580 4MATIC electric motors:

On the EPA test cycle the e-tron GT gets better mileage than the EQS:

The e-tron GT stops much shorter than the EQS:

For better traction and acceleration, the e-tron GT has larger standard rear tires than the EQS (285/40R20 vs. 255/45R20). The e-tron GT Prestige/RS’ optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the EQS (305/30R21 vs. 275/40R21).

The e-tron GT’s standard 285/40R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the EQS’ standard 45 series tires. The e-tron GT Prestige/RS’ optional 305/30R21 rear tires have a lower 30 series profile than the EQS’ optional 35 series tires.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the e-tron GT is 1.3 inches wider in the front than the average track on the EQS.

The RS e-tron GT handles at .95 G’s, while the EQS 580 4MATIC pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The RS e-tron GT executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the EQS 580 4MATIC (24.1 seconds @ .85 average G’s vs. 25.2 seconds @ .76 average G’s).

The Audi e-tron GT may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 800 pounds less than the Mercedes EQS.

The e-tron GT is 10.9 inches shorter than the EQS, making the e-tron GT easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

Laser headlights, standard on the e-tron GT Prestige/RS, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the EQS’ LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

The Audi e-tron outsold the Mercedes EQS by 58% during 2022.