Compare the2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5VS 2024 Audi Q8 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 Q8 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 Q8 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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Ioniq 5 and the Q8 e-tron 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, 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is safer than the Audi Q8 e-tron:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Q8 e-tron is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024, though it hasn’t yet been rated in the updated moderate overlap frontal test, a requirement for the “Top Safety Pick Plus” award.

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 Q8 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 Q8 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 Q8 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 Q8 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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 80 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 31st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 77 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Audi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 8 places higher in reliability than Audi.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric motors is faster than the Audi Q8 e-tron (base engine):

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq 5 gets better mileage than the Q8 e-tron:

The Ioniq 5 can travel longer on a full charge than the Q8 e-tron on a full charge:

The Ioniq 5 stops much shorter than the Q8 e-tron:

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq 5’s wheelbase is 3 inches longer than on the Q8 e-tron (118.1 inches vs. 115.1 inches).

The Ioniq 5 Limited AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Q8 e-tron 55 Launch Edition pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Ioniq 5 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Q8 e-tron 55 Launch Edition (25.6 seconds vs. 26.6 seconds).

For better maneuverability, the Ioniq 5’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Q8 e-tron’s (39.3 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1350 to 1800 pounds less than the Audi Q8 e-tron.

The Ioniq 5 is 10.5 inches shorter than the Q8 e-tron, making the Ioniq 5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 Q8 e-tron (.29 to .32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Ioniq 5 get better fuel mileage.

The Ioniq 5 has 3.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q8 e-tron (106.5 vs. 103).

The Ioniq 5 has 1.7 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q8 e-tron.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ioniq 5’s rear seats recline. The Q8 e-tron’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Ioniq 5 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q8 e-tron with its rear seat folded (59.3 vs. 56.4 cubic feet).

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 Q8 e-tron’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Q8 e-tron Prestige/Launch Assist’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The Ioniq 5 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Ioniq 5 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 2 more times in the last 3 years. The Q8 e-tron has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 outsold the Audi Q8 e-tron by almost four to one during 2023.