Compare the2024 Audi Q8 e-tron SportbackVS 2023 Chevrolet Bolt

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The Q8 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 Bolt doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Bolt doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Q8 e-tron Sportback and Bolt have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q8 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 Bolt’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.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Bolt doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Bolt doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The Q8 e-tron Sportback has Car-to-X Services, a system that seemlesly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Bolt doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Bolt’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q8 e-tron Sportback has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Bolt and the Bolt’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the Q8 e-tron Sportback and the Bolt have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available around view monitors.

The Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback weighs 2174 to 2201 pounds more than the Chevrolet Bolt. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback is safer than the Chevrolet Bolt:

	Q8 e-tron Sportback	Bolt
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	323	440
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	76 lbs.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback is safer than the Chevrolet Bolt:

	Q8 e-tron Sportback	Bolt
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	44	74
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	117 lbs.	132 lbs.
Hip Force	236 lbs.	297 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	123	205
Spine Acceleration	44 G’s	59 G’s
Hip Force	579 lbs.	978 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	8 inches	10 inches
HIC	279	330

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

The Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Bolt has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Warranty

The Q8 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 Bolt’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Bolt’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Reliability

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 Q8 e-tron Sportback’s reliability 13 points higher than the Bolt.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors produces 202 more horsepower (402 vs. 200) and 224 lbs.-ft. more torque (490 vs. 266) than the Bolt’s electric motor. The SQ8 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors produces 296 more horsepower (496 vs. 200) and 451 lbs.-ft. more torque (717 vs. 266) than the Bolt’s electric motor.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback (base engine) is faster than the Chevrolet Bolt:

	Q8 e-tron Sportback	Bolt
Zero to 60 MPH	5.2 sec	6.4 sec
Quarter Mile	13.9 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101.6 MPH	92.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Q8 e-tron Sportback can travel longer on a full charge than the Bolt on a full charge:

			Miles
Q8 e-tron Sportback
	AWD	ultra Electric Motors	300 miles
		Electric Motors	296 miles
Bolt
	FWD	Electric Motor	259 miles

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The Bolt doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

Transmission

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Bolt doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Bolt:

	Q8 e-tron Sportback	Bolt
Front Rotors	15.7 inches	10.9 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	10.4 inches

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Bolt are solid, not vented.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback stops much shorter than the Bolt:

	Q8 e-tron Sportback	Bolt
60 to 0 MPH	104 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q8 e-tron Sportback has larger standard tires than the Bolt (255/50R20 vs. 215/50R17). The Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Bolt (265/45R21 vs. 215/50R17).

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Bolt’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium ultra has standard 19-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Bolt. The Q8 e-tron Sportback offers optional 22-inch wheels.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Bolt; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Bolt has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Bolt’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Q8 e-tron Sportback flat and controlled during cornering. The Bolt’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The front and rear suspension of the Q8 e-tron Sportback uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Bolt, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Bolt’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Bolt doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s wheelbase is 12.7 inches longer than on the Bolt (115.1 inches vs. 102.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q8 e-tron Sportback is 5.6 inches wider in the front and 5.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Bolt.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback handles at .92 G’s, while the Bolt pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.4 seconds quicker than the Bolt (25.4 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

Chassis

The front grille of the Q8 e-tron Sportback uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Bolt doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has 8.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Bolt (102 vs. 93.9).

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has 3.9 inches more front shoulder room, 3.1 inches more rear legroom and 4.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Bolt.

Cargo Capacity

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume than the Bolt with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 16.6 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Bolt doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Q8 e-tron Sportback. The Bolt doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Bolt doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

Towing

The Q8 e-tron Sportback offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity. The Bolt has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The Q8 e-tron Sportback uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Bolt 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 13% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Q8 e-tron Sportback, the memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver and front passenger’s seat positions, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle. The Bolt doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Bolt doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Bolt doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Bolt’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Q8 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 Bolt can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q8 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 Bolt’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Bolt’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Q8 e-tron Sportback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Bolt doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

When the Q8 e-tron Sportback 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 Bolt’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard 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 Bolt offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Bolt. The Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Bolt.

Standard air conditioned seats in the front and rear seats keep the Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Bolt doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Q8 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 costs extra on the Bolt.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback Prestige has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Bolt.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Bolt doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Q8 e-tron Sportback and the Bolt offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Q8 e-tron Sportback has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Bolt doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback Prestige/Launch Assist’s Intelligent Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Bolt doesn’t offer an automated parking system.