Compare the2024 Audi Q8 e-tron SportbackVS 2023 Tesla Model Y

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
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 Model Y doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Model Y doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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 Model Y 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model Y doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige has a standard Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model Y only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard Audi Connect CARE, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Q8 e-tron Sportback and the Model Y 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback weighs 1400 to 1435 pounds more than the Tesla Model Y. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Tesla Model Y:

	Q8 e-tron Sportback	Model Y
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	117 lbs.	145 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	123	358
Spine Acceleration	44 G’s	45 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	279	283
Hip Force	631 lbs.	682 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are almost 2 times as many Audi dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Audi vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. With 36 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Audi higher than Tesla.

Engine

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors produces 77 more horsepower (402 vs. 325) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (490 vs. 475) than the Model Y Long Range’s standard electric motors. The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 3 lbs.-ft. more torque (490 vs. 487) than the Model Y Performance’s standard electric motors. The SQ8 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors produces 41 more horsepower (496 vs. 455) and 230 lbs.-ft. more torque (717 vs. 487) than the Model Y Performance’s standard electric motors.

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 Model Y 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 Model Y:

	Q8 e-tron Sportback	Model Y
Front Rotors	15.7 inches	14 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.2 inches

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

	Q8 e-tron Sportback	Model Y
60 to 0 MPH	104 feet	118 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Model Y (265/45R21 vs. 255/35R21).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q8 e-tron Sportback offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Model Y’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

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 Model Y; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

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 Model Y’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 Model Y, 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 Model Y’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 Model Y doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the Model Y (115.1 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The Q8 e-tron Sportback handles at .92 G’s, while the Model Y Long Range pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Passenger Space

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has 2.2 inches more front shoulder room and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

Cargo Capacity

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume than the Model Y with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 16.9 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model Y doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Tesla Model Y is limited to 3500 pounds. The Q8 e-tron Sportback offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

A Service Interval Display is standard on the Q8 e-tron Sportback to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for vehicle inspections, vehicle inspection based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Model Y, the Q8 e-tron Sportback Prestige has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

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 Model Y doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard rear wiper. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Q8 e-tron Sportback has standard extendable sun visors. The Model Y doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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

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 Model Y doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 Model Y.