Compare the2024 Audi Q4 e-tronVS 2024 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

The Q4 e-tron’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q4 e-tron and Highlander Hybrid have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q4 e-tron 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 Highlander Hybrid’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.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q4 e-tron has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist with Automatic Brake Activation, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the Q4 e-tron and the Highlander Hybrid 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, 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q4 e-tron is safer than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

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

The Q4 e-tron comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Highlander Hybrid’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q4 e-tron’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Highlander Hybrid’s (12 vs. 5 years).

The Q4 50 e-tron’s standard electric motors produces 52 more horsepower (295 vs. 243) than the Highlander Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Q4 50 e-tron electric motors is faster than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 e-tron gets better mileage than the Highlander Hybrid:

The Q4 e-tron can travel with zero emissions for 236 to 265 miles (dependent on model). The Highlander Hybrid can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q4 e-tron higher (10 out of 10) than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid (7). This means the Q4 e-tron produces up to 11.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Highlander Hybrid every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Q4 e-tron 50’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Highlander Hybrid:

The Q4 e-tron stops shorter than the Highlander Hybrid:

For better traction and acceleration, the Q4 e-tron has larger rear tires than the Highlander Hybrid (255/50R19 vs. 235/65R18).

The Q4 e-tron’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Highlander Hybrid LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires. The Q4 e-tron Quattro’s optional 235/50R20 front and 255/45R20 rear tires have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile than the Highlander Hybrid Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q4 e-tron has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Highlander Hybrid LE/XLE.

The Q4 e-tron offers an optional or off-road. The Highlander Hybrid’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Q4 e-tron has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron 40’s turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Highlander Hybrid’s (33.5 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Q4 e-tron is 1 foot, 2.2 inches shorter than the Highlander Hybrid, making the Q4 e-tron easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q4 e-tron has a much larger cargo volume than the Highlander Hybrid with its rear seat up (24.8 vs. 16 cubic feet).

The Q4 e-tron’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 Highlander Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q4 e-tron to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Q4 e-tron’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Highlander Hybrid’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q4 e-tron Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Q4 e-tron’s optional 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 Highlander Hybrid offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Q4 e-tron Premium Plus/Prestige’s Park Steering Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Highlander Hybrid doesn’t offer an automated parking system.