Compare the2024 Acura ZDXVS 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron

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

Safety

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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 ZDX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Acura ZDX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The ZDX has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

Both the ZDX and the Q4 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 Acura ZDX weighs 560 to 1378 pounds more than the Audi Q4 e-tron. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Acura vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Acura higher than Audi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Acura fourth in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 19th.

Engine

The ZDX has more powerful engines than the Q4 e-tron:

	Horsepower	Torque
ZDX A-Spec electric motor	358 HP	324 lbs.-ft.
ZDX A-Spec AWD electric motors	490 HP	437 lbs.-ft.
ZDX Type S electric motors	500 HP	544 lbs.-ft.
Q4 40 e-tron electric motor	201 HP	229 lbs.-ft.
Q4 50 e-tron electric motors	295 HP	339 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

The ZDX can travel longer on a full charge than the Q4 e-tron on a full charge:

			Miles
ZDX
	RWD	A-Spec Electric Motor	313 miles
	AWD	A-Spec Electric Motors	304 miles
		Type S Electric Motors	278 miles
Q4 e-tron
	RWD	Q4 40 e-tron Electric Motor	265 miles
	AWD	Q4 50 e-tron Electric Motors	236 miles

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the ZDX Type S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Q4 e-tron:

	ZDX Type S	Q4 e-tron 40	Q4 e-tron 50
Front Rotors	15.3 inches	13.4 inches	14.1 inches
Rear Rotors	13.5 inches	11” drums	11” drums

The Acura ZDX has standard four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the Q4 e-tron. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the ZDX has larger standard tires than the Q4 e-tron (265/50R20 vs. 235/55R19). The ZDX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q4 e-tron (275/40R22 vs. 235/55R19).

The ZDX A-Spec’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q4 e-tron’s standard 55 series front tires. The ZDX Type S’ tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Q4 e-tron Quattro’s optional 50 series front and 45 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ZDX A-Spec has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the Q4 e-tron. The ZDX Type S’ 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Q4 e-tron Quattro.

The Acura ZDX’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Audi Q4 e-tron only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The ZDX 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 Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the ZDX can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ZDX’s wheelbase is 13.1 inches longer than on the Q4 e-tron (121.8 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the ZDX is 3.9 inches wider in the front and 4.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Q4 e-tron.

Passenger Space

The ZDX has .2 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear legroom and 2.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q4 e-tron.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the ZDX’s rear seats recline. The Q4 e-tron’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The ZDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q4 e-tron with its rear seat up (29.7 vs. 24.8 cubic feet). The ZDX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q4 e-tron with its rear seat folded (63 vs. 53.1 cubic feet).

Towing

The ZDX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q4 e-tron’s (3500 vs. 2205 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the ZDX uses the Vehicle Stability Assist sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 6% lower rating, Audi is ranked 8th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the Q4 e-tron, the ZDX Type S has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The ZDX’s standard Keyless Access System allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Start standard on the Q4 e-tron only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

The ZDX’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 Q4 e-tron’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the ZDX to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the ZDX and the Q4 e-tron have standard heated front seats. The ZDX Type S also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q4 e-tron.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the ZDX keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The ZDX 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 is only available on the Q4 e-tron Premium Plus/Prestige.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura ZDX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q4 e-tron.

The ZDX Type S has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The ZDX Type S’ Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Q4 e-tron Premium Plus/Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.