Compare the2024 Audi Q4 e-tronVS 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E

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 Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q4 e-tron and the Mustang Mach-E have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Audi Q4 e-tron is safer than the Mustang Mach-E:

The Audi Q4 e-tron 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 Mustang Mach-E is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

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 Mustang Mach-E’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 Mustang Mach-E’s (12 vs. 5 years).

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 3 places higher in reliability than Ford.

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 e-tron gets better mileage than the Mustang Mach-E:

The Q4 e-tron can travel longer on a full charge than the Mustang Mach-E on a full charge:

The Q4 e-tron has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

The Q4 e-tron stops much shorter than the Mustang Mach-E:

For better traction, the Q4 e-tron has larger tires than the Mustang Mach-E (F:235/55R19 & R:255/50R19 vs. 225/55R19).

The Q4 e-tron’s standard 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mustang Mach-E’s standard 55 series tires.

The Q4 50 e-tron Prestige handles at .84 G’s, while the Mustang Mach-E 4 pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron 40’s turning circle is 4.6 feet tighter than the Mustang Mach-E’s (33.5 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The Q4 e-tron 50’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the Mustang Mach-E’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

The Q4 e-tron is 4.9 inches shorter than the Mustang Mach-E Select/Premium, making the Q4 e-tron easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Q4 e-tron. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q4 e-tron’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Q4 e-tron has a 2205 lbs. towing capacity. The Mustang Mach-E has no towing capacity.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Q4 e-tron 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. Ford doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Mustang Mach-E.

The Q4 e-tron offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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 Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer headlight washers.

When the Q4 e-tron with available tilt-down mirrors 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 Mustang Mach-E’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 Mustang Mach-E has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Ford Mustang Mach-E, based on reliability, safety and performance.