Compare the2024 Audi Q4 e-tronVS 2025 BMW iX

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q4 e-tron 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 BMW iX doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Q4 e-tron and the iX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 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 iX has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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

The Q4 e-tron stops shorter than the iX:

For better traction and acceleration, the Q4 e-tron has larger rear tires than the iX (255/50R19 vs. 235/60R20).

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 iX xDrive50’s standard 60 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron 40’s turning circle is 6.2 feet tighter than the iX xDrive50’s (33.5 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The Q4 e-tron 50’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the iX xDrive50’s (37.7 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

The Audi Q4 e-tron may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 950 to 1000 pounds less than the BMW iX.

The Q4 e-tron is 1 foot, 2.3 inches shorter than the iX, 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 iX doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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 iX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Q4 e-tron’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the iX’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 iX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Q4 e-tron has standard extendable sun visors. The iX doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Q4 e-tron is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The iX doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q4 e-tron and the BMW iX, based on reliability, safety and performance.