Compare the2025 BMW iXVS 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The BMW iX 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 Sportback doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The iX has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Q4 e-tron Sportback 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.

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

The iX’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the iX and the Q4 e-tron Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The BMW iX weighs 820 to 1144 pounds more than the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the iX for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

There are over 14 percent more BMW dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the iX’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the iX’s reliability 11 points higher than the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 36 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks BMW higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 85 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks BMW higher than Audi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks BMW 10 places higher in reliability than Audi.

Engine

The iX xDrive50’s standard electric motors produces 221 more horsepower (516 vs. 295) and 225 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 339) than the Q4 50 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors. The iX xDrive50’s electric motors produces 181 more horsepower (516 vs. 335) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 501) than the Q4 55 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors. The iX M60’s standard electric motors produces 275 more horsepower (610 vs. 335) and 310 lbs.-ft. more torque (811 vs. 501) than the Q4 55 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the BMW iX is faster than the Q4 55 e-tron Sportback:

	iX xDrive50	iX M60	Q4 e-tron Sportback
Zero to 60 MPH	4 sec	3.2 sec	5 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	4.3 sec	3.7 sec	4.9 sec
Quarter Mile	12.3 sec	11.5 sec	13.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	115 MPH	120 MPH	97 MPH
Top Speed	123 MPH	154 MPH	100 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			Miles
iX
	AWD	xDrive 50 20" Wheels Electric Motors	309 miles
		xDrive 50 21" Wheels Electric Motors	303 miles
		xDrive 50 22" Wheels Electric Motors	302 miles
		M60 22" Wheels Electric Motors	285 miles
		M60 21" Wheels Electric Motors	284 miles
Q4 e-tron Sportback
	AWD	Q4 55 e-tron Sportback Electric Motors	258 miles
		Q4 50 e-tron Sportback Electric Motors	242 miles

Brakes and Stopping

The BMW iX 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 Sportback. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

The iX stops much shorter than the Q4 e-tron Sportback:

	iX	Q4 e-tron Sportback
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	177 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q4 e-tron Sportback (275/40R22 vs. 235/50R20).

The iX’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s optional 45 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The iX offers an available 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 Q4 e-tron Sportback’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The iX has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The iX’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 Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 9.4 inches longer than on the Q4 e-tron Sportback (118.1 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 5.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

The iX xDrive50 handles at .88 G’s, while the Q4 e-tron Sportback pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The iX M60 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Q4 e-tron Sportback (25.5 seconds @ .74 average G’s vs. 26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the iX has a 2.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q4 e-tron Sportback (8.7 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the iX uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The iX has 3 inches more front headroom, 4.8 inches more front shoulder room, 2.5 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

Cargo Capacity

The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q4 e-tron Sportback with its rear seat up (35.5 vs. 26.1 cubic feet). The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q4 e-tron Sportback with its rear seat folded (77.9 vs. 54.4 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The iX’s standard Comfort Access allow 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 Sportback only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

The iX’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 Sportback’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Laser headlights, optional on the iX, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the iX has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer cornering lights. The iX also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The BMW iX has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors costs extra on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

Both the iX and the Q4 e-tron Sportback have standard heated front seats. The iX also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

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

The iX offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

The BMW iX has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Audi charges extra for Homelink® on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

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

The iX’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Parking Assistant Professional will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Q4 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Recommendations

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the iX first among upper midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Q4 e-tron Sportback isn’t in the top three.

The BMW iX outsold the Audi Q4 e-tron by 61% during 2023.