Compare the2025 Lincoln AviatorVS 2024 Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

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

The Lincoln Aviator 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 Aviator has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply 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 Aviator has standard Reverse Brake Assist 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 Aviator’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 Aviator and the Q4 e-tron Sportback 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 all wheel drive.

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Aviator 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q4 e-tron Sportback. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Q4 e-tron Sportback ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 75 percent more Lincoln dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Aviator’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 18 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Lincoln 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 Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 24 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Lincoln higher than Audi.

Engine

The Aviator’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 105 more horsepower (400 vs. 295) and 76 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 339) than the Q4 50 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors. The Aviator’s 3.0 turbo V6 produces 65 more horsepower (400 vs. 335) than the Q4 55 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors.

Brakes and Stopping

The Lincoln Aviator 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 Aviator stops shorter than the Q4 e-tron Sportback:

	Aviator	Q4 e-tron Sportback
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Aviator has larger standard tires than the Q4 e-tron Sportback (255/55R20 vs. 235/50R20). The Aviator’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q4 e-tron Sportback (275/40R22 vs. 235/50R20).

The Aviator’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 Aviator offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The Aviator has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Q4 e-tron Sportback; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The Aviator has a standard 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 Aviator has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Aviator’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.

The Aviator’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Aviator’s wheelbase is 10.4 inches longer than on the Q4 e-tron Sportback (119.1 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Aviator is 4.6 inches wider in the front and 5.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

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

Chassis

The front grille of the Aviator 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.

The Aviator Reserve/Black Label uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Aviator offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Q4 e-tron Sportback can only carry 5.

The Aviator has 3 inches more front headroom, 1.8 inches more front legroom, 4.8 inches more front shoulder room, 2.7 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and 6.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

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

Cargo Capacity

The Aviator’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

	Aviator	Q4 e-tron Sportback
Third Seat Folded	41.8 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	26.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	77.7 cubic feet	54.4 cubic feet

Towing

The Aviator’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s (5000 vs. 2650 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Aviator uses the AdvanceTrac® 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 Sportback doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Aviator uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Q4 e-tron Sportback uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Aviator’s exterior PIN entry system. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Audi Connect CARE can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Aviator’s standard Intelligent Access allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, 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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Aviator has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q4 e-tron Sportback only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Aviator 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 Aviator also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

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

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

The Aviator has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Q4 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Aviator (except Premiere) 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 Lincoln Aviator has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the driver’s visor. 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 Lincoln Aviator has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q4 e-tron Sportback.

The Aviator 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 Sportback doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Aviator (except Premiere)’s optional Active Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Q4 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

The Lincoln Aviator outsold the Audi Q4 e-tron by 45% during 2023.