Compare the2026 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2026 Cadillac Lyriq

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Lyriq doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Lyriq 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q4 e-tron Sportback. But it costs extra on the Lyriq.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the Lyriq 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback is safer than the Cadillac Lyriq:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the Lyriq’s (12 vs. 6 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Q4 e-tron Sportback for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Audi will pay for cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Cadillac only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Lyriq.

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 Q4 e-tron Sportback’s reliability 43 points higher than the Lyriq.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 14 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 211 lbs.-ft. more torque (536 vs. 325) than the Lyriq’s standard electric motor. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 86 lbs.-ft. more torque (536 vs. 450) than the Lyriq’s optional electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback is faster than the Cadillac Lyriq electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the Lyriq:

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

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

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

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard 255/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Lyriq’s standard 50 series tires.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback handles at .83 G’s, while the Lyriq pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Lyriq’s (37.7 feet vs. 39.6 feet).

The Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 1150 pounds less than the Cadillac Lyriq.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback is 1 foot, 4.1 inches shorter than the Lyriq, making the Q4 e-tron Sportback 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 Sportback. The Lyriq doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Lyriq’s (2650 vs. 0 pounds).

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Q4 e-tron Sportback 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. Cadillac doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Lyriq.

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

If the windows are left open on the Q4 e-tron Sportback the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Lyriq can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q4 e-tron Sportback to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Lyriq doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Lyriq’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

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 Sportback Premium Plus offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Lyriq doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Cadillac Lyriq isn't recommended.