Compare the2026 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2026 Tesla Model Y

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 Model Y doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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

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 Model Y.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard Audi Connect CARE, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the Model Y 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, 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 Sportback weighs 452 to 666 pounds more than the Tesla Model Y. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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 Tesla Model Y:

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

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. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model Y.

There are over 48 percent more Audi dealers than there are Tesla dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s warranty.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 10 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 40 more horsepower (335 vs. 295) and 227 lbs.-ft. more torque (536 vs. 309) than the Model Y Long Range RWD’s standard electric motor. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 147 lbs.-ft. more torque (536 vs. 389) than the Model Y Long Range AWD’s standard electric motors. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 49 lbs.-ft. more torque (536 vs. 487) than the Model Y Performance’s standard electric motors.

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the Model Y.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Q4 e-tron Sportback flat and controlled during cornering. The Model Y Performance suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Model Y’s (37.7 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

The Q4 e-tron Sportback is 8 inches shorter than the Model Y, making the Q4 e-tron Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has .3 inches more front shoulder room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model Y.

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. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

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 Model Y doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

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

Compared to the Tesla Model Y’s traditional radio, the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback optionally equipped with SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks.