Compare the2026 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2026 Volkswagen ID.4

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 ID.4 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 ID.4.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the ID.4 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 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 Volkswagen ID.4:

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 5 years and unlimited miles longer than the ID.4’s (12/unlimited vs. 7/100,000).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Q4 e-tron Sportback for 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the ID.4 (3/30,000 vs. 2/20,000).

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 19 points higher than the ID.4.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 11 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 53 more horsepower (335 vs. 282) and 134 lbs.-ft. more torque (536 vs. 402) than the ID.4’s standard electric motor.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback is faster than the Volkswagen ID.4 electric motors:

For better stopping power the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the ID.4:

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard 235/50R20 front and 255/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ID.4’s standard 55 series front and 50 series rear tires.

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 ID.4.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The ID.4’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback handles at .81 G’s, while the ID.4 Pro S AWD pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the ID.4 Pro (26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

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 ID.4 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the ID.4’s (2650 vs. 2200 pounds).

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 ID.4 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 Sportback has standard extendable sun visors. The ID.4 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the ID.4 Pro S/Pro S Plus.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Volkswagen ID.4 isn't recommended.