Compare the2026 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2026 Subaru Trailseeker

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 Trailseeker doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and Trailseeker have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q4 e-tron Sportback has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Trailseeker’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the Trailseeker 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, all wheel drive, 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 Q4 e-tron Sportback comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Trailseeker’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Trailseeker’s (12 vs. 5 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. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Trailseeker.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback can travel with zero emissions for 258 miles. The Trailseeker can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

For better traction and acceleration, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has larger rear tires than the Trailseeker (255/45R20 vs. 235/60R18).

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 Trailseeker Premium’s standard 60 series tires. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s optional 235/45R21 front and 255/40R21 rear tires have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile than the Trailseeker Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Trailseeker Premium. The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Trailseeker Limited/Touring.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback is 10.2 inches shorter than the Trailseeker, making the Q4 e-tron Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has 1.9 inches more rear legroom and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailseeker.

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 Trailseeker doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

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 Trailseeker doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s power window, power lock and power mirror switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Trailseeker’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Trailseeker doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Trailseeker has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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 Trailseeker Limited/Touring.

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