Compare the2026 Toyota bZVS 2026 Audi Q4 e-tron

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
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 bZ are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Toyota bZ has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

With its standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, the Toyota bZ is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Audi Q4 e-tron, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	bZ	Q4 e-tron
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-15 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Brights	-23 MPH	-21 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-21 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	2.3 sec	2 sec
37 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-22 MPH
Warning Issued-Low beams	2.1 sec	1.8 sec

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Toyota bZ achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Audi Q4 e-tron has not been tested.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the bZ AWD’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

The bZ’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 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the bZ and the Q4 e-tron 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 Toyota bZ is safer than the Audi Q4 e-tron:

	bZ	Q4 e-tron
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	227	264
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	37%	37.1%
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	132 lbs.

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the bZ is much safer than the Q4 e-tron:

	bZ	Q4 e-tron
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	POOR
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota bZ is safer than the Audi Q4 e-tron:

	bZ	Q4 e-tron
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars

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

Warranty

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the bZ 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q4 e-tron. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q4 e-tron ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the bZ’s warranty.

Reliability

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 bZ’s reliability 11 points higher than the Q4 e-tron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 69 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 111 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 32nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Audi is ranked 13th.

Engine

The bZ’s optional electric motors produces 3 more horsepower (338 vs. 335) than the Q4 55 e-tron’s optional electric motors.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota bZ electric motors is faster than the Q4 55 e-tron electric motors:

	bZ	Q4 e-tron
Zero to 60 MPH	4.4 sec	4.7 sec
Quarter Mile	13.1 sec	13.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101.7 MPH	98.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The bZ can travel longer on a full charge than the Q4 e-tron on a full charge:

			Miles
bZ
	FWD	XLE Plus Electric Motor	314 miles
	AWD	XLE Electric Motors	288 miles
		Limited Electric Motors	278 miles
Q4 e-tron
	RWD	Q4 45 e-tron Electric Motor	288 miles
	AWD	Q4 55 e-tron Electric Motors	258 miles

Brakes and Stopping

The Toyota bZ 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. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the bZ’s wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the Q4 e-tron (112.2 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the bZ is .7 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Q4 e-tron.

For greater off-road capability the bZ has a 2.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q4 e-tron (8.2 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the bZ to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Toyota bZ may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 600 pounds less than the Audi Q4 e-tron.

Passenger Space

The bZ has .1 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q4 e-tron.

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

Cargo Capacity

The bZ has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q4 e-tron with its rear seat up (27.7 vs. 24.8 cubic feet). The bZ has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q4 e-tron with its rear seat folded (56.9 vs. 53.1 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

The bZ Limited’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The bZ’s standard Smart Key System allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Start standard on the Q4 e-tron only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle.

The Toyota bZ has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors costs extra on the Q4 e-tron.

Both the bZ and the Q4 e-tron have standard heated front seats. The bZ Limited also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q4 e-tron.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the bZ Limited keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The bZ 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 Q4 e-tron Premium Plus.

The Toyota bZ has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. 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.

The bZ is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the Q4 e-tron, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the bZ offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the Q4 e-tron.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the bZ equipped with HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The Q4 e-tron, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Toyota bZ empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

Compared to traditional radio, the Toyota bZ’s standard 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. Satellite radio costs extra on the Q4 e-tron.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota bZ has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console for two separate devices. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q4 e-tron, and only charges one device.

Recommendations

The Toyota bZ outsold the Audi Q4 by over two to one during 2025.

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