Compare the2026 Audi Q4 e-tronVS 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E

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

Both the Q4 e-tron and the Mustang Mach-E have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear 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 is safer than the Ford Mustang Mach-E:

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Audi Q4 e-tron is safer than the Mustang Mach-E:

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

The Q4 e-tron’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Mustang Mach-E’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Q4 e-tron for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Audi will pay for cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Mustang Mach-E.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Ford.

As tested in Motor Trend the Q4 55 e-tron electric motors is faster than the Mustang Mach-E ER electric motor:

On the EPA test cycle the Q4 e-tron gets better mileage than the Mustang Mach-E:

The Q4 e-tron can travel longer on a full charge than the Mustang Mach-E on a full charge:

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

For better stopping power the Q4 e-tron’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Mustang Mach-E:

For better traction, the Q4 e-tron has larger tires than the Mustang Mach-E (F:235/55R19 & R:255/50R19 vs. 225/55R19).

The Q4 e-tron’s standard 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Mustang Mach-E’s standard 55 series tires. The Q4 e-tron 55 e-tron’s optional 255/40R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Mustang Mach-E GT’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q4 e-tron 55 e-tron offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Mustang Mach-E’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Q4 e-tron Quattro handles at .84 G’s, while the Mustang Mach-E 4 pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Q4 e-tron Quattro executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Mustang Mach-E (26.6 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Q4 e-tron 45’s turning circle is 4.6 feet tighter than the Mustang Mach-E’s (33.5 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The Q4 e-tron 55’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the Mustang Mach-E’s (37.7 feet vs. 38.1 feet).

The Q4 45 e-tron is 5 inches shorter than the Mustang Mach-E Select/Premium, making the Q4 e-tron 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. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q4 e-tron’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Q4 e-tron has a 2200 lbs. towing capacity. The Mustang Mach-E has no towing capacity.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Q4 e-tron 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. Ford doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Mustang Mach-E.

The Q4 e-tron 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 Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q4 e-tron to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Mustang Mach-E 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 Premium Plus offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Mustang Mach-E doesn’t offer headlight washers.

When the Q4 e-tron with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Mustang Mach-E’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Q4 e-tron’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 Mustang Mach-E has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Ford Mustang Mach-E, based on reliability, safety and performance.