Compare the2027 Audi e-tron GT VS 2026 Mercedes EQS

Both the e-tron GT and EQS have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The e-tron GT 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 EQS’ 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.

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

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the e-tron GT. But it costs extra on the EQS.

Both the e-tron GT and the EQS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee 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, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The e-tron GT’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the EQS’ (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the e-tron GT for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Audi will pay for cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance (up to 3 visits). Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the EQS.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2026 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The e-tron GT’s electric motors produces 557 more horsepower (912 vs. 355) and 318 lbs.-ft. more torque (737 vs. 419) than the EQS 450+’s standard electric motor. The e-tron GT’s electric motors produces 557 more horsepower (912 vs. 355) and 147 lbs.-ft. more torque (737 vs. 590) than the EQS 450 4MATIC’s standard electric motors. The e-tron GT’s electric motors produces 376 more horsepower (912 vs. 536) and 104 lbs.-ft. more torque (737 vs. 633) than the EQS 580 4MATIC’s standard electric motors.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi e-tron GT is faster than the EQS 450+ electric motor:

	e-tron GT	EQS
Zero to 60 MPH	2.1 sec	5.4 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	4.8 sec	13.6 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	2.4 sec	5.5 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	1.3 sec	2.1 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	1.4 sec	3 sec
Quarter Mile	9.8 sec	14 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	139 MPH	101 MPH
Top Speed	153 MPH	130 MPH

For better stopping power the e-tron GT’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the EQS:

	RS e-tron GT performance	RS e-tron GT performance CCB	EQS
Front Rotors	16.1 inches	16.5 inches	15.3 inches

The e-tron GT stops much shorter than the EQS:

	e-tron GT	EQS
100 to 0 MPH	299 feet	366 feet	Car and Driver
70 to 0 MPH	147 feet	177 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	109 feet	115 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the e-tron GT has larger tires than the EQS (F:265/35R21 & R:305/30R21 vs. 255/45R20).

The e-tron GT’s 265/35R21 front and 305/30R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the EQS’ standard 45 series tires. The e-tron GT’s tires are lower profile than the EQS’ optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the e-tron GT has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the EQS.

The e-tron GT offers an available active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Mercedes doesn’t offer an active suspension on the EQS.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the e-tron GT is 1.4 inches wider in the front than on the EQS.

The RS e-tron GT performance handles at 1.01 G’s, while the EQS 580 4MATIC pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The RS e-tron GT performance executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the EQS 450+ (23.3 seconds @ .93 average G’s vs. 25.4 seconds @ .75 average G’s).

The Audi e-tron GT may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 650 pounds less than the Mercedes EQS.

The e-tron GT is 11 inches shorter than the EQS, making the e-tron GT easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Laser headlights, standard on the e-tron GT Prestige/RS, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the EQS’ LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

The e-tron GT has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the EQS.