Compare the2026 Chevrolet Equinox EVVS 2026 Audi Q4 e-tron

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 Equinox EV 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 Chevrolet Equinox EV 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.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV offers an optional HD Surround Vision and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Audi Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

The Equinox EV’s optional 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 Equinox EV 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, 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 Chevrolet Equinox EV is safer than the Audi Q4 e-tron:

	Equinox EV	Q4 e-tron
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	19.4%	33.2%
Neck Stress	154 lbs.	173 lbs.
Neck Compression	19 lbs.	75 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35.1%	37.1%
Neck Compression	39 lbs.	132 lbs.

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

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 Chevrolet Equinox EV is safer than the Audi Q4 e-tron:

	Equinox EV	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.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Equinox EV, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 1.4% to 1.6% less likely to roll over than the Q4 e-tron, which received a four-star rating.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Equinox EV 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 9 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Equinox EV’s warranty.

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 Equinox EV’s reliability 16 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 Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 91 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 33 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

The Equinox EV’s optional electric motors produces 6 more horsepower (288 vs. 282) than the Q4 45 e-tron’s standard electric motor.

On the EPA test cycle the Equinox EV AWD gets better mileage than the Q4 55 e-tron (112 city/95 hwy vs. 107 city/92 hwy MPGe).

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

			Miles
Equinox EV
	FWD	Electric Motor	319 miles
	AWD	Electric Motors	307 miles
		RS Electric Motors	288 miles
Q4 e-tron
	RWD	Q4 45 e-tron Electric Motor	288 miles
	AWD	Q4 55 e-tron Electric Motors	258 miles

The Chevrolet Equinox EV 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.

The Equinox EV stops much shorter than the Q4 e-tron:

	Equinox EV	Q4 e-tron
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Equinox EV has larger standard tires than the Q4 e-tron (245/55R19 vs. 235/55R19). The Equinox EV’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q4 e-tron (275/40R21 vs. 235/55R19).

The Equinox EV’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q4 e-tron 55 e-tron’s optional 45 series front tires.

The Chevrolet Equinox EV’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Audi Q4 e-tron only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Equinox EV has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Equinox EV’s wheelbase is 7.6 inches longer than on the Q4 e-tron (116.3 inches vs. 108.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Equinox EV is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Q4 e-tron.

The Equinox EV LT handles at .87 G’s, while the Q4 e-tron Quattro pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Equinox EV has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Q4 e-tron (6.4 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the Equinox EV to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Equinox EV has .7 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q4 e-tron.

The Equinox EV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q4 e-tron with its rear seat up (26.4 vs. 24.8 cubic feet). The Equinox EV has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q4 e-tron with its rear seat folded (57.2 vs. 53.1 cubic feet).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Equinox EV uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q4 e-tron doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Equinox EV uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Q4 e-tron uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Equinox EV’s optional 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 Equinox EV’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, unlock 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 Equinox EV’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Q4 e-tron’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Equinox EV has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q4 e-tron only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Both the Equinox EV and the Q4 e-tron offer available heated front seats. The Equinox EV also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Q4 e-tron.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Equinox EV 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 Equinox EV 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 Equinox EV 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 Equinox EV equipped with available HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The Q4 e-tron, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Chevrolet Equinox EV empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

Compared to traditional radio, the Chevrolet Equinox EV’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.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Equinox EV, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Chevrolet Equinox outsold the Audi Q4 by over 49 to one during 2025.