Compare the2026 Audi Q4 e-tron SportbackVS 2025 Fiat 500e

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 500e doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Fiat 500e doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 Q4 e-tron Sportback are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 500e doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The 500e doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard Pre Sense Rear that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The 500e doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The 500e doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus has a standard Top View Camera System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 500e only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the 500e’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Assist and Automatic Brake Activation automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Fiat charges extra for Rear Cross Path Detection on the 500e and the 500e’s Rear Cross Path Detection does not include automatic braking.

Both the Q4 e-tron Sportback and the 500e have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback weighs 1898 pounds more than the Fiat 500e. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the 500e’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. Fiat doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the 500e.

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 Q4 e-tron Sportback’s reliability 18 points higher than the 500e.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s electric motors produces 218 more horsepower (335 vs. 117) and 374 lbs.-ft. more torque (536 vs. 162) than the 500e’s electric motor.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback is faster than the Fiat 500e:

	Q4 e-tron Sportback	500e
Zero to 60 MPH	4.7 sec	7.9 sec
Quarter Mile	13.4 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98.3 MPH	85.2 MPH

The Q4 e-tron Sportback can travel longer on a full charge than the 500e on a full charge:

			Miles
Q4 e-tron Sportback
		Electric Motors	258 miles
500e
		Electric Motor	149 miles
		All Season Tires Electric Motor	141 miles

For better stopping power the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s brake rotors and drums are larger than those on the 500e:

	Q4 e-tron Sportback	Q4 e-tron Sportback	500e
Front Rotors	14.1 inches	15 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Drums	11 inches	13.9 inches	8 inches

The Q4 e-tron Sportback stops shorter than the 500e:

	Q4 e-tron Sportback	500e
70 to 0 MPH	177 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver

For better traction, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has larger tires than the 500e (F:235/50R20 & R:255/45R20 vs. 205/45R17).

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s optional 255/40R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 500e’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the 500e. The Q4 e-tron Sportback offers optional 21-inch wheels.

For superior ride and handling, the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Fiat 500e has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s wheelbase is 17.3 inches longer than on the 500e (108.7 inches vs. 91.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q4 e-tron Sportback is 4.4 inches wider in the front and 3.8 inches wider in the rear than on the 500e.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49% to 51%) than the 500e’s (58.9% to 41.1%). This gives the Q4 e-tron Sportback more stable handling and braking.

The design of the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback amounts to more than styling. The Q4 e-tron Sportback has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the 500e (.324) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Q4 e-tron Sportback get better fuel mileage.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard seating for 5 passengers; the 500e can only carry 4.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has 5.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 7.7 inches more rear legroom and 7.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500e.

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 500e doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The 500e doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a 2650 lbs. towing capacity. The 500e has no towing capacity.

When two different drivers share the Q4 e-tron Sportback, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The 500e doesn’t offer a memory system.

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 500e doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard power windows have a locking feature to keep children in the rear seat from operating them, but the driver can still raise and lower all of them with the lock engaged. Fiat does not offer a locking feature on the 500e’s standard power windows.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The 500e’s power windows’ switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Q4 e-tron Sportback the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the 500e can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 500e 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 Sportback Premium Plus offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The 500e doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard extendable sun visors. The 500e doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Fiat charges extra for heated mirrors on the 500e.

When the Q4 e-tron Sportback 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 500e’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

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 500e offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback and Fiat 500e offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The Q4 e-tron Sportback offers optional power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the 500e’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the 500e.

On extremely cold winter days, the Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The 500e doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 500e doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The 500e doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Q4 e-tron Sportback has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500e doesn’t offer rear vents.

Compared to the Fiat 500e, the Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the infotainment system.

The Q4 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus’ Park Steering Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The 500e doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

The Audi Q4 outsold the Fiat 500 by over 8 to one during 2024.